Parts are rolling off the painting line. I'm fairly happy with all the intermediate results and order of paints. It's a three-tone airbrushed scheme with the base color with bottom/top surfaces airbrushed in a darker/lighter tone. I made three jars premixed & diluted good for airbrushing without worrying about paint tone and consistency (have to stir properly though). You can dilute paints in the feeding cup but I've been unhappy with the change in consistency while airbrushing. I let the parts dry for at least 24 hours, no exceptions (anymore
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Then it's the artist oil's turn. The parts get a black pin wash and a white highlight when the wash is thoroughly dry. Next, I add shading and surface highlights with pure white and Payne's grey by adding spots of pure oils on the model and smearing it out it with a dry to damp flat brush. Afterwards some van Dyk brown is added to "key"" locations to simulate weathering and fouling. Perhaps I overdid that last stage a bit on this UP launcher but it is very small; this image is a brutal macro shot! I always apply the brush vertically for vertical surfaces, never horizontally.
All the surface detail really pops out without that glaring white halo of drybrushing. The depth of the colors is really nice but not as good as often seen with good figure painters. I've given up hope of reaching that level before Hood is done and this is a good exercise!
