Spitfire camouflage (Be gentle with me!)

[Guest]

Hello

My 1:48 Mk 16 Spitfire now has it's primer and I'm delighted with the finish. So far it's the best model I've made.

Time now to ruin it!

I believe that the camouflage is not clearly accentuated lines but tends to be a bit faded at the edges. Is this correct? How do I get that effect please and is it something to do with the masking??

Many thanks

[Guest]

I'm not an aircraft bulder myself Aidan but i believe that blue tack can be used to get the softer lines.

I used to do this when spraying artwork on bikes and cars ..... strange that i've never airbrushed a model really

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will correct if this isn't the perfect solution

[stona]

There is some very good evidence that Spitfires were painted,at the factory,using masks to create the upper surface camouflage delineations. This gave at 1:1 a pretty hard edge,at any kind of scale representation this would certainly be hard.The demarcation between the upper and lower colours was similarly regulated and would be hard on a scale model. Some aircraft may have been repainted or re-camouflaged later with less stringent regulation.

A slightly soft edge,as achieved with raised masks,Blu-Tac etc can give a nice artistic interpretation. In my opinion a loose,diffuse demarcation is unrealistic.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

There is some very good evidence that Spitfires were painted,at the factory,using masks to create the upper surface camouflage delineations. This gave at 1:1 a pretty hard edge,at any kind of scale representation this would certainly be hard.The demarcation between the upper and lower colours was similarly regulated and would be hard on a scale model. Some aircraft may have been repainted or re-camouflaged later with less stringent regulation.A slightly soft edge,as achieved with raised masks,Blu-Tac etc can give a nice artistic interpretation. In my opinion a loose,diffuse demarcation is unrealistic.

Cheers

Steve

Thank you Steve. Delineation! Nice word for a Wednesday evening.

[BarryW]

I use white tac snakes with Tammy tape filling the gaps between. It gives a good balance between too soft an edge and a hard one with the risk of paint build up against the masking.

[Dave W]

I use the same method as Barry.Works well.Much easier than trying to spray the camo freehand.And looks a lot better than when I used to do it by brush painting.