Paint for scale

[Guest]

I am a bit lost as not having ever adjusted paint colours for scale. I want to do this for the Swordfish colour scheme.

The colours are Dark Slate Grey & Extra Dark Sea Grey.

How do I lighten these. Using white seems an obvious answer but cannot help feeling this is not going to get me where I need to be.

Also the rate to adjust although I can see that is probably judgement by me.

Help from the experienced will be gratefully received & seized on.

Laurie

[Guest]

Hi Laurie

I'm trying to learn as much as I can. May I ask, what do you mean when you refer to adjusting paint colours for scale please? I know that gloss can be too glossy on some models but I've never heard of adjusting colour for scale.

Thanks

Aidan

[Guest]

Hi Aidan. The idea is to make it a bit more realistic. As the scale is so small compared to the aircraft in the real the real colours look stark in depth on the model.

So adjust the colour to give a more scale like look. Same with back most put a little red in to soften the dense black.

Hope that gives the idea. Best thing is to try it before putting all over the model.

Laurie

[Guest]

Thanks Laurie - I had no idea! I'm way too inexperienced to be considering that sort of thing. One day.....

Aidan

[Guest]

Taken me two years to get around to it. But trying to make a good job of my Swordfish & the colours specified & as used in the real seem rather dark for this very delightfull aircraft.

Laurie

[BarryW]

What scale is it Laurie? The Trumpy 32 scale is a superb kit I am hoping to get soon.

There is a website that provides comparisons of some basic colours at various scales but I have not been able to find it again, sorry. I remember noticing that in 32 scale the difference is very slight, quite negligible really and I thought that the best way to reflect that would be to post-shade the base colour with a highly thinned base colour that is mixed 50% with white. It has to be very thinned down though, something like 10:1 from which you can build it up (or down...) to the desired shade by airbrushing the centre of panels leaving the slightly darker base colour emphasising the panel lines and providing colour modulation. Just my thoughts on the subject....

[Guest]

It is a 1/48 scale Barry. Like you have not been able to find any info. Read that it is a good idea to also shade up, lighten, the bottom wings.

I had hoped, all new to me, to weather the wings & fuselage. The panels are very close being linen. Had hoped to darken the bottom of the dip in the panels & keep the rib top clean.

Think I will try lightening the colours one dark green (despite the grey tag) the other dark grey with lighter green grey rather than white. See how that goes.

Thanks for your input Barry.

Laurie

[Ian M]

Hmm scale colour. I read some place that one of the reasons that many people think that Humbrol's paints are not the best of matches is due to Humbrol have scaled them; made them lighter, in production. If I can find the article I will post a link to it.

The colour to use to lighten is also a point of great debate. I am of the opinion that to make things light add white. Adding a lighter colour such as yellow or grey green will not lighten the colour alone but will also alter the colour. A thing worth bearing in mind.

I am a supporter of Barry's idea. Post shading to give the faded look. I have read that a drop of white in the flat coat can be used to great effect. An all over spray first to lighten the whole thing, then pick out the panel centres to accentuate them.

Ian M

[stona]

For those two colours I would almost certainly use white to lighten. I might consider a drop of yellow in the Dark Slate Grey.

The ratio is very subjective. At 1/32 scale I would estimate I add about 10-15% of the lightening colour(s). I'm afraid I'm not very scientific about this sort of thing!

Steve

[Guest]

I read an article in a magazine a good while ago about scale colour and it went quite in depth, (the feature writer was an old hand on the circuit and had many show winning model under his belt), it even covered the theoretical percentages of lightening according to the scale of the model and potential scenario / theatre it would be in.

The idea behind it is simple, you look at a 72nd model plane and it's the equivalent of looking at a full size from x feet away and this dimishes the impact and depth of the colour, so in essence, you're painting your model in 'close up' colour yet the size you view at reflects 'far away' colour, (i'm getting father ted flashbacks here, 'so you see dougal, very small (cow), far away (cow), do you understand?' 'errr, no ted') anyway.

The article essentially finished along the lines of, you could wind up tearing out your hair worrying over the percentage lightening and theres still no definitive answer so paint it whatever looks right to you and stuff everyone elses opinion on the shade!



Sound advice I think.

[Guest]

The article essentially finished along the lines of, you could wind up tearing out your hair worrying over the percentage lightening and theres still no definitive answer so paint it whatever looks right to you and stuff everyone elses opinion on the shade!

Yes I like that M1Ks.Probably sacrilege to some. When I first started I used to worry about colours stupidly. Now I try to get them right but you have to make so many assumptions as on this Swordfish I got about 4 or 5 versions of what colours. Now I am watering them down. Interesting thing is my models are on two shelves & in the morning no sun & the colours are vibrant in the shade. In the afternoon when the sun moves around the colours become muted.

Like the description of the real aircraft to the model in lighting colour terms. Wish I had thought of that when Aidan asked the question I stuggled to give a good description.

Many thanks for all the replies all varied & with great content.

Laurie

[mossiepilot]

Hi Laurie, I found this -

the scale effect of colour

It's about colour and colour variations. The web site is by a railway model builder , but the advice applies to aircraft too I think.

Hope it helps.

Tony.

[Guest]

Yes Tony that is a very practical article. Thanks for that.

“There is nothing that will spoil a model more than the judicious application of the correct colours.”

Just love that.

I have done a little experiment with the colours I am using on the Swordfish & will take photo and show how white makes a difference.

Laurie