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The later versions of the American LOS ANGELES class submarine features square tiles plastered to the hull -- these anechoic tiles absorb both external sonar pulse energy and internal 'machinery' noise.
To represent ... more correctly, 'to suggest' ... these tiles on a model, you simply purchase some window screen of approximate form, and drape it over the painted model and spray on a lighter shade of the base color. The screen masks off the darker base color, leaving a tile pattern.
(No! square, in-line tiles are not the correct pattern for LA boats, I know ... but I can't find any 'staggered' square screen material from which to make a proper mask).
The trick is to maneuver the screen, usually by skilled hands, around so you don't get too much of an out-of-register look to the tile pattern. After laying down the lighter color through the screen mask you over-spray selectively with the base color to correct overlaps and to make the tile pattern just perceptible to the observer.
Practice on an old, discarded model kit hull first -- learn the technique there, don't screw up your current thing-of-beauty!
The following shots show painting, screen masking, and the results. From this point I weather the model. When that work is done I put on the dry-transfer markings and give a final evening coat of clear-flat, and the models ready for the wa-wa.
David,
To represent ... more correctly, 'to suggest' ... these tiles on a model, you simply purchase some window screen of approximate form, and drape it over the painted model and spray on a lighter shade of the base color. The screen masks off the darker base color, leaving a tile pattern.
(No! square, in-line tiles are not the correct pattern for LA boats, I know ... but I can't find any 'staggered' square screen material from which to make a proper mask).
The trick is to maneuver the screen, usually by skilled hands, around so you don't get too much of an out-of-register look to the tile pattern. After laying down the lighter color through the screen mask you over-spray selectively with the base color to correct overlaps and to make the tile pattern just perceptible to the observer.
Practice on an old, discarded model kit hull first -- learn the technique there, don't screw up your current thing-of-beauty!
The following shots show painting, screen masking, and the results. From this point I weather the model. When that work is done I put on the dry-transfer markings and give a final evening coat of clear-flat, and the models ready for the wa-wa.
David,
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