making the most of raised panel lines and silver (yuk) plastic

[phat trev]

Painting a 1/72 F-105F I have kept the very detailed yet raised panels. I am hoping that the final paint scheme of silver/alum overall with certain panels highlighted in various metal shades and then the bodywork rubbed with an old piece of denim might expose the raised detailing just enough to create a good effect? Worth a try but has anyone done anything similar or how would you tackle the raised panel vs silver jet issue (without scribing)

[Julien]

You could run a propelling pencil down the raised lines.

Julien

[Giorgio N]

I have a couple of articles by a very good modeller (many prizes won, articles in well known magazines and the like) who used a very interesting technique that sounds not too dissimilar from what you have in mind.

If the colour of the plastic was darker than the paint to be used, he painted and decalled the whole model. Then added the usual clear coats. Finally he used some very old and worn wet'n dry paper on the raised panel lines so that these started to show under the paint. The final result was very good.

An alternative approach is to very carefully dry-brush on the panel lines with a slightly darker paint.

[SaintsPhil]

There was a build article is AMW about six months back, for the Encore boxing of the RM A-37 and the builders solution was to drybrushing the detail, it looked quite effective. I was going to try that approach my self, until I cocked up the varnish....

[Julien]

I have a couple of articles by a very good modeller (many prizes won, articles in well known magazines and the like) who used a very interesting technique that sounds not too dissimilar from what you have in mind.

If the colour of the plastic was darker than the paint to be used, he painted and decalled the whole model. Then added the usual clear coats. Finally he used some very old and worn wet'n dry paper on the raised panel lines so that these started to show under the paint. The final result was very good.

An alternative approach is to very carefully dry-brush on the panel lines with a slightly darker paint.

I have had great results with this technique on painted finishes, not sure I would want to try it on a NMF though as I have found silver paints don't react well to abrasives even worn ones.

Julien

[keefr22]

I know you don't want to rescribe, but I think it should be the law that any kit with raised panel lines has to be moulded in silver plastic!! Because when you sand those raised panel lines off, silver plastic leaves a lovely witness mark as a guide for those of us so pedantic that we just have to rescribe the flippin things....!!

[phat trev]

Sanding down the raised lines so they are nearly flat may look good in NMF with natural shadow being formed by the raised areas