It's a little later than intended, but I've finally got some pics of the paintwork to date! Even after much experimenting, the b****y paint still caused problems when airbrushed. Oh yes, it (almost) sprayed OK, but still wouldn't dry properly. Thankfully, I tested it on a 'hack' model I keep for just such usage, and not on the 'Dora'. So, it was back to more experimenting, and mixing of paints. After a LOT of stirring, and the addition of a spot or two of matt black, I eventually got the Humbrol, or pretend Humbrol, Number 150 to resemble the colour it was meant to be! This was sprayed over the first coat, as I wanted to provide a darker base for the following coat of lighter green.
Thankfully, having given it a stir for about ten minutes, and with the addition of the matt black from 'old' Humbrol stock, it eventually dried.
The light green RLM 83 was produced by using a Revell semi-matt paint which, although a bit on the bright side at the moment, will tone down after some shading, and the application of the gloss and semi-matt clear coats.
I tried to then spray the RLM 82 to form the soft camouflage pattern, but it started to play silly games again so, rather than throw the model across the room, I decided to cut my losses, and bring out the paint brushes!
The remainder of the colour scheme was completed with the good old-fashioned hairy stick, including the beginnings of the mottle and blending, as was the application of the RLM 75 Grauviolet on the cowling and rear fuselage spine. Some streaks of RLM 81 were added on the rear fuselage, again by brush, mixed from available 'old' Humbrol paints, and some more of grey over the front panels, together with the darker patch on the port side in front of the cockpit, following the pattern in the photographs and profiles provided by Lucky and Wayne. (Thanks guys!).
The base for the exhaust staining was added around the still-empty exhaust stack ports, again using the photos as reference, using a technique I call 'damp brushing', which is basically using thinned paint, on a small brush that's only just damp, as opposed to 'dry brushing', and applying it as if sketching with a pencil.
Once the paint has settled for at least another twelve hours, just to make sure (!), a similar process will be applied to the mottle and the demarcation line of the colours on the cowling.
Finally, in order to satisfy my desire for SOMETHING to go right, I did a tiny bit of shading on the upper wings, and some panel lines on the underside. There's still a heck of a lot to do in the paint department, before the first coat of 'Klear' (Future) can be applied, but at least now, I feel I'm getting somewhere. Next step is an explicit letter to Hornby Hobbies, who market the paint under the old, and much-loved Humbrol brand name, and a hunt for alternative enamels that I can obtain locally.
Hopefully, I might make some more progress in the next day or so, and I'll post some pics as I go.
Thanks for your interest.
Terry.