OPS - UPM Fishbed S

[comrade harps]

Just thought that I'd tease a little with something that's in progress. The colours will be displayed in, well, colour when it's finished.

As there are some paints that are quite similar in shade and reflectivity, I took these b/w photos as a reference, to look at the scheme without the subtleties of colour register, to view it as just tones. Viewed this way, some of the different paints are unnoticable, and live with the eye there are barely discernable unless seen next to each other during a close inspection. If you look closely just behind the rear air intake on the last photo, you'll just see what I'm talking about. It's art student's conceit of a design (which is part of the back story).

In the meantime, please enjoy, marvel and try to guess just what colours are being used. Here's a hint, there's 6 paints in the sheme (excluding what's in the cockpit and the as yet painted undersurfaces) and only one of them is grey.

The kit, by the way, is a 1:72nd Condor MiG-21-93.

[Shasper]

Yes, I think I get your meaning, althou I'm by no means an art student. . . Totally wicket pattern, cant wait to see the color pics!

Shas

[John Howling Mouse]

Aw....here I was thinking that has to be the coolest camo ever because I thought it WAS in shades of gray!  Took dummy here a full minute to realize he was looking at purposely B&W images!

We used to do similar exercises in art class so I know where you're coming from.  I could guess at the colors: I used to be pretty good at that, but in creating the gradient grays to represent colors, not figuring out the colors in someone else's version!

That's some very nice painting going on.  Is it handbrushed? (very nice brush control for 1:72 scale!)

[lancer]

JEZUS!!!! That has gotta be one of the most amazing looking cammo schemes I've ever seen here!. I know the pics are black and white, and the scheme looks superb in the tone grey BTW, so I am looking forward to the full colour pics as well. But HOW did you mask and paint it. Enquiring minds demand to know.

[Sisko]

As I said when you posted your meteor some time back, your brush skills a damn good!!!!!!

Can't wait to see the colour pics

[Rafael]

As I said when you posted your meteor some time back, your brush skills a damn good!!!!!!

Can't wait to see the colour pics

Yep. What he said!!!

Rafa

[McGreig]

the scheme looks superb in the tone grey BTW. But HOW did you mask and paint it. Enquiring minds demand to know.

What he said - in fact I'm sort of disappointed that it's not going to be finished in the three tone grey that I thought it was on first viewing  And how did you mask and paint it?

[Ed S]

I think that is one of the best gray-gray schemes I've seen.  I'm almost a little disappointed that it's really just a b&w photo.  But I'm looking forward to seeing it in color.

Ed

[comrade harps]

No masking, no airbrush. It's all done free hand. It takes a while.

As for it being better if it was all grey, I kind of got the same feeling when I saw the b/w pictures. Maybe I'll have to do a multi-tone grey camo to satisfy that thought. Maybe on a night flier?

Anyway, I've changed my mind a bit since on the two colours almost the same thing. It's a desert scheme, and I was using Humbrol beige and Tamiya buff, but it's been bugging me, so I'll skip the beige and go for some Model Master pale green instead. I think that will tend to lighten the tone too.

Thanks for the positive response. I'll keep working on this one and post it (and an opponent A-37C, in a themed pair) in colour when it's finished.

[Eddie M.]

Freehand? There's hope for me yet. Looks outstanding.
    Eddie

[Brian da Basher]

Thank you for the inspiration, Comrade Harps! I was having trouble sorting out a camo scheme on a current project and you helped me figure it out. Much obliged!

Brian da Basher

[ysi_maniac]

While looks outstanding, I am waiting for colour pics too

[lancer]

FREEHAND?? Thats IT!!! I'm giving up!! Now where are my bloody knitting needles??

[comrade harps]

Colour update. I tried the pale green on a small bit, but I reeled back in horror, it was so garish. It was too much. Decided to stick to the arid, desert earth tones. I've been thinking that the plane has been camo'd for the Sinai or there abouts.

So I've gone for more buff over the beige instead, with a bit more sand too.

I might even add some more shadowy detail. It depends on if I've got the right dark brown.

[noxioux]

Freehand.  Cripes!