Tonal Variation of Aluminium (P-51D)

[Dunc2610]

Afternoon all, when it comes to spraying tonal variations, in this instance of aluminium, how do I achieve the variation, is it as simple as adding some, say black to the silver to darken it. I'm assuming a black undercoat underneath the silver to start with meaning you can't use black shading to darken the area? 

 

The areas in question I've arrowed in the below image where Eduard don't call for a different colour to the SM201 Super Fine Silver, but definately show a darker shade (which isn't the SM203, this is around the exhaust stack area or H8 this is the tail fin and top/bottom of wings).

 

[Ray_W]

Hi Dunc,

 

I'm in the middle of building one now.

 

 

Personally, I'm not a fan of the patchwork quilt approach unless the reference photos clearly show it. Fortunately, my subject has plenty of original images showing, not just variation in colour, but also the degree of lustre—so it's been possible to aim for a more accurate, prototypical finish for A68-809.

 

I started with a gloss black undercoat, followed by a top-coat of various lacquer metallics and Xtreme Metal—no gloss protective coat was added. The panel variation has come from paint mixing when spraying—not just silver and black, but a wide range of options. If I can’t get the look I want straight from the jar or bottle, I experiment with a mix until it appears right to my eye. That might involve adding compatible greys, blending metallics, or incorporating clear lacquers (flat or gloss) to modulate the finish. The subtlety is often lost in my photography.

 

I also know the NMF finish will really come to life once I get into careful oil rendering and some targeted pin wash. I’m allowing plenty of curing time before that step. The true metallic lacquers don’t worry me much, but I tend to be more cautious with the Xtreme Metal products.

 

I’ve described my process in more detail here:

 

 

HTH 

Ray

[dnl42]

My approach is to use different colors under the base coat, but it appears you already have the base coat applied. How about varying amounts of SM203 mixed in to stay in the same paint group?

[Casey]

1 hour ago, Ray_W said:

not just variation in colour, but also the degree of lustre

+1! That is important part, that means masking and using different varnishes after paint work is done.

 

@Dunc2610 If you did not paint the plane yet, try modifying the basecoat if possible, or use different vendor of silver paints, the differences should be big enough.

Edited July 10 by Casey

[Yes_Man]

A nice trick I've done in the past is an incredibly thin enamel filter over a single panel. It offers interesting tonal variation but still a lot of control in how you want it to look. For example you could use black or grey to dull it down or blue and purples to give it some difference to the others. The key is to keep it subtle but as it's enamel if you don't like it you can get rid of it quite easily.

[Dunc2610]

On 10/07/2025 at 17:15, Ray_W said:

Hi Dunc,

 

I'm in the middle of building one now.

 

 

Personally, I'm not a fan of the patchwork quilt approach unless the reference photos clearly show it. Fortunately, my subject has plenty of original images showing, not just variation in colour, but also the degree of lustre—so it's been possible to aim for a more accurate, prototypical finish for A68-809.

 

I started with a gloss black undercoat, followed by a top-coat of various lacquer metallics and Xtreme Metal—no gloss protective coat was added. The panel variation has come from paint mixing when spraying—not just silver and black, but a wide range of options. If I can’t get the look I want straight from the jar or bottle, I experiment with a mix until it appears right to my eye. That might involve adding compatible greys, blending metallics, or incorporating clear lacquers (flat or gloss) to modulate the finish. The subtlety is often lost in my photography.

 

I also know the NMF finish will really come to life once I get into careful oil rendering and some targeted pin wash. I’m allowing plenty of curing time before that step. The true metallic lacquers don’t worry me much, but I tend to be more cautious with the Xtreme Metal products.

 

I’ve described my process in more detail here:

 

 

HTH 

Ray

Can I ask why the caution around the Xtreme Metal products, they're usually my go to for metallic paints as they're so easy to use. 

[ckw]

1 hour ago, Dunc2610 said:

Can I ask why the caution around the Xtreme Metal products

I like them too, but I occasionally had some bad experiences when it came to masking - sometimes (but not always) Tamiya tape left a difficult to remove residue. Never did get to the bottom of it.  My go to metallics of choice are the A-stand range which seem pretty much bullet proof.

 

My tonal method is to use a base colour (perhaps Aluminium) then mask off and lightly spray other tones (dark aluminium, duralumin) etc. until I get the variation I want. I find the contrast between shades too extreme if panels are painted individually. Both Xtreme and Astand do variations of sheen (matt/semi/polished) and you can mix to get the effect you want. I quite like the GS supermetallics, but find them a bit bright and shiny so tend to reserve them for bits I really want to be bright and shiny.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Ray_W]

2 hours ago, Dunc2610 said:

Can I ask why the caution around the Xtreme Metal products

 

I also really liked them and then had some colours - burnt metal and titanium - that stayed slightly sticky.  Applied over the same base and could not find a reason for this. Hence I have been working more with Gunze metallics. 

[Dunc2610]

On 14/07/2025 at 10:35, ckw said:

I like them too, but I occasionally had some bad experiences when it came to masking - sometimes (but not always) Tamiya tape left a difficult to remove residue. Never did get to the bottom of it.  My go to metallics of choice are the A-stand range which seem pretty much bullet proof.

 

My tonal method is to use a base colour (perhaps Aluminium) then mask off and lightly spray other tones (dark aluminium, duralumin) etc. until I get the variation I want. I find the contrast between shades too extreme if panels are painted individually. Both Xtreme and Astand do variations of sheen (matt/semi/polished) and you can mix to get the effect you want. I quite like the GS supermetallics, but find them a bit bright and shiny so tend to reserve them for bits I really want to be bright and shiny.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

Had a look at the A-Stand range, had never heard of them, but as a metallics 'system' it seems pretty good from undercoats to metallic colours to clear coats, might invest in a few! 

[ckw]

A-Stand is, I think, basically a rebranding of the old Alclad range - I'm not sure if they changed the formula or not, but it works well for me. I think it is the most robust of the metallics I've used. It is a bit pricey, but as its stocked by my local shop, I save on postage.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[ckw]

On 14/07/2025 at 10:35, ckw said:

I like them too, but I occasionally had some bad experiences when it came to masking - sometimes (but not always) Tamiya tape left a difficult to remove residue.

Revisiting this - a close examination of the jars of my Xtreme paint revealed that some say the are enamel based, others lacquer based! Something I never noticed before, The labels are slightly different, but not obviously so. This could certainly explain the reason why I sometimes had problems with the stuff. Gonna have to do some controlled experiments, but I think enamel bad, lacquer good.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Ray_W]

27 minutes ago, ckw said:

a close examination of the jars of my Xtreme paint revealed that some say the are enamel based, others lacquer based

 

Hi Colin,

 

Interesting observation — I checked mine, and they’re all labelled as enamel paints. They do seem a bit of a hybrid though, with lacquer-like behaviour: they flash off quickly to become touch dry, but then cure more like an enamel, taking their time to fully harden.

 

I’ve also found that mixing the Xtreme colours can be a bit temperamental — sometimes the pigments resist blending and tend to separate. I often have to bubble them back in the airbrush cup just to keep things mixed.

 

That said, I still reckon they’re the best option out there for a robust natural metal finish — you just need to be aware of their quirks. And definitely avoid mixing and matching between paint brands. Stick with one paint system or chemistry, allow proper drying and curing time, and you’ll steer clear of most issues.

 

Mind you, there’s a lot to be said for the simple pleasure of grabbing a premixed lacquer MRP and just blasting away!

 

Ray

[ckw]

2 minutes ago, Ray_W said:

They do seem a bit of a hybrid though, with lacquer-like behaviour: they flash off quickly to become touch dry, but then cure more like an enamel, taking their time to fully harden.

I think my problem with the enamels is that they never fully cured (hence the masking residue issues) even after leaving them for days. Had the same problem with the Xtreme primer.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Ray_W]

3 hours ago, ckw said:

Had the same problem with the Xtreme primer.

 

I used their primer once but ended up shelving the build for a few days before I felt confident moving on. The end result was fine, but I’ve since gone back to Gunze GX-002 Ueno Black—saves time and reduces the risk of things going wrong.