Detail Painting

[James Bisley]

I have seen various people on various build threads showing (for example) a fully assembled cockpit unpainted, then showing it painted. I understand how this would make assembly much easier and much cleaner (no globs of glossy poly cement over paint).

What I don't understand is how you could possibly paint such a detailed area? Should you use an airbrush? Even still I don't see how you paint the backs of seats etc, or anything that can just be seen but not accessed?

Appreciate any advice

[peebeep]

Using the theory of if you can see, so can the airbrush, use the airbrush for a base coat. You can either use the actual colour required for otherwise inaccessible areas, or a dark colour and force the shadow. If it's not in a prominent area I would force the shadow. After that you can either bristle brush or airbrush base colours, then bristle brush details. I'm a big fan of Plasmo on Youtube, his channel is worth checking out for the cockpit tutorials.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Hi James,

On the builds I've posted on this site I've quite often shown photos of my cockpits assembled, but unpainted, then painted. I must admit to a little camera trickery, as most often the seats are only placed in situ, and not glued for the photo. I then remove them and give the whole cockpit a base coat of the main colour, with a bristle brush. I then pick out details with a very fine brush (usually a 000), before weathering. Seats are painted separately and added after. To assemble the cockpits I use liquid cement by the way, not poly cement, but if you do glue your cockpits after painting make sure all paint is scraped off the joining surfaces first for a good bond.

As Paul said, there are plenty of tutorial videos on Youtube.

[James Bisley]

 Thanks very much

(Just being lazy here and not starting another topic), but is there a good value, large volume matt varnish equivalent to pledge?

[peebeep]

Buy a jar of Tamiya Flat Base. It's a matting agent, simply add some to the Pledge for matt finishes. Add 25-30% by volume for a dead flat finish. No more than 30%, otherwise you end up with sugar frosting.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Buy a jar of Tamiya Flat Base. It's a matting agent, simply add some to the Pledge for matt finishes. Add 25-30% by volume for a dead flat finish. No more than 30%, otherwise you end up with sugar frosting.

I brought a jar of flat base once, thinking it was flat varnish, then happily started brush painting it onto my nearly complete Hurricane. Luckily I'd only done one tailplane before the clear liquid dried into a white coating!

[James Bisley]

Thanks very much for the help.

[James Bisley]

Just to confirm, is this the flat base you are referring to?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acrylic-Mini-X-21-Flat-Base/dp/B000BWZU1G/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tamiya+flat+base&qid=1601720663&sr=8-1

[peebeep]

Yes, that's the stuff. Mix it as described above and make sure it's stirred fully into the varnish. It will give the varnish a cloudy appearance. Should you add too much by mistake and get sugar frosting, give the model a gloss coat, that will cure the frosting and you can then try matting again using less flat base.