Cockpit painting

i like to use dark grey, but as you can see, there are several different opinions about how to weather cockpits. good luck. later.

What color shpuld i use for the oil wash?
Thanks, Tankmaster

I find it depends alot on the cockpit base colour, like 109's.
The c/p is dark, and while lighter shades will help to 'raise' the detail a bit, it will always appear a little gloomy.

I use pastels to highlight side panels, and for well worn areas.
I mostly do 1/48, and for my dry brushing I find the normal paint pigment to be a little to 'chunky' in appearance, so I use Alclad, or MM Metallisers.

Takes some work, but the result is far more convincing.

I do most of all the above and I also use progressively lighter shades of the base color to give some depth. This is more important with cockpits that are very visible. the 1/48 and larger will really show this technique more. Mostly it is trial and error and what you like better.

I don't do a lot of weathering in cockpits. I don't do much anywhere, but especially not in cockpits of fighters. Making them look worn is OK, but making them look dirty is incorrect IMO. If you have ever been in an airplane that is upside down (I have!) you know that every piece of dirt, mud, gravel, charts, and everything else in there heads straight for your face. If nothing else this insures that dirt won't stay in one place very long.

I usually start with a base of enamel and then switch to acrylic for detailing. For switches and controls I use a #20/0 brush for them. For instruments I put a drop of white enamel in the bezel. When it's cured I but a drop of black acrylic over it. When that has cured I scrape the needles and numers with a #11 Xacto knife blade. The black acrylic will scrape right off, the white enamel is tougher and will stay. Once that's done a drop of Future in the bezel gives it the appearance of glass over the instrument. Silver Sharpies can be used to pick out studs and switches.

Edit ... I forgot to mention: Put some spots of color in. Find some controls that are red and make them bright. A few shots of color will really make a cockpit stand out. At the same time, get your colors right! Indicator lights, CRT screens, MFD's, etc. are never bright red, green, or yellow when they are off. They are very dark.

oh yeah, Tom's got a great idea too, i forgot to mention the pencil thing, it does work great!! i'll second what he said. later.

ditto on what Chris said... one thing you can try and it does a mighty fine job, is use a silver artists pencil and rub the side of it over your bezels and they will come out perfect everytime... I used to dry brush mine, but since trying this technique I think I am going to stick with it.. I am going to get the whole set and try the reds and yellows too... see how good they work on the inner dials and such...

well, i start out by spraying the overall interior color with my airbrush. after this is done, i begin "picking" out the detail with small brushes. i have a 4inch by 4 inch ceramic tile that i put a drop of enamel paint on, then to the side of that i put a drop of mineral spirits to keep my brush and paint in the proper condition. the glazed surface of the ceramic tile is cleaned easily and very durable. always dip your brush in the appropriate thinner before dipping it in the paint. after i get all the detail picked out, i spray on a good coat of future, let it cure, and then i do a dark grey wash of mineral spirits and artist oils. then, i move to dry brushing by mixing the pianted colors with artist oil titanium white. the wash and drybrushing is what really makes the cockpit detail pop. if your hand painting is not absolutely perfect, don't sweat it, move on to the future and wash step and you'll find that the wash sort of "hides" an unsteady hand, then the drybrushing picks up the raised details and it all kind "blends" in and looks good. good luck, and remember to have fun with it. later.