The ninth step in the build is painting. This step took 23 hrs 49 mins.
My approach to this large step was a result of having watched many professional model makers on YouTube and looking at reference photos online. I eventually discovered that through the magic of (1) time-lapse video and (2) aggressive editing, this step in my mind felt like it should have taken an hour or two.
I used Tamiya masking tape (2 mm and 8 mm). Two things are your friend when masking: a sharp hobby knife blade and a template tool for curves, angles, and straight edges.
Something I had to consider once more of the surface had paint on it is the way you hold the model to rotate and manipulate it. My main approach was to use the tip of the nose cone and the piece sticking out of the empennage. Working with smaller scale (e.g., 1:48) kit is probably easier because you can use various tools or rigs to hold things in place; this kit is rather large — over 1.5 feet.
(Reminder: You can click the images to get larger versions.)
Test Pieces
The kit came with pieces not needed for construction, likely because it’s cheaper to add to an existing sprue mold than to redesign it. The benefit is that you get extra pieces to learn on without worrying about screwing something up.
I had two things to test: marbling and pre-shading.
- Marbling — making fine, white squiggles before applying the primary color. The result is a finish that looks uneven (marbled), which is something you’d see on an actual plane. I was impressed how that turned out, not only on the test pieces but the model in general as you’ll see later.
- Pre-shading — painting the panel lines with black before applying the primary color. The intent is that the areas around the panel lines (the brush stroke is wider than the panel recess) will appear darker, giving some contrast. I was not a fan of this technique. To make the piece not look ridiculous, I would have to apply so much primary color as to erase the marbling effect. Instead, I skipped this step and will do post-shading later with either a dark wash or panel line accent.
Black-basing
Black-basing is where you have the first “color” on the model be gloss black; you layer other colors on top for maximum contrast. This is especially effective here because of the marbling that goes on top of the black.
There are several schools of thought on black-basing technique:
- No primer; just start painting (didn’t want to risk not priming given how much masking I knew was in my future)
- Prime first, then paint (what I chose)
- Use a black primer (what I’ll do next time)
Before painting I used 3000-grit sandpaper to smooth out the primed surface. (Side note: I was super upset at myself for not realizing my Vallejo gloss black acrylic paint was not pre-thinned for airbrushing. So not only did I not get any painting done for the first 20 minutes, I had to completely clean out the clogged airbrush.)
Marbling
My new airbrush (Harder Steenbeck Evolution) has a throttle control; tightening a knob on the back of the airbrush prevents the trigger (which controls paint flow) from being pulled back all the way. This helps by making it less likely you’ll go too heavy on the paint. Also this airbrush has a 0.2 mm needle for finer work. (Iwata doesn’t seem to make a 0.2 mm needle for my other airbrush.)
The Vallejo Model Air (i.e., pre-thinned) white paint was useless. At such a low paint volume, it quickly dried up on the needle tip and prevented paint from flowing. I switched to Tamiya XF-2 white thinned 50/50 and initially had no issues. However, the following day I had the same drying problem with Tamiya, even when the test sprays looked too watery.
Side note: It’s also probably worth mentioning that I run a dehumidifier in my hobby space set to 40-45% relative humidity. The less humid the air, the faster the paint dries, whether it’s on a model or being atomized at the tip of the airbrush.
I ended up playing around real-time with throttle control — right hand on the airbrush trigger, left hand on the control. When the paint stopped flowing, I’d open the throttle to let more paint through, then dial back. I guess another solution is to add a flow agent (retarder) that keeps the paint from drying as quickly. Having high-end tools and paint were supposed to make things easier; why was this such a struggle???
First Paint Color
As you saw in the previous image, the marbling makes for a more realistic look. Scale model cars have a completely different feel: You want that “right off the factory line” look that’s very clean. Here, we’re dealing with a plane that’s been at different altitudes, exposed to the elements, etc.
Second Paint Color
This step took me considerably longer than I anticipated. It took 3 hours and 15 minutes just for masking. I wondered if it would have been easier to keep the parts separated (i.e., front fuselage, middle fuselage, wings), then assemble them after painting. There were many tricky angles to mask.
I waited at least 24 hours for the medium grey to cure so I could mask without risk of having the masking tape pull up the paint.
For this second color, everywhere except the front fuselage was gloss black plus white marbling. In the front there was already a coat of medium grey, meaning the contrast is weak.
Preparation for Empennage Painting
Similarly to how the primary color was masked to set the scene for the secondary color; the same process applies here for the metallic paints.
Empennage Painting
It seems that even for the same model of aircraft and home station, you’ll find slightly different paint configurations and panel highlights.
Now with the metallic painting done, it’s time to see how everything looks!
APR-38 Receivers
There are two radar warning receivers: one under the nose, and another atop the vertical stabilizer. Fortunately my set of reference photos had a close-up picture of the front APR-38.
I had difficulty finding a video where a model maker shows how to properly mask off the nose cone; we only get to see the finished product.
You can’t simply unspool a length of masking tape and wrap it around the nose because the nose is tapered. I did some Googling on forums and found some common approaches:
- Use card stock (or a paper plate), cut out a hole, then place the paper over the nose. This approach is very difficult to get lined up with any accuracy.
- Purchase pre-cut nose cone masks.
- Use vinyl-based masking tape that you can more easily contour.
I opted for an approximation by making a thin strip from my Tamiya tape. I contoured it fairly easily, and burnished the edges to make sure I had a tight seal before painting.
Next Step
Step 10 involves applying decals to the main body of the aircraft.
- To start, I’ll gloss-coat the entire plane, which serves several purposes.
- It protects the paint I’ve spent so long applying from the assistive chemicals I’ll use for applying the decals.
- Most waterslide (i.e., put them in water, then slide them off the backing paper) decals have a transparent part that looks hazy unless applied to a glossy surface.
- I’ll be able to handle the kit with bare hands not having to worry about getting skin oils on the paint, or even worse, rubbing the paint off.
- Applying a given decal isn’t difficult; it’s just that there are dozens of them.
The mounted equipment such as the missiles also has decals; I’ll cover those in a later step.