What’s “Lifecolor”? Never heard of it… Tempera needs priming too… But generally, styrene doesn’t need priming when one uses model paints designed for styrene, which is 99% of what we use…
Must be some kinda figure-paint?
HVH, LifeColor are water-based acry;oc mpdel paints. I’ve never tried them but I hear they’re pretty good.
I’d use a primer with Vallejo (both ModelColor and ModelAir) paints too. They don’t take to bare styrene very well.
Yep. Lifecolor’s water-based acrylic. Brush paints very well - not quite Vallejo well, but close.
Airbrushes in its own, special way. But it needs primer to grab onto. If you spray it on bare plastic, even bare plastic scuffed up with 600 grit, it acts like you’re firing food coloring through your airbrush. It beads, it runs, it’s awful. Add primer, and it lays down far better.
Well, thar’s yer problemo right thar…
Sorry to hijack, but I have to ask. In your technique below, in Step 2, you have a lighter green over the darker ‘lines’. I am assuming that the lighter green color is what was applied in Step 2? If so, exactly how did you get the paint put down in such nice blocks, with such a small darker delineation between them?
I’ll admit right here, that I’m a rank amateur with respect to airbrush use, and with the exception of using it for Alclad, really haven’t liked it much. But I’m open to learning. Thanks.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
Gene - correct, the lighter color goes down second.
I usually spray this lighter shade at low PSI with a fine needle (I think for this one, with all the tiny panel spaces up toward the leading edges, I used my Iwata HP-C+ with the 0.2mm needle, but I bet a .35 would’ve been fine, too), and start by either “drawing a box” just inside the panel lines, and then filling toward the center, or starting in the center and filling out. Just going slow. Since you’re going to be blending it back anyway, getting perfect, uniform coverage isn’t a big issue.
You may want to try it out on a test mule (I tried it out on my Fail Dauntless first), but once you get the hang of it, especially once you see the awfulness fade under the blending coats, the next time comes much easier.
Thanks, Doogs. Yeah, I need to practice more, but doing so requires moving all my kit out to my 100±degree F garage, so even using the AB is a rare occurrence. But practice does make perfect. Thanks again.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
No problem!
With the temps dropping a bit, you may want to try going out there at night. That’s when I build. Even though it was bumping into the 100s earlier this week, it’s been cooling off nicely. Much more nicely than in July and August!
i just pre-shaded my MiG-3, the colours and white and olive drab.
i didnt have my airbrush up and running so Kermit gave me the idea of using a pernament marker to pre-shade. Now after reading this thread i realised that i have probably stuffed up my little MiG-3 [:(]
LOL, I should have ready this post a few days ago. I just finished pre-shading my latest model. It’s my first attempt at pre-shadding.
Oh well, we will see how it goes and Ill post up some pics. If it doesn’t turn out, at least it was on a $0 hobby boss model and not some expensive Hasa kit.
John