White wash on Eastern Front aircraft?

Dunno about the LW aircraft per se, but the Soviets certainly used white distemper on their aircraft.

I've got plans to do a Lavochkin La-5 in shoddy whitewash, and I'm planning to follow this approach:

http://vvs.hobbyvista.com/Modeling/Lavochkin/La-5/Vector/FullBuild/Sekularac/index.php

 You could go the route that Matt mentioned or use white Tempra paint.. It's essentially kids paint and is easily washable. For my next winter scheme,  I am going to use this method. From what I have seen @ local contest, this stuff looks great!!

 I use a mix of black and white that is by Tempera to do my panel lines and it is really easy to use and is user friendly!! Final results are just as good!!

Flaps up,

Mike

Rangers Lead The Way

Mike - could you elaborate on the tempera method? You have me all curious...

I just got a book on WW2 Soviet aircraft paint & camo, I don't know what the Germans did, but the Soviets used waterbased paint, and in the winter of 1941/42 they actually used a white water based paste used to protect trees from insects. It was so rough that it was claimed to slow the planes 5-10 mph.

I think white Tempera paint sounds like a great possibility for a scale white wash.

The white over-paint is indeed water-based on German aircraft, according to everything I've read about German camo. 

Someone (I can't recall who right now) did a great diorama a few months back over in the Diorama Hooch showing a ground crew removing the whitewash from a '109...

As for tempera paint itself, I love the stuff... I use for weathering, painting groundwork, tinting celluclay and plaster, and the powdered tempera makes excellent weathering pastels..

There's a diorama build over on Promodeller featuring a ski-Stuka with tempera whitewashing. 

While poking around I also saw that they make a winter camo wash...anybody have any experience with it? 

Hey Matt,

 As for your question on Tempra paints... As I mentioned, they are water wash up so they are easy to work with.

 Before I apply, I make sure that my build has a nice solid gloss coat more or so I apply after my decaling. I tend to use black and white, 90% black and the rest white.. Mixed with water and the percentage is by eye..

 I do not want a stark black but more of a night black which leans to a twinge ofa very very dark grey.  I use a fine brush and appy to any and all panel lines and wait for about a minute or so before taking a lightly moistened Q-Tip and wipe off in the direction of air flow...

 In all I like how it looks...

 As for the winter camo wash, I have not really heard about it.. I will look around to see what I can find out!!

Stand by,

 Flaps up,

Mike

Rangers Lead The Way

Thanks Mike! I use Promodeller's Dark Dirt wash for panel lines, but I might give tempera a try. Both seem pretty similar in use, but tempera's probably a whole lot cheaper!

What I was curious about, though, was its use as a whitewash. Thoughts on application? Do you think it could be shot through an airbrush (I haven't seen it..but if it can be thinned with water I assume so).

The Stuka build I mentioned above sure looks airbrushed, but also seems like it was applied a bit thin (as noted in the build report). 

http://www.promodeller.com/stuka/

I did this when I built my Tamyia Fammo Flackverling years ago I just painted the model it's base color dark gray. Let that dry then gave it a lite thin coat of white came out looking pretty decent. The figures with were dressed in winter clothes did them in white also looks good.               ACESES5                     IN THE WERKS HOBBYCRAFT 1/32 FOKKER DR1 '' RED BARRON''          

I believe that you can use artist oil paints fro similar effect except they need turpentine or non-odor turpentine (I use this for cleaning up all types of paints now) to clean up with. Oils take days to dry so you can touch up over time by using a q-tip dipped in the cleaning solution. Oils don't react to enamels or acrlyics.

I have used this technique on an armor model with great results. If work didn't block

Mike T.

I might give tempera a try. Both seem pretty similar in use, but tempera's probably a whole lot cheaper!

About 6.00-8.00 bucks a pint  for the pre-mix, lol...  Powder's a bit more expensive, but the plus-side of it is that you only need to mix as muxh as you think you need for a session, AND you have it (the powder) ready to apply for other weathering applications.   The pre-mix DOES keep for many many months even after it's been opened...  Hobby Lobby carries both powder and pre-mix...h

What I was curious about, though, was its use as a whitewash. Thoughts on application? Do you think it could be shot through an airbrush (I haven't seen it..but if it can be thinned with water I assume so).

I take it you're wanting it to look "depot" applied rather than local unit-painted using brushes & rollers, eh?

I wouldn't think it'd be an issue, although I'd get the pre-mixed tempera rather than the powdered tempera for airbrushing...  One thing though, you'll have tto thin hell outta the stuff and add a wetting agent to it, like dish soap.. The stuffs dries way to fast for alcohol to be used as a thinner, I'd reckon... I'd also think you'll want as big a tip as you can screw on your airbrush... Aso, no matter how well you mix it, you're gonna have some clumps of paint in there, so get some paint strainers and run you mix through one into the paint-cup...

Hans von Hammer

 

I take it you're wanting it to look "depot" applied rather than local unit-painted using brushes & rollers, eh?

I wouldn't think it'd be an issue, although I'd get the pre-mixed tempera rather than the powdered tempera for airbrushing...  One thing though, you'll have tto thin hell outta the stuff and add a wetting agent to it, like dish soap.. The stuffs dries way to fast for alcohol to be used as a thinner, I'd reckon... I'd also think you'll want as big a tip as you can screw on your airbrush... Aso, no matter how well you mix it, you're gonna have some clumps of paint in there, so get some paint strainers and run you mix through one into the paint-cup...

Not necessarily trying to avoid the local unit look. Part of it's that I don't trust myself to brush whitewash over the majority of an aircraft (including the entire upper surface of the wings), even one as small as an La-5, in a way that looks convincing. The other part is that, at least with the plane I'm planning on whitewashing, it actually appears to have slightly feathered edges. It's the one in the background, Red 58.

Howdy Matt,

 This stuff can be used as a white wash IMHO because I experimented on a hack model and it worked well. And yes I brush painted it too.

 It's not that hard Matt, maybe just practice on a piece of plastic or as I did, use a hack build.. When I had bought the Tempera paint at a Niagara Hobby, I did not see it in the size or price that Hans is referring to.

 The ones I got are in 2 US fl oz bottles at a $1.60 a piece. And believe me, these bottles go a long way and you only need 3 drops of paint to "x" amount of drops of water...

 The are offically known as Chromatemp Artists' Tempera Paint. Like I mentioned before these are geared towards the kids line of paint b/c the eas of usage and clean up!!

 As to use it through an airbrush, that I have not tried yet!! I am sure if you thin it down enough with water, it should act like any other water based paint.

 Here is what they look like...

 Hope this helps my friend..!!

Flaps up,

Mike

Rangers Lead The Way