Hand brushing basics

no, not as thin as for airbrushing. sometimes i brush strauight from the bottle snd it turns out fine. thinning a little might help. light coats must be used. don't try to get all the color on at once. use smooth even strokes only in one direction. don't use cheap crappy testors brushes. veskootye to michael's and buy yerself some nice soft brushes for 2$ apiece. they work much much better. check out duke maddog's 1/72 armor stuff. he handpainted some of it and it turns out really good.

Thanks. I'll get some new brushes. I just got the USSR aircraft carrier minsk, and am paranoid about the deck paint coming out crappy. (seriously, who in their right minds paints their decks orange? Only in mother russia...)

comerade, i just picked up trhe ussr frunze here in arizona. what bloody color are the decks? i can't seem to find a federal standard for it and trupeter only gives gunze sangyo!!!! what color are you using?

I have had much better success using acrylics for hand brushing.

Mike

Agh, I hate acrylics. I don't know why, I just do.
To Tanky: I'm going to look in mikael's for any enamel labeled "orange" and slap it on. Trumpeter instructions are really lousy. But I don't think i'll be getting any paints till summer, when i get up the courage to ask someonw to drive me to the store and give me money.
Also, USSR minsk comes with annoying tiny red star decals for fighters and helicopters that come off when you touch them. any suggestions?

Decals coming off? Is this before application (still on backing) or after?

I think I have a cure for that... when you wet the paper and take the decal off to apply it, dip it in a little glass of Future before you stick it on... the Future glues it on the body basically with no silvering or anything... because it's already Futured when it dries you can dull coat or what have you right over it without it wrinkling...

I do this as a standard for instrument panel decals when there is no detail on the IP, and am about to try it for larger decals like national insignia etc..

Works like a charm! And it's something available at the grocery store and doesnt cost much either!

---edit---

I just reread and saw the "tiny" part... you could put a drop of Future on the spot it goes and lay the decal into it... position it and tamp it down with a Qtip moistened in Future...

QUOTE: I just got the USSR aircraft carrier minsk, and am paranoid about the deck paint coming out crappy.

If you don't have an airbrush get a can or spray paint and use that for the deck. I never hand brush large surfaces, they just never come out looking right.

You might also want to take a look at this article on Basics of Brush Painting

QUOTE: Also, USSR minsk comes with annoying tiny red star decals for fighters and helicopters that come off when you touch them. any suggestions?

Once the decals are in place and fully dry, cover the entire aircraft with a coat of Future or flat clear.

be warned about going to michaels!!!!! their paints are not the right kind for modeling at all!! very very coarse pigment. and also, with further research i have determined that the decks are not orange, but closer to a brownish copperish color...

Thank you all, true comrades!
I have no airbrush. Is is possible to hand brush a clear coat, and still maintain a level of decent looking-ness.
Same question for a dull coat, or whatever it's called.
Beleive me when I say I hav NO experience in these matters.

Okay, so I just got myself a huge jug of future. Whoop-dee-doo! Now what do I do with it? I'm totally clueless. Dip it in a cup of future...Just dip the whole thing in, or take the decal off the sheet first...HELP!