[Epapazian]

[larz]

To my eye those panel lines look okay.

In that second picture, is that HM's new display stand?

Larz

[Folgore]

That looks good, Epapazian -- nice weathering. Definitely an improvement. What color did you use for the panel lines on the upper / tan surfaces?

[hunhunter]

Kudos on the nice weathering job !


Mike

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by Folgore

That looks good, Epapazian -- nice weathering. Definitely an improvement. What color did you use for the panel lines on the upper / tan surfaces?

I'm sorry that the picture doesn't really show off the retouching and weathering as it looks in person. If I use too much light my digital camera can't pick up the detail as I would like it to; reducing the light, however, produces even worse results on a model with this particular coloration.

As for the colors, I used Humbrol 118 --U.S. Tan --for the upper surfaces and Humbrol 64 -- which is roughly the same as British Medium Sea Grey, for the under surfaces. In both cases, the matt paint was diluted by 30-50%, using paint thinner. Using a liner brush I found that a number of applications ----sometimes five or six---were needed in places where the inking was very heavy. Also, I made an effort to vary the applications, creating a more random look which is far more realistic. Staining effects were also effected by reducing the amount of thinner and buffing with a soft but bushy tipped brush in the appropriate places. As with all such efforts, once I saw these first pictures I noticed a number of areas I had missed along with mistakes of my own, which have now been corrected. The whole operation took only an hour and was well worth it.

[STARMAN 352ND]

That looks very nice....Great job on the weathering

JP

[Shawn 507]

OK I'm not trying to be critical here, but the panel lines are still obvious. Perhaps its the picture. The weathering does look good however, I'd like to try it but I'm better with armor than a/c. When toning down, were you wanting to hide the black or hide the obvious panel lines?

[Cavtanker]

How did you do the exhaust burns on the fuselage?

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by Shawn 507

OK I'm not trying to be critical here, but the panel lines are still obvious. Perhaps its the picture. The weathering does look good however, I'd like to try it but I'm better with armor than a/c. When toning down, were you wanting to hide the black or hide the obvious panel lines?

As I mentioned in a previous post, the picture isn't terribly good, however my goal wasn't to completely eradicate the panel lines. Rather, I intended to make them about 50% less prominent and get rid of the black. The model, as it now looks, has the panel lines considerably less visible and, more important, their color is a somewhat darker tan --- or gray for the bottom---than HM used in its original paint job, which makes them look more realistic. It's hard to see in the picture, but I also added staining in many places which is even more difficult to capture using my camera and limited photographic skills.

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by Cavtanker

How did you do the exhaust burns on the fuselage?

I create a mix of matt black and rust brown paint ( about 70% black ) and dilute it with thinner. Then, using an old brush whose tip is soft but rough edged, I pat down some paint mix, smudge it into the right shape and press lightly on it using my finger. I know this sounds odd, but you learn how to do this by trial and error. A dry finger press on a slightly wet thinned paint application can produce wonders once you get the hang of it. Sometimes, I have to use thinner by itself on the same brush to make final "corrections" until I get the desired effect.

When I first started doing stuff like this about twelve years ago, I was greatly concerned that I would "ruin" my models by tampering with their paint jobs. In fact, any paint application that goes awry, can be readily eliminated, using thinner, up to an hour after you make your "mistake" or chicken out. So fear not, its not as risky as it looks.