A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

[KennyX]

Kenny, A6M3s covered the transition from the overall gray to the gray and green paint scheme at the factory. Many were built in overall gray, and of those that survived long enough, would receive a field applied scheme of green over the gray base color on the upper surfaces. Not primer per se, but a good base coat that was meant for sea duty. Of course those operating from the crushed coral airstrips would suffer the same environmental abuse as their Allied opponents. But at that point, at the production line, the war situation was nowhere near as bad for Japan as would happen later once the submarine blockade and B-29 campaign began to be felt in early 1945. The 3 version should still have the high quality of craftsmanship of early War Zeros. Army fighters were built in bare metal and green applied to their upper surfaces in the field had no primer base.

Ah! Thank you for the clarification, Carlos!

This actually helps me a lot because when I was thinking about chipping, I decided I didn’t want to strip yards of paint off the thing. I want to be conservative, and while I do want to weather it well, o still want the colors to look nice. So this explanation works for me. It sharpens my vision. I appreciate that.

[speedgraflex]

Nice!

[jkim]

Kenny... your tests are very interesting! I remember going through similar experiments. Noting the results that worked... ditching the stuff that didn't work. It's very interesting to see different approaches to modeling. Based on my personal development with painting, I've landed on a pre-shading technique that works for me but have seen few others use it. When I first saw black-basing, I loved the underlying texture that was created under the primary paint. But understanding that it was just a matter of contrast, I decided to reverse the technique into dark on light versus light on dark. Why? Because I wanted to incorporate panel line pre-shading into my work. I'm still a firm believer in panel line pre-shading even though there many who deride it. It just makes physical sense to me and I have to ability to reduce it to the point of elimination using the highly-thinned paint mixtures that I spray.

[jkim]

I am with you on the successes of these tests, bud. I like what happens with your mottling approach very much, such as the deck tan you used in sample one. As a personal choice, I would always forgo drawing dark lines on structural joins. If that makes me a heretic so be it. For me, a preshade effect has to be much lighter, such as the white you used in sample two. Both tests yield fantastic results!

Really? "Always" is a very strong word! As one who uses a technique that centers around applying dark lines on structural joins, I'm very curious to see the opposite approach. In my mind, it won't work unless you start with a dark base because white on plastic grey will not net you enough contrast to be seen in most cases. Or is it a form of black-basing that you are describing... using light lines on the panel lines of a black-painted model?

[speedgraflex]

I do not have the right word in 'always,' John! Apologies, my friend. I definitely believe in variegation by adding different colors. Not simply using black and white (lowlight and highlight) or panel shading and dry brushing techniques, the creation of a wider spectrum of color zones. These zones could encompass traditional black panel definition if necessary. I feel your work is through variegation as well. To me, what you describe as "mottle" is variegation. I spend a lot of time thinking about these theories but I must hurriedly stress they are my theories—just things I like to think about.

[KennyX]

EXPERIMENT #3

1. Spray the base coat over Tamiya Flat Aluminum. This base coat is Dark Green 2 mixed with JN Gray 2:1. I did that because I wanted to reduce the starkness of the resulting shading.



2. Spray the highlights in the center of each shape on the surface. This highlight color is a mix of my custom RLM65 and Dark Green 2, 1:1 (this was great accuracy practice).



3. Next came the blend coats. Heavily-thinned Dark Green 2, sprayed in the direction of airflow.





4. The results after subsequent blend coats.







Subsequent clear coats and oil filters will knock out some of that variation and tie it together. I’m very happy with this and this is how Inwill proceed when the time comes. I’m glad I pulled out Doug and Reggie, my paint mules, to test this.

OH! I also got rid of the unsightly remains of that seam on the bottom of the drop tank, and re-painted it:

[LyleW]

interesting work. . . and testing. I usually run into problems in replicating the results a second/third time for repetitive items.

[KennyX]

Lyle,

“Is it repeatable?” have become my watchwords as of late.

For a good while after I painted my Corsair I wondered “Could I do that again?” Truth be told, I don’t think I could. That paintjob was lightning in a bottle.

What I can do, though, is formulate in my mind a method I can use for painting birds that operated out of the crushed coral airfields in the Pacific. The abrasions, the sun bleaching, the fading. That’s the asthetic.

Once I got the asthetic down, it came time for me to determine a good way to paint a foundation for it. And for some reason, Black Basing wasn’t quite doing it for me. I think that’s just me, my subconscious I mean, telling me it’s time to try something new.

Anyhow, that’s how I got here. Working with these blends. I like the finish I’m getting spraying over “bare metal”. I like how the colors pop more. And I’m learning how to control tonal variation in a different manner- with the light highlight coats. I can lighten it even more various panels on the wings and top of the fuselage to kickoff the sun fading, and I can not really highlight the panels on the sides at all, and then blend them together. And I like that this process has now been documented so I can come back to it when the time comes. This method here, I believe, will be repeatable, and hopefully with even more success. Fingers crossed!

[LyleW]

Great thoughts. Many times, I can "nail" the first iteration or test of something. I start thinking that I have this down. Then on the others, the wheels come off. But, this is good to ponder upon and is helpful.

I am also learning to quit or stop before I really screw something up and come back to it later

[KennyX]

Yeah, that last lesson, lemme tell ya- I gotta work on that one.