Procopius Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 One of my less-proud moments in a life filled with shameful moments was when I wrote my first -- but unfortunately for creative writing teachers to follow, not my last -- "story", that of a dogfight between a Tornado F.2 -- ah, the past is another country! -- and an Su-15 over the Channel and mailed it to, improbably, children's book author Beverly Cleary, who sent me a letter I recall as encouraging, but I imagine she was required by law to sound that way as she nervously headed for the exits. I was fortunate enough to have attended Primary school at Williamtown in the late '70s and early '80s (i.e prime Mirage activity era); the school was within a couple of minutes' drive or a few nanoseconds flight from the RAAF Base and Mirages in the circuit over our school were de rigeur for us. Mock attacks by F-111s or Kiwi or Navy Skyhawks were pleasantly frequent, but I don't remember the threat of invasion by penguins as too great a distraction. Pity, I liked distractions. I had hoped for at least one jet at Tengah around the time the Lightnings were there, but it was not to be, and now I have to bodge together the relevant decals. Ho-hum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempestwulf Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 If it helps ProcopiusI write a somewhat scifi fanfiction based around WWII but it's not of a subject matter most people here would probably smile upon, but it is popular. Think pegasi and look at my icon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 ... I had hoped for at least one jet at Tengah around the time the Lightnings were there, but it was not to be, and now I have to bodge together the relevant decals. Ho-hum. If I can help with decals for 3 Sqn jets from Butterworth (in 'Jaffa' markings) in the early '70s, let me know. Andrew. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Just got an email from Airfix saying they've sent my requested spares. I certainly have to say, they've never done me wrong when it comes to replacement parts. I'll do the two good spinners tonight if I have time. My initial tests with pastels on Euan the Solicitous Spitfire (my test paint model) have not been promising; perhaps I got cheap pastels or (more possibly) I am an idiot. I tried applying white pastel dust with a soft brush, but it seemed to leave just a very faint bit of white that rubbed away. The exhaust markings on the Lancaster are very prominent, and I'm wondering if they should just be airbrushed on, with the attendant risk of wrecking everything. God I hate weathering, so many chances to wreck everything after so much work has been done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 What finish is on EtSS? With pastels, you need a 'grippy' surface for the dust to lodge in - the beauty of it is that if you then overdo it, a damp cotton bud will remove it so that you can start again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 What finish is on EtSS? With pastels, you need a 'grippy' surface for the dust to lodge in - the beauty of it is that if you then overdo it, a damp cotton bud will remove it so that you can start again. Well, EtSS has many finishes, as he has worn many coats, but I suppose I'd classify it it as semi-gloss or satin, mostly. So the pastels should go down over a flat coat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Yup, and don't be afraid of it - it seems scary at first, but you'll get the hang of it once you see that it's simple to clean unwanted pastel dust off and start again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 PC, I'm a fellow pastel newbie, but found these to be effective in applying exhaust staining: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Alternatives-Stumps-And-Tortillions/dp/B002ER8M0C/ref=sr_1_37?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1421858682&sr=1-37&keywords=pastel+chalk I applied them on a satin finish and it worked fine - you can even see the glare in my photo. Man, I need to learn how to take pictures. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Well, EtSS has many finishes, as he has worn many coats, but I suppose I'd classify it it as semi-gloss or satin, mostly. So the pastels should go down over a flat coat? Yes - the flatter the better. Got to give the dust particles some nooks and crannies to grab onto. They'll blow right off of a smooth surface, and sometimes even a satin finish is really quite smooth. Like the man said, don't be shy - if you cock it up you can buy another kit - no, just kidding, the pastels will wash right off with a damp cloth. You have pastel chalks, right? Cheers, Bill 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 I believe so, this time. Soft pastels, in any event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Dullcoated, props remain undone. Mrs. P is wonderful 99.9% of the time, but even the best of us have our moments of unbearable solipsism, and hers was tonight. Should be back on track tomorrow, I hope. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 That's a fair bit better looking than the Revell Dam Buster Lanc I did way back in ummm... way back. Mine was black, because it was moulded in black, which meant that even the shiny silver bits were black. So there. (And there's still bits of it hanging around, 35+ years on.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Just got an email from Airfix saying they've sent my requested spares. I certainly have to say, they've never done me wrong when it comes to replacement parts. I'll do the two good spinners tonight if I have time. My initial tests with pastels on Euan the Solicitous Spitfire (my test paint model) have not been promising; perhaps I got cheap pastels or (more possibly) I am an idiot. I tried applying white pastel dust with a soft brush, but it seemed to leave just a very faint bit of white that rubbed away. The exhaust markings on the Lancaster are very prominent, and I'm wondering if they should just be airbrushed on, with the attendant risk of wrecking everything. God I hate weathering, so many chances to wreck everything after so much work has been done! As John says Edward, pastels need a matt coat to help them grip. I normally put a panel wash in over Kleer, then apply a matt coat, pastel then seal them in with another matt coat. If you airbrush the exhaust stains, I find a very diluted mix of black brown works well, allowing you to apply lots of thin layers to build it up - less risk of cockling up this way! Follow with a diluted white or buff colour, something like this: Whilst the exhaust stains are mostly airbrushed, pastel brushing has been used to emphasise some of the panel lines and scuff marks, eg. around the forward escape hatch behind the cockpit. Can't beat pastels in my opinion 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMP man Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Would the bout of solipsism been metaphysical, epistemological or methodological? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Can't beat pastels in my opinion Can't beat pastels when done by you Neil IMHO 'cept maybe young PC will now come up on the outside and become a pastels champ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Would the bout of solipsism been metaphysical, epistemological or methodological? I would say it's less rooted in a philosophical context and bears more of an inverse proportionality to how much she presently wants to do something she previously agreed to. 'cept maybe young PC will now come up on the outside and become a pastels champ? Er, probably not, though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I would say it's less rooted in a philosophical context and bears more of an inverse proportionality to how much she presently wants to do something she previously agreed to. You are, I hope, keeping a record of these jottings / musings somewhere. I can see them as chapter headings of a best seller one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascoteer Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) maybe young PC will now come up on the outside and become a pastels champ? Oh dear! I rather read that as: "Pastels Chimp!" Oops! (Sorry) Edited January 22, 2015 by Ascoteer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Oh dear! I rather read that as: "Pastels Chimp!" That does seem rather more likely, I fear. You are, I hope, keeping a record of these jottings / musings somewhere. I can see them as chapter headings of a best seller one day. I used to have delusions of potential greatness, but the last eleven years in the workforce have been a little like living in Douglas Adams' Total Perspective Vortex for a spell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 All I have to say is, "Four sharkmouths." This is already looking very cool PC, anything else is gravy now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Incidentally, I read somewhere, a while ago, possibly on here, even, that a psychologist had once told a modeller that their stash represented the fantasy of time, and that hit me, it really did. That's very true for me. It's the idea that I'm master of my own destiny, in control of my fate, that somehow I won't have to work late again, and that nothing in the house will need to be fixed, or that it won't take long to clean the ground floor. I don't think it's a coincidence that I buy most of my kits when I'm feeling stressed and overworked: it's simultaneously an assertion that in the future I will have time, I'll be free to do as I please, and that what I'm doing now is worthwhile in that it pays for what I'll be doing then. Which is why I now have a large unbuilt stash of kits growing faster than I can build them, and perhaps more germanely, am thinking about what else I want to buy, to distract myself from the frustrating pressures of my job and my extra job and the project that I suddenly inherited, working with a director (one jump above a manager here, essentially a sinecure) who my director cannot have a civil conversation with, leading to unpleasant meetings. I have the same problem with books. I have book after book, hundreds of them, but no time to read anymore. I fall asleep on the train almost immediately -- my two hour commute accounts for probably a third of the sleep I get during the week. I always tell myself that books are the one certain thing I can pass on to my children, but it's hard to imagine any human child getting excited about Norman Friedman's The Postwar Naval Revolution. Ho-hum. Does anyone know if the Sword P-40's canopy is close enough to the P-40E's to accept the Eduard mask designed for the Hasegawa kit? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Can't beat pastels in my opinion +1 Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 It's going to come out looking exactly how it looks for you two on my first try, right? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 It's hard to imagine any human child getting excited about Norman Friedman's The Postwar Naval Revolution. Well, I don't know about others, but it sure made me all warm and tingly. And your pastels will come out fine. Remember, they can be removed and redone until you get the effect that you want. Cheers, Bill 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 It's going to come out looking exactly how it looks for you two on my first try, right? Woody! Bill! Look out, it's a trap! I'm sure you will do it fine PC, start out gently and build it up, what could possibly go wrong? Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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