Panel shading without the use of an airbrush. by Ben Short

Ben tells us how he does his competition winning models….

First and foremost is the overall paint finish. In hand painting terms, the best finish can be achieved with around five very thin coats applied with a flat brush, with the paint being smoothed with approximately 1200 grade wet and dry, used wet, between coats. With decals applied, a flat coat is applied using a Humbrol aerosol can of matt varnish, though any airbrush-applied varnish will no doubt give the same effect. The reason for this is to get a slightly textured and highly matt finish onto which charcoal can be easily brushed.

On to the shading itself. In my case, the charcoal used is taken from two Derwent charcoal pencils, these being one light and one dark shade, which were purchased from an art and stationers shop. Initially, a powder is created by scratching the pencil repeatedly on a piece of scrap paper. This powder is then picked up sparingly with a very fine paintbrush, in my case a Microbrush, from where it is gently rubbed against the surface of the model over a small area. More light applications over the same area will give a far more subtle and neater effect than one heavy application, so a great length of time to do this is time well spent.

As for the areas to which this affect is best applied, the only fail-safe way to obtain realistic results is to look at prototype photographs to look at which areas are in the shadow of panels and gun bays, et cetera. In a general context, it is good to use this technique around the edge of each panel of the main structure, and even on fabric surfaces, just to accentuate the natural bend of the panel. However, it is thoroughly at the discretion of the modeller, so test it out and work out what suits you and your model best.

This technique can also be used to show exhaust stains and gun blast, by simply building up the colour from the exhaust or cannon port. In fact, I’m sure it can be used in many a situation, so I hope it can be of some use to you.

Panel shading without the use of an airbrush. by Ben Short Ben tells us how he does his competition winning models….

First and foremost is the overall paint finish. In hand painting terms, the best finish can be achieved with around five very thin coats applied with a flat brush, with the paint being smoothed with approximately 1200 grade wet and dry, used wet, between coats. With decals applied, a flat coat is applied using a Humbrol aerosol can of matt varnish, though any airbrush-applied varnish will no doubt give the same effect. The reason for this is to get a slightly textured and highly matt finish onto which charcoal can be easily brushed.

On to the shading itself. In my case, the charcoal used is taken from two Derwent charcoal pencils, these being one light and one dark shade, which were purchased from an art and stationers shop. Initially, a powder is created by scratching the pencil repeatedly on a piece of scrap paper. This powder is then picked up sparingly with a very fine paintbrush, in my case a Microbrush, from where it is gently rubbed against the surface of the model over a small area. More light applications over the same area will give a far more subtle and neater effect than one heavy application, so a great length of time to do this is time well spent.

As for the areas to which this affect is best applied, the only fail-safe way to obtain realistic results is to look at prototype photographs to look at which areas are in the shadow of panels and gun bays, et cetera. In a general context, it is good to use this technique around the edge of each panel of the main structure, and even on fabric surfaces, just to accentuate the natural bend of the panel. However, it is thoroughly at the discretion of the modeller, so test it out and work out what suits you and your model best.

This technique can also be used to show exhaust stains and gun blast, by simply building up the colour from the exhaust or cannon port. In fact, I’m sure it can be used in many a situation, so I hope it can be of some use to you.