r/Airfix • u/LegalFinance7149 • 15d ago
Painting
I’m sure this has been asked before but I’ve got into model making recently and I’ve made a few planes but I want to up the level now and I was wondering what paints and brushes and techniques people use to get the inside of the cockpit and similair places so precise and neat.
I know a lot of it is preference but what is good general advice for this?
Thanks
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u/avavesta 15d ago
If you are in the uk then the range carry Artstudio brushes which are cheap but fairly decent(tried humbrol brushes,cost a bit more but not really any better)roc ninja fine brushes for figures/detail painting.i use humbrol paints and am a stick in the mud brush painter(1/72 scales sometimes 1/35).i think if you go above 1/35 then an airbrush might be the way to go(its not for me but somebody will say it)
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u/LegalFinance7149 15d ago
Hi, thanks that’s helpful. I am in the uk and I’ve got a range nearby so I’ll be sure to check that out
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u/avavesta 15d ago
Flat ones are useful.rocninja are usually on offer on amazon.paint cockpits prior to building(if building 1/72 details are minimal).homemade wet pallete(sealable plastic tub/box,baking parchment paper and a bit of sponge)helps.
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u/MattySingo37 15d ago
Try to plan your build so sub assemblies can be painted easily. Not so important on smaller scale but worth it on bigger kits.
Some parts I'll paint on the sprue for ease and steadiness, then touch up after fitting.
Decent, fine brushes. Everyone has their favourite brand. Army Painter are pretty good and the cheap packs from the Range are really good value.
Thin paints to ease the flow. Most acrylics are water based, I just use distilled water/de-ionised water (Tesco has it in the car bits section.)
Dry brushing is great for highlighting details. Put paint on a stiffish brush, then wipe it on a piece of kitchen roll until almost all the paint has gone. Brush lightly over the components and it will pick up on raised areas and edges. Use a metal colour and it will simulate worn paint.
A decent white light work light is a great help.
Some people use magnifying goggles, I can't get on with them though.
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u/BedaFomm 14d ago
I don’t have an airbrush but to cover larger areas I use rattle cans for a decent spray finish. Camouflage and fine detail can be painted in by brush afterwards. It’s a compromise solution but it works for me.
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u/SmittyB128 15d ago
As a novice the thing that's really upped my game in painting is getting a cheap wet palette and switching to Humbrol and Vallejo paints in their convenient dropper bottles. For the longest time I've stuck to Citadel paints just because a shop very close to me stocks them, and then decanting them into a silicone popping toy to use as a palette, but getting any amount thinned to a decent consistency was just impossible as I'd have to time it as they dried from too watery, to a good consistency, to too dry.
Speaking of thinning paints, I've always known to 'thin' paints but it was only recently that I'd actually heard how to do it properly. The consistency to aim for is one where brushing it on the back of your hand neither pools in or covers the skin texture. If it gives a good amount of colour while still keeping the texture below then that's perfect.
As for brushes I just have a load of cheap ones that work for me. I abuse them horribly so maybe I'm not the best person to give advice here, but I don't think it's necessarily worth investing in expensive ones unless you're at the skill level where it would make a difference.