Friday 13 October 2017

Modelling videos pt. 4

Another built of the Tamiya Kawasaki Ki-61 "Hien" (Tony), this time by "Scale-a-ton".
Here's the link to the original UTube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sSkZIFUBic
Check also the four much longer videos of his with more step-by-step details of the built.
 
Personally I think he is very brave to do the camo free hand, taking a big risk to spoil the whole model but the result is really pretty nice. My only objection would be the wrong IFF stripes (check here) common mistake made by modelers when they build their "Hien". A very nice looking model in every other respect.
 
 
As far as I know there are 3-4 techniques to replicate the camouflage pattern on the "Hien". One is to do the basic outline of the blotches by brush and then fill in the color by airbrush. Another, as seen by the previous Tamiya official video, is to do it by masking the wings. The free hand is another one but which one is your favorite or do you prefer a different way?

Michael Thurow
I have two ways to 'design' the blotches on JAAF aircraft: (1) I draw outlines by hand onto the basic colour with a weak soft carbon pencil (or with a plotting pencil after applying a layer of glossy clear). (2) I scan a good pattern from a 4-view drawing, print it to scale and copy it with a pencil onto the model surface via the good old carbon paper. Both methods allow errors to be easily removed with an eraser or wiped off with a wet cloth. Then I fill the forms with green colour of various densities either with hard or soft demarcation lines depending on the original camouflage.
Note that the blotches were usually avoiding the hinomarus (since they were factory applied) but were overlapped by command stripes etc. (field applied).
The result of my approach can be seen on my Toryu model - fuselage as per (1), wings as per (2).
http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2016/02/michael-thurows-148-ki-45-toryu.html

Michael Furry
I would free hand the camouflage pattern. Mottling on Luftwaffe and Italian subjects is accomplished in a similar fashion. The key's to the entire process are finding the correct paint consistency and air pressure. I would practice and experiment with thinning ratios and air pressure before attempting on the model.
 From what I noticed, the builder is using Tamiya paint, but does not discuss thinning ratios or air pressure. I have used Testors Model Mater enamels for well over two decades and have figured out the best thinning ratio and air pressure, but in many cases small adjustments must be made. One problem with Testors enamels is that once they are thinned past a certain ratio, they will not spray properly. I have not experimented much with Tamiya or any of the other acrylic lacquers, but have heard that they can be thinned to an extreme consistency and still spray with excellent coverage.
Model making is a skill; the more you try and experiment, the better you are at the skill.

2 comments:

Michael Thurow said...

I have two ways to 'design' the blotches on JAAF aircraft: (1) I draw outlines by hand onto the basic colour with a weak soft carbon pencil (or with a plotting pencil after applying a layer of glossy clear). (2) I scan a good pattern from a 4-view drawing, print it to scale and copy it with a pencil onto the model surface via the good old carbon paper. Both methods allow errors to be easily removed with an eraser or wiped off with a wet cloth. Then I fill the forms with green colour of various densities either with hard or soft demarcation lines depending on the original camouflage.

Note that the blotches were usually avoiding the hinomarus (since they were factory applied) but were overlapped by command stripes etc. (field applied).

The result of my approach can be seen on my Toryu model - fuselage as per (1), wings as per (2).
http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2016/02/michael-thurows-148-ki-45-toryu.html

Michael Furry said...

I would free hand the camouflage pattern. Mottling on Luftwaffe and Italian subjects is accomplished in a similar fashion. The key's to the entire process are finding the correct paint consistency and air pressure. I would practice and experiment with thinning ratios and air pressure before attempting on the model.

From what I noticed, the builder is using Tamiya paint, but does not discuss thinning ratios or air pressure. I have used Testors Model Mater enamels for well over two decades and have figured out the best thinning ratio and air pressure, but in many cases small adjustments must be made. One problem with Testors enamels is that once they are thinned past a certain ratio, they will not spray properly. I have not experimented much with Tamiya or any of the other acrylic lacquers, but have heard that they can be thinned to an extreme consistency and still spray with excellent coverage.

Model making is a skill; the more you try and experiment, the better you are at the skill.