Hey,

Anyone know how to fade paint already on the model? The F-15's Mod-Eagle scheme is supposed to be done with FS36251 and FS36176, that is quite a contrast compared to the sun-faded, well worn paint of real-world a/c. I need to fade the paint and blend the lines just a little bit. Anyone?

Are you using an AB or a brush?

The base color is spray, the second is brush

Make a mix of slightly dirty thinner to spray through the AB. By a "dirty" mix I mean, just add a smidgen of a tan or very light brown to a good portion of thinner. You just want it to be a tinted color.
Using the AB, spray very light mist coats over the model. Do only one at a time. Let each dry before spraying another to determine if another is needed.

I have used pastels to get a very realistic faded look to painted items.....I'm not sure about your particular aircraft....but I have used pastels on tanks and old cars....and have recieved many comments and questions about how did I do it.
Take some pastels chalks lighter than your base colour and start scrubbing them on....starting in the middle of panels....and work outward leaving the edges of the panel untouched.....spray with a dullcoat and do it again with a lighter shade...always working from the middle outward.....if you have panels that might have been changed you can do it in different tones to depict this.
Always use light sprays of dullcoat as this can effect the results.

I've actually never tried using pastel chalks before, does it require much experience for the right effect? Is there a specific brand that you use?

I pick up whatever is on sale at the time.....usually in artist's supply stores....just look for a wide variety of colours....and get one darker than your base and some lighter so you can gradually "fade" the paint work.
As for it needing experience....there's only one way to get that experience and it's to dive in and try it.....just start out with a little bit and scrub it into the flat paint you have already laid down....you'll be amazed at how it looks...just in case you don't know....try not to handle and pasteled areas before you dullcote...it does come off easily...best to do one part of the model at a time......top.....side....other side....and so on.
Give it a try

I have also found that pastels do a great job of fading and seem to look more realistic than paint. what I didi find is that when I put teh dull coat on teh color of teh pastel got darker. Is that why you do it again? I have aslo weathered my model with pastels and not applied dullcoat the pastels stick quite nicely maybe the pastels I am using.

Yes....dullcote does darken the pastels a little....that's why I do it again and again gradually using lighter colours of the base coat.....and I apply only light coats of dullcote in between.....if you look at real faded paint jobs.....they don't fade uniformly......they look patchy in places and this pastel method works the best for me....good reference photos are a must.....we have a lot of old cars around where I live....(most of them are mine).....that I use as references.....and old store signs and walls......look around you....there's plenty out there to look at.

The paint is a two-tone camouflage, so even for the panels under the dark color I want to use a pastel lighter than the base color? Or should I first use a pastel lighter than the darker color with the base color pastel over that? Should I spray the dull-cote between applying the different pastel shades, or is it blended better when the two are mixed a little on the surface?

Always start with darker....and work to lighter...same as dry brushing.
I would do an area with both colours....use 2 brushes to keep the colours seperate.....and if they mix.....I believe it will look natural.

Thank you for all your help, I tried using the pastels yesterday and I was very pleased with the results. They did darken much more than I expected them to, could that be too much dull-cote? Well, thanks for your suggestions; I probably would never have tried it otherwise.

Matt

Probably not too much dullcote......just takes a little getting used to before you know to start with a lighter colour than you want to end up with.
No problem on the help....it's what we are all here for....to share ideas and stuff.....a lot of good stuff that falls on the right ears gives us all the end results of having great models to look at by our fellow modellers from all over the world.
Good luck and I hope to see the results posted here in the future.

how would I fade Dunkelgelb with brushes rather than AB..It's for a post-Dday Hanomag

By brush you can do it in the following way: choose the color you want to use to fade the underlying camo, then thin it at a 98-99% with the appropriate thinner then apply it on the model (or elected areas) with a big soft round brush NOT SOAKING it in the paint. Repeat the process until you're happy with the result. Always test it on a scrap piece of plastic to see the filter is "compatible" with your existing paintwork...
Ciao

You could always scrub in a lighter color. Use a nearly dry stiff brush and some presure. You can acheve a cloud type pattern with the method.