Need your opinions

It looks good, but I think the preshading is a little overstated. I think if it was a bit more subtle it would look better, but that's just my opinion.

that's kind of what I was thinking... maybe one more light mist of underside color to mute down the preshading a bit... just an opinion... looks better than my usual fare either way!

My own take echoes that of MusicCity and tho9900. It seems like the current trend is to airbrush along the panel lines, but from looking at photos and actual aircraft, I just don't see that weathering follows along panel lines that neatly. Certainly between weathering, shadows, and lighting, one will see color variation, both real and perceived, on a large surface, but I find that these variations and blotchiness, will cross panel lines and not particularly follow them.

Andy

Although it's true that the real wing wouldn't look quite like that, consider it is a model. Models look really really cool and are fun to look at when they are painted like that. Maybe one more mute coat like tho9900 said but I wouldn't change it much if it was mine.

I certainly don't want to start a war on realism, or lack thereof on neatly shaded panel lines. I do agree that it is a cool effect and a testament to one's steady hand with an airbrush, and a lot of people like the effect on their aircraft these days. On the other hand, we usually seem to build in order to attain as much realism as we can get, rather than simply making something that looks cool. I just don't think that neatly shaded panel lines look particularly realistic, which I believe is what Swanny was asking about. Based on Pat Hawkey's diorama in the April FSM, I don't think that this opinion is mine alone. The fact that Swanny is soliciting input at this stage about something very specific, rather that simply posting pics of the finished model, I took as an indication that he is having his own doubts about it.

Andy

Thanks for all the honest opinions, I do appreciate it. I felt the lines might be a little too heavy myself but was not sure. I think I will add some lighted base color to the centers to give a little more color variance and may tone some of the lines down a little further. After this is all done the model will be sealed with Future then I'll run a darker wash into the heavy lines around the control surfaces. I've been working on this project since Christmas and it still has a few weeks to go. I'll post completed pictures when it gets there.

cool thanks Swanny! I am looking forward to it!