Alclad Perfection

[Guest]

This is from alclad2.com

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I have never seen a model anyway near as perfect as this, even by the very best modellers. It looks real.

How do they do it? Experience, skill, hard work etc. yes. But there must be something that 99.9% of modellers lack: minute sanding, a hugely expensive airbrush, finely filtered paint, perfect air conditions, (note the total lack of any unevenness), special buffing? What?

Would it be possible for any of us to make something as good as this? If so, I have a long long road to travel. I am half-way between being depressed and inspired.

Has anyone in this forum produced anything as good as this? If so, please show us, a reasonably big image.

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

I haven't used Alclad II's on aircraft yet, but I have used them on my Ironman build. I have to say I find them the best paints to get a good metallic finishes providing you put the effort into the preparation.

Adrian

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[Guest]

Alclad have a very good reputation right across the modelling world and although I have never used them I suspect that the paint is so good you would be surprised at what you could achieve yourself. I reckon if you bought a couple of pots and did a bit of a hack piece on an old kit you might just impress yourself. Then move onto a MIG!

[Ian M]

Steve. I can understand your point but you must take consideration that the picture you posted is from their web site and is meant to look 200% perfect. They are after all trying to sell their products to Joe Public. A hard crowd to please at times.

To achieve that standard of finish is just a question of time and effort, a meticulous routine and a totally clean dust free work top.

The plastic has to be 100% clean and smooth.

The Primer has to be 100% clean, smooth, dust free and dry. They sell a polishing kit with various grades of polishing cloths from coarse to fine. I say coarse but that is as fine most people use as a finishing grade. The finest is like silk!

On top of the primer there is a GLOSS black undercoat which again is polished to perfection.

Then the Alclad is put on top. Simples!!! lol

Also that tail section is more than likely 1/32 scale and has NEVER been touched by bare skin once glued together.

I know people say that you dont need the black base coat but Alclad say that the colours in the range are designed to be used over a black base.

A common mistake is that many airbrush Alclad the same as they would any other paint. Don't. Forget the left to right even stokes and neat and tidy. Think of it more as hair spray.

Get the air correct for your set up and go at it from all angles, up/down, left/right and diagonally. You need to avoid the stripes....

As soon as the effect starts to show STOP. Wait the 30seconds it takes to dry and have a good look at it. if its a bit thin or patchy, have another go at it.

It (the lacquer) is ready right out of the bottle and all you need to do is give it a good shake.

So it has nothing to do with dark arts or magic tricks its the same as any spray job. The better the prep, the better the pop! :-)

Ian M

(and no I cant get it that good).

[stona]

As that is a professional publicity shot I suspect it has been "fixed in post production" as the saying goes.

I rate Alclad as the best and easiest method for achieving realistic metallic finishes. Ian is absolutely right about preparation, spraying the Alclad is the easy bit.

Cheers

Steve

[Andy2035]

Is there much of a smell with Alclad or is it something you should only use in the shed/garage with tons of ventilation...

Andy...

[Guest]

Never used the paint and I'll leave it to those that have to give their opinion and technical details.

I am impressed with the use of the paint on models that have been posted on here though, it looks very realistic.

Now talking about something I know about, and having used imaging software since its been invented., I agree with the above in that the picture is an adjusted publicity shot, for a number of reason to long boring and geeky to list.

Think of this as the clothing / makeup adverts in media .. Your average woman won't look anything like the size 8 model after the final image has been photoshopped at post.

[Ian M]

I would not be to sure about the photo being retouched. I'm not saying that it isn't, just that I don't think it is.

If you are interested in seeing some good alclad painted aircraft, you can have a look at these; http://alclad2.com/gallery/aircraft/ they are photos posted by users.

Check out the Saber at the end....

Ian M

[stona]

I would not be to sure about the photo being retouched. I'm not saying that it isn't, just that I don't think it is.If you are interested in seeing some good alclad painted aircraft, you can have a look at these; http://alclad2.com/gallery/aircraft/ they are photos posted by users.

Check out the Saber at the end....

Ian M

Hi Ian. Of course we don't know for sure but I've been involved in some advertising shoots (years ago) and I know how they work. It's a great photograph but it wouldn't surprise me if it had been tidied up.

I was once involved in the shooting of a television advertisement for a well known brand of paint stripping heat gun. The advertised brand was crap so we actually used a competitor's tool, with relevant nozzle attached for a close up of the paint bubbling off a window sill !

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I don't like being pedantic and arguing the toss is pointless in my opinion, but from a professional point of view after years of manipulating images for websites i'll just put forward a couple of my doubts as to why I personally think this is an altered image ( am I going to end up wishing i'd kept my mouth shut....probably )

Look at the leading edge of the fin, the bottom of the edge is cleanly cut, the top of the edge shows pixel striation yet the angle across the image is constant.

There is what seems to be a 'lasso' nick to the bottom of the rear edge

The direction of light has been manipulated ... If you look at the bottom right 'fuselage' part the light seems to be coming from the right due to the way the light fades to the left, if this was a constant light it would be picked up on the right/forward edge of the little fin thing half way up but this has a light source hitting the rear edge that 'should' illuminate the rest of the rear edge but it doesn't.

This 'could' have been achieved by lighting and shadow casting when photographing the image but to be honest for a shot like this it would be a waste of time when its much simpler to Photoshop the image for publication.

[Ian M]

Yes I saw those edges as well but thought it was just where they have masked the background out.That is very easy to see as they have missed a bit.

All very valid points though Colin and I have no intention of arguing the toss because the bottom line is I don't give one. lol.

Ian M

[Guest]

and I have no intention of arguing the toss because the bottom line is I don't give one. lol.

Heh heh love it .....

[Guest]

Is there much of a smell with Alclad or is it something you should only use in the shed/garage with tons of ventilation...Andy...

Alclad absolutely stinks! Loads of ventilation needed, and a face mask. I clean the airbrush afterwards with cellulose thinners, which also stinks.

[Guest]

For me a finish like that is OK for the Cars &Motor Bikes as that is how they are made. Spicy & glossy.

For aircraft I have not seen a real one like that. After viewing at Aircraft museums & the Lynx close up, that landed on the green in front of our flats, they all look not rough but certainly not like motor bikes & cars.

To get an ordinary plastic aircraft model to look like the Alclad sample would be an extraordinary feat. The preparation work alone would take as long as constructing another 5 models at a guess. For me I have not that time or inclination & it would not look real for A Swordfish a Wessex or Lancaster.

Laurie

[Guest]

Alclad absolutely stinks! Loads of ventilation needed, and a face mask. I clean the airbrush afterwards with cellulose thinners, which also stinks.

Gee that's out then. Cannot abide stinks as they stink & stink is not in as it stinks. I just hate stinks.

Laurie