What would be the appropriate color for a panel line wash to use for an aluminum colored aircraft?
Thanks
You could still go with a black or grey wash. Thats what I use on metal finishes.
Andy
Be very careful not to over do the panel lines on any aircraft as they often look unrealistic. The panel lines on a real aircraft do not show up in the same way that some modellers produce them. However, if you are detailing panel lines as one has to in certain cases then a thinned (white spirit)wash of artists oil paints is ideal. A good range of colours (browns,grays, black and white) can be aquired very cheaply.
Thanks guys. From the pictures I have found so far on the net, it looks like the seams that stand out the most are those of moving surfaces, like flaps, engine cowl, etc. Panel seams look to be more the result of shadows than dirt. Would it make sense to do the moving parts panels in a darker color than the panels themselves?
Despite common belief, panel lines are pretty prominate on combat aircraft. Here are some pics showing such. This is a real vintage B-25 and is well kept. Plenty o’ panel lines!
Andy
I like the Artist Oil paint wash the best, but I thin it with Terpinoid. I find it less harsh on the underlying paint.
Mike
The photos of the B-25 show the panel lines quite clearly i have to agree, but there are two points i would like to make. The first point is a matter of scale, these photos are taken quite close to a relatively large aircraft, in our world one cannot get that close. Remaining with scale, a panel join of say 2mm (0.078" , seventy eight thou) , in 1/48 scale would be 0.041mm(0.0016" , one and a half thou) quite small then. This is why over detailed panel lines often dont look right, they are just too thick. The second point is a simple one of tone, remember any detailed lines will show up much more on lighter surfaces than darker ones. A good tip is to mix your chosen weathering mix with the colour already on the kit, that way you can usually avoid the line becoming too dark.
Well, when it comes to panel lines, we work with what the kit gives us. It’s true, if the panel lines were to scale, they would be almost invisible. However, the companies and modelers can only simulate, not replicate. In my strongest opinion, accented panel lines on any color adds depth and realism to any model. Its primarily an illusion which brings out much more character of the subject.
Andy
[#ditto]
Sorry to have taken so long to reply. May i begin this by saying that my own kits are far from the standard i would like. When i speak of getting things right, i am speaking of a perfect world, not my world. Having said that i still stick to what i was saying in my previous comments, and in reply to the point of creating an illusion, i dont think we should be trying to create illusions , we are surely trying to create realism. We should be very careful in choosing which panel lines to shade ourselves and which ones to leave, and let the light do the work for us. I find it infuriating when i see a paint job on a kit which i can only dream of achieving, then made to look like a cheap toy with great thick panel lines.