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Weathering the 1/96 Type-212 Kit
A Report to the Cabal:
OK, with the basic painting and marking (draft markings only at this point) jobs done, time to move on with the weathering. This is the part where careful study of prototypes and attention to how the actual boats look, and what materials they are fabricated from, will pay you dividends -- you don't want to represent rust on a boat whose upper works is made of GRP! Oliver's great drawings and stuff I pulled off the Net served me well during this task.
The 212s have only been in the drink a few years, so you would be way off the mark to show one all scuzzed out with bird-****, gross running water streaks, and excessive failed paint. All the shots I've found of operational units show well fed sailors, well maintained boats, and no expense spared to keep these national assets in tip top shape. What that means to me, and to anyone else modeling one of these submarines, is that you had better use the light touch when weathering your little 212.
At the end of today's work you see three 1/96 Type-212s that show little evidence of operational wear-and-tear. But, I can assure you, these models have been properly weathered. The biggest sign of 'use' being the scum line between the paint-work above waterline and the paint-work below waterline. The last operation tonight was to fix all the paint and weathering mediums that had been applied to the models -- this a well flattened clear-coat. Tomorrow will present me with three models ready for more paint work and weathering.
It's a good practice to paint and weather in stages: to work out a paint-weathering chronology and to break up those operations with a protective clear coat -- this gives you the ability, in case of error, to abrade away the poor work down to the last clear coat, and start over again from that stage.
The weathering mediums I used on this model included Artist oil paints (the radial streaking seen atop the upper stern control surfaces, sail, and superstructure; pastel oil pencil and crayons; and
a selection of gray markers to clean up any pulled paint or other errors in the substrate. Application tools were various types of brushes; rags; finger; single-action, external mix air-brush; and texture sticks.
I had previously painted on the deck non-skid and draft markings to the sides of the sail and to the inboard and outboard faces of the upper set of stern control surfaces. I then mixed up and sprayed the models with a heavy coat of well flattened clear-coat.
This morning I masked out the sail running light lens boarders and other deck and superstructure penetrations in preparation for some off-color painting, the idea was to use paint darker and lighter than the surrounding color to denote differences between these items and the rest of the structure. Careful study of the documentation told me where and what shade to paint things. Note that the diesel exhaust port got special attention not only with black to represent carbon soot, but also some scrubbing with oil paint mixed to a dark shade of gray to give it that 'exhaust' streaking look.
Note that for fine spraying I don't even bother to attach a paint cup to my old reliable single-action, Paasche, Model-H, master-blaster -- I simply use an eye-dropper to transfer just a few drops of paint from the mixing cup into the open port at the base of the spray-brush's needle. I also took the time to produce plastic stencils of some shapes to help me make masks. Helps when you are doing multiple models and plan to do more of the same in the future.
With the detail areas painted, all masking was removed and I went about the task of representing the radial streaking that results from rain and sea water running off the boat, as well as the bleaching that results from the upper works being in almost constant sun-light, using Artist oils and a big-ass [Note to the Witch: this is a technical term. - Ed] streaking brush. The objective is to put a dab of white oil paint down on the paint board, pick up a bit in a very big brush, then to vigorously remove excess paint from the brush bristles onto a rag, then to swing the brush over the upper works of the model in quick radial strokes, with the brush hairs just barely making contact with the work. Only after the brush becomes almost thoroughly dry of paint do you apply more pressure on the bristles to blend in the streaks a bit with one another.
Work first on your test-article before committing this work to the model(s).
There is a nearly white 'scum line' at the waterline. This went down using either an oil suspended pastel crayon or pencil, applied free-hand to the sides of the hull. The white was then rubbed with finger, rags and then a stiff brush to blend it in a bit with the above and below waterline portions of hull.
Woodland Scenics dry-transfer markings were employed to lay down the, 'U31' either side of the sail. And the three models were given a heavy clear-coat to get things ready for tomorrow's work.
A Report to the Cabal:
OK, with the basic painting and marking (draft markings only at this point) jobs done, time to move on with the weathering. This is the part where careful study of prototypes and attention to how the actual boats look, and what materials they are fabricated from, will pay you dividends -- you don't want to represent rust on a boat whose upper works is made of GRP! Oliver's great drawings and stuff I pulled off the Net served me well during this task.
The 212s have only been in the drink a few years, so you would be way off the mark to show one all scuzzed out with bird-****, gross running water streaks, and excessive failed paint. All the shots I've found of operational units show well fed sailors, well maintained boats, and no expense spared to keep these national assets in tip top shape. What that means to me, and to anyone else modeling one of these submarines, is that you had better use the light touch when weathering your little 212.
At the end of today's work you see three 1/96 Type-212s that show little evidence of operational wear-and-tear. But, I can assure you, these models have been properly weathered. The biggest sign of 'use' being the scum line between the paint-work above waterline and the paint-work below waterline. The last operation tonight was to fix all the paint and weathering mediums that had been applied to the models -- this a well flattened clear-coat. Tomorrow will present me with three models ready for more paint work and weathering.
It's a good practice to paint and weather in stages: to work out a paint-weathering chronology and to break up those operations with a protective clear coat -- this gives you the ability, in case of error, to abrade away the poor work down to the last clear coat, and start over again from that stage.
The weathering mediums I used on this model included Artist oil paints (the radial streaking seen atop the upper stern control surfaces, sail, and superstructure; pastel oil pencil and crayons; and
a selection of gray markers to clean up any pulled paint or other errors in the substrate. Application tools were various types of brushes; rags; finger; single-action, external mix air-brush; and texture sticks.
I had previously painted on the deck non-skid and draft markings to the sides of the sail and to the inboard and outboard faces of the upper set of stern control surfaces. I then mixed up and sprayed the models with a heavy coat of well flattened clear-coat.
This morning I masked out the sail running light lens boarders and other deck and superstructure penetrations in preparation for some off-color painting, the idea was to use paint darker and lighter than the surrounding color to denote differences between these items and the rest of the structure. Careful study of the documentation told me where and what shade to paint things. Note that the diesel exhaust port got special attention not only with black to represent carbon soot, but also some scrubbing with oil paint mixed to a dark shade of gray to give it that 'exhaust' streaking look.
Note that for fine spraying I don't even bother to attach a paint cup to my old reliable single-action, Paasche, Model-H, master-blaster -- I simply use an eye-dropper to transfer just a few drops of paint from the mixing cup into the open port at the base of the spray-brush's needle. I also took the time to produce plastic stencils of some shapes to help me make masks. Helps when you are doing multiple models and plan to do more of the same in the future.
With the detail areas painted, all masking was removed and I went about the task of representing the radial streaking that results from rain and sea water running off the boat, as well as the bleaching that results from the upper works being in almost constant sun-light, using Artist oils and a big-ass [Note to the Witch: this is a technical term. - Ed] streaking brush. The objective is to put a dab of white oil paint down on the paint board, pick up a bit in a very big brush, then to vigorously remove excess paint from the brush bristles onto a rag, then to swing the brush over the upper works of the model in quick radial strokes, with the brush hairs just barely making contact with the work. Only after the brush becomes almost thoroughly dry of paint do you apply more pressure on the bristles to blend in the streaks a bit with one another.
Work first on your test-article before committing this work to the model(s).
There is a nearly white 'scum line' at the waterline. This went down using either an oil suspended pastel crayon or pencil, applied free-hand to the sides of the hull. The white was then rubbed with finger, rags and then a stiff brush to blend it in a bit with the above and below waterline portions of hull.
Woodland Scenics dry-transfer markings were employed to lay down the, 'U31' either side of the sail. And the three models were given a heavy clear-coat to get things ready for tomorrow's work.
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