Here’s my most recent completion. I did some experimentation with panel line washes and adding various little bits of color variation to break up the olive drab. I’m pretty pleased with the results although you can’t really see the color variation very well in these pics. I need a better lighting arrangement - or simply MORE LIGHT !
This is the 1/72 Academy P-39. Built outta the box, with kit decals, masking tape harness, and various barrels drilled out with small drill bits. After taking the photos I just noticed that the exhaust pipes weren’t drilled out - but I don’t know if I have a drill bit that tiny. The only build issue I had was the fit of the 2 canopy parts. If I had taken more time with dry fitting I probably could have corrected this fairly easily. All-in-all, a pleasant kit to work with, nice detail, and low cost.
Very ,very nice job. You’re experimentation with the panel line washes looks real good, not too overpowering, nice and subtle. I’d like to know what you did if I may ask.
Jay Jay - I would be happy to telI you my method. I brush paint with MM acrylics. Most of the time I will dilute them a bit with a little water so that they are just slightly runnier than straight out of the bottle. I used a slightly lightened olive drab as the base. (OD + abt 5% light aircraft grey). I only brush the paint when the paint is wet. That sounds kinda stupid - but the paint thickens up and starts to dry pretty quickly. As soon as it starts getting a bit more viscous, I just leave it alone so I don’t get brush marks. If I have any puddles on the surface, I soak them up with a relatively dry brush. A second coat can be applied about 5 minutes after it is dry. Better to do more coats than try to apply it too heavy and “work” it with the paintbrush - you’re sure to get brush marks then.
Then I mixed a small puddle (about the size of a dime - in some really small containers) of the lightened OD with a drop or two of red and another small puddle with a couple more drops of light grey. These very slight variations were diluted with a bit more water and I just painted them on in various places to give either a grimy appearance (red) or a kindof faded appearance (lt grey). They were used sparingly. They were brushed on “in the direction of airflow” as best as I could determine.
For darkening recessed panel lines I used MM “Marine Green” which is a dark shade of green. It was diluted with water to make it a little thinner and runnier, and applied with a very fine brush. I like the way the marine green isn’t quite as dark as a black, and overtop the OD, it is even more subtle. If the darker shade goes on a little heavy in spots - I go back later with the base color and “erase” it by simply painting out the parts I don’t like.
On the underside, I used the same panel highlighting - but with a dark grey instead of marine green.
Its a kindof slow, pains-taking method - but I guess I’m into pains-taking - I’m a plastic modeller !
Yeah - I don’t see many P-39’s modeled. I guess that’s part of the reason I wanted to build it. That, and it’s kindof unique with the engine mounted in the middle.
