Hi all!
I was lingering on the pictures of a beautiful model here on Aeroscale, when a doubt crept in my brain.
The question is this:
usually you do a preshade to add depth in recessed areas. This can also be done to give depth to usually dull & flat areas, such as wings, by enhancing the contrast of the panel lines. In the cases mentioned above the preshade (as you could well imagine) is darker than the base colour.
Now, the model I was looking at had a camouflage pattern and the preshade was a darker hue on the lighter camo, while it was lighter where the camo was darker (being a pre-highligt, actually).

The overall effect was quite enjoiable, and I liked it very much actually, but I was wondering: is it correct? I mean, light should fall the same way notwistanding the base colour, shouldn't it? Or is there a visual effect that makes you perceive the contrast the other way round when dark areas are near lighter ones?

What do you think?

ciao
Edo

This is just my experience as an Apache Crew Chief speaking, but generally you get this kind of shading on the paint of aircraft. Whether it be panel lines or rivet lines. Moisture, dirt, fading from the sun, cpcs and oil among other elements all lead to this look.

Up close to the real aircraft you can see it somewhat, but from about 50ft or more away you can see it better. It will show up more on lighter colors than darker colors from my experience.

Hope that helps

I don't think pre-highlighting where a pre-share should be is correct...but that's not to say models don't deserve highlights. It's just difficult to get nice clean highlights in, because the easiest method of highlighting is drybrushing, which is a little "scuffy" for nicely maintained planes. The corollary to a wash should be a corresponding highlight.

So one without the other, then reversed, doesn't seem quite right to me. But, as in all things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If it looks great, then it's working. Got a picture of it?

Nevermind, I misread the original post. Pre-highlighting I can't comment on without seeing the picture being referenced.

Yes, I know a picture could have saved a lot of worlds, but I was a little shy... don't wanting it to pass as a criticism to a fellow modeller...

Anyway, with this disclaimer well in mind, I'll post a picture by Aleksandar Šekularac I found on Hyperscale.

As you can see in 1 there is a light shade and a dark background, while in 2 it is the opposite.

Also, if you look at the Nieuport 28 feature, here on Aeroscale, you'll see the same.

I like the results, and I guess that a mix of what Jason and Ivan said is the answer, but more on an ituitive level than on a rational one...

He hasn't pre-shaded or pre-highlighted....that's post main colour work. Looks like a brush painted highlight each time.....but dark on the lighter colour instead of lighter again.

Interesting effect. Not sure I like it. I can't help thinking that a lighter rather than darker highlight on the light green would have been better.

On the other hand, his standard of work makes a mockery out of mine, so what do I know?

It was done darker on the other side because after ware the lighter camo color on top would show the darker camo color underneth coming through on the ribs of the wing its a great effect and good thinking on his behalf.


Build On,
Justin

P.S.Very nice plane