How to Air Brush

8/13/2019 How to Air Brush

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Improve your airbrushing

Part 1

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Most of my pre-airbrush memoriesrevolve around spray cans.There

was no reason to change mypainting habits then, as I was perfectlysatisfied with the results the cans weregiving me.

That is, until I saw a similar model tothe one Id just completed on display in ahobby shop. It had no buried detail, nodrips, and no orange peel effect (a dim-pled paint surface). Its finish clearly

outclassed the model Id just completed.I questioned the shop owner about the

beautiful finish, and he said the modelwas airbrushed.He explained further,andthe logic was simple: If youre building ascale model, why not have a scale finish?He assured me that real aircraft donthave gobs of paint on them like myspray bomb cans were delivering to mykits.

The airbrush, he said, would give me

control of the spray pattern and the vol-ume,and let me mix colors. It would evenlet me vary the types of paint I used, sinceit could atomize lacquers, enamels, andacrylics. And I could learn to make thosefancy camouflage finishes Id been admir-ing. Made sense to me.

Five years later, I am still masteringthis tools benefits and I think the learn-ing curve intimidates a lot of potentialairbrushers. Dont let it scare you.

ABCs of

Airbrushing

AIRBRUSHING SPECIAL

2008 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any formwithout permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com


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Starting today is better than starting fivekits from now, and with a relatively lowoutlay of cash you can set yourself up witha basic airbrush set and air supply. Andthen, of course, you get to start layingpaint.

How it works. Airbrushes areminiature versions of the spray guns usedto paint full-size machines. Compressedair, fed to the airbrush by either a com-pressor or a pressurized container, is

directed over a small orifice. The movingair draws paint from a reservoir (cup orbottle), then atomizes the paint andsprays it in a fine, narrow mist. Thetapered point of the needle in the orificefocuses the spray and controls the amountof paint in the spray.

Decisions, decisions.There are sev-eral types of airbrushes to consider, butmost hobby airbrushes are either single-action or double-action. A single-action

airbrush has a button for the air valve anda separate control for the paint nozzle, 1.Single action means the spray buttoncontrols only the air (on or off). The but-ton on a double-action airbrush controlsthe air,but also is connected to the needlein the paint nozzle, 2. Paint volume in thespray is controlled by rocking the buttonback and forth, moving the needle in andout of the orifice.

Airbrushes range in price from about

Learning to spray paintBy Chris Appoldt Photos by the FSM staff

FSM reviewer Randall Dieck airbrushes allof his aircraft models. Here are his 1/48scale Hasegawa A-7D Corsair II andMonogram F-105G Wild Weasel.


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$20 up to several hundred dollars.Design, features, and quality all deter-mine the price. Inexpensive single-actionairbrushes such as Badgers 250 or

Testors A2203 are adequate for applyingsingle overall colors and would serve asgood basic trainer airbrushes.

The next step up is a high-qualitysingle-action airbrush such as the PaascheH or Badger 350. Badgers 200, 3, andPaasches SA2000 are interesting hybrids.

They are single-action airbrushes (buttoncontrols air only), but they have a longitu-dinal needle usually found in double-actionairbrushes (where the button rocks tocontrol paint volume).

Double-action airbrushes, such asBadgers 150, Anthem, and Crescendo;Paasches V and Millennium; Testors

Aztek; Iwatas HP-C; and Tamiyas HGoffer better control and finer spray pat-terns. However, they are more difficult tomaster and more complex to disassembleand clean.

Powering up. No matter which air-

brush you choose, youre going to need asource of compressed air to make it work.

Air sources also range in price and com-plexity (for a good overview, check outthe March 2002 Scale Auto, or the January2001 FSM). At the bottom end is thepropellant can. It can supply enough airto spray, perhaps,one model, so if you sel-dom airbrush, this is the least expensiveoption.

If you plan a lot of airbrushing, con-

sider buying a good compressor made forairbrushes. They range from $100 toabout $400 depending on features.Compressors can be noisy, but somearent. The more expensive silent typesuse refrigerator-style compressors thatcharge small storage tanks. Its a goodidea to add a moisture trap along the air-brush hose to catch moisture squeezedout of the air by the compressor.

Another alternative is a compressedgas cylinder. You can get small cylinders(five-pound) all the way up to industrial-size cylinders. Usually airbrushers opt for

10- or 20-pound cylinders of carbondioxide or nitrogen. Gas cylinders requirea flow regulator. Cylinder/regulatorsetups can be purchased for around $200,or leased from industrial gas suppliers orservices that supply carbon dioxide cylin-ders for beverage fountains. Cylinders areabsolutely silent and dont require elec-tricity, but when they are empty, you haveto tote them to a filling service.

Ready, aim, paint! Now youve got

an airbrush, an air source, and a model topaint. Whats next? Ah, paint! There arelots of modeling paints, but you cant sim-ply load them into the airbrush and sprayaway. Your airbrush is an engineeringmarvel, and a delicate instrument; so withthe exception of some buffable metallics,modeling paints must be thinned beforeairbrushing.

Stir the paint in the original container;paint pigments are heavy and settle to thebottom, and paint must be thoroughlymixed before use. Keep stirring until theheavy clump at the bottom is mixed in

A Paasche H is a fine single-action airbrush. Paint flows up thesiphon from the color cup (or bottle) into the angled paint noz-zle. The knurled nozzle adjusts paint volume. The top-mountedbutton turns on the air flow.

Badgers model 200 is a hybrid design. It has the longitudinal nee-dle found on double-action airbrushes, but the paint volume is

controlled by turning the knurled knob at the end of the needle.

For multicolored paint schemes, apply the lightest color over theentire model. This will serve as a primer and help avoid unpaint-

ed spots.

This is an Iwata Eclipse series double-action airbrush. Pressingdown on the top button turns on the air flow; rocking the buttonback and forth controls the paint volume. This model has a grav-ity feed paint cup.

1 2

3 4

Knurled nozzle

Air button

Knurled knob


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with the liquid part of the paint.Modeling paints are made for brush

painting and must be thinned to get themto spray properly. Dont add thinner tothe original paint container, but obtainempty mixing bottles or use 35mm filmcontainers for mixing paint.

Start by adding one part of thinner totwo parts of stirred paint. I try to thin thepaint to the consistency of milk, andsometimes I need more thinner. I always

stir the paint and thinner thoroughly.Gloss enamels usually need more thin-ning than flats, but acrylics (water-based)

vary from brand to brand. Check thepaint label for the thinner-to-paint ratioand the type of thinner that the manufac-turer recommends.

Surface preparation.The airbrushcan produce a beautiful, thin, smoothlayer of paint, so make sure the model isclean and smooth, too. Airbrushed paint

wont hide blemishes it will only makethem look worse.

I wash my ready-to-finish model in

warm soapy dishwater first, shake off theexcess water, and leave it overnight on alint-free dishtowel in a cabinet to dry. Analternative to dish soap is Polly S PlasticPrep; this alcohol-based surface-preparerlifts greasy fingerprints and grime andevaporates quickly.

Spray away. Always test your air-brushs paint flow away from your model.Even the most experienced modelers Iknow will test-shoot their newly loaded

airbrush off to the side to be certain thepaint is flowing well.I test-spray at the lowest effective

pressure, about 10 p.s.i., and sometimesuse the regulator to crank up the pressureto 20 p.s.i. My test surface is a hugestyrene sheet I found at a model contestfor about $1.50. An old model makes agreat test dummy, too, but dont usepaper or cardboard; they absorb paint and

wont provide a good simulation of howthe paint is going to cover your model.

Dont aim your airbrush at the modeland then press the air button. Paint

buildup on the tip of the nozzle will liftoff with the first blast of air and land as aspatter. Instead, aim off the model, thenmove onto the area to be painted. Thesame goes for stopping the spray; stop offthe model.

I spray a few patterns on the test sur-face first, getting the feel of my loadedairbrush; this way I retrain my senses on

what to expect, and discover how the air-brush is handling with the selected paint.

Whats the right distance between theairbrush and the model? I start about 2"to 3" from the surface. By adjusting theair pressure, paint-to-thinner ratio, andpaint volume, I can move in to where thetip of the airbrush is less than 1" awayfrom the model, ideal for applying finelines and camouflage.

Stay inside the lines. If youre justgetting started, it might be best to finish

your first airbrushed model in a singlecolor.Start by lightly misting the paint on

with the airbrush 4"-5" from the surface.Dont start any farther away; the paint

Airbrush the next darker color onto the first, only after you havegiven the first color at least 48 hours to cure.

Heres a tip: Lightly draw the camouflage pattern onto the firstcolor with a pencil.

Airbrush at an angle to get the sharpest line. Move the model soyou can outline each colored area with the fine spray.

Open the nozzle a little and fill in the center of the color area.

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may dry before it gets to the model, cre-

ating a gritty, rough surface. The mistedcoat serves as a tooth for heavier colorcoats to come.

For the next coat, move the airbrush alittle closer to your model and lay an evencoat by sweeping the brush slowly over it.Remember to begin and end the spray offof your model to prevent paint build-upor spatter.

Ive learned the hard way that thinnedpaint from an airbrush dries quickly. Thatcan fool you into thinking that the shiny

wet paint that just landed on the model isnot covering well especially when youre

using acrylics. The paint youve justsprayed looks different in color and sheenthan the paint that is nearby. Let theentire area youve just sprayed dry before

you go over it with a second pass.Build up paint in light, even coats. If

you put it on too heavily or quickly, youcould form a drip as the paint piles up.

When youre finished with your ses-sion, you should have a thin, light, evencoat covering the surface. Set the projectaside overnight, and retouch any missedspots with the airbrush the next day. A

few light coats are all youll need!Multicolor schemes. As you gainconfidence, youll want to try airbrushingcamouflage patterns, as this is where air-brushes really show their stuff. Beforestarting, think ahead. For multicoloredschemes, paint the lightest color first, andapply that color to the entire model, 4.

This ensures the model is covered with atleast one color, and that color can serve asa primer. Primers arent absolutely neces-sary, but they help you spot blemishes. Itseasier to sand and repaint now than afterall the colors have been painted.

After the first (lightest) color is cured

(48 hours is safe), draw the camouflagescheme lightly with an ordinary pencil, 5 dont bear down, or youll engrave thepaint and it will show after the camou-flage is applied. Label each color area

with a code youll remember:LG for lightgreen, T for tan, and so forth. Hey, youvegot a paint by letter model!

Paint the next darker color over all theindicated areas, slightly overlapping thepenciled borders, 6. To get a tighter pat-tern, close down the nozzle and get inclose. This will take practice. Adjust thepaint volume, air pressure (if you can),

and paint/thinner ratio so you can sprayfine lines.

Another way to spray a tight edge oneach camouflage area is to aim the air-brush 45 degrees to the surface, 7. This

will create a harder edge closest to the air-

brush, with a softer edge on the far side ofthe spray.Turn the model so you can paintfrom the edge of each area inward. Paintall the edges first, then go back and fill themiddles, 8. Open the nozzle a bit so itdoesnt take as long to fill the areas and

youll avoid that scribbled in appearance.If you make a mistake, dont try to

wipe the color off; the soft paint will onlysmear and ruin your paint job. You canalways go back and paint over your mis-takes. For best results, wait a couple ofdays between colors to give the underly-ing paint time to cure.

After a while, youll be hooked andfind yourself using the airbrush on everymodeling project. And youll probably

wonder why you didnt pick up an air-brush sooner. FSM

The finely feathered demarcation lines between colors is an air-brush hallmark. Sharp lines, such as the canopy framing and theorange area on the nose of Randalls 1/48 scale MonogramF-100D Super Sabre, are masked, then airbrushed.

Randall beautifully recreated the characteristic unpainted rearfuselage of the F-100 with various shades of metallics and clearcoats. This hot-metal effect would be nearly impossible to create

without an airbrush.

REFERENCESHow to use an Airbrush Robert Downie, Kalmbach Publishing Co., Waukesha,

Wisconsin, 20018 ways to power your airbrush Paul Boyer, FineScale Modeler,January 2001

Airbrushing basics Matt Usher, FineScale Modeler, February 1999Airbrushing tricks and techniques Paul Boyer, FineScale Modeler, March 1999Powering your airbrush Matt Usher, Scale Auto, March 2002

SOURCESBadger Air-Brush Co. 9128 W. Belmont Ave., Franklin Park, IL 60131, 800-247-2787, www.badgerairbrush.comBinks Manufacturing 9201 W. Belmont Ave., Franklin Park, IL 60131, 847-671-3000Iwata Medea P.O. Box 14397, Portland, OR 97293, 503-253-7308, www.iwata-airbrush.comPaasche Airbrush Co. 7440 W. Lawrence Ave., Harwood Heights, IL 60656-3497,708-867-9191, www.paascheairbrush.comTamiya America 2 Orion, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4200, 800-826-4922,

www.tamiyausa.comTestor Corp./Aztek620 Buckbee St., Rockford, IL 61104-4891, 815-962-7401,

www.testors.com


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By Paul Boyer

Even after years of experience, youregoing to encounter problems when air-

brushing. Heres a peek at some of theproblems Ive run into.

Clouds of paint swirling in your sprayarea.Whoa! Back off the air pressureand the paint volume. Any clouds ofoverspray constitute wasted paint. Theairbrush can deliver fine smooth paint

jobs, so take your time and apply thepaint in thin layers.

Whether you have clouds of paint ornot, paint and thinner fumes can betoxic. Make sure you have sufficient

ventilation in your work area. A spray

booth is best it can remove all thefumes. A ventilator mask is a good idea,too.

Overspray.Watch where youre aimingyour airbrush. While you are concentrat-ing on spraying a certain spot,parts ofthe model that lie behind your target mayaccidentally receive overspray as youpaint. Make sure you mask these areasbefore airbrushing. If you forget, you mayhave to repaint the affected areas.

Spidery splashes.Those spots ofpaint with little rivulets running out allover. They have several causes, some-

times more than one at the same time.Usually it means youre too close to thesurface with too much paint coming outof the airbrush. Also, the paint could betoo thin.

First, close the nozzle to limit theamount of paint coming out, then testspray on your test model to get a feel forthe proper distance. If youre still gettingspiders, add more paint into the mixture.

Gritty finish.The paint is covering,but it is covering with small grits andlumps. There are four possible causes:

the paint is not thinned enough; the air-brush is too far away and the paint isdrying on the way to the model; clumpsof pigment are not dissolving in thethinner; there is too much air pressure.

You dont need to blast paint on with anairbrush a gentle whisper from the air-brush should be enough to deliver asmooth finish. Adjust the air pressure (if

you can) to between 10 and 20 p.s.i., andmake sure the paint is well mixed.

Drips and runs.Too much paint inone spot will form a puddle, and gravity

will make it run. Keep the airbrush mov-

ing so you dont pile up too much painton one area.

Spatters. Little spatters around finelines are usually caused by a damagedneedle or nozzle. Paint blows off the

distorted tip and lands outside of theintended area. Sometimes, low air pres-sure also can cause this.

Examine the needle and nozzle witha magnifying glass. If the nozzle iscracked or splayed open, replace it. If thetip of the needle is bent, you can careful-ly straighten it out. Single-actionneedles are relatively sturdy and you canpersuade the bent tip by pressing itagainst a hard surface. Go easy: press,check, press some more, check again,and so forth.

The fine needle of a double-action(or a hybrid) airbrush is more delicate.You may not be able to see the bent tip,but youll be able to feel it. Remove theneedle from the airbrush, and drag itlightly over your fingertip. Roll theneedle as you drag, and youll feel thehooked side catch as it goes along yourfinger. Make note of the direction of thehook, then drag the affected side of theneedle on fine-grit sandpaper or a sand-ing stick. Check it again on your fingerand repeat if necessary.

Bleed under masking tape.This is

usually caused by too heavy an applica-tion of paint. The wet paint over-

whelms the masking tape and creepsunder, resulting in a ragged line.Airbrush several light coats instead oftrying to cover with a heavy coat. Also,spray at an angle over the tape so theair pressure isnt forcing the paint underthe mask.

No paint coming out. Shame, shame,you havent been cleaning the airbrushproperly. Most likely theres a small par-ticle of dried paint clogging the nozzle.Check the sidebar on cleaning the air-brush (page 30), and be sure to clean itafter every painting session.

This single-action nozzle (left) and needleare beyond repair. Replacements can beordered where you purchase airbrushes.

Whoops! Using too much paint, too thin paint, or moving too close to the surface willproduce this spidery creature.

Airbrush Troubleshooting


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Here is the Paasche H broken down for cleaning. This is a disassembled Iwata Eclipse.

The airbrush should be cleaned afterevery painting session. Paint thinners andcleaners can be applied with cotton swabsand pipe cleaners.

Cleaning your airbrushBy Terry Thompson

Without a doubt, the most important aspect of airbrushing is cleaning the equip-ment. Neglecting to clean a brush properly is also the absolute best, or at least

the simplest, way of assuring yourself of never-ending frustration while painting.However, cleaning your airbrush doesnt have to be a chore. I can clean my

double-action airbrush completely in less than 10 minutes and clean it well enoughto change colors in fewer than five. While I learned most of these techniques thehard way, reading this article means you wont have to.

Single- and double-action airbrushes require different procedures; clean hybridairbrushes as you would a double-action brush. Ive organized the information belowinto three categories, one for rinsing the equipment and two for cleaning the air-brush itself. Choose the two that apply to your situation. If youre only changing col-ors, you can normally skip the disassembly and just rinse, unless youre going from adark color to a light one, or from a metallic to a non-metallic. Then youll still haveto clean the brush completely.

Never shake paint always stir. Shaking leaves paintaround the top of the jar, where it dries into clumps. Thoseclumps can easily clog an airbrush. A screen on your pickuptube can help, as can straining your paint. If you use a single-action brush, close it (run the needleforward or twist the tip closed) if it will sit for more than

20 seconds. Thinned paint dries on and in an open tipquickly. Drain your water trap each time you spray. It cant work ifits full. Make sure your thinner is clean. Dirt or lint (been doingthe old tip-the-can-onto-the-towel trick?) can and will clog

your brush, or at least appear in your paint. Lubricate your airbrush according to the instructions, anddont abuse it by overtightening the threads. Some parts, including washers, gaskets, and even needlesand tips, will wear out. Paint is abrasive, and solvents areharsh chemicals. Keep spares on hand so you can keeppainting.

If you think you might have bent your airbrush needle,check it visually or by pulling it across a towel while rotat-ing the needle. Do not check it by running it back into thebrush that just ensures that youll ruin your tip also. If you own needles and nozzles/tips in multiple sizes,keep the sets together.Though they may look similar,

theyre not interchangeable. If you can afford to, its a good idea to have separate air-brushes for solvent-based paints and acrylics. The two dontmix well, and paint left in a brush can form clots whenexposed to the wrong solvent.When you reassemble a double-action brush, the actionshould be crisp. If the needle sticks in the nozzle, or if theaction seems mushy, theres still paint in the nozzle. Clean itagain. If you get bubbles in your color cup or feed jar, you havean air leak in your brush, probably where the tip joins thenozzle. Check your brushs instructions to see whether itcan be repaired by the user.

Tips for keeping your brush clean and healthyBy Terry Thompson

Needle

Needle lock nut Connector for air hose

Paint cup

Nozzle

Air cap

Air and paint volume control

Paint cup and cap

Needle lock nut

Needle guard

Connector for air hoseNeedle

Nozzle

Air capAir button


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Paper towel rolled

into a point helpsclean the airbrushnozzle.

RINSING THE EQUIPMENT

What youll do

A) Rinse the paint out of the brush using the appropriate solvent and cleaner (see above).

B) Remove the feed jar or cup (if possible).

C) Disassemble the nozzle assembly carefully. Wipe each piece clean with a swab dampened with the appropriate cleaner solution. For stub-born acrylics that dont wipe off using Windex, use paint remover.

D) Clean the inside of the paint tip (where the feed tube attaches) with a dampened swab or pipe cleaner.

E) Twist a corner of a paper towel into a point, dampen it, and clean the inside of the nozzle. Never force anything, including a pipe cleaner,

through the nozzle. If the nozzle wont come clean, soak it in lacquer thinner or paint remover, depending on what type of paint is on it. Thenclean it using a piece of dampened toweling.

F) Reassemble the brush, then go to step 6 above.

What youll do

A) Rinse the paint out of the brush using the appropriate solvent and cleaner (see above).

B) Remove the feed jar or cup (if possible). Working carefully according to the manufacturers instructions, remove the needle. (Exception: OnAztek double-action brushes, the needle/tip assembly is a unit. Testor does not recommend disassembling it, so just flush or soak it until clean).

C) Disassemble the nozzle assembly carefully. Wipe each piece clean with a swab dampened with the appropriate cleaner solution. For stub-born acrylics that dont wipe off using Windex, use the Testor paint remover.

D) Clean the inside of the paint tip (where the feed tube attaches) with a cleaner-dampened swab or pipe cleaner. If your brush has a non-removable color cup, clean it with a swab. Clean an Aztek brush using its special cleaning tool/wrench.

E) Twist a corner of a paper towel into a point, dampen it with cleaner, and clean the inside of the nozzle. Never force anything, including pipecleaners, through the nozzle. The tip on a double-action or hybrid brush is extremely fragile. If the nozzle and tip wont come clean, soak themin lacquer thinner or paint remover (depending on what type of paint is on it) until that paint softens or loosens. Then clean the nozzle using apiece of dampened toweling. Do not remove the tip from the nozzle.

F) Clean the needle by pulling it across a soft cloth dampened with the appropriate thinner/cleaner. Do not push it forward, and be careful needles are sharp!

G) Reassemble the brush, then go to step 6 above.

What youll need

cotton swabs, pipe cleaners,paper towels, cleaner, paintremover

What youll need

cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, softcloth, paper towels, cleaner,paint remover

What youll need

Mineral spirits and lacquer thin-ner (for enamels) or distilledwater and Windex (for acrylics),Testor acrylic paint remover or

other hobby paint remover,paper towels, cleaning station.The instructions refer to bothsolvent and cleaner. Forenamels, use mineral spirits asthe solvent and lacquer thinneras the cleaner; for acrylics,water is the solvent and Windexis the cleaner.

What youll do

1) Immediately upon completing your painting session, remove the feed jar or color cup. Pour the thinned paint into your waste paint container(never save it), and flush the cup or jar with solvent. If your brush has a non-removable cup, pour the paint out, then flush the cup with sol-vent until most of the paint is out.

2) Still working quickly, pour that dirty solvent into your waste paint container and refill the cup or jar with cleaner.

3) Spray nearly a full jar or cup of cleaner through the brush into your cleaning station or other container. Let the brush sit with cleaner in it.

4) Remove and clean the feed jar and tube using cleaner-dampened swabs, pipe cleaners (for the tube only), and paper towels. If your brushuses a non-removable color cup, clean it using dampened swabs and paper towels.

5) Spray the remaining cleaner through the brush, then clean the brush (see below).

6) Reassemble the brush, then spray clean solvent through the brush and onto a white paper towel. If it comes out clean, go to step 7. If not,repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed, using paint remover as needed.

7) Spray the remaining solvent through the brush and into your cleaning station or container. If youre using a double-action or hybrid brush,remove and oil the needle, then replace it. Dont leave cleaner, solvent, or paint remover in the airbrush during storage.

SINGLE-ACTION AIRBRUSHES

DOUBLE-ACTION AND HYBRID AIRBRUSHES


11/24 2008 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form

without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com


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16/24 2008 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form

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Easyairbrush camouflage

Ilove Luftwaffe aircraft, but as a modeler, they drive me crazy the machines are

interesting and great to model, but most of them have horribly complicated, seem-

ingly impossible-to-airbrush camouflage schemes. More often than not, I find myself

taking the easy way out and applying the simplest (and usually the most-boring) scheme

to whatever Ive picked to build.

Simplify complex patterns with soft masks

By Matthew Usher

A complex camouflage scheme doesnt alwaysrequire a high-end airbrush. Matthew Usherapplied this eye-catching scheme to his Fw 190using a simple single-action Badger 350.

2008 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any formwithout permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com


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1 2

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1/48 Scale |Aircraft |How-to

Assembly started with the pilots office. Since Matthew planned on mod-eling his 190 with a closed cockpit, he didnt add any extra parts, butinstead concentrated on highlighting the kits great out-of-the-box detail.A fine-point paintbrush and a silver art pencil helped pick out the dials andswitches.

The kit fits together nicely. A little gap-filling super glue and some fine-gritsanding took care of all the fuselage seams.

Not much of the 190s BMW 14-cylinder radialengine is visible inside the fuselage a large

cooling fan covers most of the opening. Matthewairbrushed the engine flat black then dry-brushedit with Floquil old silver enamel (No. 110100) tohighlight the cooling-fin detail.

A lot of paint was going to go onto the fuselage,so Matthew masked the canopy with chrome

Bare-Metal Foil. Working a pane at a time, headded a piece slightly larger than needed andburnished it with a clean cotton swab.

Trimming foil can be tricky. Matthew installed abrand-new No. 11 blade in his hobby knife, then

blackened the blade with a permanent marker.The black finish cuts down on the reflectionsbetween the highly polished blade and foil andmakes it easier to follow the line of the canopyframework during the trimming.

When I bought Tamiyas 1/48 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8(No. 61039) I started to rethink things. The kit includes mark-ings for a 190 stationed in Italy in 1944; its unusual tropicalscheme was field-applied over the aircrafts factory finish. Theupper-fuselage markings were completely painted out, and whatmarkings remained were covered with bits of overspray. I was

hooked. I knew I had to model that scheme, but how would Iapply it?As I plotted my plan of attack, I wondered if I could take

things one step further could I apply a complicated finishwithout breaking out one of my tricky-to-clean double-actionairbrushes? The challenge was worth the effort.

I have a soft spot for Badgers 350 airbrush. Decades ago, it

was one of my first serious modeling tools. It was the airbrushI learned to paint with, and with it my models stopped lookinglike spray-painted toys and started looking like realistically fin-ished miniatures. Even though Ive graduated to more expensiveairbrushes since then, Ive always kept a 350 ready to go in mytoolbox.

I thought combining the 190 and the 350 would be a funchallenge, and Id have the opportunity to dust off another one ofmy favorite painting tools, soft masks. Soft masking enables youto apply complicated schemes with simple tools it s an easy-to-learn technique that produces striking results. Follow along as Igive my butcher bird a cool camouflage pattern without makingthings so complicated it spoils all the fun.


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A soft mask cut from an index card will narrow the airbrushs spray pat-tern and still provide a soft edge for the camouflage pattern. Matthew cut aroughly circular hole in one end of a card with a hobby knife.

Holding the card about " from the surface of the model, Matthew applied aquick burst of the camouflage color, RLM 80 olivgrun (Testor Model MasterNo. 2089).

Even up close, the pattern looks like it was painted with an ultra-precise air-brush. A little green overspray ended up where it shouldnt have, so whenthe green paint was dry, Matthew cut a fresh soft-mask card, filled the air-brush with sandgelb paint, and went back and erased the overspray.

After a couple days of drying time, Matthew masked the model and appliedthe underside color, RLM 78 hellblau (Testor Model Master No. 2087). Ahard line separates it and the upper-fuselage camouflage. When the hellblauwas dry he masked and painted the wheel wells gray.

Right: Matthew planned to use Testor ModelMaster enamels for his 190s finish. Many of theModel Master Luftwaffe colors have a scale semi-gloss finish. To give the paints a dead-flat finish,Matthew thinned them with Ronsonol lighter fluidfor airbrushing, using the same mixing ratios heuses for standard paint thinner.

Matthew masked the entire canopy, installed theheadrest, then added the parts to the fuselagewith Microscale Micro Kristal Klear.


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Matthew first gave the entire fuselage a coat of RLM 79 sandgelb (TestorModel Master No. 2088). Its the base color for the camouflage pattern, andthe overall coat works nicely as a primer coat to point out imperfections.

Fitted with a medium tip, the Badger 350 produces a spray pattern thatstoo big for fine camouflage work. Theres a way around that, though.

Despite the large burst of paint, only a small spot makes it way onto themodels wing through the hole in the card. By working slowly and apply-ing the pattern a spot at a time, Matthew was able to apply the patternprecisely.

Overlapping the spots produced larger shapes and patterns. Starting at theleft wingtip, Matthew applied the pattern a spot at a time as he workedtoward the fuselage. When a soft-mask card soaked up too much paint, hediscarded it and cut a new one. Note that he let the pattern overlap onto thecanopy and around the lower edge of the fuselage.

A decal is provided for the white ID band on the tail, but Matthew decidedit would be easier to apply with paint. He masked the bands vertical edgeswith tightly applied masking tape, but for the upper edge, he tore a largerpiece of tape and didnt stick it all the way down.

The hard and soft edges of the tape produce an ID band that looks like itsbeen partially covered by the tan-and-green camouflage pattern.


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REFERENCESFw 190A, F, and G in ActionBrian Filley,Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton,

Texas, 1999

Production Line to Frontline 5: Focke-WulfFw 190Malcolm V. Lowe, Osprey/MBIPublishing, Osceola, Wisconsin, 2003

Walk Around No. 22: Focke-WulfFw 190A/FMalcolm Laing and E. BrownRyle, Squadron/Signal Publications,Carrollton, Texas, 2000

Fw 190F-8: The ground-attack butcher bird

In the early stages of World War II, the Ju 87 Stuka was one ofGermanys best weapons. Especially effective in the air-to-ground supportrole, it was perfect for Germanys blitzkrieg across Europe.

The Stukas days were numbered, though. As the war rolled on,the aircrafts lack of speed and maneuverability made it an easy target.Focke-Wulf s Fw 190, one of the Luftwaffes best fighters, made an idealreplacement thanks to its tough construction and versatility. It went intoground-attack service as the Fw 190F in 1943. The aircraft was based onthe airframe of the Fw 190A and was fitted with extra armor protection.The outboard 20mm cannons were removed and underwing weapons rackswere installed. The Fw 190F-8 (modeled here) started rolling off assemblylines in 1944 and was the most widely produced Fw 190 of the F series.

With the model painted, Matthew moved on to the decals. After applyinga coat of Future floor polish to the model, Matthew applied the kit decalsusing a little Microscale Micro Set to tighten them down.

Most of the upper fuselage markings were obscured by the field-appliedcamouflage pattern, but the balkenkreuz and number on the fuselage sidewerent totally covered.

After the decals dried, Matthew gave the model an overall coat of Testorflat clear lacquer (No. 2015). When it cured, he broke out the green paintand soft-mask cards again and blended the edges of the decals into thecamouflage scheme. This gives the scheme a field-applied look as if a

hasty groundcrewman got a little overspray onto the factory-applied mark-ings. Remember, when youre painting a potential target, you tend to workquickly!

A little silver paint simulated chipped paint along the 190s panel lines, andsome pastel powder made realistic-looking exhaust stains. The finishedmodels unusual field-applied scheme really makes it stand out in Matthewscollection of World War II fighters.


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