Pre-shading on 1/72 aircraft

[keiron99]

I've only owned an airbrush a few months so I'm still mastering the basics.

 

One of the more "advanced" things I have tried is the "pre-shading" technique, spraying black on the panel lines before applying the final colour. I have two problems though.

 

First, I cannot keep the black spray to the panel lines. It's a consequence I think of my crapness at spraying; my airbrush tip perhaps being too big; and the closeness of the lines on 1/72.

 

Second, regardless of the above, when I spray the final colour, well...it just obscures the pre-shading completely!

 

Is pre-shading not possible on 1/72 or is there a better way to achieve the effect?

 

 

[Edge]

Hi.

 

It is possible in 1/72 but it's not easy. Practice spraying lines on a bit of paper, old kit or anything to learn the feel of your airbrush. When adding the camouflage colours try to mix the paint very thinly and spray a few light coats and build the colour steadily. That way you can modulate the effect of the pre-shade.

 

Edge

 

[RobL]

It is possible on 1/72 models and isn't really related to tip size.   Most of the trick is knowing when to stop putting down paint over the pre-shading.

 

See my Revell 1/72 Horten Ho 229 here as an example to show it is possible (my most successful/visible attempt at pre-shading actually) -

 

Pre-shading isn't supposed to be all neat and tidy though so don't worry if you totally blacken a few small panels or small hatches.  One way to remedy that though is to get in closer to the model and, if you have to (you probably will), lower your air pressure.

 

And when you see the pre-shading disappear under your top coat, stop spraying, if the paint your putting over your pre-shading is thin enough the pre-shading should show through again once the top coat is dry.   Keep spraying your top coat, stop when the pre-shading disappears again, wait for it to reappear, rinse and repeat until you have a decent looking layer of paint with pre-shading showing through.

 

Ball park figure to start with for thinning your paint is 60/40 thinner to paint.  Some people recommend 70/30.

 

If you're not happy doing pre-shading perhaps look at black basing, it's kind of pre-shading in reverse.

 

Or you can do what is known as post-shading - going back in with a darker colour around the edge of panels, the same way as you would if you were pre-shading, after you've put your main paint down.  Apparently Tamiya clear smoke works well for that, although I've not tried it.

Edited May 19, 2021 by RobL

[keiron99]

Just a thought...I wonder if the same effect could be achieved using a Sharpie type pen?

[RobL]

I wouldn't.  You'll be forever going over with your top coat due to the Sharpie bleeding through.  Although at some point when you've caked the model with paint it will stop the Sharpie bleeding through.

 

Plus it'll just look like a uniform grid of lines.  Which isn't actually the idea of pre-shading.

Some advice on the idea -

 

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/91035.aspx

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by RobL

[keiron99]

I tried using a Sharpie. It didn't bleed through (not yet), but it looked crap!

Edited May 21, 2021 by keiron99

[Sparkie]

I'm still getting used to my airbrush after a year or so  so take this with a pinch of the amateur also, but i got the best results by using a black primer and the panels mottled in white or a light grey depending on what i fancied at the time, leaving the panels lines showing through black

 

I did the same the first time though, put so many top coat layers down I couldn't see them anyway 

 

[Paul J]

I wouldn't bother with it. Never seen pictures or for real aircraft with dirty looking panel lines where it isn't necessary. Looks like dirty underwear put on before painting fresh.