The Ship Model Forum

Hello, I've recently got a 1/700 Combrig HMS New Zealand, and I've tried your technique on the decks, just with a sharp no.2 HB, and it looks solid to my eye, but since the decks are ridged style, have a look, do you think it will translate well under a light sandy beige to look like a holy-stoned RN wood deck?

https://i.imgur.com/ZLa9Eci.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CBzyxRl.jpg

For a PE deck...
first coat it with matte finish. Paint it a grey colour, then do your pencil, more matte, then your light airbrushing I'm sure that would work
C

I've used your technique with and without the pencil method. I've just done my scratch built cargo hatches on my Awata Maru doing in order: 1- Washing the Evergreen (white)stock with black Weatherall. 2- A very light hand painted coat of Floquil old concrete. 3-A very diluted streaking of Tamiya brown. 4- And finally, a diluted coat of Tamiya wood. For good measure a coat of Weatherall black. Looks very convincing to my eyes.




Bob Pink.

Does it work well over PE decks? Idk if the pencil will stick to the brass, or if I should spray some matte finish before and after the pencil.
Working on my Bismarck, and really looking at all options before painting. Between the planks and the swastika banners, I'm sure this thing will give me a stroke before I'm 26.

Ah yes... the issue of wet decks. Darker is definitely a good way to go. Just a wash of darker oil like black or brown. I've experimented with gloss decks and am on the fence. Different sheens make for amazing photographs, but in life, well, it's debatable. If you do do some gloss it's got to be done with great care. In a rough sea, it's very logical to have reflective surfaces. YOu'd definitely see that from an airplane. extremely wet decks can be almost mirror like...but I mean WET. Real judgment call there.

i think it is also interesting to know that when the wooden deck is supposed to be wet (for diorama), the wood (teck mostly) look more dark and matt finish.

Remember that you're spraying the deck with Matte Medium before you paint it...so this really prevents any adhesion problems.

Awesome tip, and awesome models! Having said that, it it possible that a layer of pencil might lessen the adhesion of the following paint layers? Have you experienced any issues with peeling or flaking?

Thank you, I will have to try that and see how much the dry-brushing alters the underlying pencil. Why specifically oils as opposed to enamels though?

Hmm, after some thought I don't see a way to do the same thing, then brush paint on top. What you've been doing seems to be the best solution: Paint the deck one colour first, then go with some dry medium such as pencil and lightly shade the individual boards. A q-tip could be used to smudge them in a bit to get them to blend. Another possibility would be to do as you do and paint the decks one colour, then heavily pencil in the boards. Then take oil paint that is the same colour as the deck and lightly dry brush and buff a thin layer on top to set everything back and to mellow it out a bit.
That's what I'd try.

Chris,

I normally do this backwards, paint the deck then rub some planks with various shades of brown and grey pencil.

I want to give your technique a try but I am exclusively a brush painter. Do you have any suggestions for how to adapt your technique to brush paint a matte coat or tan deck paint over the pencil without having it run and smudge everywhere?

Thanks!

Dear Sargentx,

I'm following this forum for over 3 years now and you are the one of the few people who share their tips or techniques very in detail, (of cour many modelers here try to help, bu noly some of them has such details) therefore I appricate you a lot.

Thanks to the modelers like you, this hobby would improve and the results would be better and better in the coming years.

Also your effort in order to explain something is always high. For example here you just not write your technique but also show the pictures of it. (Also in your ocean technique)

Again thank you for your all of your efforts and helps.

This is a great idea, just what I needed to help make my CV decks look better!

Thanks

tiny brushes and an optivisor! I never mask anything but camouflage. I do the little fittings after the deck is done. I built a little bridge to rest my hand on and I just go slow and tiny.

Really nice technique, but how do you then get the deck fittings into the same color as the hull/superstructure without getting that color all over the painted deck. I’ve tried and no amount of masking or using tiny brushes seems to not get some paint onto the deck itself. Maybe it’s just my fat fingers and too much caffeine or beer

Bob

looks great man! thanks for sharing

Hello Sargentx ,

I applied you technique for my Kirishima deck (1/700). Worked perfectly! Thanks a lot!



I did small modification - after final layer of deck color dried I used yellow pencils - few different tones and slightly of white.

Greg

Deck colour:
I don't ever use pre-made colours. I mix my colours by eye and feel. Usually my deck colour consists of an earthy colour like a tan plus white, plus something to kill i a bit like black or raw umber (dull brown). It's different for different ships. I usually mix a colour that's pretty close in darkness/lightness/tone to the grey plastic. Even if you don't do a black wash on your boards before you start, the penciling works great. Finish off with a pin wash and it's done. It usually only takes me about an hour to do my decks, but they often elicit amazement at how time consuming they must have been!

Any pencil will do...just B.
If you hit your penciling with a matte finish, it will have tooth and will take your light dusting of airbrush perfectly. It works great.

Any make pencil you would use?