Skyraider SEA camo...soft masks?

I use soft masks as the demarcation lines are fairly sharp on the USAF Skyraiders in the Nam camo. By the time you scale it down to 1/48, they would be sharp. A lot of modelers like the freehand softer edge, but it's really out of scale. There was an article in FSM some time back on doing Nam camo schemes with soft (paper) masks. I think the article was written by Pat Hawkey. Might check the archives to see if it's still available. It was a good, informative read.

Thanks Rick.

I appreciate your help.

Mike

Mike, I did one of the old ERTL Skyraiders a while back. Actually I built it in high school then pulled it out about 6 years ago, slapped the rest together and used it to practice my airbrushing on. I did it all freehand, some area better than others. I didn't have a good airbrush at the time so it was sporadic. I like the freehand look myself, but it does need to be tight. Here's a few pics for ya...

Here it sits amongst my Tiger pieces parts. If you look close you can see I got a pretty good edge on the left wing (right side of pic ). The right wing was not as successful.


Here's a close up of the left wing


And the nose, you can see it got rough there.



If you're using a decent a/b you can do a good freehand. If you're not confident with it, use the soft masks. Or, just do whichever you prefere since it's your's anyway! I like the freehand look because even though a soft mask may be more to scale, my brain likes to be able to tell it's a soft edge. But this is my brain I'm talking about soooo...

Or, just try it both ways say on one wing and see what you like, then redo the part you don't like and have at it!!

I love this plane, and I love SEA camo!! This has always been my favorite and now I'm wanting to get my Tamiya kit out and build it!!!

Eric

I just saw your post about getting the Iwata also...you can do a freehand with it with noooooo problemo!! Try it if you like the softer look!!

Eric

Thanks Eric.

That kit came out pretty nice.

Mike

thats a nice cammo scheme there eric! i know that free hand demarcation lines are out of scale, but it seems to add more realism to the subject in my opinion. hard lines look more like a toy IMHO. later.

QUOTE: Originally posted by saltydog i know that free hand demarcation lines are out of scale, but it seems to add more realism to the subject in my opinion. hard lines look more like a toy IMHO. later.

That depends on the aircraft Chris.
Some camo paint jobs were a harder line so they look strange when freehanded.
Look at this photo of an A-1H and you can see that freehanding it would look a lot different.



Mike

i agree, the spitfire is another aircraft that would not look authenic with a freehand scheme. its just more fun to freehand though. masking seems more difficult than freehand to me. ive tried silly putty, play dough (much to my daughters chagrin), and just plain old tape. later.

QUOTE: Originally posted by saltydog its just more fun to freehand though. masking seems more difficult than freehand to me.

I agree, but I am a stickler for realism so I am going to try the soft masks with 1:1 scale copies of the kit drawings lifted off the surface with masking tape loops or something.

Mike

cant wait to see some photo posts my friend. hows your F-15 coming along?

I'll get some photos when I get it finally done.
The F-15E has been a real adventure, since you mentioned it.
I painted it and then had some flaws in the paint which I tried to correct and ended up with a mess so I stripped the flaws from the top of the wing with Castrol Super Clean and repainted it. Then there was some discoloration in the touch-up as I lightened the paint 10% with white as is recommended for 1/48 scale originally and my second touch-up didn't match as well.
So off the paint came a second time in that area. Then I was out of Gunship Gray so I had to go buy some more. I ended up just stripping the entire top of the left wing and reprimed it with Floquil primer yesterday. I am waiting 48 hours and then I am going to shoot it again with MM Acryl, wait another 48 hours and then coat it with Future. This 48 hours between coating sure makes it a long project.

Mike

yeah, why do you think i'm over hear at my computer typing to you?!!! that sounds like the things i have to go through to get a model done. i dont know whether you read my "murph" post, but i seem to have misplaced a fairly sizable box of F-16 parts!! cant for the life of me find the darn thing!! later.

Mike, in case you haven't been there, here is a thread to the Official Skyraider Assn. web site. http://skyraider.org/skyassn/index.htm

Some good pics of Skyraiders in SEA camo. The demarcation lines look pretty sharp to me.

Thanks Rick.

That photo I posted of the A-1H was from the "Image Collection" link on that web site you posted.

Mike

Here's a decent close up for you Mike. As you can see, they did freehand the camo on the planes, it's just how close you want to get to scale on yours. Even though I haven't done one yet, I bet with my Iwata, i could freehand good enough to pass most people's scrutiny. I'm just lazy and don't like to mask though too! The job I did on that old one was with an old single action cheapo. The dark green on the med green always looks tighter too because the overspray is harder to detect. Anyway, be sure to share some pics when you're done. I want to see it!



Eric

Eric and Rick,

Did you paint the bottom of the aircraft in the white first and then do the top half?
I know that is the normal process but since this is a three color camo on top it seems like it may be easier to paint the bottom last.
How did you do it?

Thanks

Mike

Mike, I did do the bottom gray first, then the tan, then med green then dark green. The reason you want to do it that way is the lighter color's overspray shows up a whole lot worse on a darker color than vise versa. I've always followed that rule doing any camo scheme...work from the lightest color to the darkest. Also the trick I use when freehanding camo is to spray at an angle to the suface toward the inside of the patch. That minimizes the overspray. I basically outline the patch of color first then fill the center.

I meant to ask, you doing the Tamiya 1/48?? That's a sweet kit. I need to build mine.

Eric

Mike, Same as Eric. Painted the bottom first, masked it with tape, then painted the three tone upper camo going from tan to green to dark green. I used paper masks held in place with strategic applications of liquid mask or blue tac.

Eric and Rick,

Thanks for the answers.

QUOTE: Originally posted by erush I meant to ask, you doing the Tamiya 1/48?? That's a sweet kit. I need to build mine.

No I am building the lousy fitting Monogram kit that I bought years ago.
I wish it was the Tamiya. I will build one of those one day also.

Mike

Mike, the Tamiya kit is much nicer than the old Monogram. I'm about half done with a US Navy version. If you like SEA birds, Classic Airframes is shipping their new F5-A Tiger. Catch a preview on www.hyperscale.com

QUOTE: Originally posted by rjkplasticmod Mike, the Tamiya kit is much nicer than the old Monogram.

Sounds like I need to get one sometime.

QUOTE: I'm about half done with a US Navy version.

Show us some pictures when you complete it.

QUOTE: If you like SEA birds, Classic Airframes is shipping their new F5-A Tiger. Catch a preview on www.hyperscale.com

That looks like a nice kit. The cockpit detail looks great.

Mike