Airbrushing, new to me, looking for help advice

[Ken_NJ]

Here is the port side of the sail. I will be finishing the sail once the hull is done.




Now on to the below the waterline.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Now, to make it pop: streak a bit of dark-dark gray over the subdued white streaking, then mist more dark-dark gray over all that.

[Ken_NJ]

Misting more darkness over the white streaking would subdue it more? I guess the key word is mist, an even lighter mist than spraying the base coat over the works?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Misting more darkness over the white streaking would subdue it more? I guess the key word is mist, an even lighter mist than spraying the base coat over the works?

Mist yes, but up close and directed at the too-strong white streaking -- vertical passes only. Like you are a porn touch-up guy gently making pubic-hair go away on prints suitable for a 60's 'men's' magazine lay-out.

[Ken_NJ]

Is this visible in pictures? If so you have any? I didn't see this mentioned in your weathering thread, and other posts, which is the basis for what I have been doing.

If I have this right..... this is very thin streaks of a mist of dark-dark gray over some of the more pronounced white streaks. Then over that, a misty over spray of the same dark dark gray but in a wider fuzzier pattern. Is that it? More practice on the test article.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Is this visible in pictures? If so you have any? I didn't see this mentioned in your weathering thread, and other posts, which is the basis for what I have been doing.

If I have this right..... this is very thin streaks of a mist of dark-dark gray over some of the more pronounced white streaks. Then over that, a misty over spray of the same dark dark gray but in a wider fuzzier pattern. Is that it? More practice on the test article.

Nope, no shots of the dark-dark 'correcting' streaking and over-spray. You got the process right. Not hard to do and will further enhance the appearance of 'reality'.

[Ken_NJ]

Will try that misting next week.

NOT HAPPY how the BWL came out. Does not appear like the test article I was working on. Seems when the toothpaste was removed, it removed the previous coat or coats of weathering leaving big splotches. The base coat was sanded and wiped clean. Either the previous coats were not fully dry or maybe the acidity of the toothpaste was the cause. And the tan came out not to my liking. Don't know at this point. Like I said, not happy how it came out. Followed exactly how I did it on the test article.

[SubDude]

Try more layers. That was the advise I got when I reached the same place you are at and it worked.

[wlambing]

Ya know, Ken, the real ones don't all have the same crap attaching to their hulls! IMHO, if you were to stop beating yourself up and do the light tans (dead stuff) and the greens (live critters) for the scum line, with a light fading zone of green from waterline to main axis, you would have a stunner!!! Oh, and don't forget goose poop on the turtle back and gull crap on the rudder and sail surfaces!!! Overall, what you have is great!!! Remember, Perfect is the enemy of Good Enough!!!!!!!!!!! Been there and have lived with all manner of weathered 1:1 scale submarine hulls.

Take care,

Bill

[Ken_NJ]

Thank you Steve and Bill. Based on comparing my test article to the model I could use more layers and lighter layers. I am just not happy about the large splotches but I understand patterns on growth can be random and different on each boat. I have an idea I am going to try on my test article first and see how that works out. Bill, I might not do the faded zone you mentioned, I would like to, but I will be adding everything else you mention. The goal is to not have the boat look pristine, something I have not done in the past.

[wlambing]

Ken,

Got your point! I mentioned the green fade as that is how the creatures grow in relation to the available sunlight. Nothin' pretty about it on the big ones!! Smelly, too, when in drydock!!!

[Ken_NJ]

I tried something David does to props. I put toothpaste on a brush and flicked it on the test article then the model. Before I did that I sprayed the hull with a darker shade. Then with the toothpaste on a sprayed a lighter shade. Worked ok on the test article, not so good results on the model. The 'tan' color I was using always seemed to result in gray on the model. So I added some green to the the 'tan'. Pictures below are the result. Carol says this color looks more realistic to what I'm looking for. BUT, I think it might need an over spray of black? DAVID, need your option please.

How it appears now, the large splotches are not as pronounced as they are. Good IMO. But now the base coat of black and red are not that noticeable and longer. I was hoping for a lighter BWL coating. There are plenty of pics of boats in dry dock that are covered in scum so I guess this is not that bad. I'm being to critical of the result. Well how it is is a boat that has been at sea for a long time.

David, please advise.

[Ken_NJ]

I tried something David does to props. I put toothpaste on a brush and flicked it on the test article then the model. Before I did that I sprayed the hull with a darker shade. Then with the toothpaste on a sprayed a lighter shade. Worked ok on the test article, not so good results on the model. The 'tan' color I was using always seemed to result in gray on the model. So I added some green to the the 'tan'. Pictures below are the result. Carol says this color looks more realistic to what I'm looking for. BUT, I think it might need an over spray of black? DAVID, need your option please.

How it appears now, the large splotches are not as pronounced as they are. Good IMO. But now the base coat of black and red are not that noticeable and longer. I was hoping for a lighter BWL coating. There are plenty of pics of boats in dry dock that are covered in scum so I guess this is not that bad. I'm being to critical of the result. Well how it is is a boat that has been at sea for a long time.

David, please advise.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I tried something David does to props. I put toothpaste on a brush and flicked it on the test article then the model. Before I did that I sprayed the hull with a darker shade. Then with the toothpaste on a sprayed a lighter shade. Worked ok on the test article, not so good results on the model. The 'tan' color I was using always seemed to result in gray on the model. So I added some green to the the 'tan'. Pictures below are the result. Carol says this color looks more realistic to what I'm looking for. BUT, I think it might need an over spray of black? DAVID, need your option please.

How it appears now, the large splotches are not as pronounced as they are. Good IMO. But now the base coat of black and red are not that noticeable and longer. I was hoping for a lighter BWL coating. There are plenty of pics of boats in dry dock that are covered in scum so I guess this is not that bad. I'm being to critical of the result. Well how it is is a boat that has been at sea for a long time.

David, please advise.

My advice. Sure.
STOP
You anal-retentive, never-happy-with-what-you-did, perfectionist, insufferable rivet-counting, pain-in-the-ass! Just STOP! It's good enough... I said so!

Yank the masking, apply the markings, lay down the bird-****, and give that thing a thick coat of well flattened clear and move on to the next model.

You're fixating on this thing; you're no longer objective, you've lost perspective; you can't see the tree for the forest.

You got to get this awful looking model submarine of yours trimmed and checked out for Groton. Time's a wast'n!

Don't make me come over there!!!!!.....

David

[Ken_NJ]

Alrighty then. I guess I'm done with that portion. On to the scum line then the tape can come off. I was almost ready for 2021 Subfest, now I have to get going and be ready for Groton. Wouldn't mind you coming here and kicking my butt. It would help.

Once I'm really really done, if I don't like it I can always sand it all away and start over.