This
is a technique I have been using a number of years. I have not seen this used
before in any modelling articles/builds, magazine or internet. It is said you
should not use silver paint. Certainly, if you apply it by brush it can look
unrealistic.
Cockpits
show areas of bare metal (aluminium) with age/use on floors, edges etc., where
the paint has worn away. There are various techniques in use e.g. (i) silver
pencils/pens (ii) applying metallic colour, over spraying with cockpit colour,
then selective removal of top colour with solvent/tissue.
The
basis of this method is to apply enamel silver paint, using a toothpick, over
gloss or satin paints. The toothpick is chamfered at different angles at each
end (for different access) and sealed with thin CA. It is then wet sanded with
2000 grit to remove any ‘sharpness’. Apply a little paint to the toothpick
then wipe it on paper to remove some/most of the paint.
Click on
images below to see larger images
By
rubbing the ‘coated’ toothpick on floor, edges, raised detail etc., you can
simulate bare metal. It also gives depth to areas of dark colours. The degree of
paint application (taken from paper) is varied to give differing levels of
‘shiny metal’ and by varying the amount/pressure of rubbing you can produce
subtle effects. If you overdo it, a small piece of kitchen paper, barely wetted
with solvent, will diminish or remove the silver completely. However, you need
to be careful or you may remove the base paint as well. I do not use an
‘acrylic barrier’ between the paints.
For
the access ladder I have used both zinc chromate and silver enamel paints to
simulate wear through to the primer and bare metal.
I
have not tried it with acrylic silver – it may be that the quick drying
of this would not lend itself to this technique. As with anything new, you
should first try this out something unimportant, before committing to your
model. Also, the base enamel(s) must be fully dried.
John
Wolstenholme
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