Jump to content

Painting cockpit details


themongoose

Recommended Posts

I thought this looked pretty good till I took a few close ups. Now I'm not so sure. How about some constructive criticism and any suggestions on how to paint the details so they look crisper? For instance I tried to do the light blue switches under the main instrument display but can't seem to get straight lines. This is Italeri's 1/32 F-35A.

 

IMG_0014-L.jpg

 

IMG_0016-L.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very fine detailing brush, and a steady hand. I have even used a tooth pick before to just dot paint onto buttons etc. I dont think there are really any shortcuts, but practice , practice and practice. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could run a bit of black wash around the buttons once painted and this should add some depth and hide over painting of the buttons.

Maxim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rolled paper? They're all extruded plastic here (something like polythene). Is this a particular brand, Bill, or all cotton buds in the US?

 

Kev

Some are plastic here, Kevin. Maybe you could pick up some Tootsie Pops or suckers with the rolled paper stick. I like the fact that I can get a nice sharp (and relatively hard) point on them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I like wooden toothpicks as they seem to hold paint well.  I tend to use square ones and when I need to paint rectangles such as those switches, I carve the tip into the shape I need. I use the pointed ones to paint knobs and such.

 

Try using a pointed toothpick to gently scrape the paint away from over paints and such in the cockpit.  So hard to get the paint in the right place, sometimes it helps to scrape away what you don't want paint on.

Good luck!

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way, Don't worry too much about what it looks like blown up in pictures.  If it looks good to your eye, there you go!  I think you would be surprised how even the best looking models looks under magnification.

 

That right there is the raw, naked truth.

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You should have a look at Posca paint pens. Whilst not excatly cheap, they are great, with a wide range of colors, fine tips (some wide tips available also), and their paint holds very well on plastic and/or primer. And for small surfaces, they last long.

 

They can be found in art stores, most likely Michaels or Hobby Lobby in the US (I am assuming you're based there) or even Amazon.

 

Hubert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another important thing to get a very nicely painted cockpit is how sharp and crispy the details are. On most kits injected plastic details are pretty soft and it's not always easy to get the details clean.

On the other hand, a crispy resin parts with very defined details is so easy and pleasant to paint.... The paint just goes where you want it to go. And the result is way more rewarding.

In the last years i used to paint a few resin jets cockpits (Su-25, F-15E, F-104...) and was quite happy with my results. At the moment, i'm also building the F-35A, almost out of the box (i just added an Eduard PE fret), and i did not understood why i struggled so much to get the paint job clean. I thought i had lost my mojo. :)

But i guess in fact it's just the parts that are not crispy enough. I noticed that when i painted the moulded in wires and hoses on the main gear legs. I usually build my own wires with lead wire, and it's pretty easy to paint. But the moulded break lines are a real PITA to paint clean as you just have to litterally draw the hose yourself, as there is no real border between the wire and the gear leg.

Edited by Zero77
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the things to keep in mind is once the fuselage is closed up, what will you really be able to see?  Some sidewall detail is very easy to see, some will be hidden by the seat. As you see, when you put a pilot into the seat, then LOTS more gets covered up too (as I also found out when I dropped the pilot into my Mustang!).  

 

But your cockpit looks really good.  I bet it looks even better to the bare eye.

 

Agree with Zero, much easier to get crisp detail with the resin and PE which comes out well with painting and those results can be stunning.  It is possible to get good results with Styrene as well but just takes a bit more effort and skill.

 

Good luck!

Chris

Edited by CANicoll
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...