I am making an attempt at weathering my P-61 and have run into a number of problems as you will see I am sure in the picture. It was painted using acrylics Tamiya paints actually and clear coated with future. What I am trying to do now is bring out some of the surface details on the cowlings and wing, just cant figure out what colors would work best I have tried a dark green enamel wash that doesnt seem to work. Any advise would be a great help I am making a trip to Arron Brothers this afternoon for some blades and oil paints. I do plan on using a silver pencil for paint chipping once I have the first dull coat on and black and dark grey for some streaking on the bottom under the engines. Do feel free to pick my build apart as its the only way I will learn. Thanks in advance for looking and taking the time to help out.
Randy you might want to try overspraying with a highly thinned buff color. Frank {Daywalker} turned me onto this technique and it works great to either blend of fade colors. What I did is I filled a small cup with alcohol. Then I added 1 drop at a time of Tamiya Buff paint until it looked like dirty thinner. I use alcohol because it evaporates so fast you can see the results very fast and judge ho far you have gone. Then I set the pressure down pretty low because the alcohol is very thin and flows very easy and I close the needle most of the way one my Badger 100. The just start spraying in an even pattern. The more you go over the same area the lighter it will become. The great thing is it builds up very gradually so you can really control the effect. I think it should work great on the olive drab color. You should be able to achive a nice color variation and a much more realistic looking model. Hope this help you.
Myself, I use a darker shade of the base color or burnt umber to make a wash that will add depth to the details. Then drybrush over the same area with successively lighter shades of the base color, each time catching the details a bit more lightly until reaching an almost pure white, to pop out the relief detail…
Lotta folks make the mistake of using one technique or the other when the real trick is to use both: Washes followed by drybrushing…
Washes work best for me over a semi-gloss finish (personally, I think a gloss like Future is too shiny, which is one of the main reasons I don’t use it) so the capillary action will carry it around the relief features. Then shoot it with clear flat for drybrushing. You want the flat finish because it provides some “tooth” to catch the paint on the drybrush… I finish the aircraft “factory-fresh”, then start the weathering process.
The steps I use boil down to this: Base colors, gloss coat, decals, wash(es), flat coat, drybrush, flat coat, pastels. Things like gunpowder-residue, exhaust stains, fluid-leaks/stains, mud, & dirt come after the final flat-coat… Worn & chipped paint get added at different times. It really depends on how long the bird I’m depicting has been operational, and where it’s operational… Chipped paint is a “plan-ahead” process… I paint the general areas I want to chip aluminum, then apply rubber cement here & there in random, stabbing/stippling patterns over the aluminum paint, then proceed with the normal finishing steps. After the finish about complete, I rub off the cement-covered areas, exposing the “aluminum” underneath…
Might i perhaps suggest using waterbased colours like i did on my P47? Im sure you can remember it. Those little tubes are available almost everywhere for a ridiculously low price (mine was about 5 dollars for 12 colours)
Just make a thicker mix (maybe 20% paint and 80% water? Oh and ofcourse that drop of dishwashing agent…), apply it roughly over the panellines and after 10-15 minutes wipe over it with a damp cotton swab. The (dark shade) of paint will remain in your panellines but not the surface itself.
Being waterbased it is very easy to remove alltogether if the result is not satisfying[;)]
Hope you find a solution for your problem… Great build by the way. Looking forward to more detailed pics[:D]
Hey guys thanks for all the help. I think I will be using a combination of all your ideas they all sound good. Yesterday I went to Arron Brothers and picked up some Winser&Newton burnt umber oil paint thinned it and used it as a wash. Seems to be working out great ! I think my trouble with the washes has been I was mixing them too thin so there wasnt enough color in the wash. Got a bit frustrated ya know. I will post a picture this evening for you all.
Howdidyoudothat My model is a Revell Monogram P-61 Black Widow in 1/48 scale. It does have several fit issues and you will use lotsa filler and get pretty good at sanding and cussing. However it is one I truly have fun building, this one is number 3, and I have 2 more in the closet as a matter of fact. The finished model in MHO is well worth the effort both in satisfaction and looks.
Sorry! I said Warthog but meant Black Widow. I picked up the Revell 1/48. 2004 edition. of both at Michaels when I got a couple of their 50% off coupons in their flyer. Look forward to your finished pics.
Howdidyoudothat Have you checked out the P-61 group build ? There is alot of info there that may be helpful to you. Heres the link, my build is there also.
/forums/850390/ShowPost.aspx
Guys I think I am finally starting to get this weathering thing, just wiped off the burnt umber wash and heres what I ended up with looks pretty good to me.
Again thanks for all the help any and all comments are welcomed.
The wash really helped! Sounds like you have figured it out. [tup] Like SC said, a heavily thinned (with alcohol)spray with Tamiya Buff or Deck Tan as a final coat will really give it that worn, faded look. Just remember, thinned almost like a wash and a wide spray pattern. A little at a time. [;)]
I finished the rest of the 61 with wash like the wings and it does look much better now. My biggest worry at the moment is over doing it, but I guess that has also been my downfall LOL.
Now I have to ask ( I know I am gonna get the DSA for this one) what color is Tamiya Buff ? I am planning a trip to the LHS tomorrow and they have huge racks of paint I am talkin a 15 to 20 foot row of them all done by brand and color.
PS Yup I get the DSA I googled Tamiya Buff DUH LOL a tan color that will hepl in finding it at the hobby shop. I will get it tomorrow and will use it on the P-61. Thanks Soulcrusher and Daywalker
Hey Sfcmac Heres a black Black Widow for ya, both of my builds. I plan on building one in NMF also, and yes there was one that did fly during WWII [8D]
Very sharp Randy! I like the side by side comparison! With top turret and without very cool indeed! Have you ever ran across Bondoman? He has a close family member who was a crew member on one in the European theatre. He has shared some very remarkable and incredible stories that to me are just priceless first hand info! Be warned though you may have to get him liquored up to get him going. Probably wouldn’t take more than a six pack of diet coke . But I didn’t tell you that! [(-D][:-^][oX)]
Thanks Sfcmac I will have to ask Bondoman about that, would love to hear some of those stories. I had an Uncle who was the Radar Intersept Officer on one on Sipan during WWII, but he would never talk about what he did there, didnt even have any pictures of his aircraft, I tried to find some so I could model it. I do know he had some pretty bad nightmares about it but thats all that was ever said about it. Other than his ground crew was the greatest in the world. I also had another Uncle who landed at Normandy in the second or third boat, he also talked very little about that, I just dont want to repete what he said here, but I can say it wasnt pretty.
Well done Randy! I like both of those, but gotta admit the OD one is my favorite as you don’t see those modelled very often. You took that weathering advice and ran with it- nicely done. [tup]
Thanks for the complement Daywalker. I cant think of a better place or group of guys to get help from with my builds. Now I have to start thinking about the 3rd one [:D]
