Pre-shading w/o an airbrush

[ludicrusmaximus]

Hi Guys,

Having checked out all the works in progress here, and all your skills I have found myself having to relearn my developing skills. So I'm a bit confused

I want to try out a couple of cheap kits to learn some proper skills and I'm going to start with pre-shading. Problem is that this seems like a job for an airbrush and I dont have one. Is it possible to do this with a brush, and if so how?

I'm going to get some paint thinner, but what type of paint should I use for this?

Any advice is much appreciated

[chief5437]

Can't help you with this one, I've always used an airbrush to pre shade. I suppose you could do it with a brush? There are a few guys here that are still in the dark ages and use brushes, I'm sure they'll help you out! Lol!!

[ludicrusmaximus]

I think it should be possible with paint thinner. The only thing that concerns me is glubbed up paint left by the brush that could show up underneath the final sprayed coat. Anyway, I'll stand by until the brush dinosaurs come along

[chief5437]

Depends what paint you're using, but I hope you don't have globby paint at any point in the painting process! Lol.

Don't thin your paint too much, you want the pre-shade to show through the next coats of paint. It's those coats you need to layer on. So you can 'feather down' the appearance of the pre-shade. I hope that makes sense!

[ludicrusmaximus]

Yes, I think that makes sense

[Nige201980]

I have seen it done with a marker but how good it turns out i dont know but it might be worth a try.

[chief5437]

I have seen it done with a marker but how good it turns out i dont know but it might be worth a try.

Good idea!

[ludicrusmaximus]

A marker could have worked. Doing it with a brush didnt - I tryed it out and painted it on the underside of the wing; it all disappeared. I ended up pre-shading the rest with a 2B pencil, but havent sprayed the fuselage yet to see the results. I'll let you know.

I'll try a marker next time.

[T3hGuppy]

Maybe post shading would work better for you as you are brush painting?

[ludicrusmaximus]

Maybe post shading would work better for you as you are brush painting?

I only brush paint the small parts. I spray the fuselage with rattle cans. Plus i fear my hand wouldnt be steady enough to post shade with a brush

[SuperDryBeef]

paint can?

[ludicrusmaximus]

paint can?

You mean pre-shade with a paint can? Hmm, I never thought of that, I suppose because they spit out too much and too fast. But this could work

[SuperDryBeef]

no, the opposite, use a brush to paint the black then cover it with spray paint.

[ludicrusmaximus]

no, the opposite, use a brush to paint the black then cover it with spray paint.

Unfortunately that is what I tried. I use the rattle cans to paint the fuselage, but it seems that a brush isnt enough to really coat the bottom of the panel lines so when I spray the final coat on the pre-shading just disappears. It seems that only an airbrush will really coat the panel lines nice and deep and cleanly.

[SuperDryBeef]

do you do a thick coat or many light ones?

[ludicrusmaximus]

do you do a thick coat or many light ones?

Well, I only did one coat and I probably used too much thinner. Despite this, it seemed that more paint was going around the panel lines than in them, so I was too afraid to do any more. I tried this out on the underside of a wing on a section that I already primed. And not only did the lines not pop but the paint I got around the panel lines seemed to show slightly through the plane's silver top coat. I refused to do anymore, lol.

I really dont know what Im doing as this was my first attempt at pre-shading. In the end I ran a 2B pencil through the panel lines. But, aside from the pre-shading misfire, the model is shaping up as the neatest I have ever done, so it isnt all bad.

[HobbyModeller]

I am one of those medieval folk who still use a brush I have attempted pre shading and its very hard and I've never got it to work as the paint simply covers all the pre shading up. I have found that post shading can work by running a wash down panel lines but its tough slow work so depends how much you want it because if you really want the panel lines shaded then you'll be ok.

That's my crumb of knowledge

[ludicrusmaximus]

I am one of those medieval folk who still use a brush I have attempted pre shading and its very hard and I've never got it to work as the paint simply covers all the pre shading up. I have found that post shading can work by running a wash down panel lines but its tough slow work so depends how much you want it because if you really want the panel lines shaded then you'll be ok.

That's my crumb of knowledge

Hi five fellow paint brusher!

Well that all sounds like too much bother unfortunately. I am patient only to a fault......
I'll have to invest in an airbrush I guess (though I'll probably still paint the little parts with a brush - I enjoy it). In the meantime I will try to learn some weathering methods to liven up my builds.

Thanks for the advice

[Paul]

I am one of those medieval folk who still use a brush I have attempted pre shading and its very hard and I've never got it to work as the paint simply covers all the pre shading up. I have found that post shading can work by running a wash down panel lines but its tough slow work so depends how much you want it because if you really want the panel lines shaded then you'll be ok.

That's my crumb of knowledge

Hi five fellow paint brusher!

Well that all sounds like too much bother unfortunately. I am patient only to a fault......
I'll have to invest in an airbrush I guess (though I'll probably still paint the little parts with a brush - I enjoy it). In the meantime I will try to learn some weathering methods to liven up my builds.

Thanks for the advice

You will never look back once you have an airbrush

[ludicrusmaximus]

I think you may be right!

[SuperDryBeef]

He is

[merv5]

Just painting a 1/72 Tornado and used a marker pen to pre shade, just put the first grey camo colour on and you can just make out the pre shading. I'll know tomorrow when I add the green camo colour if it is still visable.

[schweinhund227]

Post shading using... pigments and a makeup sponge could yield better results ?
at least you can remove what you don't like... and start over till you nailed it !

don't forget to match as close as you can the pigment hue and have a good Clear coat on first...

Good luck !