Shading/Weathering Question

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hey guys, relatively new hobbyist here. I’ve been building my skills, starting with the smaller WWII props like the Zero and Spitfire. As I improve my painting, I’d like to start adding the shading and weathering effects seen in FSM.

Right now I’m building a P-61 Black Widow. I’ve given it a few nice coats of Tamiya gloss black and sealed it with future. How to I highlight the panels on a black aircraft? Especially in the seams.

Any tips of ideas are appreciated.

thanks,
mucker

2

I’d used the grey to wash. I means the dark grey; any dark grey can used
Don’t wash with white. I’d saw some modeller wash with red but in my openion it not match.

3

Welcome to the forum. Check the ‘Tools and Tips’ tab on my site (link in signiture) for the basics of weathering. Use that process but as Narete said, use gray rather than white.

4

I highly recommend that you visit Swanny’s site. I just finished my first pre-shading project and it turned out great. The man knows his business and if you follow his techniques, you can’t miss. We all owe members like Swanny and others (too numerous to mention) a debt of thanks - they have reached out to help all of us to become better at the hobby that we love.

Steve

5

Here Here, I second that on Swanny. The man helped me.

6

Personally I wouldn’t have sprayed the plane in black, but I would have mixed a little white or gray so that there would still be a difference in the “black” of the plane and the real black pannellines.
That’s not really cheating either, since the paint used in WW II faded easily in the sun. Exaust stains can be done in flat real black, that would contrast (is this a verb too ???) with the rest of the bird as well.

7

THanks for all of your help, guys. I will give the dark grey wash a try after I check out Swanny’s sight in depth. Also, the flat balck exhaust stains sound interesting.

Keep in mind I am of the “beginner” level when it come to painting and weathering, so I am going step by step.

THanks again to all. I’m much more confident about the wash than before I posted my message.

mucker