Eduard 1/48 Mirage IIIC, Djibouti - Work in progress

Post by **Nikola** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 11:33 pm

Hi gents,

For those interested, I thought it would be nice that I try something completely new and tackle a jet for the first time.
My subject of choice is Eduard's Weekend Edition 1/48 Mirage IIIC, Djibouti camo (sand and dark earth), as I am a sucker for anything connected to the desert.

Again, I will be building it OOB and experimenting with my Complementary Pre-Shading method, meaning that I will be using mainly purple hues for this job.

Any tips on assembling and painting a jet fighter, preferably a Mirage, would be much much appreciated!

Thanks for taking an interest!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Hawkmoon** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:36 am

Looks a nice kit have fun with her and will be following

Post by **SMAddict66** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:34 pm

Good luck with build.

Post by **Nikola** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:49 pm

Hawkmoon wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:36 am Looks a nice kit have fun with her and will be following

Thanks Hawkmoon! Should be fun.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:50 pm

SMAddict66 wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:34 pm Good luck with build.

Thanks Phil! Can't wait to start.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **aur0ra145** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 4:07 pm

This looks like a fun build!

Post by **Parker** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 12:57 am

Ahhhh, I've done this model!

It was one of the first I did when i started modeling last year, and also the first model i tried weathering on. (its currently in a cupboard looking a bit crap)

Looking forward to seeing the progress in this thread.

Post by **Parker** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:06 am

Further to the above.

As I was new to modelling, I purchased the kit because it said, ‘weekend edition’. In my naivety and noobness I thought that meant it was a very simple kit that could be completed on a weekend.

LOL

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:38 am

aur0ra145 wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 4:07 pm This looks like a fun build!

Should be, as this is my first jet.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:42 am

Parker wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 12:57 am
It was one of the first I did when i started modeling last year, and also the first model i tried weathering on. (its currently in a cupboard looking a bit crap)

Hi Parker,

No worries. Q-tips, alcohol and a lot of willpower and you get another chance! Been there, done that, haha.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:45 am

Hi gents,

Just a little update, nothing special.
Cockpit completed. Needs a few touch-ups but that's that.

Primed with Vallejo black primer, filtered with Vallejo Intermediate Blue and washed with a black wash. Slight wear drybrushed with aluminium.

The seat was painted with Tamiya Olive Drab and filtered with Tamiya yellow followed by a brown wash. Then the seatbelt decal was applied with some more brown wash.

As I said, nothing special.

I didn't plan on putting too much time into the cockpit and investing in interior details as the canopy will be closed anyway. This will be a simple weekend edition OOB, more of a practice and painting experimentation model.

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **aur0ra145** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:53 pm

Cracking job on that cockpit!

Post by **RangerNeil** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:54 pm

This looks to be very interesting - beer and popcorn pulled out ready!!

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:26 pm

aur0ra145 wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:53 pm Cracking job on that cockpit!

Thanks Aur0ra! Appreciated!
Still got to work on some deatils and touchups...

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:28 pm

RangerNeil wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:54 pm This looks to be very interesting - beer and popcorn pulled out ready!!

Hi Neil,

Thanks for taking an interest! I hope that I don't disappoint.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Hawkmoon** » Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:54 pm

Nice work on the cockpit and looking good

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:45 pm

Hi gents,

The cockpit is in.
Since I will have the canopy open due to some misalignment of the canopy and the fuselage top (could be my own doing) I thought to add some interest by painting the ejection pull handles as they should be.
The handle is wrong as it should be a "D" handle, but I just didn't have enough patience and will to change it this time. It is what it is.
I masked the darn thing which was very touchy, nevertheless interesting, so the scale of the spiral is probably off.
I could have just painted it without masking but hey, why do it easy when you can complicate things.

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **BigWall** » Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:33 am

Looking good!

Post by **Nikola** » Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:22 am

BigWall wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:33 am Looking good!

Thanks Bigwall,

I am doing many things for the first time on this one.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:23 am

I shouldn't have thinned down the yellow that much for brush painting since now I have it in a slightly thicker layer than I intended.

Lesson learned.

A couple of closer (bad) shots:

Post by **Nikola** » Thu Sep 17, 2020 3:21 pm

Still got to add red to the handle attachment point. Forgot that completely.

Post by **BigWall** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:38 am

I think it's looking great and by the time the canopy is on it will never be noticeable.

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:27 am

Hi gents,

OK, definitely not a kit for someone with little free time like moi.

The fit is not tragic, but also not very good. Needs filling, sanding, rescribing and all that jazz which I would rather not be doing that much right now. I should probably have chosen a nice Tamiya kit...

...and should probably stick with Tamiya kits until the kids are a bit older and I have more time to waste on fixing fit issues.

Anyway, pushing through... Almost ready for the primer.

It is a practice build anyway.

Thanks for looking guys!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Fri Oct 16, 2020 11:45 pm

Hi gents,

A little progress:

- Vallejo German Dark Yellow primer applied.
- White highlights applied to simulate directional light later on.
- Sticking with my Complementary Pre-shading method and experimenting further, I pre-shaded with purple as it is in the complementary color range to the base color (Vallejo Middlestone) and also to the dark yellow primer.

Apologies for awful photos. My phone camera is not very talented.

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **BigWall** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 12:12 am

Nice start! It'll be interesting to see the complimentary pre-shading come together again.

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:31 pm

BigWall wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 12:12 am Nice start! It'll be interesting to see the complimentary pre-shading come together again.

Thanks BigWall!

We'll see what it becomes.
Experimenting on...

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:36 am

Hi gents,

A few steps down the line in experimenting with my Complementary Pre-Shading method:

First couple of very thin passes of Vallejo Middlestone over the purple and white pre-shading scheme.

The paint withdrew from the panel lines in some spots (maybe it has something to do with it being very thin) but no worries, since more layers are coming along with panel line washes.

The color varies in the photos due to my bad phone camera and different lighting conditions. I tried to get it as best as I could.

I like it so far. We'll see.
You be the judges. Comments are very welcome.

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Oct 28, 2020 7:55 am

Up to this point, the hardest thing for me is controlling the base coat coverage. The effect seems to work in certain areas, while disappearing from other.

One thing I like about it is that it creates grays and darker tones which are richer in color that would be with just black, like in painting, as shading with black and tinting with white dulls the vibrance of the colours.

I might use complementary postshading to try and enhance the effect, or even try complementary basing to see what it creates.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:29 pm

Hi gents,

Base coat finished - a few more thin coats of Vallejo Middlestone applied, followed by lightened version of the same, with a yellow filter applied over the whole model in the end.

I like the color modulation, but in some areas I have lost the pre-shading effect which I will have to regain with post-shading later on.

Next - masking of the camo pattern and painting the second colour.

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **ForeverPlasticKits** » Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:33 pm

A good kit with some adjustment problems but what a pleasure to see this famous french fighter in "vanilla-chocolate" camouflage!

Post by **Nikola** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:08 pm

ForeverPlasticKits wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:33 pm A good kit with some adjustment problems but what a pleasure to see this famous french fighter in "vanilla-chocolate" camouflage!

Thanks FPK!

I hope that I won't disappoint.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:08 pm

Hi gents,

A little progress, nothing special, but for anyone interested...

Best,
Nikola

Post by **BigWall** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:42 pm

It's coming along nicely! I like the camouflage.

Post by **ForeverPlasticKits** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:52 pm

Very good kit (even if it has some defects) and nice camouflage!

Post by **Nikola** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 4:47 pm

BigWall wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:42 pm It's coming along nicely! I like the camouflage.

Thanks BW!

Post by **Nikola** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 4:48 pm

ForeverPlasticKits wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:52 pm Very good kit (even if it has some defects) and nice camouflage!

Thanks FPK! Glad you like the progress.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:09 am

Hi gents,

A little update:

- First pass of post shading done. I used a 50/50 mix of Tamiya Flat Black and Purple. This time I did Complementary Post Shading for the first time.

- Also for the first time I did some light sanding and buffing of the camo colors (screwed up in couple of places of course and had to fix that, relatively ok).

Next few steps:

- Main decals
- Tinting and shading using salt technique
- Overall filter to tie it all together

Thanks for looking guys.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **ForeverPlasticKits** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:32 pm

Post by **Nikola** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:32 pm

Salted and ready for the oven

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 8:19 am

After salt filtering...

Next is the yellow filter to tie it all together a bit better followed by a clear coat.
After that come the washes, some more post tinting and shading, and all that jazz.

The decals are very thin and a bit fiddly to work with, so of course I messed up one of the musketeer tail fin decals after masking (was stupid enough not to clear coat after decals even though I know that I should, just lazy) and am now waiting for another sheet to arrive.

Decals look great after a clear flat coat is put on as the carrier film cannot be seen at all.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Parker** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 9:54 am

Wait. What?
You put it in the oven?

Why?

Post by **Nikola** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 11:02 am

Parker wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 9:54 am Wait. What?
You put it in the oven?

Why?

To get the sun baked effect

Just kidding. I just said that for fun. I airbrushed a white filter over it.

Best,
Nikola

Post by **BigWall** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 11:27 pm

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering why it would go into the over.

It's looking great!

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:57 am

Great looking cammo and weathering

Post by **Nikola** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:00 pm

Kevthemodeller wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:57 am Great looking cammo and weathering

Thanks Kev, glad you like it so far!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Nikola** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:05 am

Hi gents,

It's a slow progress so gotta post something

Added black, brown and gray washes followed by a flat coat. I initially washed it with black only but to me it was too vivid, strong and too uniform colour wise so I tamed it with grays and brown. It still is a bit strong in some areas.

Next: Scuff marks, some minimal chips, maybe gunk wash in some areas, some streaks...

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Nikola

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:30 pm

Looking good

Post by **BigWall** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 6:41 pm

Nice progress!

Post by **ForeverPlasticKits** » Fri Dec 25, 2020 11:10 pm

Nice result on the painting!

Post by **Nikola** » Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:53 pm

Kevthemodeller wrote: Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:30 pm Looking good

Thanks Kev!

Best,
Nikola