After tightening up the edges of the camo, I painted the red and black areas and glossed the aircraft with Future. I used the kit decals, and they went on beautifully. This is such a NICE kit !
This is Hasegawa’s 1/48 A-4N Skyhawk, in Israeli Defence Force markings. I’m building it for a customer (hence the non-WW II subject) of mine. You can see the previous progress pics here: http://www.pix.prettyneatinc.com/skyhawkbuild.htm
That looks really nice Pixilater! I have a spud to do camo on, and I am going to be trying it with my airbrush, hopefully it will turn out as good as yours… doubtful, but I have something to shoot for [:D] again, nice build and very nice paint!
Thank you berny, eizzle, Rick, Jerry, Jason, and wooverstone !
eizzle - the best advice I can give about painting freehand camo schemes is to experiment with your airbrush. For this type, a double-action will give you more control. Try different mixing ratios and pressures. I spray the outline of each area about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the model’s surface. I also tend to use a lower pressure (sometimes as low as 9 psi). I also paint very slowly, doing small areas at a time.
Jerry - these colors and shapes could almost make me want to build aircraft other than WW II. Almost . . .
wooverstone - Before I had a computer and could buy on-line, I built just about anything. About ten years ago I decided that 1/48 WW II aircraft were what pleased me most to build. In the last 10 years, my only non-WW II builds were Olimp’s 1/72 Jenny and Eduard’s 1/48 Bell X-1 ProfiPack. Of course, for a customer, I’ll build just about anything.
I used to be a bit jealous of your work…now I am jealous of the client that is going to get to put this Scooter on thier shelf! Really nice work, as usual…what’s next? I would be interested in seeing the results of your work on a Luft '46 project…
As always, Great Job Pix! Kinda nice to break out every now and then???
I am working on one of the sister kits from this the Hasegawa 1/48th A-4E/F and I am doing the F model. I currently have mine painted and I am adding decals. If you are interested, here is a link to that… http://forums.scalehobby.com/viewthread.php?tid=4916
Your skill with an airbrush is exceeded only by your skill with a camera! This is a showpiece for sure, and your client will be well pleased, I have no doubt! Thanks for sharing with us, and Happy Holidays to you and yours! Can’t wait to see what the new year brings forth from your bench!
Joe - my charges for doing a 1/48 OOB single-seat fighter are very reasonable. About $150 to $200, depending on the complexity of the kit. Most people will charge WAY more than that.
rossjr - nice job so far ! The kit has great detail, doesn’t it? The wheel wells are especially nice, and very accurate. This one is OOB, with a True Details resin seat. I painted the instrument panel and consoles.
Brian - I have a great camera (Canon PowerShot G5), and I’ve had a few semesters of photo. The customer is pleased with the build. Here’s a little peak at what I have lined up for next year: http://www.pix.prettyneatinc.com/futureprojects.htm I also have three Corsairs (2 HobbyCraft FG-1Ds, 1 Hasegawa F-4U-5) and a HobbyCraft P-51D that will be built for a customer to represent aircraft from the 1969 “Soccer War.” Nice camo schemes, and different markings for these Warbirds. It should be interesting. I also just received Classic Airframes’ Sm 79 Spaviero. What a kit ! I can’t wait to build it !
I really enjoyed painting this camo. The colors and shapes, and the lines of this bird go well together. It’s almost as much fun to paint as Luftwaffe camo. Almost.