Non monochromatic, monochromatic paint.

[dgassie]

Guys,

 

I'm starting Tamiya's 1/32 A6M5 and require paint advice.

 

As you all know, this is basically a two color, monochromatic paint scheme but in the photos I've seen of the real airplane, it doesn't look monochromatic. Each panel is slightly ( or a lot ) different from the next. I realize that after the basic paint, weathering will be needed but is that what will make each panel on the aircraft different? Or...is it something that should be done before the main green color is applied? Is it a combination of techniques?

 

I'd appreciate any advice and expertise you all can offer. I'm still learning how to build airplanes but want to do a top notch job on this beautiful kit. Contest quality although it will never participate in a contest...sort of a personal challenge.

 

So far, I've finished the standing pilot figure. I guess that came out well, although he doesn't look at all Japanese...maybe from somewhere in Iowa...or New Delhi. His face looks great from 15 inches away but any closer and he looks like he had a terrible face transplant. The body and uniform look good.

[Juggernut]

The A6M5 was painted in the two color green over grey and there's nothing else added in.  Can you provide the photos that you are seeing different coloration of the paint?  Remember, everything the human eye sees is based on shadows. (I got that from the show brain games on NatGEO) so any photograph, especially black and white photographs, are very difficult to tell subtle changes in coloration and/or hue.  It has been proven that even contemporary color photographs cannot be relied upon to show the true coloration. 

 

Below are a couple of links to some research articles by James Lansdale, a noted Japanese aircraft researcher, that explains the basis for A6M coloration through historical documents and relic examination but you won't find anything based on photographs that I remember him referring to.

 

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/zeroclr.htm

 

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/jimlans1.htm

 

Having said that, combat operations and exposure to the elements really puts a hurt on paint, especially in tropical or subtropical areas so the aircraft will most likely have missing/worn paint.  The paint will also most likely be faded to a certain extent, matte finished (A6M's had semi-gloss paint from the factory from what I can tell) from exposure to the sun and may even be discolored in certain areas like proximity to exhaust pipes/heat.  Also note that early A6M5's had an undercoat of primer whereas later A6M5a's, b's and c's probably did not.  The Tamiya kit represents an early A6M5 so it would most likely have a coat of primer red underneath the green/grey finish coats.  Also, any BDR patches will not be the same exact color as the surrounding paint if it's worn/faded so there is that aspect of color differentiation.

 

HTH,

 

Tim

[Lee White]

I think I know what he is talking about, there was an SR-71 at last years Nats that, while being black, was 50 different shades of black, which gave it some " life", for lack of a better way to describe it. It was impressive.

[dodgem37]

You can paint individual panels with a fully saturated base-coat color and with different tints or shades of your base-coat.  To make a tint: add white; to make a shade: add black.  The undercoats' value (light or dark) will influence the top coats' color direction, making the top coat either lighter or darker than the single color base-coat.

 

You can then go over that with a wash to bring the different colors closer together in value, so the effect is not so dramatic.  Some people call that adding 'filters', but I consider it as adding a 'transparency'.

 

Just my take.

Sincerely,

Mark

[dgassie]

Thanks for taking the time to answer guys. The links Tim provided have good information.

The varying shades of a monochromatic color is what I'm after. I'd love to see photos of that SR-71 Lee mentioned!

 

I think I'll investigate the wash technique that Mark mentioned, washes might be what I need and I have never thought of using a final wash time bring the final colors together. I'll look for sites to learn more about them and practice on some plastic sheets.

 

BTW, I followed the links in your signature Mark and was delighted by the FANTASTIC detail work you do!

 

Thanks to all.

[dodgem37]

I found a couple of on-line photos of Master Modeller Ralph Riese's painting technique.

 

Solid base coat: Light edge work, Mid (?) base.  Dark squiggles with light infill: 9:1 Gunze H69Grey and H49 Purple infill. You can see the faint dark undercoat already on the fuselage.

 

Applied top coat.  1:1 XF-77 and H69/H49 topcoat.  Again, faint fuselage undercoat.

 

Side 1

 

Other side.

 

Dark color squiggles with light infill: XF-74 Olive Drab (JGSDF) squiggle and XF-65 Field Grey infill.

 

Dark topcoat squiggle with darker overcoat squiggle: 4:1 XF-24 Dark Grey and XF-85 Rubber Black topcoat.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

 

 

[dgassie]

HI guys and thanks for your help.

I ended up using a combination of techniques, wash, Tamiya color powder, Vallejo chipping medium, table salt and silver pencil.

 

I've read the paint really peeled off Zeros so I went with that at first but I thought it was too much. So I cleaned up the parts and started again but less. Here a couple of shots while the future pilot supervises.

 

 

 

 

[LSP_K2]

I found a couple of on-line photos of Master Modeller Ralph Riese's painting technique.

 

 

Solid base coat: Light edge work, Mid (?) base.  Dark squiggles with light infill: 9:1 Gunze H69Grey and H49 Purple infill. You can see the faint dark undercoat already on the fuselage.

 

 

Applied top coat.  1:1 XF-77 and H69/H49 topcoat.  Again, faint fuselage undercoat.

 

 

Side 1

 

 

Other side.

 

 

Dark color squiggles with light infill: XF-74 Olive Drab (JGSDF) squiggle and XF-65 Field Grey infill.

 

 

Dark topcoat squiggle with darker overcoat squiggle: 4:1 XF-24 Dark Grey and XF-85 Rubber Black topcoat.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

 

The painting skills of Ralph are utterly amazing, far greater than I can ever dream of accomplishing.