D-Day Stripes the Easy Way (at least to me)

[Collin]

Just finished by RAF Typhoon in full D-Day invasion stripes, thought before I put the finished build on the net....I would share how I do invasion stripes.

1. Paint the model the base colors

2.  Mask off the end boundaries of where the stripes will go.  I use reference photos and the decal sheet to give me a rough idea. Paint these areas black.  I use a combo of weathered black and flat black to brings some variations to the finish.  I don't shoot just straight black.

3.  If your aircraft has markings that will be in the areas of the invasion stripes...decals will most likely show the white/black demarcation underneath when you apply them.  I use a circle template and or the decal sheet to cut out a mask for the markings...then apply over the black.

 

4.  Using calipers, mark off on masking tape the appropriate distance for the black and white stripes.  There are differences between the RAF and the US, but I am looking for close enough.  Perfection isn't a major goal since I'm sure perfection wasn't on the minds of the crews painting these on the real aircraft the day(s) before the invasion.  Mark off using the calipers the beginning and end of the white and black divisions.

5.  Transfer the stripe demarcations lines to the black areas.  I use a #2 pencil show it shows up.

6.  Using extra thin masking tape, I carefully mask the inside edges of each black area demarcation.

7.  I then fill in the area that is to remain black with regular masking tape.

 

 

Cheers

Collin

[Collin]

8. I shoot a combo of Reefer White and flat white into the unmasked areas. The black base almost acts like a preshade...so you get some variation.

 

9. The final product after the tape is removed.

 

[CANicoll]

VERY interesting.  Thanks for sharing.  I would have had it backwards, shooting the white first THEN the black. Hmm learn something new every day!!

[Theo]

Ty Collin, mm learned from your post . And yes In real whas done overnight, So after regular maintenance, they had do this to. But why not black over white? 

[Thunda]

Need to do this soon, so very helpful. Thankyou.

[Collin]

I've never had an issue airbrushing white over a dark/black base.  Plus the fact that the black base acts as a preshade/color variation platform helps. 

 

It's all to easy to just reverse what stripes you mask and paint white then black.  My main goal was to help folks overcome any worry they have about doing D-Day stripes.  I did once...but not anymore. 

 

If you are brush painting you might have a problem with white covering a black base...but I've done multiple builds with stripes like this and it works.

 

Cheers

Collin 

[Collin]

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