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What is pre-shading and how do you do it?


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I've been seeing alot of talk about pre-shading. I think I know what the results of this technique are (worn looking panels?) but would like to know when and how to use this technique.

I don't own a airbrush at the moment, but should be getting one for this years christmas. And if anyone here can answer, please do it in 'simple' speak for me!! :) :cheers: :)

Cheers

Jake

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Preshading, as you know there, is the technique of shading panel lines and make subtle effects to panels to make them individual and worn.

Several methods exists, the most common being spraying (or you could brush) black paint over the panel lines. When you spray you get over spray and that is where the panel effects come in but with a brush and a steady hand, you can paint over the whole seam and surrounding panel in the same manner. Then you spray the main color with your airbrush, lightly at first, building up more color so the color is opaque where it needs to be and the black (or dark grey or brown base preshading) shows through. So generally, you spray more towards the middle of the panel and lightly at the edegs and seam where the preshading is.

Another method some of my friends use, which wastes paint in my opnion, is paint the whole model black and then spray like above, heavily at the center of panels and more lightly towards the edges and seams.

My method, because I am primarily loking for seam shading, leaving the weathering to pastels, is to fill in the seams with permanent ink. I use a Sharpie brand marker, fine tip on smaller scales regular on 32nd, to draw all the seams on the model. Then I spray as above.

As to how you can accomplish this without an airbrush I don't know. The secret is to be able to spray lightly and let the preshading show through the topcoat. You might have to get an airbrush before trying.

If it works, here is a link to a quickie page I made up to show my Corsair off to friends. Yes I know it's just wrong seeing a Corsair in USAAF colors but it was a speculative group build. It does show off the preshading with ink effect I use.

http://www.geocities.com/scifi58/beeson.htm

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Thank you for the welcome :lol: To be honest I've been lurking here for a while just haven't posted :cheers:

And secondly, scifi58, where do you find the time to build all of them models!? Amazing...

About the preshading. Couldn't you just use a lighter shade of your base colour and spray that lightly in the center of the panels?? I'm pretty sure it would make the same kind of effect...

Anyway, cheers for the quick replies.

Jake

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preshading is what women do to their face to have a better life.

post shading is what happens to that same face after the reality of life sinks in.

My, Rusty, you are quite the jaded cynic, aren't you???? :cheers:

Made my evening, you did.

:lol:

Jamie

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Just to add my $0.02 cents for what it's worth, I tried to pre-shading and to tell you the truth I have to jump on board with the nay-sayers about it. The technique really isn't realistic, it's more "artistic" - which is fine and dandy if you're into that sort of thing. But so many guys have posted photos of real aircraft and accentuated panel lines are the way to go in my books. But then again, I've seen opportunities to use pres-shading since, but not on panel lines.

Peace,

Randy

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preshading is what women do to their face to have a better life.

post shading is what happens to that same face after the reality of life sinks in.

:cheers::rofl: :lol:

And papasmurf, officially welcome to the ARC, hope you have fun and learn a thing or two.

I don't do preshading, not yet, I will try it sometime.

Cheers :lol:

Andy G

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preshading is what women do to their face to have a better life.

post shading is what happens to that same face after the reality of life sinks in.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

And papasmurf, officially welcome to the ARC, hope you have fun and learn a thing or two.

I don't do preshading, not yet, I will try it sometime.

Cheers :thumbsup:

Andy G

hi Papasmurf,

welcome aboards :) first of all

Andy, you'll see it's a really easy way to upgrade the painting effect, if you combine this method with some post-shading you can get a really nice camo effect.

here you'll find pics of a pre-shading and the effect just after painting. Let me give you a tip to get good results: use a thinned paint ( for enamel ) to 60 to 70% of thinner , and don't cover you model with paint in a single pass, I know when you do it for the first time it's looking horrible and you want to cover this ugly black paint , don't do it otherwise you'll loose the pre-shading effect. Just pass in multiple thin layers . The black paint will "disappear". When the shaded areas don't look black but a darker shade of your paint , it's all right.

Hope this help :beer4:

Luc

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I'm one of those old dinosaurs that think post/pre-shading on a model turns the finished product into a caricature of the real thing. Recently in FSM, there was a gallery of models that looked great as far as the build went but horribly wrong with shaded panel lines that were grotesque.

There was also a photo of, of all things, a Mosquito that had panel lines everywhere...and the Mossie has very few panels.

For the most part a very subtle panel line wash should be all that is needed if you must but since the IPMS USA craze of spraying the crap out of all panels hit the community, the whole thing has gotten out of hand.

I know that the USN Grey aircraft do get very grimmy on board, but I doubt that any crew chief would want his charge looking like some of the models seen lately.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

Barney http://www.barneysairforce.com

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I find the technique very interesting, but still prefer the cleaner look of lightened edges with oil washed panel lines.

I also have this 'thing' about liking to lay down an initial, very solid base /color coat.

I may just play with it a little on my current build of the 1/32 Flanker.

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Jake here's a pic of a Bf-110 I finished last year. Just a little subtle water color wash to highlite the panel lines, that's really all there is needed. I tend to agree with Barney and Rusty on this issue, but I have seen pics of real aircraft that looked preshaded in some areas of the aircraft but definetely not through out.

Cheers :cheers:

Andy G

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And you got that effect with just normal artists watercolour paints?? I thought you pros used oil paints or chalk pastels...

Just regular watercolors you can get for a Buck at Walmart. Now the rest of the weathering was done with chalk pastels, like the exhaust stains for instance. But make sure when you use chalk pastels you give the model a coat of flat varnish to seal the pastels.

It's all a matter of experimenting and learning from the guys here on the ARC like I have :bobby:

Cheers :taunt:

Andy G

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I personally Hate it when you're talking about Grey Colors... I've tried it on Gloss Sea Blue, RAF Sky, and RLM 70/71 Combos without any problems.... On greys I can never get it to look right... sooo

I use it in a lighter note, to be complemented with pastels and oil wash (I seem to not know what a CLEAN aircraft means)...

Hey, that's why I prefer WW2, Filthier and weathered they look better!!!

Take Care

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Well cheers for the tips guys, I have one major project I'm working on (Trump A10) and one smaller on (B24 1/48) so will expirement weathering on the B24. I like the idea of using preshading, sounds interesting and some of the effects are very nice looking, perhaps not accurate but definately add that 'wow' factor.

For things like exhaust staines I'll think I'll get some practise in with my airbrush and use that.

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