Among the many painting techniques, dry brushing is a great method for creating a realistic scale model airplane. This is especially true for the cockpit, as it brings out detail that might otherwise go unnoticed.
You will need paint and a good quality paintbrush. I dry brush almost all the plastic model cockpits using Flat White, Light Gray and/or Silver in enamel.
Dip your brush into the bottle and then remove about 95% of the paint using tissue. You may also choose to wipe off any excess paint by brushing over a scrap piece of paper.
Careful! If you apply too much paint to the scale model airplane, the entire cockpit area may have to be re-painted to the original colour. The idea is to have a minimal amount of paint on the brush, in other words, a “dry brush”.
Apply the paint using a back and forth motion and with minimal brush pressure. Concentrate on areas of the scale model airplane that you believe are most adequate. This may include the instrumental panels, sidewalls, levers, buttons and surface edges. The idea is to graze the plastic model surface with your brush, so that only raised areas catch the paint. Like many other painting techniques, this requires a lot of time and patience. Your goal is to add depth around dark areas of the cockpit as well as the raised details of the surfaces. Practice these steps and enjoy the effects.
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