_GOTOBOTTOM
AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
filter question
Blackstoat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2012
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 561 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 21, 2013 - 01:12 AM UTC
Hi all

This is where I am with my build at the moment:



The photo makes it look more yellow than it actually is. I mixed tamiya dark yellow and buff to get the base colour. But I'm thinking it's a bit pale. I can darken it easily enough with a tan filter. But I want a little more yellow in it. Has anyone had experience of mixing a yellow filter. I'm thinking mixing humbrol flat yellow enamel with 95% enamel thinner? Will this work? Do I need a touch of green in there?


Thanks for your help
SdAufKla
Visit this Community
South Carolina, United States
Joined: May 07, 2010
KitMaker: 2,238 posts
Armorama: 2,158 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 21, 2013 - 02:51 AM UTC
You could apply an overall yellow filter mixed up pretty much as you have described, or, as an alternative or in addition, you could also use some oil dot modulation with Yellow Ocher oil paint.

The first would make a more or less uniform change in the tint of the base color and the second would create some variety between local areas of the base.

You could also use Raw Sienna as an oil dot modulation color which will give the underlying base color a darker yellowish brown tint.

Other oil colors, such as white, burnt sienna, and a blue, could also be used to add variety and highlights and shadows. The white would give some spots a faded and dusty look. Burnt Sienna would add a warm rusty tint, and a blue (Ultra Marine or Prussian, as examples) would darken and add a greenish tint.

(Blues are VERY powerful over yellow, though, so care and a light touch should be used until you're confident of the results you're achieving.)

FWIW, I usually start with a very light dark yellow base coat so that the later layers of finish and weathering will not result in a final look that's too dark. I think your base coat looks about right for my style of finishing.

For any oil dot color modulation you might try, unless you already have an established technique, I suggest that you pre-wet the area with clean mineral spirits before adding the oil dots and that you work with a single color at a time rather than add all of the selected oil colors at once. Both of these techniques will give more control to gradually impart the modulated colors.

HTH,
Blackstoat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2012
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 561 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 21, 2013 - 05:07 AM UTC
Thanks Mike,

Strangely what you suggest is exactly what I planned!

I think I'll wait until tomorrow and have a look in daylight. I don't want to put a yellow filter on in bad light and end up with a luminous halftrack. I bought some humbrol brown/yellow today just in case.

Thanks for your trouble Mike, we'll see what happens tomorrow
Blackstoat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2012
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 561 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 21, 2013 - 07:19 AM UTC
Mixed up a yellow/brown filter and applied it to an unseen area, it looks promising. I'll look again in daylight tomorrow
lon240
Visit this Community
Guam
Joined: August 12, 2013
KitMaker: 16 posts
Armorama: 16 posts
Posted: Monday, December 23, 2013 - 07:30 AM UTC
Ah, I've had similar experiences. Hopefully that filter will help with getting a richer color. A thing I've noticed is Tamiya colors sometimes spray a lot paler than they appear in the paint cup. Are there any other ways to get more vibrant colors using them?
Blackstoat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2012
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 561 posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 - 02:00 AM UTC
Hi Lon

Applied a filter 2:1 humbrol brown/yellow + yellow. Then diluted it to about 95%. Worked a treat, just what I was after



Although looking at the pictures there doesn't seem much difference, in reality there is a marked improvement
Plasticbattle
#003
Visit this Community
Donegal, Ireland
Joined: May 14, 2002
KitMaker: 9,763 posts
Armorama: 7,444 posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 - 04:30 AM UTC
You´ve answered your own question before I seen the thread ... but I would have recommended this method as well. Thats how I always add filters .... never use the oil dot method, as streaking, chippig and grime give enough effect on the open surfaces, so Ive been doing it by spraying for years. The other great thing about using a filter after finishing, humbrol also flattens the finish to a perfect flat/satin finish for metal.
robw_uk
Visit this Community
England - North East, United Kingdom
Joined: June 22, 2010
KitMaker: 1,224 posts
Armorama: 1,207 posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 - 05:02 AM UTC
nice work... did you spray the filter on or use a brush? i have always brushed but perhaps A/B would give me better control....
Blackstoat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2012
KitMaker: 568 posts
Armorama: 561 posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 - 06:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

You´ve answered your own question before I seen the thread ... but I would have recommended this method as well. Thats how I always add filters .... never use the oil dot method, as streaking, chippig and grime give enough effect on the open surfaces, so Ive been doing it by spraying for years. The other great thing about using a filter after finishing, humbrol also flattens the finish to a perfect flat/satin finish for metal.



You're right Frank - goodbye AK, hello humbrol mix your own . There is also a better finish as you described

One thing I've been wondering. If you spray your filters, has anybody used it in multiple coats to apply a modulation to panels over say a tri-tonal camo? Or sprayed oils to do the same?

Thanks



 _GOTOTOP