i am working on a cf 104 starfighter 1/48 scale from hasagawa and iam hoping someone can tell me how to make the recessed rivets stand out i will be painting it in the wrap around camo scheme .any tips would be great thanks

Hi Allen.
Welcome to Aeroscale
To make reccesed and engraved detail stand out you need to apply what is called a "wash". This is basically a heavily thinned darker colour which is applied and then wiped off,leaving behind paint only in the engraved detail.
Have a look at Holdfasts FEATURE ON WASHES . When I just checked it the photos werent showing up,but you'll get the idea by reading the text.
Hope this helps. If I get chance,(works a bit hectic at the moment) I'll try and take some photos to illustrate how to do it.
Nige

Hi Allan

Welcome to Aeroscale.




The article must have slipped through the net when we reorganised the Gallery a while ago. I've put back the pics using the new system - now all I have to do is figure out which bit of the redundant html code to delete to kill the dud thumbnails without deleting the whole article!

All the best

Rowan

Thanks Nigel I'll give that a try

Thanks Rowan.
That article of Mals is very comprehensive and a great introduction to the world of washes.
Allen.
One of the most important parts of doing a wash is to make sure you have a good base coat of Klear to enable the wash mixture to flow along the recessed detail.
When I started modelling again after the usual long break I tried oil washes on my first 3 or 4 kits and didnt really get along with them.For a while after I used water colour washes but have since reverted back to oil washes and Ive found the method that works best for me now. Its all matter of experimentation and practice until you find what works best for you individually.
A good wash makes all the difference and will really bring your model to life.
Nige

I have tried washes twice before they didn't work out well but i didn'thave a coat of klear (future in Canada) maybe the third time will be the charm.I hate ruinning a good paint job.

Allan
p.s for a green paint job what would be a good colour to use black

Hi again Allan

I avoid using pure black for weathering - it looks too harsh and unnatural. Mix a dark grey-brown "dirt" colour for a more subtle effect..

All the best

Rowan

Thanks for the advice maybe I'll post a picture and let you know how it turns out
allan

The Artist oil paint that I use is Windsor & Newton's "Paynes Grey" which is a blue grey colour or you could try "Davis Grey" which is more of a brown grey colour (if it's available in Canada) hope this helps

Also, when applying Future, make sure you give it enough time to properly cure, otherwise it may not work as well as it should. I know this from experience with wiping the excess off and sometimes pulling off a little of the paint along with it!

I'm one of those who haven't had much luck with washes as well.
With acrylics, they always seem to either come off compeltely, or stick like to the surface leprosy, leave smudges, stains etc.

But I discovered a method that works great for me, pastels ground into dust. I apply them to a flat surface with a stiff brush, then work them around, removing excess with a moistened cotton swab.

The good: Pastel dust can be worked without worrying about it drying and sticking, and it can be removed safely (with water) if the effects turn out unsatisfactory. In addition to accenting panel lines and other recessed details, this technique also makes sutble variations to the paint job, making it lively but not too bold.
The bad: Applied pastel dust is quite sensitive, it has to be handled with care prior to varnishing. Another negative point is the varnishing. An airbrush is practically a necessity, since the effects can dissappear or start to run with heavy coats from hand brushing or spray cans. (although I think spray cans could be used, but the coats have to be misted on lightly, avoiding flooding the surface)