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F14A Tomcat - PART TWO

4.
By now, all the basic cockpit colors are in place. Now I switch to a mode of painting that is closely related to weathering. Using my airbrush, I give the entire cockpit a good coat of clear gloss using Floquil Crystal Coat. I dilute the Crystal Coat 50/50 with Xylene as thinner. This is actually a lacquer paint and thinner, but I have never had trouble covering Model Master enamels with them. The purpose of this clear coat is the same as when I do it to the exterior of the model -- I am preparing the cockpit for application of washes using thinner-based paints. After applying the gloss coat, I let the cockpit dry overnight so the washes do not eat into the gloss paint.

5.
Next, I apply the thinner-based washes. Like on the exterior of the model, I tend toward the darker colors, usually black. I usually will also include a medium brown or dark tan wash on the floor areas to simulate dirt. I apply these by dipping a paintbrush in the paint color, then swishing the brush in a cap full of mineral spirits (thinner) until the brush is mostly clean. The brush tip, wet with "dirty" thinner, is then carefully touched to the corners of details. Capillary action draws the "dirty" thinner off the brush and along the edges of the details. Controlling the "dirtiness" of the thinner effects the darkness of the washes. Repeated applications also make progressively darker highlights.

Resin replacement cockpits benefit the most from the gloss coat and washes. On simpler kit cockpits where there are not so many raised details, I sometimes omit the gloss coat and washes and go straight to the next step, dry brushing. It basically comes down to your preferences and how far you are willing to go on the cockpit you are working on in any given model.

On the Black Box Tomcat cockpit, there are a great many details to highlight with washes. All sorts of wiring and plumbing is present on the cockpit back walls and in the forward areas where the pilot's and RIO's feet go. On kit cockpits, there are not generally as many details to highlight. In those cases, if I do choose to do washes, I use the washes to just darken the inside corners of the cockpit.