"Your Spitfire I believe Sir?"

[Uncarina]

This build is flying, figuratively! Excellent work as usual Max, and I am excited to see your masks put to work.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[JefH]

Interesting build and great work so far.  I've been thinking about testing the water with cutting my own masks, but always dismissed it as too costly and complicated.  I had no idea the process was so user friendly.  Thanks for showing the step by step process. 

 

Jeff

[mozart]

1 hour ago, Uncarina said:

This build is flying, figuratively! Excellent work as usual Max, and I am excited to see your masks put to work.

 

Cheers,  Tom

Thanks Tom, all going smoothly.......so far!

 

1 hour ago, JefH said:

Interesting build and great work so far.  I've been thinking about testing the water with cutting my own masks, but always dismissed it as too costly and complicated.  I had no idea the process was so user friendly.  Thanks for showing the step by step process. 

 

Jeff

Thank you Jeff. Making your own masks really is a game changer, sure there’s a learning curve but not too daunting! Check out Kev’s other site here

[Dpgsbody55]

I use a similar method myself with my RAF models.  It's a little time consuming, but you get good results.  laying these down over the cockpit can be a bit of a pfaff, though.  Sometimes I use loops of masking tape to help hold down the masks.  One other tip is to aim your airbrush at the mask then work towards the area you want to paint.

 

 

Hope this helps,

Michael

[MikeMaben]

18 hours ago, mozart said:

I'd hoped to do a port/starboard "wraps around" but that's not going to work easily so the port and starboard sides will be separate with a join down the middle.

 

Yeah Max, scanning a 2 dimensional pattern and applying it to a 3 dimensional object isn't as simple as it seems.

I tried that with my early 109 cammo which is all straight lines so I thot it would be simple. I think it can be done

but it takes some stretching and bending like you say.

Spitfire looking lovely 

[jeroen_R90S]

Looks great, the figure is beautiful as well. I have the WNW Sopwith Triplane with the Collishaw figure, I really should try to paint him up to practice. I suppose I can always strip the figure and start over!

 

For the camouflage, would it not be possible to put tape on the model, pencil the camouflage on that, then remove the tape and scan that? I've made "conventional" masks this way. A cutter is firmly on my wishlist....

 

Jeroen

[mozart]

Yes I think it would be possible to do the tape method Jeroen, I had considered something along those lines but I’ll see how this works first. Figure painting is definitely a “more you practise, the better you get”......but you have to make a start somewhere! I’m still learning techniques and how to handle the paint. 

[monthebiff]

Nice looking camouflage work Max, those masks worked perfectly!

 

Regards. Andy 

[mozart]

On 3/20/2021 at 11:12 PM, monthebiff said:

Nice looking camouflage work Max, those masks worked perfectly!

 

Regards. Andy 

Thanks Andy, been a bit busy recently so modelling time rather limited......gardening!!   However during a few moments, the Tale of Two Roundels!!

 

 

Absolutely everything about these two were identical; preparation, application, drying time, masks used etc etc but on de-masking the blue paint peeled on one but not t'other!  This was no big deal for correction but annoying nonetheless.

 

And talking of masks I've "organised" them all so that I know what's going where.....I confused myself at one stage, well several stages if I'm being honest:

 

 

These are all to the correct scale and size and fit quite well; where needed (ie on the fuselage) they include overlaps onto the other side.  I'm applying the masks to the fuselage at the moment but the wings are done:

 

 

It was a challenge doing the roundels on the underside because:

 

 

Not perfect, a tiny bit of overspray but I would imagine impossible with decals to conform?!  Need to "get on" with Maureen too! 

[williamj]

Well I'm liking this..figure looks really nice.

[mozart]

Thanks William, glad you’re liking it! 
 

I’ve uploaded the masks to the Scale Model Paint Masks site should anybody or their friends wish to use them, but please read the disclaimer first! 

[mozart]

Really rather delighted with the way the camouflage masks have worked out.  It's the first time I've used such things, let alone made my own so it was all a bit trial and error, but I think it's turned out quite well.  Inevitably there are one or two areas that need a bit of a tidy up, most notably at the port aft wing root where the masks didn't quite marry up as intended, but that's a minor issue.

 

Talking of masks, the downloadable fuselage ones that I put on the Scale Masks site have been updated.  When I was applying these I found that I hadn't included the area on the port side above the tailplane, so that's now added.

 

 

Hopefully doing the fin flashes and fuselage roundels tomorrow plus the engine panels and nose top section.

[Out2gtcha]

Great work Max, really clean and smooth. After my Do-335 and Ki-45, Ive found camo masks on the Silhouette are the only way to go! 

[mozart]

20 minutes ago, Out2gtcha said:

Great work Max, really clean and smooth. After my Do-335 and Ki-45, Ive found camo masks on the Silhouette are the only way to go! 

Very much inclined to agree Brian.  I've usually free-handed my camo schemes in the past but this has worked well, so it's the way to go for me too!  Admittedly it has been time consuming, but I think with experience that will improve.

[Out2gtcha]

39 minutes ago, mozart said:

Admittedly it has been time consuming, but I think with experience that will improve.

 

 

Very true. So far that has remained the standard for me too, as even with the little tiny masks like on my Ki-45, they seemed to go faster than the previous Arrow did.   Looking forward to more!