Lets talk about black basing

[dsahling1]

Can some people here talk a little about what black basing?  What types of effects you can get with it, pros/cons? Any pictures as well would be helpful, I'm tempted to try it either on the current build I've got going, or more likely try it on one in the future.

[BradG]

Here's an article that explains it well.

 

http://doogsmodels.com/2014/07/03/technique-black-basing/

 

Personally though, this technique still makes the model look somewhat unrealistic to my eyes. 

[alaninaustria]

I like the effect.... I have so many almost completed birds that Iwanted to do in a Natural Metal Finish (NMF) and now that Mr. Surfacer is available in black I am happy I waited so long!

[Shawn M]

I started using it an am really happy with the outcome.

[FunkyZeit]

Refer to doogs

 

Justin

[modelingbob]

The basic technique is similar to pre-shading and I think works OK for putting a little tonal variation in the paint. However, I do not like using black paint for the base as it is far too stark and unrealistic to my eyes. I find that mixing a 1:1 mix of your base color (for example RLM 65) with a darker color (like Dark Gull Gray) works well for lighter shades of paint, and mixing a 1:1 mix of your base color (for example RLM 71) with a lighter color (like light Gull Gray) works well for darker shades of paint. As usual, YMMV! 

[Jasta 14 addict]

My tought's : black basing is great when applied to armor related subjects, but for airplane models i prefer still the much proved black pre-shade on the panel-lines.

 

Doogs technique is a great tutorial, and i'm sure that there are lot's of modelers want to try it out and achieve great results like he do, bot for me, the pre-shade technique still look's more realistic.

 

Just my tought's guy's

 

Greetz

 

Danny

[Zero77]

Did someone notice that the Mr Surfacer black doesn't seem available in Europe?

 

I've ordered a bottle in Australia a couple weeks ago (still on its way...) in order to try it. I dont think i will use it for every purpose. I think it can be good for lighter colors (but not too much as i think it may require too much coats of paint to have a very bright white for example over a black base) but possibly too dark for darker colors like olive drab and may end in a quite dark model.

[Out2gtcha]

I used to do a lot of pre-shading.............but TBH, after looking at the way 1:1 aircraft weather, it didnt seem to match what I had been doing the whole time. Admittedly, I did LIKE the look, but it just dint seem to be the way real planes weathered to my eye.

 

Not one to be stuck with any single technique I have been giving the black base a try. Its actually quite surprising...............not only how you can easily cover the stark black, even with light colors like yellow or white, but just how much tonal variation you can get.

And of course using MS 1500 black is every bit equivalent to using Tamiyas EXCELLENT fine white or gray primer:

First I applied a random "mottle" of insignia white over MS 1500 black following panel lines, but NOT putting in color in the center or edges of the panel like some fading techniques would have you do.

 

Initial mottle stage:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Followed by (in my case) up to 5 VERY thinned coats to even the look out (this is the first of the 5):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally I ended up here. This is after the 5 thinned over coats, and with the white, makes it VERY hard to capture the actual look, but it IS noticeable, but much more so IRL, which is exactly what I wanted in this case for the underside. This  also will get more amalgamated with the look I was trying for once weathering and washes and what not get applied:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, for whatever anyone wants to say about the looks, if you look at 1:1 airplanes the dark areas most times honestly do not line up, nor end up looking like the look that pre-shading gets you. If you like that look, that is a whole different story, as modeling is art IMHO, and we are each artists, but if your talking reality, generally 1:1 birds do not weather with a "quilt like" pattern that one can get if you go to the extreme with pre-shading.

 

All milages may very, and Id say go with whatever you like the looks of. I would suggest trying some/all of the techniques out on a paint mule first.   Its quite a neat look in person, but should prove easier to capture with darker colors.

 

HTH in some way

 

 

[Tony T]

It seems a lot of work but Brian's especially good at floaty planes. How I wish I had his talent (and spray booth)! Eduard have a Kingfisher canopy mask set due in March - probably six weeks too late ?

 

I'm going to try the Doog's method selectively under an aluminium lacquer Fishbed C next month. First serious airbrushing in seven years, so possibly a tad ambitious (!)

 

Really admire the skills shown on LSP.

 

Tony

[alaninaustria]

Bro that KH Kingfisher is looking great!!

[Out2gtcha]

Tony, Alan, thanks for the kind words.

 

Tony, that is exactly what I thought too when seeing this on first attempt; that it did in fact look like a lot of work........

 

What I found in reality was that for me anyway, it was actually LESS work than pre-shading, on y because I was always very anal about my pre-shading, and always like them very neat and straight, which was a lot of work. Or in some cases I eve used sticky notes to mask of the leading/lower edges of all pre-shade lines which was exponentially even MORE work. Love it or hate it I found even with having to layer on many thin coats of paint to evev things out, it was stil less work than my personal pre-shade method.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Out2gtcha

[Lothar]

Did someone notice that the Mr Surfacer black doesn't seem available in Europe?

 

 

 

It's available in Germany:

 

http://www.modellbauversand.com/Werkzeug-Zubehoer/Mr-Finishing-Surfacer-1500-Black-Schwarz::40733.html

 

I order all my paint from them, very reliable.

 

Lothar

[chuck540z3]

I use so-called black basing as a primer coat for metallic finishes like Alclad and in cockpits, where I can create dark shadows with the cover coat sprayed from above. It works very well for both. As a general primer or undercoat for the rest of the fuselage that isn't going to be metallic, I don't really see the point. Random mottling can still be created using black as a pre-shade (no, not on every panel line that will make the model look plaid) against a lighter background, so the full black treatment to me is overkill. I also like to keep paint and micro-fillers to a minimum, because they also fill desired detail like rivet depressions. If your plastic is sanded and prepared properly, a micro-filler is unnecessary. Of course, this is just my personal opinion.

[stevegallacci]

All of these effect techniques I hope will go away as just another fad, as they tend to be over-done and/or inappropriate to the subject. Not to say that one could find real life examples of what the effects are trying to reproduce, but that the effects are becoming the new orthodoxy for model finish in general. Remember when dry-brushing was the big thing? Or discovered exposed metal with paint wear and used silver rub-n-buff for effect?