Education for Layering Order of Surface Treatments.

[jasonsmith]

Sorry for the wacky title but seemed to fit what I was thinking.

After having my own questions and perusing the usual sources, I've become more confused because everyone does something different.

Now I know this will be subjective and based on individual experiences, but...

What would be the best order to apply color, clear, decals, weathering types (oils, enamel etc), more clear etc etc. Taking into account types of paint base, reactivity, total destruction and so on.

Maybe you experienced folks can simply list your usual ie:

Primer Lq
Below base detail layer Ac
Base Lq
Clear ?
Decals ?
Clear ?
Panel line Lq
Wash oil
Clear ?
Transparent parts

I know this would be useful to me and I apologize if such a thing already exists. If please add a link.

 

[Edbert]

What is your subject matter? I'm no expert, and basically skipped the hobby since Y2K so I too am learning a lot of new techniques. I ask because I think it matters.

Figures for example, seems that most pros, or the ones on YouTube, prefer multiple colored glazes (as many as 10!) on top of a black&white undercoat with highlights.

Aircraft and armor might be more similar to each other, but the latter are generally much more abused and weathered. I do think your question about steps and layers could be the same for them.

Since my break I've done 4 aircraft, and am working on my 1st armor since the 1990s, I am not one of the pros you are asking for, so YMMV Here's what seems to be working for me so far.

• Base coat of 1500 surfacer (I prefer black for panel lines)
• Mottling and highlighting with White Testors MM (stay out of the panel lines)
• Top/color coat of acrylic (I'm using Tamiya due to trust of the brand since the '70s)
• Mix a little light color in the cup you just used and apply panel highlights (stay out of the panel lines)
• A layer of acrylic gloss varnish (for the decals and the washes to come)
• Decals
• Another gloss acrylic to cover the decals (and help hide edges)
• Then multiple washes
  • I've used heavily diluted enamels for detailed stuff
  • I've used artists oil paints for larger less detailed areas (rub off excess with swabs or even towels)
  • Start with lighter than you think colors, easy to get darker if needed
• Then I typically apply a matte coat to the entire thing before adding canopy, but when painting is complete
• I do not do anything special to the clear parts, but I've seen some people use floor polish, and I've seen others use actual polishing compound with elbow grease

Hope this helps, I'm sure the vets will come in and help too.

 

[Jim62]

Yep we all do our own thing.
Primer - Stynylrez black, if I use primer sometimes I skip it.
If I prime it I spray a mottled flat white in the panels avoiding the panel lines and keeping it on the upper areas that fade the most.
Then I spray my top coat Tamiya acrylics, with a very light spray with a thinner to paint ratio of 60/40 sprayed at 10 to 12 psi, spraying it on in several thin coats. This allows the white to provide the faded effect.
Then it's gloss coat time (Pledge revive it while I still have some)
Decal time.
If I do a wash then I would put another gloss coat before doing so. If I don't then it's flat coat time.
All clear parts I dip in pledge to help prevent fogging when I glue them on. They are also applied before any painting and coated with liquid mask to protect them during the painting process.
I don't do any heavy weathering on AC anymore.
Every thing I spray on the model is acrylic. If I do a wash I use pastels mixed in water and dish soap to make the wash.
This is the method I enjoy.
If I skip the primer, I skip the mottled white paint as well. I will hit the panel lines with Tamiya panel liner directly on he plastic as a preshade before I paint using several thin coats as mentioned above so I don't obscure the panel lines. (very easy to over do it LOL).
That's my technique in a nutshell.

Never hesitate to try different things until you find the one that works for you. Check out Doog's models. He's got some good technique videos.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Depends on the subject. There's no right or wrong step by step process when it comes to painting your subject.

I almost never prime my subjects with the exception if I'm starting with a black base surface on certain WW2 subjects be it aircraft or armor.
IThen usually slowly build up my colors to desired look I'm looking for.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

I must add a couple things….

Certain colors are extremely hard to achieve a perfect coverage coat - white and yellow.

Both must be sprayed in several light coats. - usually 3 coats should be suffice.

Decals works best on gloss clearcoat, never flat clearcoat. If your subject needs to be a flat look, you can spray flat clearcoat after your decal session is finished.

99% of the time I don't use Pledge on my aircraft canopies. Should you use CA / Super glue on clear parts, it will fog them. Pledge will restore it back to clear. Ask me how I know…

 

[the Baron]

My general sequence is:

1. clean the parts. Warm water and a de-greaser. I don't do it every time, but usually
2. prime the parts, on the sprues. I think it improves paint adhesion, and it helps highlight any flaws in the material
3. assemble the model. Sometimes I can assemble much of the model and then apply my color coats. Other times I paint things on the sprues and then touch them up as necessary after removing them from the sprues
4. apply color coats. For example, this would be the olive drab over gray on a USAAF aircraft, the color on the body of a car
5. apply a gloss coat to prepare for decals. Not always, but usually. I use Future acrylic floor coating, and there have been times where I just applied the gloss where the decal would go.
6. Apply decals
7. Seal the decals as necessary
8. apply weathering as necessary, eg, panel line washes, dirt, smoke and exhaust stains, and similar schmutz
9. sealer coat, as appropriate. Dullcote, or a gloss coat.

As others have mentioned, there are always going to be variations depending on the kit, the subject (airplane? car? armor? ship? figure?, etc), the materials used, and unforeseen things that come up.

 

[Rob]

Yep we all do our own thing.
Primer - Stynylrez black, if I use primer sometimes I skip it.
If I prime it I spray a mottled flat white in the panels avoiding the panel lines and keeping it on the upper areas that fade the most.
Then I spray my top coat Tamiya acrylics, with a very light spray with a thinner to paint ratio of 60/40 sprayed at 10 to 12 psi, spraying it on in several thin coats. This allows the white to provide the faded effect.
Then it's gloss coat time (Pledge revive it while I still have some)
Decal time.
If I do a wash then I would put another gloss coat before doing so. If I don't then it's flat coat time.
All clear parts I dip in pledge to help prevent fogging when I glue them on. They are also applied before any painting and coated with liquid mask to protect them during the painting process.
I don't do any heavy weathering on AC anymore.
Every thing I spray on the model is acrylic. If I do a wash I use pastels mixed in water and dish soap to make the wash.
This is the method I enjoy.
If I skip the primer, I skip the mottled white paint as well. I will hit the panel lines with Tamiya panel liner directly on he plastic as a preshade before I paint using several thin coats as mentioned above so I don't obscure the panel lines. (very easy to over do it LOL).
That's my technique in a nutshell.

Never hesitate to try different things until you find the one that works for you. Check out Doog's models. He's got some good technique videos.

What? Confirm I missed it. Repeat please

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

What? Confirm I missed it. Repeat please

Reread his first post… ROFLMAO!