Dambusters Lancaster BIII

[PaulTRose]

Ok, some advice please. Given that I'm hopeless at fine detail painting by hand, how would you advise I go about painting this:

to look like this:

I just can't do fine detail, am too wobbly handed.

if you are wobbly handed you are buggered.....need to use masking tape to leave the frame exposed so you dont get paint on the 'glass'......or buy a proper mask set if someone makes one which makes it easy

[Bobby Conkers]

if you are wobbly handed you are buggered.....need to use masking tape to leave the frame exposed so you dont get paint on the 'glass'......or buy a proper mask set if someone makes one which makes it easy

Foiled again. I was hoping there was some miraculous cure for massive hands. I shall experiment...

[Guest]

Cover the whole canopy in masking tape and then cut out where the frame is. This is usually much simpler than trying to cut masking tape the size and shape of all those little glazing panels.

Also, once you’ve got the canopy masked, paint it first with the colour that the inside of the frame is to be (British cockpit green, I suppose) and only then do the exterior colour over the top of that. This way you’ll get the inside to look right too, with only one round of masking.

[PaulTRose]

just make sure you use a brand new sharp blade if you try that method

[Tim Marlow]

If you can get it, use pre cut masks from eduard or such like....the cost is far outweighed by the time saved.....

[Bobby Conkers]

just make sure you use a brand new sharp blade if you try that method

I have a set of autopsy-standard Japanese blades! Got to have other hobbies...

[Bobby Conkers]

If you can get it, use pre cut masks from eduard or such like....the cost is far outweighed by the time saved.....

Interesting. I won't bother on this one as it's just for practise, but my next will be a different matter. Thank you.

[Bobby Conkers]

Anyway, put enough together to get the main paint job started.

I have to criticise this model a bit. As far as I'm concerned, the wings on a plane are quite an integral part. I imagine designers from Boeing might agree. Well these are flimsier than a politician's promise. They seriously need a brace column internally to allow pressure to be applied - squeeze the middle just a bit and the edges fold out. Cheap and nasty. Similar criticism of the fuselage. Contrast this to the Titanic model I did of theirs, which had bracing along the whole length. Anyway, I sorted it with some swearing.

[Bobby Conkers]

Cover the whole canopy in masking tape and then cut out where the frame is. This is usually much simpler than trying to cut masking tape the size and shape of all those little glazing panels.

Also, once you’ve got the canopy masked, paint it first with the colour that the inside of the frame is to be (British cockpit green, I suppose) and only then do the exterior colour over the top of that. This way you’ll get the inside to look right too, with only one round of masking.

Going to give this a bash, nice tip on the inside/outside, hadn't thought of it.

[Lee Drennen]

Hi Andrew
Iconic aircraft that's for sure. Builds up into quite a big model even at 1/72.
From the start of construction I always plan the painting as I go along. I like to build as much as possible before painting. The reason for that is twofold. Firstly any sanding needed does not damage already done paintwork and secondly I find it almost impossible to join ready painted parts without glue marks.
Following with interest.
Jim

Jim
I’m the same way I hate to glue parts together after painting and can’t sand and fix what’s been painted then when you paint again you may get to many layers

[Bobby Conkers]

Thought I'd show you just how challenged I am with a paintbrush.

Here's the camo in the instructions:



Here's what I managed:



Stuff it. This is going to be the Lancaster which they used for practice, testing with camo only on one wing.

[Guest]

Painting camo will be much easier if you draw it on the model with a pencil first. The diagrams in the instructions show the panel lines, which you can use to determine how the pattern runs on the model too: find where the edge of a patch crosses a panel line, and draw it in the same place on the same line on your model. This may take a little practice, but you’ll develop an eye for it and be able to draw the pattern well enough soon. Then you only need to paint more or less inside the lines, rather than having to get the paint in the right place without a guide.

[Bobby Conkers]

Aye tried that - the lines were as bad! I'm not kidding, I have always had a complete brain block on this. I can do calligraphy, and am extremely dextrous, but cannot convert a visual image to an export.

For example, same sort of problem, I once witnessed a crime and had to give a description. I could not tell the coppers their hair typeor colour, height, eye colour, age etc. Fortunately, I was able to associate the geezer as a Rodney Trotter lookalike, and they worked back from there. It's an odd thing, because my memory is fine.

I experience synaesthesia, and have been told that while it isn't an illness, and is very useful in some ways, it does interfere with some things.

Anyway, it knackers my drawing and painting, looks like a 3 year old did it!

[stillp]

Painting camo will be much easier if you draw it on the model with a pencil first. The diagrams in the instructions show the panel lines, which you can use to determine how the pattern runs on the model too: find where the edge of a patch crosses a panel line, and draw it in the same place on the same line on your model. This may take a little practice, but you’ll develop an eye for it and be able to draw the pattern well enough soon. Then you only need to paint more or less inside the lines, rather than having to get the paint in the right place without a guide.

Do you paint over the lines afterwards, or erase them?
Pete

[Guest]

Aye tried that - the lines were as bad! I'm not kidding, I have always had a complete brain block on this. I can do calligraphy, and am extremely dextrous, but cannot convert a visual image to an export.

You probably need a little more practice I can’t draw either, except technical style, but the trick to drawing the camouflage onto a model is to use the panel lines as a guide. The handy thing here is that you can count them: the large patch you tried to paint on the wing, for example, begins halfway between the fuselage and the innermost fore–aft panel line and crosses the that first fore–aft line at about the halfway point too.

For example, same sort of problem, I once witnessed a crime and had to give a description. I could not tell the coppers their hair typeor colour, height, eye colour, age etc.

You’re a step ahead of most people here, in that you know you don’t have a good memory for this kind of thing. Most people think they do when in fact they’re very bad at it

Do you paint over the lines afterwards, or erase them?

I normally paint over them first, to make sure they’re out of sight, and then fill in the patches. It’s safest to check after you’re done and erase any you can still see, though.