The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

I washed the pieces in detergent and let them dry. Then, after a little bit of filing, I super glued the arms into position.
They still need a bit of filler and more filing. The head also needs a bit of fettling to get it to fit naturally, but I will leave this off until the end, to hopefully make painting it easier.

PTB11 wrote:Then, after a little bit of filing, I super glued the arms into position.

Oh dear, you may end up regretting that. Access to the equipment at the front, and the rear side of the arm and weapon, is now going to require very interesting acrobatics during painting.
You experience may be different of course, but I often do a lot of the paintwork now before attaching the arms. The obvious trouble that causes with working on the arm joins and having to touch up that part of the clothing seems like a good price to pay for not having to work in extremely awkward places behind arms and weapons.

rob_van_riel wrote:

PTB11 wrote:Then, after a little bit of filing, I super glued the arms into position.

Oh dear, you may end up regretting that. Access to the equipment at the front, and the rear side of the arm and weapon, is now going to require very interesting acrobatics during painting.
You experience may be different of course, but I often do a lot of the paintwork now before attaching the arms. The obvious trouble that causes with working on the arm joins and having to touch up that part of the clothing seems like a good price to pay for not having to work in extremely awkward places behind arms and weapons.

I know exactly what you mean and the way you describe is how I used to do figures. But now I get a better finish adding as much as I can at the beginning and making good the joints etc. Hope I don't end up regretting these words!!!

Looks good Paddy! What paints do you use on white metal? Will acrylic stick?

iggie wrote:Looks good Paddy! What paints do you use on white metal? Will acrylic stick?

He'll get a coat of Halfords primer, then base coated with acrylics and the main painting done with Humbrol enamels.

As mentioned above, heres the figure after its primer coat and a coat of Tamiya RAF Green. The flesh is Vallejo ModelColor Dark Flesh.


I'll give this 24 hours, then its on with the enamels...

Here's the camo I'm going for. Although how it will look in 35th scale remains to be seen!

PTB11 wrote:As mentioned above, heres the figure after its primer coat and a coat of Tamiya RAF Green. The flesh is Vallejo ModelColor Dark Flesh.


I'll give this 24 hours, then its on with the enamels...

Here's the camo I'm going for. Although how it will look in 35th scale remains to be seen!

You're a brave, brave man. Let us know how your eyesight is at the end of painting that!!.

Crikey! good luck with that!

PTB11 wrote:Here's the camo I'm going for. Although how it will look in 35th scale remains to be seen!

Nice going so far. An old modeller once told me that where scale prevent you from exactly replicating the truth, they key is to suggest it in such a way that the observer will unwittingly fill in the blanks for you. The camo seems a prime candidate for that approach.

rob_van_riel wrote:

PTB11 wrote:Here's the camo I'm going for. Although how it will look in 35th scale remains to be seen!

Nice going so far. An old modeller once told me that where scale prevent you from exactly replicating the truth, they key is to suggest it in such a way that the observer will unwittingly fill in the blanks for you. The camo seems a prime candidate for that approach.

I read the same advice in Shep Paines book. I'll give it a go a see how it turns out

So far the brown splotches have been added. Then the Black Tiger Stripes. For the black I used NATO Black. Then the light sand colour squiggles were added last:




I'm not happy with the light sandy bits. I'm going to try and cut them back a bit.

That is some fantastic work Paddy; would a grimy wash knock the light squiggles back enough?

iggie wrote:That is some fantastic work Paddy; would a grimy wash knock the light squiggles back enough?

Thanks Iggie.
Its not so much the colour of the squiggles, its more the size. I'd like them smaller!!!

Not happy with the sandy bits?
The modeller is never satisfied.
Looks superb to me.

I can see what you mean about the size of the brown bits compared to the others, but they're dark enough that it doesn't I any way spoil the overall effect, IMHO. Very nice work so far.

PTB11 wrote:

iggie wrote:That is some fantastic work Paddy; would a grimy wash knock the light squiggles back enough?

Thanks Iggie.
Its not so much the colour of the squiggles, its more the size. I'd like them smaller!!!

Looks good. Maybe a pencil might be of use in reducing the light squiggles? A drab coloured pencil squiggle down the middle of each could perhaps break them up nicely.