Im looking for some tips to handpaint 1:72 aircraft cockpits.
Thanks.
Cdn,
I am not sure about 1/72 scale because I do 1/48 and larger but I have found that a strong magnafying glass and a fine tip brush are a must.
You might look at this website as he has helped me out many times on different techingues: www.swannysmodels.com
I usually paint my cockpits by hand, and I’ve done some 72 scale ones. Just be patient, go slowly and carefully. Always be sure to steady one hand with the desk and use your pinky against your other hand or the desk or whatever you can for extra support.
Don’t be afraid to touch up. Many times what you paint won’t be perfect, and you’ll need to touch up a couple of times to get it where you want it. Drybrush what you can. I also do a sort of half dry brush with a 2/0 brush. It’s not as clean as regular drybrushing, but it gets more paint down, and it’s not hard to touch up any areas that need it.
For hand brush painting, I suggest using Vallejo acrylics. Great coverage, good leveling properties & can be thinned/ cleaned with water.
Regards, Rick
Greetings,
I have found a technique that has been working well for me. I do 1/48 and wouldn’t think of anything smaller but see no reason why it wouldn’t work on a smaller scale.
First of all I found the real key is to go and get some good fine detail paint brushes. They aren’t too expensive from Hobby Lobby or Michaels. If you are over 40, some type of magnifier.
I first paint my cockpit base color in the appropriate enamel color and let it dry. I next take the appropriate detail paint (acrylic) and paint the detail using real thin paint. Keep your brush wet and be careful of the amount of paint your brush is loaded with. You don’t want too much so that it will flow all over the place when you apply the paint. When you apply your paint to the detail piece, it is better to just dab the paint and let if flow off the brush on to the detail part. Use thin coats keeping in mind that it might take several applications to get the color right. The best part of this technique is that if you are not too careful with your edges, you can use a clean detail brush and water to clean up the mistakes and make sharp edges.
I have been experimenting with Vallejo paints. I find that they go on really nice and are pretty good for detail work. The only drawback is that on an unpainted or unprimed surface they are very fragile and will rub away with any handling. This technique has been working well for me and hs resulted in some work I never thought I was capable of doing. The fine brushes and Vallejo paint made the biggest difference in my results
Hope this helps you.
Chuck B.
I am not sure on how it would work in 1/72 but I found I get much sharper dials on the gauges with a very sharp silver artists pencil than by dry brushing (others do better than me with drybrushing, but for me this works…)
Sharpen, put on the magnifier (I wear one and I am not over 40 haha) and touch the tip to the dials, it will look messy at first, but once you finish a guage blow the dust off with your breath or airbrush…
Once you are done future inside the dials make them stand out and protect the pencil marks…
not the best example I have, but here’s a cockpit I am in the middle of working on now… the dials and incremental markings really stand out with a pencil…
wow that looks really nice tho!!
Toms method works well[tup]
I used a needle, with the tip dipped just a little in paint, and applied.
If I had a magnifier it would have turned out better, so thats on the ‘Buy’ list this month.
This is in 1/48, but both the pencil and needle idea would work well in 1/72, depending on the subject/size of the model.
Thanks Tanky and Tweety!
Sean, I saw your panel in the group build section and I LIKE it! looking good! I never had much with the needle but I am a bit impatient… from what I saw of yours I might try it again on the next kit without raised detail on the Instrument Panel… (like to Bf110 I started)
Strange, I am not to thrilled by mine, but yours really looks cool.
Each little silver indicator on each instrument, looks really good.
Well, gonna have to find me a silver pencil.
They don’t sell em here, go figure.
not even at an art supply store? I may have to mail you a couple…
Wow, those are great.
I managed to bash through mine with a fine paintbarush. The accuracy is not good to say the least, but in 1:72 scale, I dont think it looks horrible. I will definitely try using a silver pencil next time. I will post some pics once the seats are completed and mounted in the tub.
Thanks again to everybody and great work. Someday I hope to be able to produce the same great reults. I feel that the cockpit can make or break a great project.
Thanks for this great thread answers my questions just as I am getting ready to start a cockpit… However I have a Question… Any suggestions for Modern Cockpits with LCDs, Radar Screens and the like?
Perhaps sliver base then do a trans. green over and then detail with black?
For screens, just as you mentioned I usually paint a base coat of silver or whtte followed by Tamiya clear green. Finally some future. Here’s an example…
I used both the sliver pencil method and dry brushing for the first panel. I’ve got to try the needle technique next.
Tho9900 and Tweety1, both of your panels looks great to me! Sometimes, we are our own worst crtic.
thanks! I’ll have to try your technique the next time I build something newer than 1946 [;)] not often but I do get a hankering now and then… it looks a lot better than what I did which was take a pure green, darken it and then future the bejeezus out of it to make it even out the top and satin coated it to give it the CRT look… I think I have some of the green… no I know I do I bought it for a helo I was doing for the top canopy pieces…