How to tone down my RLM camo

I hope you figure out the pics soon, as I'd like to see your work! Luftwaffe camo is tough sometimes to get realistic looking. Is it too late to mix a little 81 brown-violet in with your 82 light green, to get the 82 to appear darker and less contrast to the 81? Otherwise, try and mix up some tan color or buff, in about 80 % thinner, and give everything a fine mist. Or, fade your 81 with the airbrush to make it appear lighter in the center of panels, and on top of the fuselage spine. Filters should help blend things together as well. Were you thinking of oil paints?

Hi Nathan

I like the idea of using a Tan mix to blend them, but I will have to switch to my acrylics for that. I also have oils at my disposal, but i was thinking of making a filter outof them. Did you have something else in mind?

I have most of the camo down already, only minor touch ups and mottles near the rudder and where the upper fuse meets the RLM 76

I was mistaken about galleries, I cant seem to find one. When I created this post there was an insert image that wanted an URL to an existing media, which made me think it wanted a posted image elsewhere on the site. The only alternative I could think of was to tpye in the actual file path of my image on my PC? - I haven't seen that since DOS, so I must be missing something - any idea on how I can post an image?

Josy11

 any idea on how I can post an image?

It's not that hard.

1. You have Photobucket account

2.  You download pics from your computer

3.  Open the pic on Photobucket

4.  To the right of the full-sized pic will be a group of options called "Links to share this photo"

5.  The fourth one down is the one you want-"img"

6.  click on that link and it will say "copied"

7.  Go to your post on FSM and right click "paste"

8.  Your pic will now appear in the post

Give that a try and see if it doesn't help.  Good luck to you sir.

Hi TexGunner

Thanks for the recipe. I am going to give it a try here and link to my photobucket image

If it makes it, you can see how strong the contrast is in the camo  - I promise I will post pics when she is complete

Josy11

Hi TexGunner

Thanks for the recipe. I am going to give it a try here and link to my photobucket image

If it makes it, you can see how strong the contrast is in the camo  - I promise I will post pics when she is complete

 

You're quite welcome.  Hey, it must've worked, eh?  Good for you!

I sometimes airbrush on a very light coat of light gray or a lightened color of the lightest color in the camouflage over top of horizontal surfaces and top of the fuselage to simulate chalking and fading of paint due to sunlight.

Hi Don

Thanks for the reply. I like your idea. The lightest color on the top camo is the RLM 82, which is the "kelly Green" as I call it - To lighten the green color - should I use a few drops of white?

I don't think these planes spent much time exposed in the sun on the ground though...

I don't think I'd lighten the greeen color. This in one rare instance when Gunze got the RLM 82 color a little wrong. Its too light to start with. What I do when painting this color ( I use the Gunze water based paints) is mix some rlm 83 dark green in with the 82 light green. Its obviously too late for you to do this, so I would again say to mist a light buff/dirty brown over everything, highly thinned. As far as filters, you can take your oil paints and apply them in really small dots with a toothpick over the entire model (I do wings first, then fuselage to work in smaller areas at a time). Use colors such as browns, greens, yellows, tans, then take a soft wide brush and blend them into eachother, a little at a time, and streak them in the direction of airflow. You'll have to wipe the excess off your brush from time to time, and use a little thinner (mineral spirits, or turpenoid) to keep the brush clean. Blend the dots together until they almost disappear, leaving a slight discoloration, fading of the surface. Thats a nice looking airbrush job so far though!

Hi Nathan

Thanks for the reply. I also like your idea and had not thought of using oil dot filters - that is an outstanding idea. I have to look in my Gunze collection to see if I have a buff or dirty brown - not sure I do

I am forced to get my Gunze paints mail order as my local hobby shop is always out of these paints - one shipment a year - Also, thanks for the complement - This is only my second plane since coming back to this hobby as a kid and it was my first try at the Mr. Color line - I painted first plane in Vallejo Model air and liked those paints as well - The Mr. Color went on easier in my opinion and certainly covered well. I just need to make the contrast lower and a bit more realistic - I also tried PE for the first time on this plane as well - more of a mixed bag on that one

Joe

Something you may try is a sludge wash. I did this with the RLM on a recent 109. I started with a concentration on panel lines, then ran the "dirty" Q-Tip back with the wing chord, front to back in a very mild streaking action. It made a subtle "blend" that I really like, as well as weathering it. I was using Flory Dark Dirt, with a little bit of Grey along the darker areas. Best thing about that stuff is it is very forgiving, since it's clay based. Use too much, and you can just clean it off with a damp paper towel.

It wouldn't have to be Gunze paint, but it would have to be a type of paint that is able to thin way down and still airbrush well. Tamiya also comes to mind for this, you can thin it with the Gunze Mr. Color thinner too. I'm sure your Hobby shop carries Tamiya paints?

Here's a Ta 152 I painted using Mr. Color rlm 82 and 83. I did what I said above and darkened the 82 with 83, then gave it a wash with oil paints, and applied dot filters with green, yellow, and brown oils:

Note that in real life, the contrast on Me 262s was usually more than on my model.

HI Nathan

Once again, you come to my rescue. I completely forgot I can use my Vallejo or Tamiya paints - I actually have Tamiya buff from my last project which was German armor. I would agree that the amount of fading on you very nice looking Talon above, but I love the faded look. I am assuming you did both traditional oil based washes as well as oil dots from your comments?

I also just thought of I need to get my decals on before I start fading everything as well

Perfect! Use Tamiya buff thinned with 75% Mr. Color thinner. See how it works!! On that Ta 152 build I did do an overall oil wash, then dot filters on the wing tops and wing root areas.

I used to spray heavily thinned Tamiya Buff.  But nowadays I use oil dot filters.  I personally find dot filters to result in a more natural fading effect.

Hi ChrisK,

Thank you for responding. I was planning at this time to try them both - Also, If I remember correctly fromother posts, you utilize Vallejo polyurethane varnishes - if so, did I remmber correclty you thin them 50:50 with distilled water and a drop or two of flow aid and clean everything up with simple green?- I would like to try my Vallejo Polyurethane varnishes here, to gloss up decal, then varnis either gloss,satin, or matt, depending on what is best for oil dots

The mix ratio is 2 parts Vallejo PolyU matte varnish and 1 part distilled water + a drop of Flow Aid.  1:1 results in a satin finish.  

I just spray Future after a base coat and camo patterns are done to protect them.  I use Mona Lisa mineral spirits and MIG or W&N oil paints.  Future, once cured, seems impervious to mineral spirits.