Paint difficult areas first - All kits tell you to paint the smaller parts before assembly. I also paint difficult to reach areas while the model is unassembled. In fact, I ALWAYS paint the wings of the plane before I attach them to the fuselage. this way I can give each the attention they deserve. Once assembled, a lower wing will always receive a second rate paint job. Don't forget to prime the interior of the fuselage black when the halves are unattached. this will brevent the shiny colored plastic from spoinlin the effect of the model.
I almost exclusively use Polly-S and Tamiya acrylics.
To use them with an airbrush, I thin them with a mixture of 50% water, 50% ethanol/methanol and a very small amount of dishwashing detergent.
I have the thinning mixture in small glass bottles with drippers.
To get the proper amount of detergent:
Some people have successfully used windowcleaner instead of this mixture.
Usually you have to add 40-60% thinning mixture to the paint. It should give a very thin layer, so expect to put on several.
To decrease the drying time, you can use a microwave oven. Put a glass of water in the oven to protect it, then put the model in for maybe 30 seconds at half power. In this way I've managed to put on 5 layers of paint in 20 minutes.
I have a few tins of enamels, but I use them almost only for metallic colours.
Author: Earl Boebert ([email protected])
Let me add a couple of tips from my days of supplanting military pay by painting HO brass locomotives and the occasional custom-built plastic model:
1: Surface preparation is essential; in the case of plastics, making sure that all the parts have been washed to remove the parting agent. Avoid fingerprints. Handle parts with tweezers or wear "finger cots," which are sold in office supply stores and look like miniature condoms; these keep your finger oils off of the surface but still enable you to feel what you're doing. (followups to alt.sex.plastic, please. :-))
2: Look for the thinnest masking tape you can find; the stuff sold in artist's supply stores is often much thinner and with less "tack" than the automotive/hardware kind.
3: Cut your own strips, using a scalpel and a steel ruler. I would lay the tape out onto a glass plate and cut strips about 3/16" wide. This makes for much cleaner lines, as the rough edge and adhesive "bleed" from the machine-cut rolls is eliminated. If you need more width, add a band of plain paper or (as the previous poster mentioned) aluminium foil.
4: As mentioned, remove tape as soon as the paint has "surface set." Learn what this time is for the paint you are using by experiment.
5: As with anything that mixes craft and technology, the really spectacular results are obtained through a deep understanding of the medium you are working in. What this means is that you find things like brands of paint and tape that work and you stick with them, so that each job becomes less and less a voyage of discovery and experiment.
Author: Earl Boebert ([email protected])
Pasels
Q: I understand pastels can be used to achieve subtle colour variations especially for weathering, what kind of pastel should I use?
A: Use chalk pastels, not use oil-base pastels. Most people use pastels for weathering and highlighting areas on models. I would recommend obtaining a set of shades of gray, and a set of earth tones. I obtained a set of 12 of each ranging from very light to very dark at a craft store for about $4.50 for each set. You can also obtain many individual colour, like shades of green. I've used these for creating the line camouflage on some German aircraft used in Africa.
Pastel application
Q: How do I apply pastels
A: There are several ways to apply pastels. Here are some tips:
1) Make sure the model has a matte finish. This can either be the bare matte paint, or if the paint is gloss, a matte overcoat.
2) Use fine sandpaper or emery boards to make some chalk dust. At this point different coloured pastels can be mixed.
3) To apply the pastel, use a paintbrush, preferably with somewhat firm, yet soft bristles. Alternately, there are cardboard pencil like applicators that can be obtained at craft stores. Q-tips also make a good applicator, as well as pieces of felt. A very good applicator can be obtained from a cassette head cleaning kit. These kits usually have a small handle and pieces of felt used to clean the head of a cassette player.
4) Don't worry if you apply too much, a damp cloth will clean it right off.
5) Use of a sealer coat is optional. Unless you will be handling the model much, one is not necessary, and looks better.