I am building the Revell 1:96 and was planning to use the included plastic rat lines. They are already black, but I was wondering your thoughts on painting them with a flatter black as they seem to be semi-gloss. What would look better? Thanks in advance.
I would definitely be inclined to paint them - probably brown/black or a dark grey, then drybrushed with an ever-so-slightly lighter tone.
In any case, the shiny black plastic is apt to look strange.
I agree.
That kit calls out for PE shroud/ratline assembly. There is a set for the 1:350 scale kit. Sure, they would be expensive in larger scale, but I might have a go at one if PE available. Nice kit, take your time.
I used the plastic ratlines too, and personally I find that a matte black makes it much better to the eye, especially under natural light. The semi-gloss is a bit toy for my taste. A little stroke of matte black makes them more realistic without much effort.
When I use the kit’s supplied ratlines, I base coat with Tamiya NATO Black then I dry brush over them with a charcoal grey craft acrylic paint.
Thanks to all for advice. What do you mean by “dry brushing”? Also, do you completely cover your NATO black?
Dry-brushing is a technique, often used for weathering, using a brush with the tiniest amount of paint on it, practically dry (hence the term).
Often done with a brush with a squared-off edge. You pick up a little bit of paint with the edge, then drag it on a piece of paper towel or cloth to remove most of that paint, leaving just a tiny rest.
Then you drag the brush over the surface, not quite touching it, just close enough to hit high points and leave a little bit of paint on them. An example is the dials on an instrument panel. Paint the panel black, then us a brush with a little bit of white to hit the raised details.
In this case, Tom Schry painted his ratlines with Tamiya NATO Black, then drybrushed a charcoal grey over it. The result is a piece with a basic black color, and a slightly lighter shade of gray on the highlights.
Hope that helps!
Thanks Baron! That’s a perfect explanation of dry brushing.
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