is it worth the effort?

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:44 pm

If was to put my weathering skills to a 1/18, 1/32 or 1/72 scale airplane would people buy it?
I have several here, like the old 21st C. green P-38 and the LOUIX also the snake stuka and original messerschmitt.

Then i have a bunch of the small FOV planes.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:01 am

I suppose it depends upon your personal skill level.

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:28 am

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:16 am

THAT'S weathered alright!!

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:18 am

yeah, i thought maybe hit a Japanese zero and give it that Island airstrip look

Col.Pickle · Post by **Col.Pickle** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:39 am

Yeah definently. If I had the money I'd love to get some planes that are actually decently weathered.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:43 am

Yes. Is that a 21st C model you show? Do you have any aircraft you've done (since those are what you are offering)? How much will you charge?

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:14 am

well,
god knows my life would be much better if I could. But I cannot sell through this site until my probationary period is over. You know, the rules about selling through here until 8 months after your initial post.
Otherwise, yeah I would be all over it. I am sure there are some other venues I could sell through, but I dunno. I don't know if the moderator(s) would bend the rules for me as I have been very active on the site since I got in here recently. But a rule is a rule. It's really up to them.
If you want to PM me, I can tell you about an ebay sale I might do or if I can think of another way to sell that ensures that you don't get ripped off, since the issue here seems to be about trust and earning it. I would have to offer a secure transaction that avoids being a sale conducted merely through this thread. At least that's what i think i have got out of it all. But you never know. I really don't know who to ask or if it would be possible, but bottom line is that I would love to weather some planes and tanks for people on here. Just gotta wait, get my own online store or get a pardon from the normal wait time

blurx7 · Post by **blurx7** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:47 am

Whoa! Nice work!

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:53 pm

YES, VERY NICE INDEED.

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:58 pm

I guess i will try a small one, the FoV 1/72 zero
AI-155 A6M2 Zero, in Pearl Harbor Akagi markings, lead aircraft, 2nd Div. fighters unit, Lt Comdr Shigeru Itaya, pilot. Overall Leader, 1st wave fighters
(found this info on a tamiya model gallery)

I know it was pristine during the attack, but for learning /trial sake (not sake, you alcoholic) I will give it a going over.

Fox Tare-28 · Post by **Fox Tare-28** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:10 pm

Cabe wrote:I guess i will try a small one, the FoV 1/72 zero
AI-155 A6M2 Zero, in Pearl Harbor Akagi markings, lead aircraft, 2nd Div. fighters unit, Lt Comdr Shigeru Itaya, pilot. Overall Leader, 1st wave fighters
(found this info on a tamiya model gallery)

I know it was pristine during the attack, but for learning /trial sake (not sake, you alcoholic) I will give it a going over.

I look forward to seeing it. I haven't tried to weather any of my aircraft yet (I'm not going to lie, I'm chicken).

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:39 pm

Could you take before and after shots? Maybe even step by step so we can see it more or less change before our eyes?

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:15 pm

i guess, be hard doing it solo, but i'll try

olifant · Post by **olifant** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:57 pm

Cabe, your Marder looks very good. That being said I personally don't prefer weathered birds and they don't seem to sell well on e-bay. Most that I have seen seem poorly or over done. That being said, you may do better to do "commission" work on this site. Just my two cents though...

By the way, where do you get eight months wait for the B/S/T forum? The rule is six months.

Trade on Cabe man!

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:27 pm

well i agree on too much weathering on planes, but there are some exceptions like the late war hidden axis planes in the forest and the Japanese army planes and some navy on remote island bases.
But tI bet you are reffing to people putting to much rust on them. I would aim more toward the paint chipping to the primer undercoat around contact surfaces, some oil and exhaust stains ect.
In some rare cases, like Flying tigers and and other land base dirt runway squadrons ...dust

Well folks. I guess let me know what you want done. I can do it. I have all the tools here from airbrush to pigments and filters. There is a book out here I have been iching to get anyway on planes even though my curent obsession is yanks. I did my last 18 years on planes which all my artwork centered on. So I guess as a starter I can offer up my 2 paintings I want to sell of Rudel and Galland. They are both roughly 4'x5' and are painted on multileveled broken plywood. The background is a large cutaway schematic on both. Shipping would be a bitch, but you are welcome to them for the right offer.

Other than that, I will still sit down with the zero and see what comes out of it. Right now I have some "career artwork" in some portraits I need to do for some local music venues that are my long running main client, as int hey pay for my entire livelihood, then finish 2 dioramas for a guy who commissioned them off ebay and a repaint of a FoV stug and Grant.....phew.

but here are the 2 paintings, use the scroll to see the whole image (and yes I know one of the stukas is distorted, I was playing with depth of field, some folks like it others don't)

all of these below are sold, but just so you see a good grouping of what i do with my airplane/pilot works.

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:57 pm

forgot 2

<a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/C ... signed.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/C ... signed.jpg" border="0" alt="MIG-15,Mark Pirro"></a>

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:32 am

There is certainly a lot of talent on this site.

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:37 am

nekkid women? WHERE?

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:45 am

"wimmin"

olifant · Post by **olifant** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:51 pm

Damn Cabe, I am sorry I even insinuated you may "overweather" planes. You my man, have some serious ability! I am going back to my paint by numbers butterflies now, if you don't mind.

ChairmanMilo · Post by **ChairmanMilo** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:11 am

Speechless, Cabe. I'm speechless.

That artwork kicks royal arse. I guess everyone else is stunned, else they'd be posting the same words.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:48 am

I would say it's worth the effort if only to impress the jaded eyes of the forum members. I think high quality work tends to find and even create its own level and I suspect that posting pictures will create demand; demand that can be met in the future, after the "probationary" period. And by posting pictures you will have created familiarity here on the board- the people who you hope will be purchasing.
I have to reiterate though that putting up a series of pix, from start to finish (not every last detailed step!) will both reassure us all as to it being your own work and provide an "inside" look at work in progress. It won't be as if you were giving anything away. Over 90% of us can't/couldn't do it if it were paint by numbers anyway. GHQ has a 'how to paint your micro-armor' website and I still never could the way they do. It's ART. Not simple math.

Cabe · Post by **Cabe** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:47 am

Oh I'm not worried about showing people how I do it. I have only been painting them 5 weeks or so. Besides I had a good instructor named "every model in google, MIG productions washes, filters and pigments, FAQ on painting AFV book, Squadron publications and Armorama. mini lessons or "features" and info obtained from questions I asked in forums"
so it isn't a secret in the least. I have learned the one thing that keeps people from trying something new, especially if it is a creative task is fear of failure. People don't want to know if they suck, they don't want to ruin their tanks and planes, they don't want to learn that it doesn't just "flow out of them".
But I would encourage everyone to get out their least treasured and most common vehicle and do some toying around. Buy acrylics from taimya since they will wash off with denatured alcohol or even water. Sit down and do ONE thing you always wanted to try. Chip the paint or dust it up with some pigments. Maybe try a rudimentary wash using water and black or dark brown paint, let it fill the cracks of your vehicle, get around the rivets and into the lines, let it dry and consider the difference. Then using a paint that is several shades lighter than the color of your vehicle go along the edge of your surfaces , near hatches or areas where branches or rocks may rub or kick up against it. Areas where people put their hands and feet to get in and out or areas that just just plain wear down like fenders or weld points, rivets. Be very sparing at first. If you don't want to try that method of paint selection use the actual undercoat of gelb, grau, red oxide or a flat gray. use a very fine tip brush or (and this works very well) use a makeup sponge to apply maroon, brick red or just a dark brown paint to a jerry can or dab it along a fender or landing gear cover to make rusting through spots. Look at it and decide if you want to go further.
One great technique is to get a woodless pencil or heck just a pencil or graphite and run the side of the lead along some edges that are steps or foot holds or hinges. This simulates wear all the way down to polished steel. Take a pencil ad run it on a piece of paper until lead accumulates. Take a soft brush and work it in to a large surface area on your vehicle. Then use your finger to blend it into the whole area simulating an even fading or wearing off of the paint in a sun or weather exposed area.
just take one of these and try it, most are reversible, but don't count on it. So choose wisely and go in with an open mind and willingness to use common sense when applying. Each area will become a separate work and you will not feel so intimidated, that is.... if you are in the first place.
The first thing my college art 101 teacher told us after he announced that 95% on us would NOT being doing art 5 years from now is that the main key to being creative is knowing when a work is DONE and conversely when one isn't finished. Overdoing a painting makes it mess of colors or subjects, and not taking the time to accurately represent your idea or subject will obviously show as well.
You can fool some people, mainly yourself. But other people, their eyes are very critical, your eyes have to be like theirs on steroids.

I am having a blast painting tanks and doing dioramas, but it is cutting into my RL artwork. I find myself impatient with my day's work on my paying art, i usually find myself taking 3 hour breaks to go paint or build "just a a little bit" before getting back to work on my deadlines.
(and BTW I was informed my probationary period is OVER and I can now actively sell or trade here, so fire away if you want or like something/ need something done)
Thanks to all of you for the compliments, I enjoy this forum a lot

here is my current schedule wrecker, a repaint of the action series FoV 1:32 "action series" from target-grant tank, before and after, very heavy weathering.
the shiny areas are lead or graphite and silver pencil rubbed against raised areas, The rust id applied with a makeup sponge to look like chipping, but since it is a desert vehicle, rust was a minimum, so I used a dark gray and a hull red to show chipping and wear, once again with a sponge and very fine tip brush. I also used MIG filters and then a MIG wash. Finished it off with a heavy application of MIG sand colored pigments rubbed heavily on the running gear and lower portions of the tank and sparingly at the top.
The flag is a piece of Kleenex that wax placed on wax paper and then soaked in water with latex rubber dissolved in it (woodland scenics brand), when it dried i flipped iy over and hit it again. The i folded over the large rubber/paper sheet with a piece of newspaper between so the 2 parts didn't touch (it sticks to itself really easy.) and cut the small flag out, painted it red on the antennae and now i have a flexible flag that I can shape to look like it is blowing in wind or whatever other shape, it stays put.

here it is after i hit it with my airbrush to hive it a grey and tan camo, i later added a black-green center to the gray patterns forming a grey outlined dark flat dull green camo

and here it is after a few hours of being roughed up

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:23 am

WOW!!