Chronic's Research and Aeronautics Project (C.R.A.P.)

[zenrat]

Hmmmmm, mustard.
That gives me an idea for hot dog camo - mustard yellow, ketchup red, frank brown and bun white.
No?

[TheChronicOne]

Specially if they last as long as mine is lasting, wouldn't mind paying that every 2 years... with that said, i still have to try out my Harder&Steinbeck Evolution to really see the difference from a cheap airbrush.

Yeah, get on after that!!!! Don't let that bad boy gather any more dust. 


$12 is a good price and glad you have experience with it. I wouldn't mind at all buying Chinese cheap-o stuff so long as I can get first hand reports about it, which I have. I definitely wan't dual action. I figured if I'm going to learn, I may as well start with the dual action so I don't have to RE-learn later.

Still going to try my cheap-o single actions. Hell, who knows, I may find that they are quite literally all I'd ever need.

[TheChronicOne]

Hmmmmm, mustard.
That gives me an idea for hot dog camo - mustard yellow, ketchup red, frank brown and bun white.
No?

Now that actually sounds like a good idea in my addled mind! Could be the start of a new series of food inspired liveries. Kind of thinking about a Macchi something painted in pizza livery . .. . . .   funky camo up top of common toppings colors and a nice golden brown crust bottom side color. 

[DogfighterZen]

I prefer dual action airbrushes cause a single action acts more like a spray can... it doesn't allow the same precision and doesn't allow one to control paint flow as easily that dual action brushes give you... at least to me they don't.
I like the fact that one can just point the brush, push the trigger down to let air out and then you pull the trigger back to mix the paint with the air. I like the control that the trigger gives you, pull back just a millimeter and it's just a light mist, pull it further back and you can give it as much paint as you wish.
If you have those single action brushes, i guess you can get a feel for the thing but a dual action airbrush is another level...
I fell in love with airbrushing and i believe that if one has a good first experience with it, they'll enjoy it and enjoy the results even more.
Obviously, if one has the hairy stick technique and thinning ratios well tested, the results will be as good as an airbrushed model but it is much easier to make a good looking model with airbrush painting.
Obviously, this is my opinion based on the experience i've had so far using the things... speaking of airbrushing, i'll get the Evolution out of the box and use it to paint the inside of the F-35's canopy. 

[TheChronicOne]

THERE WE GO!! I was about to thrash you for neglecting that baby. 


Alright, I'm convinced.. I'm getting myself a dual action air brush. I'm getting way too eager to try it out now and I definitely want the freedom you described that comes with the dual action... action.

My plans this year are to make this F-14A as sort of a Christmas gift unto myself. I want to make it super nice because it's one of my favortie subjects... you know... Jolly Rogers and all that.



I've even bought things like PE upgrades and lil extras and stuff...

It's either this or buy myself a 1/72 C-5 Galaxy and I can tell right now that that won't be a good idea if I want to buy anything for anyone ELSE.. so.... yeah. This is the first year in a long, long time that I'm actually making money over the "off season" so I plan to shell out a hefty sum buying gifts. It's mighty tempting to get the galaxy but then I'd be a huge TOOL sittin around with a pile of plastic while no one else gets any gifts. 

[zenrat]

Hmmmmm, mustard.
That gives me an idea for hot dog camo - mustard yellow, ketchup red, frank brown and bun white.
No?

Now that actually sounds like a good idea in my addled mind! Could be the start of a new series of food inspired liveries. Kind of thinking about a Macchi something painted in pizza livery . .. . . .   funky camo up top of common toppings colors and a nice golden brown crust bottom side color. 

You can use that damn yellow to do the pineapple...

I have a single action airbrush because 1) I thought (and was also told) it would be easier to learn to use, b) I thought they are simpler and so less bits to get blocked/go wrong/get lost during cleaning and iii) I was going to paint model cars all in one colour (or at least in largish blocks of colour) rather than get artistic and so having to stop painting to change settings by turning knobs etc wasn't an issue.
I think I made the right decision as so far I haven't regretted not having a dual action one.  I've regretted ever trying to use one on many occasions after messing up a paintjob in one of many many ways but I would have messed them up whether using single or dual action.

[DogfighterZen]

I think that the biggest problems that can occur with any airbrush are related to inappropriate paint/thinner ratios, but that is the same with hand brushes, if the paint isn't properly thinned. A few minutes disassembling/cleaning/reassembling after every session and it's as good as new.
But again, this is my experience, only using Tamiya acrylic colors with their X-20A thinner and ethyl alcohol for cleaning, which is also a good thinner for these paints, i just use it for cleaning purposes cause it's much cheaper than any airbrush cleaning product and works well enough without destroying seals and o-rings... and i can buy it in the grocery store a block away from my house, 250ml for less than 1€.
I'm very happy i made the transition to airbrushes, and even more that i started with a fair quality tool, i think i avoided quite a few headaches by skipping the single action brushes. Dual action brushes like the one i linked in the earlier post are reliable enough for a beginner and as cheap as cheap single action brushes so... To each, his/her own...

[TheChronicOne]

Mixed up a darkish tan color.

FAR from being done but I think this is MUCH improved! Definitely not going to throw in the towel on this scheme yet.



I'm trying things as I go, some of this stuff won't make the cut, and some of the rest will be altered or deleted.

[DogfighterZen]

Mixed up a darkish tan color.

FAR from being done but I think this is MUCH improved! Definitely not going to throw in the towel on this scheme yet.



I'm trying things as I go, some of this stuff won't make the cut, and some of the rest will be altered or deleted.

There ya go!  Looks better with that tone... and looking at it now, it makes me think of it like it was a commemorative scheme or something  similar. I'm curious about how it's gonna look when it's all finished.

[TheChronicOne]

Less Ebola-Couch, more Camo-Acid-Trip! 


Going through for second coats, then I'll put in borders, then I'll clean up the negative space.

There for a minute I started gettin nutty again and put a dab of red up on here.....       Had to pump brakes on that one.   

[TheChronicOne]

Glad I didn't give up on this scheme! It STILL has a way to go as far as refinement but I like it! That Cosmic Yellow color is long gone and it made a world of difference.


SOME of this is pretty much done... like.. parts of the port wing there... but I still need to finish the black parts and then run back through the other colors again smoothing things out and touching up things I missed or got too jagged, etc.

[TheChronicOne]

Current state. I'm suffering from burnout, though, so it's time to put it away and let it sit until the next go 'round.

[Old Wombat]

That's looking much better, Brad!

[TheChronicOne]

Thank you!!

It's good to get confirmation. I'm pretty sure this won't be a scheme that is popular with everyone but it's miles better than it was and I'm definitely happy with it, now.

But, seeing as how the paint job is coming along, my mind turns to transfers..  I have what I will use as roundels and fin flash but not so sure about other things like lettering. With this goofy paint job, I'm going to either have to get creative with placement, or find things what will work on whatever color they happen to land on. This livery is FAR from symettrical so I have my work cut out for me.

[DogfighterZen]

Much better indeed! You mentioned red on your previous post... how'bout just some red or even yellow numbers, Soviet type, on the sides of the fuselage right below the cockpit?