Painting models with acrylic paints. Learning to paint without an airbrush

30.06.2016

Painting models with an airbrush can be both auxiliary in the form of blowing the base, and performing detailing without using a brush. It is also possible to apply primer and varnish without excess dust and dirt with an “air brush”, this frees from smudges and uneven paint application, overspending of material, and also makes the work much finer and easier. Perhaps the main advantage of airbrushing is the creation of smooth color transitions.

If an advanced modeller goes further and does not stop at the level of blowing out the base with an airbrush, all chiaroscuro, highlights, dots and small details can be drawn with an airbrush. However, the accuracy of the tool in this case should be higher level. As well as the craftsmanship of the author.

Preparing the model for painting

As with any work with plastic or metal, the surface must first be prepared before painting:

matting - the formation of adhesion due to the application of the smallest sanding abrasives with a grain value of 1500 or 2000;
degreasing - before applying the pattern, it is required to degrease the surface using a universalanti-silicone cleaner And special wipes for degreasing , because possible touching the surface with your hands or other ways of getting fat on it;
priming - is applied after the surface has acquired an even matte shade without irregularities, possibly even in several layers.

Painting models with an airbrush - applying the base

The base is applied over the primer with repeated movements in layers with a thin spray. That is, with each wave of the hand, you need to press the airbrush trigger down, opening the way for the air flow and pressing the air valve, and then pull the lever towards you, letting the paint out.

If you just press the trigger once down and back and drive back and forth near the surface, the paint will lay down with air bubbles and bumps, forming a "shagreen". Therefore, when applying the base layer, you should not rush, it is better to work thinly and in layers. You can immediately place accents on chiaroscuro, based on the logic of where the light comes from, where the tone will be denser and darker.

Those areas that need to be painted in a different color and protected from possible dusting can be covered with masking tape or very thin vinyl contour tape.

Features of working with acrylic paints

When painting models with an airbrush, the quality of the paint, its hiding power, dispersion and other properties matter. Among the paints for modeling, enamels and water-acrylic paints stand out. Enamels have a number of advantages:

metallics look more realistic;
transparent enamels are able to create a candy effect, like on real cars, if the task requires it;
all enamels lay down and are fixed on a surface better, than acryle.

Model painting acrylic paints is overwhelming due to the fact that all the advantages of enamel are usually crossed out at home with a rather pungent smell. Having a wide palette in the rulers, with a water-acrylic ruler, there may be problems with breeding for beginners in modeling. Especially with a small stroke of the trigger on the needle, acrylic particles quickly harden and quickly clog the nozzle, so it is better to dilute the paint to the state of "milk". As a thinner, you can use vodka or branded thinner from the manufacturer (airbrush thinner). If, after thinning, the paint continues to clog thin nozzles with a diameter of 0.15-0.2 mm, a retarder medium can help.

When choosing the right airbrush, you can rely on the following rule:

0.15-0.3 mm - airbrush drawing of camouflage and other subtleties using the "free" hand method;
0.35-0.5 mm - applying the base layer, priming and varnishing the model. Because an airbrush with a narrower nozzle is extremely inconvenient to breed primers and varnishes, which are always thicker in consistency.

The problem of density and possible sticking on the needle is especially relevant when painting models with acrylic paints. And when breeding, they can lose their original qualities. Also, the soil may turn out to be coarse-grained, forming a hard-to-wash film on a thin diameter.

After painting the models with an airbrush and completing work with acrylic rulers, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the tool with the same vodka or alcohol, if the case is already running and there are old particles of dried paint left, flushing liquid will help soak and wash them clean.

If, after the stage of painting models, the airbrush is clogged, disassembly video to the last bolt will save from possible breakage of spare parts. Although it is better not to bring it to a major blockage and purge the tool immediately after work with alcohol or washing.

Painting a tank with an airbrush

It is almost impossible to get a uniformly painted surface of a model with a brush or a sponge, the level can go off scale for such work. Some paints can be applied exclusively by airbrush. Camouflage stripes on the tank are drawn at a small pressure from 1.2 to 1.4 bar. The thinner you need to create a line, the less you need to press the trigger of the airbrush and draw closer to the surface, with a thickness of hair, you can even remove the protective cap of the needle from the airbrush, making the drawing using the “open” needle method. It is better to keep the airbrush nozzle normal to the surface so that the edges of the camouflage are not created too blurry. When painting a tank model with an airbrush, the tool cannot be kept in one place near the surface, it is better to make movements along the contour of the model.

As a rule, the annotations to the model indicate the exact colors with paint numbers for each manufacturer. You can rely on this by choosing desired colors or just pick up similar analogues and color them.

The law of aerial perspective - based on the scaling of the model: objects that are quite far away are as if clarified by the thickness of the air, as if they are under a blue light filter. We multiply the number of meters through which we observe the model and see it in its entirety by the scale. On the resulting% highlight all the colors.

Washes, special effects, decals and other tricks of modeling

You can show additional volume with the help of the correct toning of the model, i.e. emphasizing the relief and texture of the surface by darkening the recesses and highlighting the upper parts with highlights. washes - These are liquid diluted paints with a reduced content of pigment, which flow into depressions and cracks. When the wash dries, the excess is removed cotton pad. It is important to pay attention to chemical composition remover, which may contain solvents and attack the acrylic painted surface layer.

Dry brush method- light pigment or slow drying paint is rubbed into the base coat in the lightest areas. The brush should carry a minimum coloring effect, so it should be wiped dry initially.

Decals- a technique for applying decals, most often used to transfer symbols or paraphernalia in various branches of the military in modeling. The decal may look whitish due to air bubbles remaining between the decal and model. Most often this occurs when blowing the model with matte varnish. Therefore, there is a reason to cover the places reserved for decals separately with a glossy varnish. General leveling can be done by blowing the surface with a final coat of matte varnish.

Dirt and drip effects

The tank, being part of military equipment, is subject to the effect of corrosion, is constantly in the dirt and oil drips. Over time, the effect of "weathering" of paint from the surface occurs.

Painting a tank model with an airbrush step by step:

covering the tank model with the main color;
highlighting the most rubbing surfaces of the model using paint a few tones lighter than the base;
in life, after a short operation, a dark film of dirt and smudges forms around the most protruding moments on the details of the tank, which accumulates in all the recesses of the model. You need to realistically reproduce these moments, which will help black wash. Also, with the help of it, it will be possible to level the dark and light transitions. Black wash highlights small details of the tank - welds, bolts and rivets, etc.;
Surface Gloss - Gloss makes protruding parts even more protruding and makes the surface look like painted steel instead of plastic. You can add a glossy varnish to the paint mixture, or blow it over the paint;
The lower part of the tank's hull can be covered with a simulated earth effect.

Weathering -effect that gives any military equipment more realism. With the right performance, it helps to hide the "jambs" of painting, with inept handling or overdoing it spoils appearance work and nullifies the result of the first stages of color. Also weathering focuses on the small details of the model. To give realism during weathering, the modeler must reproduce for himself the conditions in which the equipment was located (climatic and natural corrosion, historical and military).

Weathering steps:

imitation of scratches and chips on the surface -manual application of wear with a piece of sprue with a slight bend at the tip. Then paint is applied to all faces and corners of the models, preferably on oil based. The number and depth of scratches and chips depends on the background of the tank model, based on the historical context or personally invented theme. However, the scratched fenders should be much stronger than the top of the hull and turret of the tank. For more realism, in addition to the edges, you can scratch lightly, as a continuation of the traces, and the surface nearby. It is better not to forget about the scratches inflicted along the hull, fenders, which appear from the passage of obstacles and blockages by the tank. At the end of this stage, after thorough drying, you can walk with a black slate pencil through the center of scratches and cracks, but selectively, and not all over.
imitation of dirt and dust -many modellers usually just take filtered earth, moss and earth toned water-acrylic paints, mix in PVA and water and apply to the model. This is followed by a day-long drying. It is most logical to apply dirt to the bottom of the hull and caterpillar elements. The main thing is not to overdo it.
flush -the wash applied in several layers helps to achieve a more realistic effect. The model is covered with a wash with a brush in a thin layer. The movements of the brush go in one direction: on vertical and inclined ones - from top to bottom, on horizontal ones - from the center to the edge. After applying the first layer of wash, you can take a wider brush and work on flat surfaces, and not just flow into depressions and cavities. After a short drying time of 10-15 minutes, you can remove excess wash with a brush. You can also complete this step with a third layer at the bottom of the case.
osv decay e- brush bristles with value No. 00 cut off, then paint is applied to it in the color of light earth, then wiped with a napkin. And using the “dry” brush method, walk along the lower part of the case.
fresh dirt and track installation.

In fact, the first model is usually not painted, so we go straight to the second step in the development of the modeler - by the time he first thought that a pile of "naked" plastic, decorated with "decals", is somehow not very beautiful ...

Part 1. Essentials

The very first thing a modeler needs to start finishing models is money. Much money. So much money. Regardless of what and in what ways you will paint, you need the following things:

1. Actually, the paints themselves (or enamels)

Paint is something that cannot be dissolved or washed off with something just like that. The ceilings in the apartment, for example, are being painted water-based paints, dilute them with water, and after drying, you will wipe off their figs. Enamels - they can be washed off, and easily, with their own solvent. An example is watercolor paints, dissolve with water, and then wash off with water. Models are painted with both, you can not get hung up on this for now; later in the article they will be, both of them, just “paints”, but if necessary, they will be highlighted.

On various forums, you can find fierce debates “which paints are better”, strong arguments are given, sometimes it will come to a fight ... Do not get involved in such discussions - firstly, if you have not worked with this, then your subjective opinion is only “ will add fuel to the fire”, and secondly, “every cricket praises his hearth”, and each modeler works with those paints and varnishes that he could get and which he managed to get used to.

So what paint should you choose?

If you have a family Small child, then nitro paints will not suit you - they have a very pungent smell. In this case, you should pay attention to a number of water-based or acrylic paints. If you see the inscription “Diluted with water” or “Diluted with alcohol” on a paint bottle, know that these are your paints. If you have an extractor hood and everyone is calm about the smell of the solvent, then you can choose nitro-paints - they are easier to use, but they are worse washed off your hands. It is also easy to “burn through” transparent parts with nitro paints and ruin plastic. Both cost about the same.

For painting almost all models, the following paints are required:

White
Black
Silver

The remaining paints required for a particular model can be purchased gradually, as needed. Remember, never mix paints different manufacturers or paints on a different basis (nitro and water, for example) to obtain the desired color, the paints may deteriorate!

As a rule, one jar is enough for 2-3 models (if airbrushed) and 1 model for painting with a brush, or 8-10 sets of soldiers. At the same time, the model is average, such as an aircraft on a scale of 1:72, or a tank or soldiers on a scale of 1:35. There are also special paints for the airbrush, very liquid, but it’s better not to buy them yet - they are not suitable for a brush; in jars, the paint is universal. Hence the difference in paint consumption - when using an airbrush, the paint is diluted, it "gets bigger" and is enough for large quantity models.

2. Ground

This is a liquid applied to the model, which prevents the paint from falling off the model after drying. For nitro paints and water-based paints, the primers are different, and they cannot be changed.

There is one more nuance. If, when painting with a brush, you put nitro paint on plastic, then it slightly dissolves this plastic, “bites in”, and the primer is not really needed; then when painting with water-soluble paints, a primer is always necessary - water does not dissolve plastic, and the paint will collect on the surface with droplets. This phenomenon is called " adhesion", i.e. simplistically "wettability", or the ability of something to spread evenly over any surface. If you don’t believe me, then try plain water to evenly “paint the plastic”. When painting with an airbrush, a primer is always necessary, regardless of the type of paint - the paint falls on the surface already "at the end" in small portions, and it simply does not have enough strength to normally "eat" the plastic and "stick" to it.

3. Varnish

Varnish is necessary so that your model will please your eyes for a long time, and you could easily, for example, after a holiday and a public show of your achievements, go and wash the model under the tap without fear of ruining the decals (decals) and paint. Varnishes are also nitro- and water-soluble. If you painted with nitro paints, then the varnish can be nitro or acrylic (water or alcohol soluble); if you painted with water-soluble paints, then nitrolac can ruin everything, the surface will “swell up” and “rise”. In addition, when using water-soluble acrylic paints, almost every layer should be varnished with varnish - these paints are extremely delicate. Usually companies that produce water-soluble paints also produce varnishes for these paints, so be sure to buy.

Primer, varnish and paint are also sold in aerosol cans. You can buy for both models and cars - as long as the color matches. They do not need a solvent, they are already divorced. But this is for extreme people with a big wallet - an expense paintwork material large, and in the apartment, in addition to the model, you will paint everything that will be located "in the line of fire" of the can.

4. Solvent

Everything is simple here - take what is written on the paint. At the initial stage, this will save you from unnecessary hassle. Later, when you have experience and a bunch of unnecessary paint cans, you can start experimenting, buying "third-party" solvents, etc. As well as for varnishes, manufacturers must also produce a solvent (sometimes called a thinner) for their paints. If it says “Diluted with water”, then you can safely dilute it with boiled, and preferably distilled, if you get it. It is not recommended to dilute raw from a tap or a spring, after all, there are a lot of all sorts of salts, minerals, etc.

5. Wash

Unlike the wash used by modellers in the sense of “aging the model”, technical wash is a liquid that is used to wash brushes, tools, hands, furniture, etc. etc. after painting. As a wash, you can use the same solvent with which you diluted the paint, or you can buy a special one. If you painted with enamels, then you can wash it off with a solvent, and if you painted with paints, then it is better to use a special wash. It is better to wash the tool immediately after work is completed, otherwise you will be tormented to clean off the dried paint later.

6. Container

As a rule, the paints in the jar are thick, and these jars are sold filled "to the eyeballs". To work with a brush, paint can be dripped into beer or vodka caps, solvent can be dripped there, mixed and painted with this. After painting, you don’t need to throw away the cap - firstly, you will accumulate a palette over time, according to which you can select the right shade for a particular model.

Secondly, in this cap you can dilute the same paint again (if you try to dilute another, they can mix up and get a different shade), and thirdly, if you painted with enamel and you happen to accidentally scratch the old model and paint no, you can try to dilute what is left in the lid and “cover it up” with this. I also recommend that you go to the pharmacy or walk around your house and ask the old women for glass medicine vials. Rest assured, they will be immensely happy if you offer them a monetary reward for each bottle. For you, who buys paint (and one jar costs at least two loaves of bread), it will not be expensive at all, and for them, in modern world, will be very necessary. If you are shy, then go to the pharmacy and buy the cheapest medicines in the required container. At the moment, for the price of one can of paint, you can buy a dozen vials of Naphthyzin.

Part 2. Choosing a coloring method

The vast majority of modellers can be divided into two opposing camps - those who paint with a brush and those who paint with an airbrush. We will not go into such heated discussions about who is stronger - an elephant or a whale, but let's try to figure out how they differ and what we need.

Now it doesn’t matter to us how we will paint - the main thing for us is to get beautiful model so that next time they don’t tell us “You’re doing daub again.” For the first time, buy a model that practically does not need to be painted - the kit comes with multi-colored plastic. Manufacturers who produce models of cars and ships especially like to indulge in this. If you see a large, beautiful, non-Russian box with a typewriter or a sailing boat, then most likely there is multi-colored plastic, although it is better to consult with the seller. You just have to glue it and slightly tint it with a brush to heighten the effect. But you can say "I painted!" and continue their difficult path in further improving the finishing of models.

Done? Have you received the consent of your family (mothers, fathers, wives, children, etc.) to continue the experiments? We move on - we buy a model that needs to be painted EVERYTHING. FROM and TO.

When painting large surfaces, it is already worth considering - to paint with a brush or an airbrush? The first way is cheaper and more accessible; but the second one is prettier, faster and more expensive. When painting with brushes, you only need brushes, and when painting with an airbrush, you need an airbrush and an air compressor. Take a sheet of glass and try to paint it with a brush so that it is even, without bumps and streaks. Happened? Then you don't need an airbrush, keep up the good work. If it doesn't work, try again. Doesn't work even after the tenth time? You are hopeless, you will have to buy an airbrush ... Or aerosol cans, for the first time.

Have you chosen what color to paint? If with a brush, then buy brushes, all kinds and different, tasty and sweet, squirrel and kolinsky, large and small, round and flat ... If with a spray can, buy the right colors. If airbrush - then airbrush and compressor. In the last two cases, you will also need a hood. Although the prices of the last two methods will be equal by the end of the first year, and in the future the airbrush will start to get cheaper.

Part 3. Assembling the model for painting

First, carefully review the assembly instructions. As a rule, it is compiled in such a way that the model remains unfinished after assembly. How? It's very simple - after gluing the last piece you can't paint in most places.

Therefore, we CAREFULLY study every detail and evaluate where we can climb after gluing, and where we cannot. If we can, then we glue it, if not, then we paint it first, and then we glue it.
For figures, you can glue everything except weapons, for armored vehicles - everything except wheels, caterpillars, boxes, shovels, crowbars, etc .; we also glue and paint the cabin first. As a rule, after gluing the body, it is no longer possible to reach the steering wheel, seats and pedals with a brush. For models aircraft there is no need to glue weapons, landing gear, antennas - they are painted separately from the fuselage, wings, etc. Choose the time for painting the cabin to the best of your ability: you can paint separately and carefully insert - paint separately.

Each model is individual, so be guided by your experience, ingenuity and luck - you can always tear it off and redo it, there can be no unambiguous recommendations here. But if you are afraid to spoil everything, it is better to buy two identical models, train on the first one, and do the second one already focusing on the mistakes of the first one.

Part 4. Finishing the model.

There is a certain sequence that should be followed if you want to get a beautiful model.

1. Surface preparation

It is well known that paint adheres better on a rough surface than on a polished one. However, a rough surface on a small model significantly degrades its appearance. Therefore, before applying the first layer of paintwork material, the model should be made as smooth as possible, and we will achieve the reliability of the coating in another tricky way, which we will discuss below.

Most modellers smooth the model with sandpaper. If you buy the skin not in model stores, then take M40 and smaller. If in model stores, then they will offer you a ready-made set of skins there, it is more expensive, but there is less headache. Take the skin, soak it in water and rub the model until you erase the glue seams and glue-stained parts to such an extent that they are not noticeable to the touch.

The skin should be changed from time to time to a smaller one until you have skinned the smallest model you have. If the model has a lot of protruding small parts, such as rivets, imitation of the joints of skin sheets, etc., then you will suffer for a long time. This is not scary - do not hesitate to admit that you have been sanding one model for half a year. Firstly, it will emphasize your patience, and secondly, it will emphasize that you are thoughtful about modeling, and not a fluff. In the future, you will find a lot of good things in yourself, and your family will be immensely happy that you don’t drink away your salary, don’t hang around at night, don’t cheat on your wife or just your girlfriend (once simple), and you grow golden hands. Or at least they pretend...

After you have sanded everything, the details of the model must be planted somewhere (usually called a mandrel) so as not to paint your hands, and after painting, do not hold the details until dry. Very rarely, the sprues of a model are designed in such a way that you can paint parts without cutting them off the sprues, so everything that your eye falls on can be used - toothpicks, the same sprues from models, ice cream sticks, etc. It is necessary to glue the part to these mandrels in the place where it will then be glued to the model. After that, the mandrel must be stuck somewhere so that the part does not touch anything. For the first time, you can put the mandrel on the edge of the table and press it with a book, and for the future, come up with a board with a bunch of holes into which you will insert the mandrels, like pencils in a cup of a desktop writing instrument.

Planted? Everything, the details can no longer be touched by hands.

2. Degreasing

In order for paintwork materials to hold better, the model must be degreased. You can use everything that comes to hand - soap, fairies, gasoline ... Everything that dissolves fat. It is best, of course, to degrease with a thin layer of alcohol, but where can you get so much of it? Don't know how to degrease with alcohol? Take a sip, breathe on the cotton wool, and with this cotton wool, in a thin layer, wipe the model. Yes, it's a pity that the alcohol quickly ran out, and the model is not even half fat-free ...

Well, after degreasing, you need to remove all traces of the degreaser - if alcohol or gasoline, then it will dry itself, and if soap, fairies or some other kitchen chemicals, then you need to rinse the model under running water and put it to dry. The main thing - do not touch the model with your hands. If you see a mote or hair, brush it off with a fat-free brush.

3. Primary priming

In fact, the need for priming has already been said, but it’s better to repeat: “A primer is such a liquid applied to a model that prevents the paint from falling off this model after drying.” If you don't want to prime, please don't. Just conduct an experiment - apply primer on a piece of sprue from this model, let it dry, and then paint the sprue covered with primer and not coated at the same time. Let the paint dry, and then try scratching it with your fingernail. If there is a difference, then do what is best. If there is no difference, then it may be true, the primer on this model, for this paint, with this method of applying paintwork material, is redundant.

Apply protective covering into transparent parts. As a rule, masking tape is like this. The protective coating will come off after the final varnishing, (or the last coat of paint if you don't want to varnish it). After that, evenly apply primer to the model. If you planted a drop of soil, do not wash it, but wait for it to dry and proceed to the next step.

4. Intermediate grinding

If you are not satisfied with the smoothness of the surface after priming, then intermediate sanding is your chance to fix it. Take the finest sandpaper you have and grind the soil. At this stage, the shortcomings made during the preparation of the surface for applying the primer are already becoming noticeable. If you have a drip from the ground- We also grind it. If you got carried away and sanded the soil down to plastic, then the priming operation in this place will have to be repeated.

5. Final priming

If you used intermediate grinding, then you just need to perform this operation. Firstly, with its help, you finally cover the entire surface, and secondly, you finally make sure that the evenness of the surface satisfies you (at this stage, you kind of imitate the application of paint). If the surface does not satisfy you (skin marks are visible), then either you sanded with a very coarse sandpaper, or you missed something during intermediate sanding. Troubleshooting - Repeat steps 4 and 5 again, reducing the grain size of the skin and increasing the duration of the sanding process.

6. Applying the main tone

Look carefully at the paint scheme and figure out which color zones are larger (by area). This will be the main tone. The exception is bright hues- yellow, silver, red, blue, light grey, etc. If the main tone is light, then it is best to paint the entire model with white paint first (on it light colors look brighter), and only then apply the main tone. The main tone can be painted over the entire model, provided that it is not red. It is not worth blowing out the model in one go, it is better to apply several thin layers. If you work with water-soluble acrylic paints, then after applying the last layer, you should cover the model with a colorless varnish.

At this stage, the risks from the skin become even more noticeable. If you do not want to see them, repeat steps 4 and 6. If at the same time you again sanded the paint and primer to the plastic, then you must follow steps 4, 5, 6; at the same time, point 5 is not performed on the entire model, but only in those places where you have reached the plastic.

7. Applying camouflage

Careless movement of the brush or airbrush can spoil the whole appearance of the model, so be careful about this operation. In general, each modeler applies camouflage in his own way, but there are a few rules that everyone adheres to. Here they are: light tones are applied first, then dark ones; non-working (not painted) areas are covered with masks (anything - from a piece of paper and adhesive tape to all sorts of special fluids). Also, as when applying the main tone, it is not worth painting the model in one go, it is better to apply several thin layers. If you work with water-soluble acrylic paints, then after applying the last layer, you should cover the model with a colorless varnish. If the camouflage is multi-color, then varnish should be varnished after each application of color.

8. Finishing

Here you can do what you want - assemble the model, apply decals, age, wash off ... There are no strict recommendations at this stage - every man for himself, everyone builds what he wants and how he can. Sometimes it's more convenient to apply decals and then glue, and sometimes glue and then apply decals. Only now it is best to age after - in order to age both the model and the decal at the same time.

The main thing - if you apply varnish after all this, then do not remove the masks (protective coating) from the transparent parts. Otherwise, transparency may be lost from varnish, especially if it is nitrolac. Although matte varnish on glass is also not good enough ...

Part 5. Conclusion

If you carefully read the entire article - you can do modeling! The most important thing is patience, and the rest will follow. Modeling - it is so, it takes a lot of time ...

In contact with

Foreword
In general, I started writing this text even before I finally formed a more or less accurate opinion about the various paints and how to apply them to the model. Therefore, at first there will be a little verbiage, which is also desirable to read, since there is a little instructive in it.

So, at the end of 2013, having become interested in modeling, and realizing that I just don’t want to buy an airbrush yet, but I want (with a little masochism) to try to learn how to paint without it, I just went to the World of Models store, bought what there was, namely enamels "Tamiya". And then in "Stationery" I took chinese set of 10 brushes for 65 rubles, and set to work. Of course, before that, for a start, I tried to read something ... But it seemed to me that everything was so simple that it was not worth even bothering with collecting information on the issue of interest to me.
In short, I started to paint and I didn’t succeed. In a sense, absolutely.
This discouraged me. But not so much.

small digression
The fact is that in my childhood many people told me that I can draw, and I should definitely go to art school to study. But I didn't want to go to art. It was enough for me that I could draw a female figure with a simple pencil (simplified and without obvious naturalism), well, something else ... according to the mood ... The whole point here is that I only drew with a pencil. Simple. Because I've never been able to do anything with paint. And here life again pushed me with colors ...

Realizing that I was doing something wrong, I decided to read more.
And if you think that the Internet is filled to capacity with information about the technique of painting with a brush, then you are deeply mistaken.
Basically, all answers to questions from the series "how to learn to paint with a brush?" have one meaning - "what the hell is this for you, better buy an airbrush!". True, some interlocutors recalled legends about certain Masters of the brush, who painted with brushes better than with an airbrush, but this was usually the end of the matter.

Nevertheless, I got myself a notebook, where I began to write down all the interesting little things and subtleties of modeling, including about the methods and techniques of painting with a brush. The subtracted methods from different authors sometimes differed dramatically, and only then I realized that real painting with a brush is not just "painting with a brush"! This is a process with a lot of subtleties and nuances, and even somewhere - art.

And then one day, in search of a video of painting with a brush (by the way, absolutely unsuccessful), I came across a video of painting with an ordinary kitchen sponge. This inspired me. And it didn’t matter that the author of the video lesson was painting the tank! (by the way, I used to build airplanes, and this, as you understand, is a little different) It was a chance to start painting without having to suffer with mastering these sticks with a bunch of hair at the end (i.e. brushes)!

I want to say that another ambush awaited me on my way, which is better to say right away.
This ambush is IMPATIENCE.
Without waiting for the applied layer of paint to dry, I began to put the next layer, and immediately spoiled the previous one. And here it absolutely does not matter what to paint and how ... If you did not withstand the necessary time (for drying or polymerization) for a certain paint and application method, most likely you will have to start all over again.
Why do you think I'm writing this? Yes, in order to somehow occupy yourself while the next layer of paint dries on the model!

In general, after the first layer applied with a sponge, I liked it (sponge). Most importantly, there were no terrible stripes and hair left from her, like from a brush. But she had other flaws. The main drawback, which will interfere even when you get your hands full in stuffing paint with a sponge, is the great difficulty in painting over small cones and other places where the sponge simply does not crawl through. Well, and some "roughness" of the applied layer, even with well-diluted paint.
It was this "roughness" that prompted me to try using a softer and less "pumpy" sponge instead of a sponge (which women use to apply cosmetics). But he also turned out to have his drawbacks - he either immediately becomes clogged with paint and ceases to be a "sponge", or, under certain conditions, he begins to "stick" to the surface and drag already dried paint along with him. In this case, the result is terrible, especially if it happened on last layers or on exterior-important surfaces.

Having at the very beginning of my journey a very small assortment of types and manufacturers of paints, I tried to paint the first two models (LaGG-3 and R-39) "manually" (with a brush and sponge) with Tamiya enamels (TAMIYA). And although I still like these models, I confess that they are painted terribly.

Then I found and read a wonderful article "The ABC of Acrylic"(Walt Fink) Fine Scale Magazin 09 2001) after which he practiced painting with acrylic quite fruitfully different ways and with different diluents (The article itself can be read or downloaded at PDF format by this link). I used acrylic paints from the same Tamiya. Trainings were held on another "cat", which never became a model - on the "Hurricane" in the 48th scale from the notorious firm "ARK". All these experiments were described by me here in LJ in "Learning to paint without an airbrush. Acrylic "Tamiya" (TAMIYA). First experience." (link to PDF file).

But despite the experience gained, I again failed to paint the next model (Yak-1) normally.
Although I painted it in the most successful (judging by the experiments) way.

After that, I again sat down at the textbooks ... I began to search the Web for information about painting with a brush.
And the search was successful - a wonderful article was found "Ours to you with a brush", written by Maxim Bylkin and published in the magazine "M-Hobby" (link to PDF). And I was inspired again - here it is! Deciding to immediately try the recommendations received, I again went to buy paint (which I still had plenty of by this time). This time it was REVELL enamel. I started to paint another "cat" (P-40 "Tomahawk") in the way read in the article, and again nothing worked out for me.
No, something came out better than Tamiya enamels, but it was still bad ... Now I understand that Revell enamels take a very long time to dry (even a day for one layer will not be enough), and the main problems are me were because of this.

At the same time, I was building the Foca (FW-190A), which I tried to paint in the same way as the Tomahawk, but with Tamiya enamel.
After five coats of paint, I erased everything, and "after consulting with my comrades" I began to repaint the Foca with acrylic, trying to combine everything that I had read before in the painting style.
"And then I got flooded!" (from)
Although when painting, I continued to mow, but this no longer applied to the method of painting, but to my crooked hands.

Therefore, at this stage of my research, I was able to shout like Cat Matroskin - "It worked !!!" - and started honing my skills...

And now I’ll write what, in fact, all this was written for - my humble opinion on how to paint models without an airbrush. Moreover, this article deals exclusively with the application technology base color. Everything else - motling, obgading, aging and other perversions - is a completely different story...

So let's go!

Below I offer you a variant of the technology of painting the surface of the model using brushes, which I came up with a long trial and error described above, and which I use now.

I want to clarify right away what to apply base color I use exclusively Acrylic paints and varnishes of the company "Tamiya" ("Tamiya"). And as a diluent, I have chosen and still use ordinary vodka (the cheapest).

Separately, I want to say about the brushes ...
I use mostly flat, synthetic brushes. Their size, depending on the surface, ranges from No. 2 to No. 8. And for applying varnish - up to No. 16. I also note that it is better to buy brushes in specialized stores, since a cheap brush will ruin all your work, no matter how you tried. I buy brushes in the Leonardo store from Gamma (Gallery series), Mr.Painter and Colonsky sable. Or other good manufacturers.

Well, actually a bit of technology ...

1. I apply layers of acrylic on vodka with a fairly short interval - sometimes less than a minute.
This is possible due to the properties of the thinner - vodka evaporates quickly, and as soon as the paint stops shining, you can safely paint the next layer. Moreover, it is better to do this with a semi-dry brush and, as it were, shading the areas that have not yet dried up. Note: At the same time, the paint should be quite liquid - I mix at least (!) Three parts of vodka into one part of the paint. But more often I breed even thinner - 1:5. I do not count the layers and their number is determined visually by the quality of the resulting coating. If the paint is diluted quite liquidly and is transparent in itself (for example, white), then there can be 10-15 layers ... And if the paint is diluted a little thicker, and its hiding power is good (for example, silver), then there can be layers 2-3.

2. If the varnish with which the paint will be coated is also acrylic, then it is better to apply it (also with a brush) minimum in a day. Otherwise, there is a high probability of lubricating paint that has not yet dried completely. I dilute the varnish in the same way as the paint, but after application I don’t shade it, but let it dry on its own.

3. Felt the acrylic paint (which I sometimes do to determine the quality of the paint and correct some small defects coating) can be already somewhere in 15-20 minutes after applying the layer. I usually felt the surface somewhere in the middle of work, and, if necessary, at the end of painting.

ATTENTION!
1. Acrylic paint from "Tamiya" is washed off with soapy water ( !!! ) And very good! Therefore, before applying varnish (preferably enamel), no water procedures. Otherwise, you will have to paint everything again.
2. All of the above is written based on my personal experience and skills. And if something suddenly didn’t work out for you, you don’t need to assume that I deceived you somewhere.

GOOD LUCK!!!

P.S. You can see almost all of my works (painted exclusively with brushes) on the Karopka.ru project by going to my page here at this

You will need

- model
- paint (preferably enamel)
- containers for dilution of paint (if required)
- a set of brushes (cylinders with spray paint or airbrush)
- spacious, ventilated, well-lit room
- solvent and a small piece of cloth
- oilcloth to cover the work surface

Instruction

Choose a coloring method. There are several of them: with a brush, or with an airbrush. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and can be used by both experienced modellers and beginners.

The main advantage of painting with a brush is that the modeler's paraphernalia is quite cheap (although branded brushes, which usually cost). However, this method remains the most cost-effective compared to others. Another plus is simplicity. Having settled on this option, select the appropriate brush. Artistic ones with numbers 00, 01, 02 may be suitable, thick ones (03, 04, 06) are less commonly used to coat bulky parts with varnish, apply imitation of dirt, dust, etc. ("aging" of the model by applying traces of operation, i.e. smudges of dirt, road dust, rust, scratches, weathering). Before the process, it is desirable to wash the surface with detergent or treat sandpaper. The fact is that the paint practically does not fall on too smooth plastic. Therefore, you need to create a layer for which it will cling. Painting is usually carried out at least two times. It is necessary to keep the model or its parts in a previously prepared holder. It is better to dry the painted parts according to the instructions attached to the paint. Drying may take up to a day. Well varnished model.

Painting with spray paint cans also has a number of advantages and disadvantages. The first is that this method takes little time and is quite convenient, and drying can take about 20 minutes. The main negative point is the high consumption of paint. Also, the balloon in the process must be kept at a strictly defined distance from the model. Otherwise, the jet will not reach the surface (underpainted), or simply flood it, forming smudges.

Another way to implement the plan is to use an airbrush. This is a device that allows you to spray paint with a very fine jet under pressure. The size of the jet is adjustable. The range of its sizes is quite large. You can create either a cloud or almost a brush. And in any case, the paint will lie so evenly that the smallest errors on the surface will be visible, which, to some extent, refers to the disadvantages of this type of painting. This means that the modeler must prepare very carefully: deepen the cracks, putty and grind the joints. The high price of the equipment itself is also not the most pleasant moment. In this case, after each painting, it is necessary to disassemble and rinse the airbrush with a solvent, then dry it. The painting itself takes a minimum of time, and the preparatory and final (washing, equipment cleaning) stages take a significant part of it. In this way, this method suitable for non-lazy modellers.

Having chosen the most optimal option for you, you can proceed directly to work. The venue should be well ventilated, spacious enough and brightly lit. Keep solvent and a small piece of cloth handy to remove stains from hands, surrounding objects, and parts if necessary. Cover the surface to be painted with oilcloth or newspaper. It is advisable to have containers for diluting paint. After completing the process, leave the model to dry. And wash the brushes or airbrush parts thoroughly with a solvent.

This section describes the technology for solving the problem, in the form of a representation of the sequence of solving the problem by specific procedures, actions, techniques in the selected software environment. Technology takes the form of instruction.

Painting the model from scratch

+ modulation

OOO Nash Gorod RU, Tyumen

Greetings dear colleagues! Starting this topic, in principle, I know what I would like to show you. I took for experiments a model from Zvezda, set No. 3535 tank T-34/76 model 1942. Collected it without any frills, this old kind word"out of the box", that is, completely rested. There was no goal to make a copy tank (it is intended for a gift), even the caterpillars left these terrible rubber bands, what you see, after painting, they will still be pulled up to the rollers. Well, shoot me, I don’t know and don’t understand how someone paints this together with an assembled tank. So, the tracks will still be painted separately. Oh, yes, I still can’t stand undrilled trunks and “glushaks”, I drilled them. I also made one handle on the transmission hatch. For some reason, he looked lazily at the schemes of such tanks. That's it, my finishing touches are over. By color: I will paint, as expected, you can even name the fashionable word “preshading (preshading)”, and color MODULATION (color volume). No matter how you call it, the model should already look voluminous during the preliminary painting, and rightly so. Since the following damage and washes will not hide the main volume, but only improve the visible.

Preshading- a coloring method that allows you to get rid of the general monotony of the paint, add color nuances and give expressiveness and realism to the color of the model.

Dark (black, black-brown, etc.) paint is applied to the primed model with an airbrush along the panel lines, panel joints, hatches, etc., then, in the process of painting in camouflage colors, the dark bottom layer looks through the main colors and creates the effect heterogeneous coverage. Some places (joint, panels) are darker, others (between seams and joints, inside the perimeter of joint panels) are lighter.

The main condition is that the layer of paint with camouflage on top of the dark preshading should be as thin as possible and not too opaque, otherwise the lower dark layer will be completely painted over and the effect of a heterogeneous surface will disappear. The technology is best manifested when painting with acrylic paints, as they are more translucent than enamels and nitro.

Some modellers believe that the use of strong preshading spoils the model (it looks "in the box"), preferring a more technically complex postshading, with active use of filters.

The barrel was taken from the "Drgonovskaya" model.

I chose these paints for painting the model, acrylic star:

The first step, the primer, make it usually dark, I took a mixture of acrylic paints for it, (I think Tamiya). Any one will fit here dark shade, greenish, brownish, the main thing is that there should be 60-80% black. The model is fully inflated from top to bottom. The only thing is that the tracks are painted separately, also with a mixture of brown paints, I always paint the tracks this way, and I never use black or silver. The combs of the caterpillars paint the current with dull silver.

I compared paints with the same characteristics, "Akan" and "Star" - the result:

I had to lighten the star a little, and this is necessary.

I mixed the paints, the star is thick paint, you need to dilute it to liquid state used alcohol and water.

With a dark first layer can be compared in the picture.

I applied the paint of the main color at a right angle, here it is simply necessary not to fill in the corners, so I painted the rollers:

As for the pouring, I marked with an arrow the places of side blowing, i.e., the paint stream only glided over the surface, due to the fact that acrylic paint lays more transparently than enamel, a shade of blackout is clearly visible. I also applied the “vertical blowing effect” along the sides, in places where there may be blackouts, these are air intakes, etc. Places under the fenders can generally be ignored, of course, if you paint with rollers. The bottom may or may not be painted.

With the third layer, I used paints:

Before proceeding to the next layer, you need to think about where exactly you need to apply lightening. The important rule here is that the higher the detail on the tank, the lighter it should be, the artistic look, light and shadow come into force. It must be remembered that the horizontal planes should be lighter than the side ones. Selection of corners, if you look at the model, it should be voluminous. It is simply impossible to do without the use of masks, it is very important to accurately apply the tape to the corners.

rollers need to be blown out in only one direction, the lateral top. And only the central part.

You can continue, lightening the body, I continue.

It will look very interesting if you apply a slightly different shade, which I did:

In my opinion, at the corners, it just needs to be made even lighter, I added white to the brightening green paint, more ...

By the way, another tone of paint needs to be muted a little, light green tint

The case finished in three stages looks something like this:

The turret was also patched up until the edges were clarified, the decals were stuck, the adhesive tape must be carefully glued - the decals can be torn off, this happened to me with the inscription "For Stalin". After the decals, you can lighten it.

This is a tank ready in three stages

Work continued from the tower - this is the fourth and last stage before the filter.

Now it looks something like this:

Let's continue, the model was covered with enamel varnish from Tamiya.

Lightening they also turned out and rain streaks ...

oil paint diluted with purified white spirit (low-smelling), bought at an art store.

... I squeezed the paint onto a palette (artistic), used a number 2 brush when applying oil paint, with a reed type (semicircular ending at the pile), applied the paint like this: white in light areas, beige or yellow in medium-tone areas, in dark, brown can be . The next step, dipping the brush in the solvent, poured a spot of paint into the recess of the palette - starting from the sides, carefully, slowly, smearing towards the bottom. Vertical planes are done from top to bottom ...

... I have not done horizontal lines yet, here I think it will be enough just to slightly lighten the surface, but there is no need to indicate directions.

Washing applied immediately and brown and black in some places MIG wash was diluted with a thinner from the same MIG. Nothing works without him.

I kind of did a wash, and this is what happened.

Today I killed 6 hours for chips, used oil tempera basic colors, sienna and burnt umber. Brush number 2.

And a couple of shots taken in daylight:

The treacherous brilliance just upsets me in places, well, I don’t know, maybe I’ll have to process the lower parts with pigments, but it’s time to finish the tracks. From the last work, the hairs just terribly infuriated me, where I just don’t know where they came from, I seem to be drying in a box.

I'll continue little by little, caterpillars. I blew them out with a mixture of Tamiya paints, which I don’t even remember anymore, this mixture has been mixed in my bottle for a long time, the main thing is that I have determined for myself that I will never paint caterpillars in silver and black. I chose a medium color between a gray dusty and a brownish tint.

For tinting, I chose the following pigments from the moment.

The selected pigments were mixed and applied to the caterpillars with a brush ...

... the pigment fixed the thinner for washes from MIG, it dried up, it turned out like this, after that, in the direction of the caterpillars themselves, I also walked with a bristle brush, smearing the pigment.

By the way, after applying the pencil, an interesting texture was drawn on the tracks, I liked it.

How I wanted to pull up the tracks, it seemed to work out, if it didn’t work out, I wouldn’t have posted it.

The essence is simple, into ridges or whatever they are called, I drilled in four places, threaded the wire and twisted this wire between two rollers, the wire itself hid between the rollers. That's all the only thing that I didn't like terribly was that the fastening of the star's vinyl tracks themselves is just awful, but I couldn't solder them better, and I don't care.

It seems to have finished the model, this is what happened:

The material is taken from the Tyumen forum.

OOO Nash Gorod RU, Tyumen