I read on here or in the pages of FSM about pre-shading panel lines with a Sharpie. I tried this on my current project (Monogram 1/48 JU-87D) and the black marker lines keep bleeding through the paint. Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?
It’s not a good idea and now you know one of the reasons why. Another reason it that the marker is too well defined. When you airbrush your preshading you get a much more feathered demarcation.
Don’t do it! It looks reallly horrible and unrealistic (there again, I think pre-shading looks unrealistic anyway, but that’s another story…), as you can see from Swanny’s post. If for whatever reason you can’t pre-shade using an airbrush, try post-shading using Conte Crayons, after you’ve applied the decals and varnish. This method has the advantage that if you don’t like what you’ve done, you can rub it off with a putty rubber, and start over.
Cheers,
Chris.
There have been other Posts describing the same problem in the past. Best to do it as Swanny suggests.
Regards, Rick
Hi Hudgeons,
I’ve never preshaded with a sharpie but I have used their fine point markers to pick out cockpit details. I worked on a B-1 and actually used a Sharpie for darned near everything in the cockpit. I was so happy and thought it was one of my best cockpit jobs in recent memory. But then…I sprayed it with Testors Dullcote. It’s as if the Dullcote disolved the marker and the marker disolved the Dullcote! Obviously there was some chemical incompatability but it was then that I learned to never mix the two. So don’t feel like you’re alone on this. I think a lot of us found this out the hard way too.
Nothing is worse than having to strip and repaint. I hope you’re able to salvage your kit!
Best wishes,
Eric
Sharpie marker will be dissolved by just about every spray there is, even acrylic. If you coat it with future first, it won’t run. Don’t apply it too heavily, though, you can smudge the marker.
Yep, preshading with sharpies is a bad idea. Your best bet now would be to re-prime with good automotive gray and start over…even so, the sharpie is going to show up a little, sorry.
Greg
Just because one person had luck with it doesn’t mean it works. I found the one time I did it and it worked, the model sat for months before I tackled the painting. To seal Sharpie ink, you must find a non-reactive sealer…tough to do.
If you want to do the ‘Sharpie’ method of preshading, use a Rapidograph pen with the appropriate colored ink. Your comment about using Sharpies to do cockpit details…I experienced the same thing. Try using colored technical drawing pens. They can be found at most office supply stores as well as at craft shops such as Hobby Lobby. I have a couple different sets, some that are very fine pointed and others more of a medium point. They work great and the ink doesn’t react with clears that I have used.
what about using the Testors enamel paint markers? Will that give you the best of both worlds, ease of use of a “marker” with the use of non-sharpie “real” paint? I was thinking of trying that, since I cant use my AB/spray booth when its really cold outside (due to its location & venting)…would be convenient not to use the AB for preshading at times… has anyone tried to use these markers?
Paint pens such as you mention don’t necessarily have a uniform flow and can pool paint where you don’t want it and it will apply too thick. IMHO
You can apply the preshading with a paint brush, thin the paint some and drybrush it along the seams. If you get a varied amount of coverage thats okay, just as long as there is something there.
You can always airbrush the preshading…which is the easiest and fastest method.
Gerald, thanks for the info and quick response. Makes sense, I was looking for a way to do it when I cant use the AB… yet again the collective brain and help of people in this forum saves me from re-inventing the wheel and trying stuff that wont work… thanks! 
PS. Can’t wait to use some of the techniques you outlined in your Reading the Seam article, I had so much trouble with that on my first build.
I read an article years ago about using artist pastel chaulk for shade detail and weathering. It works great. I do some light detail shading before decasl are added and more after once its all doen use dulcoat over the entire aircraft amd the chalk blends in perfectly.
this works well foe the grey navy aircraft as you can go to a craft store and buy a white to black chaulk set for like 6$
As an illustration, the underside of this Accurate Miniatures 1/48 Il.2 has its panel lines shaded with very light grey pastel chalk.
Working one panel at a time, I applied Tamiya tape to the forward side of the panel lines, and using a wide, flat brush, applied the pastel chalk in the direction of the airflow. I then removed the tape. You have to be careful when handling the model, becaus it’s easy to rub the chalk dust off accidentally.
Cheers,
Chris.