Cloudy overspray as a method of Painting

Thanks to all for the advice, and thanks for clearing things up!

The same can be done from under a vehicle to simulate dust.

With high pressure (for me a rattle can) place the model on cardboard and spray the area around the vehicle, the 'mist' will 'roll' on the lower surfaces in a fine coat similar to dust.

*Disclaimer*

Practice on something first, actual results may vary due to the nature of the technique*

Don, thanks very much. This sounds like it would be more suited to a one colour scheme. I think I may give it a go on my current B-17 build.

It is similar to something i have tried on German armour. After painting the 3 colours, i give a light misting of dark yellow with a touch of white and a bit more thinner than normal. This helps to blend everything in. I was thinking of trying the same thing with German night fighter schemes.

Bish

Don, i am looking at doing somthing similar for certain schemes, but this sounds like a good idea for other projects as well. Do you also use alot of thinner, as i thought this would reduce the effect of the colour you are putting down.

I may use a little more thinner than normal, but not much.  Too much thinner may make paint run to easily, and you do NOT want it to run for this application.  This does not work like a wash. It is just that you make the coat so light that it is quite transparent or translucent.  I also tend to shoot from a little more distance, so paint goes on a bit dry.  You want to shade it around from heaviest on top to lighter at quartering angle, to none on vertical sides.  A wash or too thin a paint can ruin the shading.  This is very similar to feint exhaust shading, but even more subtle.

Don, i am looking at doing somthing similar for certain schemes, but this sounds like a good idea for other projects as well. Do you also use alot of thinner, as i thought this would reduce the effect of the colour you are putting down.

I do this for WW2 aircraft.  The paint in those days chalked and weathered easily due to UV damage from sunlight.  The horizontal top surfaces chalked the worst.  So, I take the color of the fuselage top and wing tops (horizontal tail surfaces too), add a lot of flat white to it, and put a very light mist spray from airbrush down on these surfaces, carefully aiming it from top.  This is AFTER decaling, since you want to fade the decals too.  A DA airbrush is best for this, but I have occasionally done it with my SA brush also, with careful adjustment.  Sometimes I have even just used flat white without mixing it with the aircraft color, but you must be very good at getting a super light fine coat if you use the pure white.  Anyway, makes the plane look like it has sat in sun for a few months.

Technically it is not overspray, because you are aiming for the model, but it is a super light coat like the overspray effect.