Transcription of Building Blocks - FineScale Modeler
1 BrushPainting 3/21/02 12:58 PM Page 58. Building Blocks 1 2. Place a soda straw in the paint, then cap Among the author's most-used brushes are (top to bottom) a Model Master No. 0 syn- the end with a finger. Move the straw to thetic, Floquil No. 3 round pure sable, Floquil 1 4" flat camel hair, Floquil 1 4" flat Silver the paint dish and remove your finger. Fox synthetic, and Model Master 1 2" flat black sable. The paint will flow into the dish. 3 4 5. Basics of brush painting Brush the paint with as few strokes as pos- sible. Begin new brush strokes in a bare area and gently brush back to the wet This finished motorcycle cowling shows it's possible to obtain very smooth results with a brush. When painting a rough surface, use a general-purpose brush like this 1 2" flat camel-hair.
2 Area you've just painted. Quality paint jobs with brushes the brush over the lip of the jar often times will prevent overlap marks. Delight in the details. My favorite are easier than you think! Story and photos by Jeff Wilson leaves paint in the jar threads. This results in bits of dried paint falling back into the You'll usually need to apply two coats, which is what I did on this motorcycle brush for painting tight areas and small details is the Model Master No. 0 syn- bottle, and they will find their way onto cowling, 4. Some colors cover better than thetic. It has a fine point finer than O. ne goal in modeling is to give each parts in these photos, but the techniques Preparations. Make sure the surface the surface you are painting.
3 Others, especially black, dark grays, dark many 00 and 000 brushes and it holds creation a good finish. Airbrushing is are the same for other materials. is clean and free of skin oils from han- Time to paint. Most paints are blues, and greens. Lighter colors may more paint than smaller brushes. often preferred by experienced mod- Select the right tools. For painting dling. Even a little oil repels acrylic paint, already the right consistency for brush need an additional coat. If you're painting When painting details, start with elers, but if you don't have airbrushing broad surfaces, use as wide a brush as pos- ruining the finish. painting. Thin the paint only if necessary white or yellow on anything other than lighter colors and progress to darker ones, equipment, brush painting can still yield sible.
4 I use round brushes up to No. 5 and Begin by wetting the brush in water to get it to flow smoothly on the part. white plastic, start by applying a primer but wait 48 hours before painting one great results. Brush skill is also necessary 1. 4" to 1 2" flat brushes, 1. The softer the (or paint thinner for enamels). Wipe off Thinning will decrease the paint's opaci- coat of medium to light gray. color over another. Paint as much of each for painting detail items and adding fin- bristles, the smoother the finish will be. the brush using a clean cloth or paper ty, requiring more coats to cover properly. As with airbrushed finishes, small rip- part as possible before assembling the ishing touches to a model. For a smooth finish coat, especially with towel.
5 This step eases cleanup by keeping Dip your brush in the paint, keeping ples in the finish can be polished out by model. In fact, keep the parts on the Successful brush painting requires gloss paint, get a good sable brush. A syn- paint from drying on the bristles. the paint on the lower fourth of the bris- wet sanding. After the paint is complete- sprues as long as you can as the photos good brushes and fresh paint, as well as thetic brush can also provide a good Put paint into a separate container or tles. Brush the paint onto the surface, ly cured, start with 320 grit and use show, sprues make convenient handles. techniques to eliminate brush marks. finish, and camel hair is good for rough palette I use an inexpensive aluminum using as few strokes as possible.
6 Let the progressively smoother grades of sandpa- Many different techniques are needed For the projects shown here, I used surfaces and general-purpose painting. holder. You can use an eyedropper or a paint level itself. per up to 600 grit. for painting details. For example, the acrylic paints: Model Master Acryl and Brush marks are the bane of brush soda straw to transfer the paint, 2. Follow the general direction of surface When painting rougher surfaces, such motorcycle wheel fork has recessed letter- Polly Scale. Both are quality paints that painting. The main causes are brushes Avoid painting straight from the bot- lines and details, keeping the brush as stone walls, 5, cheaper camel hair ing that needs to be painted red, while the can be thinned (and cleaned up) with with stiff bristles (poor-quality brushes or tle for two reasons.)
7 First, air is the main strokes parallel. Apply paint to the bare brushes work fine. Since brush marks rest of the part must be gold. I started by water. The techniques for using enamels old ones with bristles hardened by dried enemy of paint, so you must keep the jar surface, then use a light stroke to brush aren't critical in this situation, you can painting the area with the lettering red, are similar, but you'll need to use mineral paint residue) and overbrushing, which closed as much as possible. Second, wip- the paint back to the area most recently move the brush in different directions to then wiping the surface with a paper spirits or lacquer thinner. I painted plastic leaves patterns in the paint as it dries. ing off excess paint by pulling the edge of painted, 3.
8 Keeping a wet edge at all work the paint into cracks and crevices. towel, 6. This removed the paint from the 58 FineScale Modeler May 2002 May 2002 59. BrushPainting 3/21/02 12:58 PM Page 60. 6 7 8. Paint recessed lettering its final color first, Follow that by using the side of a brush to Let the part's topography guide you when then wipe the surface, leaving paint only paint the surface around the lettering. painting surface details. Using a fine in the recesses. brush, work the paint slowly to the border. 9 10. An old mug or glass works well for stor- ing brushes. Be sure the bristles are above Here's the completed wheel fork, with four colors applied. the edge of the holder. Swish it around and roll it gently against Meet Jeff Wilson the side of the container.
9 I keep three small jars of thinner for cleaning brushes. Jeff Wilson has been a Modeler for more than The first is for getting out most of the 30 years. He enjoys Building model trucks, but paint (this is the dirtiest one), the second his main focus is model railroads. That's not sur- for cleaning out any remaining paint, and prising since he was an associate editor at FSM's the third (with clear, clean thinner) for a sister publication, Model Railroader, for 10 years. final rinse. Jeff has written six books on trains and model Never let brushes stand in thinner, and railroading and currently works as a free-lance never jab the bristles down into the bot- writer. He is a camera operator for his favorite tom of a container. This can damage the team, the Milwaukee Brewers, and plays bass in ferrule (the part that holds the bristles).
10 The rock/punk/funk/jazz group Foam. and cause the bristles to splay and lose their shape. After cleaning, while the bristles are surface but left it in the recessed lettering. either lightly scrape it off with a hobby still wet, form them to the proper shape I then painted the rest of the part gold, knife, or simply paint over it with the using your fingers (not your mouth). carefully using the side of the brush to proper color. The finished wheel fork has Store brushes bristles up, and make sure paint around the letters, 7. crisp, sharp detail, 9. the bristles don't rest against the sides of For raised lettering or details, do the Cleaning up. Properly cleaning the storage container, 10. To protect the opposite: paint the whole area the appro- brushes will make them last longer and bristles even more, use the clear plastic priate color, then use the side of the brush help them hold their shape.
