Airbrushing, new to me, looking for help advice

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Your first real weathering effort. I make this observation: you, sir, are a quick study. Well done, Ken!

Each new projects will see refinements of method, tools, mediums, and an ever more critical eye as to what our environment bestows on Man's creations over time; each new model will be better than the last. You are transitioning from toy-maker to model-maker.

You are on a new path now. You no longer just stick things together. No. You are starting to emulate 'reality'. I too was an understudy and immersed myself in the work of my betters -- those men who took the time to teach and pass on the Craft. As I do today. Now, Ken, I deem you qualified to take the mantle of, 'teacher'.

Go get 'em, Tiger! Fellow servant of the, Craft.

David

[Ken_NJ]

Have a bunch of pictures to post to bring this up to date.

First. Painted the lower sonar dome and gave both dome's a light over spray to soften the lines.



Following the pattern I drew on paper, placed 1/16th strips of low tack tape in position.



Using the same paint I sprayed on the sonar domes, I gave a shot to the center of each squared off area. At first it was difficult to get the center with the airbrush, but after a few tries I got into the groove. I lowered the compressor pressure down to 10-15 psi as per David's procedure.









I then sprayed the base color over the works to soften the effect. I started this over spray with the tape still in place, then removed the tape and gave it another over spray of the base color.







The following is the final appearance after the tape was removed and the final base coat over spray. I'll be spraying a light coat of flat clear to protect it all before I remove the rest of the masking.







Once the clear is applied, tomorrow, I'll tackle doing the lower rudder and underside of the aft dive planes, both red.

I hope this looks right, as I do not want to have to do anything over!

[trout]

Way to go Ken!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Great job, Ken.

[Ken_NJ]

What I am working on now.

I do not have nifty dividers like David has. So I traced the dive planes onto paper and looked at his pictures and drew lines where mask tape would be. I measured at certain points and divided by the right number to get the distance between the lines. In certain instances I could not get and even number so I tilted the ruler on the outside lines of the dive planes to get a evenly divisible number. That make sense?



Here is how that worked out.



Also painted the non skid area on the fairwater planes.



And I have the lower sonar dome ready for the lighter top coat.

[Ken_NJ]

Was not sure what to do there, that is why I asked. So I will only do the underside.

If anyone wants to know my technique for spraying the sonar dome, here is what I did. I tried using drafting tools to try to get tape cut to mask around the dome. To tedious and troublesome. I applied tape to a section and with my finger pressed the tape where the indent is. That allowed me to see where I could run a pencil in the indent. I removed the tape and cut on the line then placed the tape back in place. Exact match.







I then cut screen down close to a good shape and used small pieces of duct tape to hold it in place. The screen would bubble here and there. I would remove the duct tape pieces and move the screen around until eventually the screen was flat to the surface of the hull. The spray away with the lighter top color.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

David, on the fairwater planes, looks like you apply the non-skid surface, then the oil can shading. The oil can shading is applied to the center of the masked off area's just like the dive planes and rudder. You have a finished picture of the fariwaters? I'm trying to figure out what the oil can shading looks like on the non-skid surface.

Best I've got. But no oil-canning on these surfaces. (Must have been an 'off' day).

[Ken_NJ]

David, on the fairwater planes, looks like you apply the non-skid surface, then the oil can shading. The oil can shading is applied to the center of the masked off area's just like the dive planes and rudder. You have a finished picture of the fariwaters? I'm trying to figure out what the oil can shading looks like on the non-skid surface.

And I'm guessing the non-skid and oil can shading are both given a final overspray of the base color?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Came out great. Was able to work the screen flat against the hull. Now I think I should give it a light over spray of the light gray to tone the defined lines down a bit? Yes or no?

NICE! Well done, Ken. Oh, yeah!... tone that sucker down till you can barely see the grid-pattern.

You are a quick study, pal.



David

[Ken_NJ]

Came out great. Was able to work the screen flat against the hull. Now I think I should give it a light over spray of the light gray to tone the defined lines down a bit? Yes or no?

[Ken_NJ]

Practicing for the sonar dome, on paper. This is an easy one. When I do it on the model just have to be sure the screen is flat on the hull.

[Ken_NJ]

Between Steve's Thresher and David's weathering thread, Carol helped me, and we are seeing either tan or green colors for BWL hull fouling. What would be an appropriate color to use?

Also, the surface scum line has been looking like a smudged oil crayon, white or green, this about right?

AND, due to sunlight reaching below the scum line to short distance below the WL, a bright algae green section right?

Have toothpaste, brushes and sponges at the ready. Just have to get these details about colors.

Ken
The I want to do this right guy

[Ken_NJ]

I was looking at Steve's thread about his Thresher. Lots of good info there.

https://forum.rc-sub.com/forum/builder-threads/151983-3d-printed-1-48-thresher/page8#post155199

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Thumbs up to Adam's video's.

I now want to get into practicing the below waterline weathering. Remember I'm awful at colors. That is why I like rattle cans, the color exists as is with no mixing. This is what I'm thinking looking at David's tutorial. The first coat from the WL down is a medium green? The second coat from the WL down, but not as far down as the first coat. This would give me layers. And the second coat would be a brighter green than the first coat. Then the scum line at the WL is white with maybe a tint of green? Looking at the color wheel. I need to mix green and blue to get green. But how do I get a brighter green? Am I looking at this all wrong or not? I can build a boat, work with electronics and use rattle cans but this is where I am really really weak. Help, help help.

Yellow brightens Green.

Between each layer lay down dabs of tooth-paste mask. After the last layer scrub the work with a wet cloth to remove the masking -- wonders will be revealed!




David

[Ken_NJ]

Thumbs up to Adam's video's.

I now want to get into practicing the below waterline weathering. Remember I'm awful at colors. That is why I like rattle cans, the color exists as is with no mixing. This is what I'm thinking looking at David's tutorial. The first coat from the WL down is a medium green? The second coat from the WL down, but not as far down as the first coat. This would give me layers. And the second coat would be a brighter green than the first coat. Then the scum line at the WL is white with maybe a tint of green? Looking at the color wheel. I need to mix green and blue to get green. But how do I get a brighter green? Am I looking at this all wrong or not? I can build a boat, work with electronics and use rattle cans but this is where I am really really weak. Help, help help.