Revell Ju-87 D Stuka 1/48

[KevinK.]

Sadly Crimea, I don't have an SLR or DSLR. I currently have a Nikon Coolpix L-10. Which is pretty good. I've gotten some great photo's with it. I just can't seem to get the lighting right for the macro focus to work. It seems like it's getting too much light. The photos are coming out so bright that it's whiting out part or most of the screen at worst. If i turn the flash off, for some reason I lose the 'anti-shake' and it gets pretty bad. I'm just going to keep experimenting with it.

Well, the panel lines I'm either going to leave alone, or sand them down. I've not decided yet and have got some time to deal with it.

 

[Switcha]

Sadly Crimea, I don't have an SLR or DSLR. I currently have a Nikon Coolpix L-10. Which is pretty good. I've gotten some great photo's with it. I just can't seem to get the lighting right for the macro focus to work. It seems like it's getting too much light. The photos are coming out so bright that it's whiting out part or most of the screen at worst. If i turn the flash off, for some reason I lose the 'anti-shake' and it gets pretty bad. I'm just going to keep experimenting with it.

Well, the panel lines I'm either going to leave alone, or sand them down. I've not decided yet and have got some time to deal with it.

Tape a small square piece of plastic milk bottle in front of your flash, It acts like a diffuser and speads the light out from the flash as well as reducing the flash slightly.

With the panel lines, you can paint the model silver first and then put your cammo over the top. once you have finished painting very lightly sand the cammo paint of off the raised panel leaving the silver paint to shoe through the cammo job. Other than that leave them alone.

 

[Airframes]

Quite often, flash is to harsh for model macro or close-up work, even when diffused. You should be able to get a reasonable shot under a 100w light bulb in a desk lamp, but you'll need to set the 'White Balance' of the camera for the lighting conditions / background (the latter should preferably be a light, neutral colour). The camera instruction book should show how to set/adjust the 'White Balance'.
All of my pics posted in the modelling section are taken, hand held, no flash, under the light from two, angled desk lamps, each with a 55w (max) halogen bulb. If I used my tripod, and adjusted the aperture and shutter speed, I'd get better Depth of Field - but I can't be *rsed !!

 

[Night Fighter Nut]

I know what you mean by the camera shaking with the flash off. I usually find some solid surface to sit the camera on when taking flashless pictures, usually a small box or back of a chair.

 

[Wayne Little]

I usually take a series of shots from each position that way I always get ONE that works for me...then I delete the rest of them!

 

[KevinK.]

Well, I think I've got the camera mostly figured out. It still doesn't let me get too close, so on the cockpit instruments you don't see very much detail.

I've painted the cockpit and do not like the way the instrument panel came out. I'm not going to try and get too fancy with the interior, and might end up leaving the canopy closed. I did figure out that I'm out of practice with a detail brush so that'll take some work getting into it. The floor has a gap between it and the left side of the body. I'm not sure if it will be noticeable once I get it together or if I should putty it up and paint it also. I guess it is all about the details. The whole cockpit has, so far, been a disappointment

I found that the holes for the cannon were not open, but the mounting posts were fine. I got my lil'finger drill out and cleaned them up. I also had to it for the air speed indicator (?) small mast coming from the front of the wing.

I have not glued the body yet, but have one of the wings attacked. The lower section goes all the way across, with 2 top sections. They didn't line up very well, so I used some small clamps to hold it until the glue dries. I'll have to do the same to the other side a bit later.

I started getting frustrated with the instrument panel, so I am taking a break, and will get some pics posted this evening while I still have some daylight left.

 

[KevinK.]

This is that nasty little instrument panel. Dark grey, black wash, then dry brushed steel. I think I was a bit heavy with the dry brush, and it hasn't given me the look I wanted. I don't know if I can get it with my fine point brush and touch it up any more, and I'm not sure I want to try. I do plan on going back and cleaning up the wash a bit with the dark grey. I lost a bit of color with the sunlight. I'll be playing with the camera settings some more, but at least I'm getting clear pics! *mind the faded towel and leafy bits*

 

[KevinK.]

This shows the left wing. You can see where the cannon hole didn't line up on this side. I started to finish cleaning up the hole, when I stopped and decided to snap a photo. You can also tell where the light doesn't fit either. It hasn't been glued yet, and I wont do that until I get the fit a lot better.

 

[Crimea_River]

Pics are looking really good Kevin. Looks like you've figured the little beast out. Ugly looking seam but it should clean up OK.

As for the dry brush, any brush should work but the paint need to be almost completely out of the brush. When dabbing it on paper, you should hardly get any paint on the paper at all. Start out really, really dry, then build up to the desired effect. Too much paint and there's no way out but to start over.

 

[Switcha]

Looking good Kevin. With the dry brushing sometimes I cheat and use my wifes silver metalic art pencil and go over the raised detail. You can't always get away with it but with smaller scales it works well.

Cheers Switch

 

[Wayne Little]

Good to see some pics....doin' ok so far....probably pay to fill the cannon hole and then drill it out once the filler sets and you sand it down....should come up nice and neat!

 

[Wurger]

Yep I agree with Wayne.

 

[Airframes]

And me !

 

[KevinK.]

I've filled the hole, but still looks like I need a bit more work cleaning it up.

 

[KevinK.]

This first pic is a bit blurry, but shows the cannon mounted and the landing light. The second pic shows the cannon hole filled before drilling.

 

[KevinK.]

Pilot and Gunner's seats. The Gunner's seat didn't show as clear as I thought it would. I still don't like how the instrument panel came out. I cleaned it up a bit, but not good enough. I didn't do much to the panels mounted on the fuselage since it is going to be a closed canopy.

 

[KevinK.]

I still found I'm having difficulty with the paint. I have not had any experience with enamel paints. I mixed them throughly, stirring until the there was no 'sediment' on the bottom. Still I get brush lines. Sometimes I get areas of paint that are thin. Am I trying to spread the paint too much? Any thoughts?

 

[JohnAnthony]

Looks good to me! Cannon looks good, the seats look good. As far as the instrument panel goes I generally dry brush them with the smallest brush I have. If you brush paint over larger surfaces you're always going to get brush marks. The solution is an airbrush.

 

[Airframes]

It is possible to obtain a smooth, even surface, without brush marks, over a relatively large area. However, it depends on a number of factors, including the type and size of brush, the 'loading' of the brush, the type, colour and viscosity of the paint, and, of course, technique. It's something which comes with practice and experience, and is much easier to master with enamels rather than acrylics; the latter do not lend themselves well to brush-painting.
Have a look at the rough guide I posted, which is in the 'stickies' section here in Modelling. It's basic, but might give you some ideas and guidance.

 

[Crimea_River]

Terry's got it for the brush tips Kevin. Wing is looking really good now.