I have the foil painted for use as an air ID flag, but how do I make it look 'cloth-like.' I filched the foil from my SAS jeep conversion and it is pretty thick (as compared to aluminum foil, I can't compare it to other lead foils as this is the first time I've used lead foil). Is there any particular technique or method you guys use to make the foil look more cloth-like? Right now it looks like a bright orange board laying across the back of my tank.

Have you tried a wash and a good dry brushing yet?

Put some 'folds'into it and then follow with the dry brushing. I think it will help.

Steve

But what's a good method of folding it so that it looks real? As I said, this stuff is pretty thick. I was planning to do a wash/drybrush, but I need to figure out how I should fold it up first.

Hi GrassHopper,

If you have a nice flat steel surface, Anvil face, scrap bit of steel, nice and hard, and a flat faced hammer, batter the foil, it will flatten right out and get thinner. Once it is, you can use an eraser on a pencil to make the foil conform to the major contours of your tank's decking, by pushing gently while you hold the foil in place with the Mk. 1 fingertip. The idea is not to make it into a mold for the features of the deck, we just want it to drape a little more naturally, if you have it hammered out thin enough you should be able to push in the low spots without tearing it over the high spots. Cut the panel to the size you need before you do your pushing and it will bunch up and create little folds that stick up as you make your low spots, these are good, you fold them over one way or another, experimentation and practice being your guide here, to give the appearance of the cloth and how it should drape over that deck. That nice bright color needs to be flat as you can get, take a brown to use as a mixer to make your dark shade and tan to use to make your lighter shade, you want to avoid making it any more yellow than what it already is. Make the hollows on the flag a spot to be washed with the dark mix, here's the hard part, you have to let it dry completely, as in overnight or longer if you have the patience. Drybrush the light color over the high points lightly and you should have a little more natural appearing AC recognition panel. Secure it to your model, I prefer good old Elmer's poly vinyl acetate, white glue to the uninitiated, it allows a little bit of a gap to not be a problem as it will conform and a wet cotton swab wil clean up any squishage before it hardens.

Hope it helps!

Lieutenant:
Try this site I think this is what your looking 4. http://www.track-link.net/articles/105

I sand the lead foil lightly before painting to get a cloth look.then wash,prime and paint

I use kitchen foil it sticks to it self and so you can reproduce any cloth only it's not holding paint that good put when coating it it must work.
To glue it into place I juse white glue and after I painted it with acryl paint I let it dry and drybush it.

Thanks for the advice guys!!! I am now much better equiped to tackle this little detail.