Modelling Uses For Tulle/fabric

[Mossie]

I've thought of a lot of modelling uses for tulle & fabric over the years, although I've never actually used one!  The reason is I used to work for a company that made medical dressings & we used to be up to our armpits in textiles.  I'd see all sorts of weave patterns & sizes that might come in handy.  Some ideas:

Figure painting, produce a fabric effect by dabbing the areas with a piece of scrunched up tulle onto the paint while it's partially dry.
Armour, reproduce grilles by starching fabric or spraying with hair lacquer (don't know how the latter would take paint, should be okay though), or maybe varnish or cellulose dope depending on the fabric.  You could do the same with grip patterned floors, steps, etc.
Digital camo, cut out & mask the shape you want (you could use liquid masks for this), stick the tulle to the model with a light coating of prit-stick or similar & paint away. Repeat for extra colours.
Dioramas, for fencing, chickenwire & such.  You can also add it to plaster, latex etc for extra strength or texture when moddelling scenery.
Snakeskin pattern, paint base coat, then drape tulle or fine fishnet stocking over model.  Paint over (spraying would be best) with the colour you want for your scales, maybe building up coats to get a graded effect.

I've probably thought of others over the year but forgotten them since!  There's all sorts of patterns & sizes out there that could be useful, have a look in craft & textile shops, see what you can find.  I'll pop this in the hints & tips section.

I can't vouch 100% for them as they are just ideas I've had (or borrowed them from others) over the years.  Pop your own ideas in if you have any.

[Brian da Basher]

One thing I've used fabric to replicate is...fabric! Often on two-place biplanes, one of the cockpits is covered over (usually on mail planes). Sometimes they used wood but often it was just a tarp or a piece of canvas. I know cotton will take enamel paint and it would probably take very watered down acrylic too.

Brian da Basher