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F14A Tomcat - PART TWO

2.
Using my air brush, I paint the entire cockpit in whatever base color is most prominent. I do not "scale effect" this base color in the cockpits for two reasons. The first is functional -- I need to be able to touch-up the color as I continue the cockpit painting process. "Scale effecting" produces a custom mix color that will make touch-up painting difficult to blend in. The second reason is theoretical -- most people will view the model's cockpit from a range of less than 12 inches. The scale effect at that distance is not as noticeable as it would be on the entire model viewed from a distance of 24+ inches. Whether you are a believer in "scale effect" or not, these are my reasons.

For the Tomcat, the primary interior color is Dark Gull Gray (F.S.36231). Applying this overall color is the only airbrush work I do in the cockpits (besides clear gloss and clear flat coats). The rest of my work is done using 3/0, 5/0, and 10/0 paintbrushes. I allow the cockpit to dry a full 24 hours before continuing as brush painting over the base color before it fully dries can lift it and mar the other colors that I am going to use.