It’s too cold for me to use my airbrush and compressor in the work area in my house where I usually paint. Brrr!
So this forces me to use rattle cans to paint my Panther for the group build-up. Advantages: 1) the Panther I am building is all-yellow anyway; 2) dispensing with all the ritual of getting ready and then cleaning up. Disadvantages: 1) color limitations, 2) poor application of paint compared to the control of an airbrush, 3) inability to get certain effects an airbrush allows.
Anyway, there it is! Any suggestions on methods or colors? I have a can of Tamiya dark yellow anyway. I have the Eduard masks for early panther wheels, so I will problably shoot the wheels dark grey (for the tires – I usually mix my own, and make it very, very dark grey), put the tire masks on, then paint the wheels the dark yellow.
My local hobby shop has a decent selection of colors, so any ideas on a tire color (I mean specific brands and colors)? Another thing is that I won’t be able to shoot the dust on the tank. Drybrushing?
My thought now is to put the yellow on the tank (am back and forth on whether to blackprime first – my gut is telling me no, because the paint will be going on thicker than I am accustomed to), then give it a few washes, then a highlight drybrush, then put some crud on.
Ideas? How am I going to blacken the muzzle? Aren’t there folks who use pastels for that?
As long as the pastel dust is also covering the groundwork, so that the model fits in… They come in so many shades you’ll always find the one you need!
PUT ON MORE WARM CLOTHES!! Always use your air brush, try to warm the room…
Forget about panther and rattle cans together. If you were modeling a one color car that’s fine. One color armor needs a subtle application of paint, sometimes even more then a tricolor german camo. why dont you hold it off and wait for warmer days. I dont think you will not be happy with the result… think about the money spent.
Hope everything will tern out right for you, cheers!
I didn’t even have an airbrush until five years ago, and I never let that stop me!
Here’s what I’d do:
Exactly what you said you were gonna do. Sounds good to me!
You can get a lot of nice subtle effects of gradation and whatnot simply with multiple drybrushings and scrubbings of various shades of the base color.
Heck, even these days, if I’m doing a single-color vehicle, and the color I need is in a can, I’ll blast away with the can first and take it from there with the AB. Even with camo, I’m still inclined to lay down the base color with a can (again, if available) and AB on the rest.
I’m a firm believer that beautiful models can be created without an airbrush.
I do love my Tamiya HG Trigger AB, though…I hope it’s not reading this post…don’t want to hurt it’s feelings after all these years of fine service!
Lately I’ve been using nothing but rattle cans to base coat my armor. I feel I get a nice finish out of them. Your most likely going to wash, drybrush, and weather the thing anyway.
If you’re worried about the lay of the paint from the can check out FSM December 2003. There’s a great article on how to use spray cans for a beautiful finish on a car. Use graphite for your muzzle, you can get a tube that’ll last you forever from any shop that sells Pine Car supplies.
What I sometimes use for my charring is some charcoal dust… If you want a sooty deposit, why not apply with a sooty deposit? Use in a similair way as you would with a pastel.
Michael, definitely more than one way to skin a cat.
I guess I could just put a flat coat on the tank, and then sprinkle on the charcoal dust. Sounds pretty similar to the pastel chalk method I was considering.
If I’m using pastel dust on the model, I have to set it, as my models get handled a decent bit.
Thanks. I have to ponder all of this, preferably in the Lotus position.
Larry I just squirt out a small pile of powdered graphite on a napkin or such and pick a bit up on my finger and rub it where I want it. Have to be careful of small fragile stuff, but muzzles, gun mantlets etc. no problem.
