themongoose Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerhard Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 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 More sharing options...
Guest Maxim Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 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 More sharing options...
Bill_S Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 I have trouble with those fine details, too. I've used a cotton swab cut at a sharp angle... No stray brush hairs, and the rolled paper of the swab stick holds paint, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 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 Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_S Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 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. LSP_Kevin and R Palimaka 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themongoose Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 (edited) Ahh just what i was hoping for 😃 Good ideas! Keep them coming. On my way to wine country now. Will give these a try upon my return. Edited August 17, 2017 by themongoose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 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 More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 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. SapperSix, Hardcore, Daniel Leduc and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 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 Daniel Leduc, CANicoll and Bill_S 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert Boillot Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 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 CANicoll 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themongoose Posted August 23, 2017 Author Share Posted August 23, 2017 Hmm, never heard of those Hubert. I like trying new stuff out so I'll check out the local HL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 (edited) 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 August 28, 2017 by Zero77 SapperSix and CANicoll 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 (edited) 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 September 3, 2017 by CANicoll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 After reading some of the tips here, I found a stockist here in Australia for the Posca Paint Pens & bought 8 colours. After trying them I will never look back. Absolutely perfect for cockpit fine details........so thank you so much for the tip LSP_Kevin and Zero77 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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