painting a 109 with pastels instead of paint

[Allan]

this is a little 109 that I've sprayed with 76 enamel and masked here and there to cover up some colourful areas followed by attempting to use brushed on ground up pastels instead of paint in colours approaching 74 and 75 just to see if the technique works...here's the model with the wings in pastel 75 and after I've applied some Testor's Dulcote to roughen up the surface I'll brush on some ground up 74 pastel, followed by more Dulcote and then turn my attention to the fus using the same procedure...I like the faded result...

[Allan]

here's the 74 pastel on...I've sprayed it with Dulcote and will include snaps of that once it's dried

[Dizzyfugu]

Interesting! Looking forward to the finish, looks promising so far. 

[zenrat]

I'm always interested to see someone trying something different in finishes.  I dread to think of the mess i'd make with ground up pastels though...

One day I will recommence my experiments in colouring models with felt tip pens (over a base of white undercoat).
I also have some watercolour pencils I want to try.

[Allan]

before attending to the fus I've masked the leading edges with paper cut into a wavy line and will gently annoint the edges with 76

[matrixone]

Good to see others experiment with painting/finishing their models, I learned so much a few years ago doing experiments in painting and weathering and that was a big help making painting models much easier these days.

I have to wonder though if the amount of time spent placing the pastel's on the models surface would be worth the effort verses painting on the camouflage pattern?
Also the issue of water slide decals might be a problem using pastel's as a way to add camouflage colors on a model.

I will be watching your experiment with interest.


Matrixone

[Allan]

yes,the decals....well 'm hoping that the dulcote serves as some kind of barrier that will prevent the pastel washing away, but it'll all come out in the wash as we say here...and yes, the small size of the model makes this pastel technique doable...not so in the case of a larger scale or larger model...just thinking about using my airbush to spray the fus spine in rlm colors gives me the jitters, though pastel for the fus mottling would always be okay

[matrixone]

Allan,
To get around the problem of the wet decals loosening the pastels it might be worth a try putting on the decals first and later applying the pastels for the camouflage colors.
What I mean is base coating the 109 with RLM 76 paint first and then apply the decals followed by a thin flat clear coat and then add the pastels last, the flat coat would give the pastels something to stick to until they are clear coated.
Of course try the above technique on an old model or unused model part first.

Matrixone

[Allan]

dear Matrixone, oh sagacious one,
then you'd have to be pretty deft in applying the pastel so that it doesn't cover the decals, but it's a good suggestion....here're the photos of the model with the wavy masking...I've sprayed the 76 and have removed the masking...the result is pretty good...snaps later, but the technique is to gently waft on a coat of the 76 at low pressure and with greatly thinned panting...if you get too close the paint delineation becomes too sharp...what you're trying to achieve here is a fuzzy delineation...and don't attach the masks too tightly, but at the same time anchor them firmly so that the air from the airbrush doesn't send them flying...

[Tophe]

Surprising but and nice!

[Allan]

tape off now and will need some touch up  before dullcote anointing...I've gone for a somewhat "variety show" kind of paint job as the rudder will be red and the spinner black with hopefully a white spiral...I'm particularly happen with the yellow of the nose as I've captured the reddish-yellow shade that I've often admired on  others' work...the color is a Japanese yellow used on leading edges, but works fine on this plane

[matrixone]

Looks great!

For years I have been using Model Master ''Deep Yellow'' for Luftwaffe RLM 04 instead of the RLM 04 Model Master sells as part of their Luftwaffe line of paints.
Deep Yellow is one of the colors Model Master sells as the color used on the leading edges of Japanese planes which happens to match up rather well with RLM 04, IMHO the Model Master version of RLM 04 is too pale.



Matrixone

[Allan]

here're the final snaps and the result is only okay as some of the pastel got washed off after the decaling, which is a shame, but doesn't invalidate the technique at all...all that is required is a better fixative for the pastel...and the result isn't all that bad as the plane has now a sort of washed out effect that I rather like..the decal combo was fun as they are the ones I have always liked, regardless of accuracy...

[Allan]

I found some top-quality German colored pencils here in Canberra and bought two in shades of grey that are pretty close to the famous RLMs 74 and 75...what I propose to do is use them for mottling by sanding the sharp tips off so that the lead is  blunt, gently drawing a mottle-shaped blob on the fus side and then using an ear cleaner, we call them cotton buds, to sort of smudge the color into a convincing-looking mottle...think it'll work???

[Old Wombat]

Sounds like it should.