Bf-109 GB

Awesome Tony, I'm glad you were able to make it happen! 

Mottling intimidated the heck out of me, until I finally bit the bullet and just experiemented.  Looking forward to seeing your pics. 

Hey guys, just in case any of you are interested, here is a 1/48 Classic Airframes Bf109D that I completed two weeks ago.  I did mine with Condor Legion markings, as a plane flown by Werner Molders during the Spanish Civil War.  It was a challenging kit, loaded with tricky resin and PE parts.  It was a great learning experience, but it pushed the limits of my skills to the max!

Is next Academy in 1:72 "yellow one"

If you have a decent double action air brush, try free handing it.  Here is what seems to work best for me:

• Use highly thinned paint
• Get in really close with the airbrush
• Keep the airbrush moving at all times, even when paint isn't actually coming out
• While you're moving it around gently and quickly pull the trigger back ever so slightly, then rock it forward again as a bit of paint hits the surface of the kit.  This will give you light, gentle and random mottle patterns.

The key is thinned paint and gentle rocking of the trigger.  If you pull back too far, you're going to get a blotch.  If you don't keep the airbrush moving, all your mottles will have the same, circular appearance and you run the risk of paint building up in one spot way too quickly, thus creating runs and other issues. 

Experiment with that techique on some scrap or even using a blank sheet of paper until you feel comfortable and in control of the technique.  Experiment with the thinning ratios as well to help maximize the softness and subtleties of the mottling you're trying to replicate.

I hope that helps. 

Looking for tips. I was thinking about a mask using card stock or even masking tape with the pattern cut out, but that would take four years, seven months, thirteen days, and six hours. I'm not willing to invest quite that much time.

Tony

TGregory wrote:

Thank you, do you know where I can find information on stipple or mottle?

Are you looking for different schemes or tips?

Good news, the tape worked well. Now I need to try the stipple pattern, and I have to get the sticky off the canopy. Here's what I have so far.

back to the grind.

Masking tapes tend to be a bit too sticky.  I'll use masking tape to mask large areas, but I stick it on my shirt a few times and lift it off to get lint on it to tone down the stickiness.  Clearly you wouldn't do that when you're masking an edge say on a splinter scheme as the lint will encourage paint to suck up under it.  But it does work great if I'm just trying to covor large areas so I can spray a tail piece, or nose.

Tamiya tape works great as it's just tacky enough to get the job done, without damaging the underlying paint. 

Tony-

Looking good!  We'll keep our fingers crossed that none of the paint will lift.  Have you ever tried using Tamiya tape?  I used to use the blue painters tape, but after some paint lifting problems, I switched over to the Tamiya stuff.  Have not had a single problem with it.

The Bf109e is coming along it is in the painting stages, I hopethe masking tape doesn't pull up any paint.

OK , next one , is hart yellow 1 , i dont like "mottles"

Ready to painting...

 Finish 1 lest 5 :)

To see more photo please go to my gallery , link

 I don't finish today

Thank , i have 5 bf-109 to finisch. I working hart.

Rafhart-

Looking good!  Nice job with the markings, look spot on!  Glad to see this GB is still alive.

 Co jest tylko ja składam ???

Guys to work !!!!

I go to work....

 G-14 Hartman's  painting

 I have foto G-14 but 1:72 is to smoll to perfekt painting.

Scott-

Thanks!  Being able to inspire someone to try something different has got to be about the best compliment one could get- I really appreciate it!

When you do build it, be sure to post pics!

Jay-

Thanks!  I have thought about another one, just have to finish up the started kits first!

Guy-

That is an AWESOME looking '109!  I can't believe how fast you finished that one up.  As for criticism, I seriously cannot find one thing I would do differently.  You should be very proud, now we can wear our GB badges with pride!