Well it has been a few weeks since we discussed how to set up our new airbrush,so now it is time to put this wonderful tool to work on an actual model.
Where the airbrush excells is the finishing of complex and non-distinct colourschemes,as a good example we have here a typical Luftwaffe forest scheme that has been applied to a Me.P1099 heavy armament project,as you can see the scheme calls for a very subtle rendering of the various greens that were applied to aircraft during World War 2 by the Luftwaffe-
In this case the lower scheme uses a pale blue finish which was applied over a coat of matt white,this will serve as a fine basecoat to accept the final finish much the same as Holts white primer will seal any blemishes and fully prepare & seal the model for its camouflage,in order to mask the model prior to painting several ways can be used,try using damp tissue for wrapping around such things as undercarriages,wheel wells,jet pipes etc,for canopies if they have already been mounted then a combination of damp tissue with a bead of Maskol up to the join line should do the trick,ordinary masking tape is best passed through your fingers to reduce the tack before applying to the model,a better solution is to use a material called 'Solartrim' this is a fine film used for decorating flying models but it also makes a splendid solution to masking straight lines and has a relatively low tack.Domestic insulating tape can be used on areas whereby there is a slight curve present,but be aware of the fierce nature of the adhesive on our delicate models.
Once all of the necessary masking is in place go ahead and mix up your paints as described in the last tutorial,above all make sure that you will have sufficent colour to complete the job in hand nd place the model on a suitable turntable (you can either make your own or purchase a commercial item quite cheaply) the advantages of this are that you will need to cover the model with paint and at the same time move the model around a bit to get at awkward areas,there is a danger that if you hold the model in your hands it will certainly be in danger of being dropped ! the resultant damage does not need explaining either! back to our demo model here once the pale blue is dry then the mottle effects can be attempted,practise on a sheet of paper first to get the feel of the pattern and have plenty of reference material to hand,the best way is to have such material in those clear plastic folders so you can safely handle them without getting paint everywhere,shoot in a dark green colour and try and achieve the effect that the original paint sprayer would be aiming for,except we are doing things in miniature and to much finer tolerances.The next tip is to use a wonderful graphics artists material which is called 'Frisk film' or 'Frisket' depending on which side of the atlantic that you live,this is a very low tack adhesive based clear crisp film intended for use on ordinary art papers without pulling the fibres,you can cut off a few small portions from the roll and if necessary lay it over your pre-prepared camouflage drawing and then with a craft knife cut out the necessary shapes,it then becomes an easy job to lay them onto the model and press down the edges prior to airbrushing,the splinter upper surface camouflage shown here on this model was done in this way and the results speak for themselves.
Once the entire model is finished and dry it is time to study the results of your labours,check for any blemishes that may need touching in,it is surprising despite how careful that you are to miss certain areas.
Once the model has been painted it is then time for the overall coat of good old Johnsons Kleer,once this is dry it will form a suitable ground for any decals that need applying,then after these have set carefully apply JK also to the edges of the decals to blend them carefully in with the background to avoid any silvering of the edges.
Like everything in model building it is the basic preparation that counts,treat your delicate airbrush with loving care and it will reward you with years of excellent service,above all avoid a build up of paint within the mechanism,reservoir,fine needle and the trigger,to this end faithfully draw thinners through the brush on a regular basis and dont forget the tiny drop of cycle oil for that last blast through the gun at the end of the days work.
Take pride in your work and you will be rewarded with some lovely finishes on your models.
Linear Mode
