Andy, can you run through what you did after applying the panel line pre spray please ? That is such a good finish and no real sign of the pre spray...overspray
D
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Sure Gary.
If I start back at the primer, that's Mr Surfacer 1500, thinned about 50/50 with their Mr Levelling Thinner (a slow thinner that can be used in many other types of paint with great results)
Mr Color flat white was then blown through the template, that was thinned maybe 1:4 paint : MLT.
Then the lines were redone with Mr Surfacer, again well thinned, around 1:4.
This was silky smooth, you really don't get overspray or dry spray with MLT, but just in case I gave it a rub over with a soft cloth.
Mr Color Neutral Gray was then thinned at least 1:4, maybe even thinner (I do it by eye rather than measuring), and misted on over the top of all the pre-shading. Building up in thin transparent coats and letting it dry in between, until I had the look I was after. It's very easy to add one coat too many and bury all the previous work, which is what I normally do, but I took it more slowly this time.
I then put a few drops of white into what was left in the cup and turned the pressure right down on the airbrush until I got the kind of speckles I wanted. The pressure is so low that you have to kind of pump the trigger to get anything at all to come out.
Then finally a tip I picked up from Barry W. I emptied the cup, put pure MLT into the dregs that were left, and misted it over the top. This reactivates the paint and kind of "melts" the surface, smoothing everything out even more.
Hope that's enough detail for you. The magic sauce for me is the lacquer paints, I just can't seem to get on with water based acrylics. Many have great success with them, but I struggle.
And thanks Greg! Glad you are liking it so much.
If I start back at the primer, that's Mr Surfacer 1500, thinned about 50/50 with their Mr Levelling Thinner (a slow thinner that can be used in many other types of paint with great results)
Mr Color flat white was then blown through the template, that was thinned maybe 1:4 paint : MLT.
Then the lines were redone with Mr Surfacer, again well thinned, around 1:4.
This was silky smooth, you really don't get overspray or dry spray with MLT, but just in case I gave it a rub over with a soft cloth.
Mr Color Neutral Gray was then thinned at least 1:4, maybe even thinner (I do it by eye rather than measuring), and misted on over the top of all the pre-shading. Building up in thin transparent coats and letting it dry in between, until I had the look I was after. It's very easy to add one coat too many and bury all the previous work, which is what I normally do, but I took it more slowly this time.
I then put a few drops of white into what was left in the cup and turned the pressure right down on the airbrush until I got the kind of speckles I wanted. The pressure is so low that you have to kind of pump the trigger to get anything at all to come out.
Then finally a tip I picked up from Barry W. I emptied the cup, put pure MLT into the dregs that were left, and misted it over the top. This reactivates the paint and kind of "melts" the surface, smoothing everything out even more.
Hope that's enough detail for you. The magic sauce for me is the lacquer paints, I just can't seem to get on with water based acrylics. Many have great success with them, but I struggle.
And thanks Greg! Glad you are liking it so much.
Thanks Andy, good technique.
I'm struggling to get tips on mottling and I'll probably use the AB when I get round to it and create tiny blobs or small shapes. I have my old trusty 1/72 Hurricane to practice on mind you. Already primed. Never thought of black as a primer before, it defies logic from a car perspective. But the effect is excellent here. I just love those panel lines to bits. So neat and thats the way I prefer them. Interesting aboy lacquer as well
I'm struggling to get tips on mottling and I'll probably use the AB when I get round to it and create tiny blobs or small shapes. I have my old trusty 1/72 Hurricane to practice on mind you. Already primed. Never thought of black as a primer before, it defies logic from a car perspective. But the effect is excellent here. I just love those panel lines to bits. So neat and thats the way I prefer them. Interesting aboy lacquer as well
D
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Panel lines and rivets should hopefully stand out more once there's a wash on there. I'm going to try Richard's (rtfoe) technique of watercolour paints for that.
But it's one reason I started using black primer for most things - anywhere you can't quite get to with paint just looks dark, like a natural shadow. By misting the Neutral Gray on it didn't reach into the depths of those lines and details. If I'd have put in on wet it would have filled them up.
But it's one reason I started using black primer for most things - anywhere you can't quite get to with paint just looks dark, like a natural shadow. By misting the Neutral Gray on it didn't reach into the depths of those lines and details. If I'd have put in on wet it would have filled them up.
I might do my next build using Lacquer just to see how it feels. I then have a comparison. Having said that Vallejo Air works well for me and less smells. But nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.
D
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The joys of working in a cold shed!
I'm trying to mask up the lower half in readiness for painting the olive drab, but with temperatures below 10°C I can't get anything to stick just yet
Regular and curve Tamiya tape, 3M fine line, Frog Tape, 3M transition tape, budget DIY tape, AK masking putty & Blu Tack have so far resisted all attempts to stay put. The "wavy" demarcation line doesn't help either.
Currently sat in the house with all of my products and the Lightning sat on or near radiators trying to get some heat into them. This may take some time lol.
I'm trying to mask up the lower half in readiness for painting the olive drab, but with temperatures below 10°C I can't get anything to stick just yet
Regular and curve Tamiya tape, 3M fine line, Frog Tape, 3M transition tape, budget DIY tape, AK masking putty & Blu Tack have so far resisted all attempts to stay put. The "wavy" demarcation line doesn't help either.Currently sat in the house with all of my products and the Lightning sat on or near radiators trying to get some heat into them. This may take some time lol.
Not forgetting the 6 months of darkness you people experience 
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I wasn't going to add any aftermarket to this but the kit guns looked a bit poor so I purchased some replacements. The nose cone is just stuck on with blu tack for now so that these can be fitted after paint.
I found a good reference shot of the turbos so have done a bit more work on them. I drilled out the front section and added a butterfly valve from punched card. Also started working on the colours too, which seem to differ greatly from what Tamiya suggests. There'll be more work done on these but I've now got a base of various rusty cast metal tones to work with.
And as the previous dry fit shot shows I also got the olive drab on earlier.
Next up all the tricky stuff like weathering, oils and washes, decals & varnishes
I found a good reference shot of the turbos so have done a bit more work on them. I drilled out the front section and added a butterfly valve from punched card. Also started working on the colours too, which seem to differ greatly from what Tamiya suggests. There'll be more work done on these but I've now got a base of various rusty cast metal tones to work with.
And as the previous dry fit shot shows I also got the olive drab on earlier.
Next up all the tricky stuff like weathering, oils and washes, decals & varnishes
Very nice painting Andy. Great shading producing a nice variation in the finish.
Looking great Andy , finally got that tape to stick! Strange that Tamiya have gone to the trouble of moulding perforations on the cannon but not the machine guns ? Some models of lightning did have smooth gun barrels ( my p38m for example) but the box art clearly shows perforated ones , there aren’t some more guns somewhere else on the sprues are there? Perhaps Tamiya have included both types as an option ? If not tthe Eduard guns look excellent . cheers tony
Ooh nasty. Very strange , as I said the main 20mm cannon has perforations moulded in so why not do the guns too , it’s not as if they can’t do it. Tamiya seem to have some strange practices , they make sublime kits but then stumble on simple things like the decals being quite thick and supplying decals for seat belts and these guns . The seat belt decals never look convincing ,surely they could include a pe set at the prices they charge or even go down the Fine Molds route of moulding separate plastic ones , I’m sure they have the capability.
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Yes, I'm following a few much more experienced guys that are building the same kit and they have mentioned strange practices. So much detail going into the landing gear bay for example but the main guns seem neglected. I may use the kit cannon though as it's a bit crisper than the resin.
Also the use of decals for the oil cooler and radiator grilles. If I'd got a bigger spares box I'd have have thrown some PE mesh in there.
Also the use of decals for the oil cooler and radiator grilles. If I'd got a bigger spares box I'd have have thrown some PE mesh in there.
Jim R
SMF Supporter
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Thanks Jim. I'm trying hard and learning all the time.
Got some of the decals on today. I say some as each hatch and access panel has one, but some were so tiny as to be practicably invisible, so did as many as I saw fit. I also tried a bit of chipping around the wing root where the pilot would walk to the ladder, heavier on one side in case he had a preference lol. I'm not too happy with the result, but at least I had a go. Everything then got sealed in with a gloss coat.
I put the props together too. I didn't realise that Tamiya had included decals for the yellow tips, the instructions just have them as black, so ended up painting them afterwards which is why they look a bit pants. There are a few decals to go on them tomorrow.
And I painted up the light units for the underside. Clear coloured centres with a silver mounting ring. Tricky! There are some masks included in the kit but cutting them out and placing them accurately would probably have been even harder. The "bowls" they fit into were chromed with a Molotow pen. Even the 1MM tip wouldn't fit into the smallest ones so decanted some of the colour out and used a 000 brush.
Got some of the decals on today. I say some as each hatch and access panel has one, but some were so tiny as to be practicably invisible, so did as many as I saw fit. I also tried a bit of chipping around the wing root where the pilot would walk to the ladder, heavier on one side in case he had a preference lol. I'm not too happy with the result, but at least I had a go. Everything then got sealed in with a gloss coat.
I put the props together too. I didn't realise that Tamiya had included decals for the yellow tips, the instructions just have them as black, so ended up painting them afterwards which is why they look a bit pants. There are a few decals to go on them tomorrow.
And I painted up the light units for the underside. Clear coloured centres with a silver mounting ring. Tricky! There are some masks included in the kit but cutting them out and placing them accurately would probably have been even harder. The "bowls" they fit into were chromed with a Molotow pen. Even the 1MM tip wouldn't fit into the smallest ones so decanted some of the colour out and used a 000 brush.
D
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Thanks Richard. I picked up a watercolour paint set so will be using your method for the panel lines on this. I've already tested it on some smaller pieces and I'm impressed with how straightforward it is!
Thanks John. It's taken me a while to get used to the much more delicate art of airbrushing but I'm starting to get the results I've been looking for.
Thanks John. It's taken me a while to get used to the much more delicate art of airbrushing but I'm starting to get the results I've been looking for.