This is the Mig in case you wondered

Color modulation, to me, encompasses pre-shading with a very dark color, the base color and subsequent uses of lightened base color added in a random fashion.  I've even added similar tones to thinly overspray the base color to simulate weathering.  I think that this is the best platform from which to do additional weathering but takes a bit longer to get all that paint put down.

What you described is the oil dot filter method, which I find to be more applicable to armor than aircraft as it can get very grimy, very quickly.   Given the surface area of aircraft models, especially our beloved 1/32, I would be hesitant to use oil dots for weathering because as the oils start to dry they can leave little ring-like residues that may or may not get wiped clean by the mineral spirits.  

I can post more on this later, but I'm on a work deadline right now so I must bow out for now....

Dean: Thanks for the videos - awesome stuff there!

And as Dre said colour modulation is more an armour thing, though I guess you could do it on aircraft. To get those results you might be better off pre-shading the kit and then hitting the centers of the panels with some lightened paint of the normal shade.

Dean, looking at that MiG photo, I'd do as much of that weathering with the airbrush and variations of the two base colors as possible.  For that much weathering, I'd add a complimentary dark color to the two base colors as I put on the first coat and then start lightening it from there.   You might even need to go a few steps away from the main colors to get the right effect.

"Blotchy" is what is called for here, I think.

this is the first coat of MM enamel Flanker Medium Blue mixed with 30% Gloss White.   I need another heavy coat before I can flip it over and begin painting the top half.  About 6 gallons of 110 PSI compressed air shooting at ~ 20 PSI at the airbrush, using a little more than 1/2 oz. of mixed paint ( 1jar) so far.... expensive paint job if it's going to take close to 3 jars of this Medium Blue to decently cover it!

I don't know that the neighbors enjoyed me running an industrial compressor to charge the tank at 11pm....

wait til they get an ear-full tomorrow at 8am...  wakey, wakey!!   I hope to be up early enough to finish the bottom and then go to work for a few hours and then begin the top tomorrow evening.

Here's pics of my 1/48 MiG-25 I started 25 years ago.  I need to repaint everything as I didn't worry so much about accuracy back then, I never finished the missiles so now I have a chance to do that. as well as add a good ejection seat and the gear doors, basally do it right this time.  

Thanks very much for the painting advice guys I really appreciate it, I will make me mig look as close as possible thanks to your advice. Also I really want a Flanker now I saw your 1/32 scale beast lol. The Foxbat should be an unusual build, start with a finished kit, then disassemble it then build it lol that's sure to be a lot of work.

Falconmod: That to my tired old eyeballs looks 'right'. I've seen some photos of Foxbats that look more greyish and slightly less blue but of course considering light conditions it's really hard to tell one way or the other. What you have looks good to me.

The cockpit is so small and cramped I didn't bother to detail mine, I think the only part of the ejection seat you'd see would be the top. Looking forward to seeing how yours comes out.

Dean- time, patience and lots of paint will get you there.  I don't see knocking that out in a weekend, sorry.

Since I've got only one bottle of the Medium Blue remaining, I went ahead and put down a base coat on the top this morning and will use up the bottle this evening on a second coat.   If today's time allows, I'll run by my not-so-local hobby shop and get some more jars of this color as I'll need much more in the future... thought I had more of this.

MiG 17 update: Managed to get some work done during the holiday week. Not only is NMF a major pain in the keyster for me but this model has seam issues up the wazoo! My normal plan of putty and gap filling super glue was not up to the task, (putting it mildly). The fuselage was also designed more to be split showing off the engine thus causing the massive gap. I'm sure if this wasn't my first real attempt at metalizer stuff I could've done better but...enough whining and excuses. I'm still working on the gear, pitot tubes etc.etc. Still, in spite of all the setbacks it's actually been fun and certainly a learning experience. Will post final pics soon.

Ah yes Dre, I am in no rush to finish as any time I have been I have ended up regretting it and you look and think to yourself if only I'd took more time and done this or that lol, this a new thing for me to do as I have heard of these different techniques but never tried, the most adventurous I have been was to pre shade. I am looking forward to the challenge.

Color modulation can be quite a bit of fun if you take your time with it and it is well worth the effort.

This is a T-34/76 that I heavily modulated, just to give an idea of what I'm banging on about regarding the use of different colors to simulate sun-beaten weathering... I think that there's 3 or 4 different green paints involved here.   I haven't yet done this much paint work on an aircraft, but that Frogfoot of mine will get something similar.

Right right I see, so I should use various blues and greys to achieve a faded used look?

If those are the two primary colors in the camo, then yes.  I wouldn't stray too far away from the base colors but use some that have a definite tonal difference even if it's minute.   This allows greater color subtleties than mixing in black and white paints to effect a tonal shift.   A nice palette containing warm to cool tones is what I'd use.  

Heck, you could use your two base colors and just add drops of different yet similar colors to achieve the same result.

If you have time, then I highly recommend some experimentation before attempting it on the MiG because  you'll be able to figure exactly what is, and isn't, working for you.

Thank you Dre your advice is going to be very well used, it's always good to learn new things!

Falconmod; the 25 looks to be well on its way already. It's usually the case that we're always our own worst critics especially when it comes to our old projects. It looks pretty good to my eyes.

Dre, all I can say is Holy Cow!!  My "Das Reich" Panther is scared, very scared.

Is your Flanker going to be wheels up?

Mikey, thank you!   It was a fun build.

Dean, yes.  Wheels up and tons of missiles.   This model is intended to hang from the ceiling of a high school room and be impressively large.

Looking more closely at the MiG photo, I think that you should be able to do most of the weathering with a heavy dark grey or black preshade, the two camo colors and then more progressively lightened mixes of those paints to keep dulling down and lightening the finish.   You might not be able to go too far in color shifting as there's not much color vibrancy in those two camo paints to start with.  

In some ways, that aircraft looks like an over-weathered model....  

And now there's camo...  MM enamel Flanker colors (Pale Blue, Medium Blue and Blue/Grey) mixed with about 25% Gloss White.   I'ma let this dry overnight and tomorrow begin to mask stuff off.  I'll use white instead of green for the nose and other panels just because it looks better IMO and then do the engine panel metallics lastly.

The Flanker is such a good looking plane Dre. I have to say the real mig does look a bit like a model, which is an unusual way about things. I think I have done the dark grey camo wrong as it is a very pale blue, it looks great but isn't right, so I think I might just keep it anyway as Revell have painted theirs grey and blue. I will get some quality pictures today and get them posted either tonight or Wednesday when I'm next off work.

Nice work there Dre. I have to agree with Dean , the Flanker is a sharp looking aircraft, maybe IMHO the best looking Soviet/Russian fighter of all.

Thanks guys, I'm pleased with it so far.   Personally, and IMHO, the Flanker is the best looking modern-era twin engine jet period.   To me, its lines embody the idea of 'strength in beauty'.

Going to start masking in a minute, I think that I might use some sort of grey paint instead of  the white for the nose cone and panels...  this model is more of a paint guinea pig than originally intended.

I agree, it is an incredibly good looking aircraft.

Wait...   dark grey came out as pale blue??  Do tell more.

Well what seems to be the case is that Revell have done a blue/grey camo, but the real aircraft tjat Revell used was grey/dark grey as you see in the picture. I have faded the blue and it actually has taken on a worn faded look, as I used smoke to highlight the panel lines foe the first time which gave pleasing results. It's sort of trial and error with the paint but the paint is so weather beaten in the walk around pictures it actually looks even better when I make a slight mistake, its weird. I will post the likn so you can see what I mean as the picture I posted doesn't illustrate this well.

Here's the link:    file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/MIG%2029UB%20Walkaround.htm

When you see the pictures you will see what I mean as the exact colour is quite hard to determine, I have not seen such worn out paintwork on an aircraft.

It will take some aggressive work to replicate that.  That clear Smoke is the thing for easy post paint shading and it plays well with Future.

The masked painting is done and I had to do a bunch of touch-up work with the 3 camo colors to fix really nasty bare spots where the tape pulled the paint off...  pics later when the dust settles.  

Cant wait to see it man.

dean27

Got a question for anyone who would know, I have seen people use colour modulation, I believe as far as I know it is dots of colourful oil paint all blended together with white spirit and dragged the direction of gravity. Has anyone done this? If so how did it work out? I really need to make my mig heavily weathered as by the looks of it, it got left outside for years and took quite a beating from nature.

I've seen it explained & demonstrated, it makes sense to my "graphic designer's brain", but I have yet to try it. Not only would it fade/weather the underlying paint, but it should also help blend various camo colours. Need to grab a handful of oils & give it a shot one of these days.

Dre

....Personally, and IMHO, the Flanker is the best looking modern-era twin engine jet period.   To me, its lines embody the idea of 'strength in beauty'....

AGREED!!!

Dre - thrown' paint now!! (and lots of it at that scale!) Man I wish I had easier access to MM enamels, always had good luck with them.