Using a pen for panel lines?

[Thorbrand]

I was thinking today (dont worry it didnt hurt)

That it might be a good idea to use a fine tipped pen for getting inside the grooves of panel lines for a neat finish.

Are there such pens available for moddelers with very fine tips? Or would a permanent marker work?

[Mr Bowcat]

You can get Sharpies with super fine tips which may work.

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/sharpie-ultra-fine-tip-permanent-marker-assorted-colours-x12/575836-1000

[John]

I used a premanent marker and it looked great even under a couple of layers of paint, then I put a gloss varnish on and it reacted with the pen and came through as if it had no paint on

[John]

Just found a before and after pics

[ATTACH]281978[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]281979[/ATTACH]

I did start using a Mr Hobby Gundam marker but it ran out, I don't know if that would have worked.

[colin m]

I also used a marker pen for 'pre-shading' it was awful. It took so much paint to hide the pen, all my detail sort of filled in.

[Thorbrand]

This is why i think one designed for moddeling would be a good idea, as a sharpie or permanet marker even with a fine tip seems to be too bold. Ive heard of people using water colour pencils before but i think the colour would wash out too easily

[BarryW]

Pre-shading and panel line accentuation are different things. Pre-shading is about replicating the play of light over a large surface onto the much smaller surface of a model. Look at any 1:1 scale aircraft and you won't see a solid block of colour but a subtle range of shades of the base colour. To make a model look realistic you need a way to replicate that and this is where pre-shading and post-shading come in. It is a convenient method to roughly use the panels on an aircraft for this purpose but it should not follow the panel loines too closely and it certainly must not be too neat. It is also best achieved by airbrush. It works best in my experience by combining pre and post shading. You can also use this to replicate the bleaching effect of the sun by mixing in white with the base colour for post shading.

Panel line accentuation is a different matter and is about showing the dirt that inevitably gets into the small gaps between panel lines. This can be done by sludge washes, pin washes or as some do, using pigments. Personally I think a pin wash works best over a glossed surface which once the first matt coat is laid down an additional use of washes to create smearing of dirt in the direction of airflow.

You can see this in the picture below of my Spitty build. I did some additional oil leak smearing after the final matt coat to get the sheen that oil streaking would leave. The latter was from AKI Oil and kerosene leak weathering washes from their Air Series.

I hope that helps.

i [ATTACH]281988[/ATTACH]

[Thorbrand]

Thank you for your master class post! Im a brush painter myself, at least until i get myself an air brush. I can see what you mean about pre shading, it's about building a layer and utilising the slight transparency you get with airbrushing over brush painting. I think with brush painting you would have to dry brush to get the subtle undertones for a pre shade to look convincing. I might give that a go on my current build

[BarryW]

Thank you for your master class post! Im a brush painter myself, at least until i get myself an air brush. I can see what you mean about pre shading, it's about building a layer and utilising the slight transparency you get with airbrushing over brush painting. I think with brush painting you would have to dry brush to get the subtle undertones for a pre shade to look convincing. I might give that a go on my current build

Yes indeed, but it is much more difficult to get the effects with a brush. It can be done and I really admire those are able to get these effects with brushing, I suspect it takes a lot of practise but it is certainly beyond me! Panel lines washes, filters and other washes dont need airbrushes though and can really help the finish.

[Tom Rigg]

Nothing to do with panel lines.
But I've used a very thin pen to 'paint' the piping on panzer crew uniforms.
Tom

[stillp]

I've tried a very fine (0,1mm) pen for panel lines, but it looked too regular and mechanical so I cleaned it off with meths and used a pin wash like everybody else.

Pete