1/72 swordfish toning down the camo

[Tim K]

I am three quarters the way to finnishing a 1/72 swordfish in greys and black as suggested by the humbrol/airfix kit. 

My airbrush is in storage so I'm painting using Tamya paints. 

The colours look correct but they are far too bright. 

I'm thinking of brushing on the greys a filter to tone them down and make it look more realistic but don't really know where to start. 

The black (black Tamya rattle can) underneath I'm going to use oil dot technique but would like advice on colours of oil dots to blend. 

Any advice gratefully received. 

Thanks in anticipation Tim K 

[mike romeo]

Hi Tim,

 

Re oil dots for the black, I'd start with greys (darker and lighter) and brown.  Obvs use an acrylic clear coat beforehand.

 

're brushing filters, I have tried this in the past.  Use a wide flat good quality brush and very well thinned - and mixed - paint; brush in even strokes in the airflow direction on the wings and vertically on the fuse.  Even doing all the above, I found it very difficult to achieve a non-streaky finish.  With the benefit of hindsight, I should probably have thinned the paint even further and built the filter up more slowly.  However, if using multiple layers, it may be necessary to seal each layer with clear acrylic to prevent 'lifting' when applying the next coat of filter.

 

As you can probably tell, I am far from an expert in this technique, so maybe someone more skilled will come along and enlighten us both!

 

Regards

 

Martin

 

[mahavelona]

To tone down shades of grey, I'd say the oil dot technique could produce a pleasing weathered finish. Personally, I'd anticipate good results actually using white oil paint, perhaps with some light greys if the result seems too extreme. A few blended blue-grey or green-grey oil dots could add some tonal diversity. 

 

There's lots of ways to go - just my instinct