easiest way for masking camouflage?

darth_daniel · Post by **darth_daniel** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:12 pm

Hi, I want to paint a SW model in the same colors as the typical Su-27 camouflage scheme, light grey, light blue and medium blue. I don´t want to just paint it on freehand with the airbrush because the color patches seem to have defined edges, not being continuous transitions from one color to another. The dispersion of my airbrush is too big to get well defined edges, so masking is in order (or a new airbrush...).

So, what is the "usual" way military modelers mask camouflage schemes? Masking tape seems unpractical for all the curves, maybe masking fluid? And which one? I have "Mr. Masking Sol Neo" but don´t think it would work very well.

Any advice greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:29 pm

I find that hard masked edges just don't look right in scale. A happy medium is to use "poster hanging tacky stuff" (various name brands). Gary does a great job of showing this in s couple of his builds on Scalespot:

http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/t2/ ... m#31102010

http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/f16 ... m#18042009

That's the way I would go anyway.

-Rog

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Fri May 06, 2011 8:01 pm

You can also us Silly Putty. I used that on my 1/48 Tamiya A-10.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... ss/583.jpg

G-man · Post by **G-man** » Fri May 06, 2011 8:43 pm

Nice looking Build on the A-10 Robiwon, I've been considering getting the revel version of that kit for some time, but was never sure if it was "worth it" seeing as Tamiya and Academy seem to have the market cornered on good aircraft kits.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri May 06, 2011 9:37 pm

I use tape all the time. Cut the curved lines in the tape, while it's on glass, and apply. Done a lot that way.

You can also try Parafilm-M which can be curved pretty radically as you apply it.

It's not tedious, this is tedious.

darth_daniel · Post by **darth_daniel** » Sat May 07, 2011 1:34 am

Kylwell wrote:It's not tedious, this is tedious.

Not more tedious than this.

(Masking on the underside still not finished...

)

Thanks for all your suggestions, that blue tac method seems interesting, I´ll have to look if I can find it somewhere or something similar.

Harry Joy · Post by **Harry Joy** » Sat May 07, 2011 2:36 am

For this sort of job, I do like everyone else and use generic BluTak, the poster putty. Most guys prefer the original, but I actually have gotten used to the generic white stuff I can pick up at Office Depot or Office Max. The generic yellow I avoid - it's like putting gum on a model. The white is much better.

I mask out the basic scheme with the putty, and mask the broad spaces with painter's yellow tape.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Sat May 07, 2011 6:17 am

Experiment and practise is the best advice!

Thanks G-Man. I love the A-10 too. This was actually a frankenstien kit. It is the Tamiya A-10 with the Revell cockpit. The Revell kit has molded open decelerons and a molded open canopy, no option. The Tamiya has these closed but it has a crappy cockpit. I spliced the Revell cockpit into the Tamiya fuselage. Canon and some ordinance are scratchbuilt.