There are a few techniques for doing
this, and which method you use will largely be dependant on the
effect you are going for, and the surface of the part to be enhanced.
Basically, the techniques break down to three categories.
The pen:
Many people like very stark, and
prominent panel lines. One of the best ways to achieve this, is
with the use of a dark technical pen, or specialized marker. You
can use this technique with any type of fine tipped pen, or even
pencil for subtler effects, but some of the favorite pens for
this technique are Micron Pigma disposable technical pens, Rapidograph
technical pens, or Gunze Sangyo's Gundam Markers. There is very
little difference in the finished result of these various pens,
so you should probably choose which brand you use based on the
availability, color selection, tip size, and price range that
best suits your needs.
Using the pen method is probably
the easiest to explain of all of the methods. In fact, all you
do is literally draw the seam as you want it to appear on the
model. This is, of course, often easier said than done, but here
are a few tips that will help you with your experimentation.
This technique works best, with either
a gloss paint job, or on bare plastic, because then it is easiest
to clean up mistakes. If you accidentally draw outside the area
you intended to, you can lightly wipe away the excess using a
Q-tip that is moist with either rubbing alcohol, or acetone, with
little or no resultant discoloration to the finish. If you are
doing this on a painted surface, you should test for compatibility
on some scrap, before trying to wipe ink of an actual model. Unfortunately,
this technique does not work as well with matte paints, as the
ink will be absorbed into the matte pigment, thus causing edge
discoloration, and making it impossible to wipe away mistakes.
Tip size is very important to achieving
the desired result. Optimally, the tip of the pen should be narrow
enough to rest on the bottom of the seam groove, without touching
the uppermost sides of the panel line groove, but wide enough
that it does not wobble from side to side along the bottom of
the groove. It can take some experimentation to find the tip size
that works best for you, but the resulting line will appear much
smoother once you have found the correct size.
Play with colors. Varying up the
colors can make a dramatic difference in the final appearance.
Think about the look you are going for. Many people like the stark
black look of a drawn cartoon, but lighter tones, or even colors
like reddish brown, can also be used to nice effect.
There is also a variation to the
pen method, instead of markers, ink or paint, get a mechanical
drafting pencil [Stadtler brand, for instance] at an art or drafting
supply store. Be sure and get the kind that has a three or four
jaw “chuck” at the front [much like a drill] but NOT the kind
that automatically advances the lead as you click the end button...
although the chuck-type pencil does use an end button to free
up the lead.
You'll also need to get inexpensive
“lead” [polymer or graphite], which comes in different hardness
[try several kinds], and a sharpener specific to that type of
drafting pencil. You needn't get the expensive four-inch diameter
metal kind: Mars or Stadtler makes a perfectly workable one-inch
diameter plastic sharpener for them too [in either style the pencil
sharpens via a sort of stirring motion in the sharpener]. I used
one for years as a tech illustrator. You'll also need to get a
grey kneaded eraser to clean up errors or smears.
Then just sharpen your lead to the
panel line thinness you want and draw on the model where you want,
using plastic drafting templates and/or rulers as needed. Goofs
are easily fixable by simply erasing and redoing: much easier
than repainting! When the lines are done, spray over with matt
or gloss finish to seal.
For variety/effect, you can also
use conventional colored pencils.
The wash:
Another method for blacking panel
lines is the use of thinned out paint, which is then carefully
applied to model so that capillary action will carry the paint
along the panel lines, since they are the lowest point on the
surface.
This technique is much more difficult
to master than the pen method, but has several advantages that
might make it worth the trouble, depending on the result you desire.
The biggest advantage to the wash method, is that it can be done
with any color of paint you desire, allowing for a greater range
of effects that the pen method. Another advantage is that when
done correctly, it can produce a much cleaner, and regular line
than pens typically do.
The major disadvantage to this method
is that if done incorrectly it can quickly ruin a paint job, or
even destroy a model. As such, I will go into a bit of detail
of what not to do when using a wash.
The first and most important thing
to pay attention to when doing a wash, is what you are using as
a thinner. A common mistake is to use brush cleaner, or turpentine/turpenoid
as a thinner. This will eat through a plastic model and destroy
it, so don't do it! Another common mistake, is to use a thinner
that is corrosive to the previous layers of paint, this runs a
high risk of destroying your paint job, so be careful!
One of the best ways to safely apply
a wash, is to do your base paint job in one type of paint, clear
gloss coat over your paint job with the same type of paint, and
then apply the wash with a less aggressive type of paint. This
way you can easily apply or even remove the wash with no fear
of it effecting the paint you laid down before the wash. As a
general rule lacquer based paints, like Mr. Color and ModelMaster
Metalizer, are the most aggressive, closely followed by enamel-based
paints, like Humbrol or ModelMaster, with acrylics being the least
aggressive. Of course, these are just general rules, and I would
recommend testing various brands before actually trying a wash.
However, if you are using a lacquer or enamel paint, acrylics
make a perfect wash, because you can thin them with water, and
clean them up with the same, thus risking no damage to your original
paint job.
All of that said, I will get to how
to apply a wash. First, you want to thin the wash color heavily.
I will usually start with as much as 5 parts thinner (water
for acrylics) to 1 part paint, and then thin even more from there
depending on the effect I want. How much you thin depends on what
you are trying to achieve, so you just have to play with it a
little to get the hang of it. Then you put the wash on the model.
How you put it on once again depends on what you are trying to
do. Some people only wish to darken the panel lines, and therefore
apply the wash to the edge of a panel line with a small brush,
and allow capillary action to carry the paint along the panel
line. Others wish to darken all low-lying areas and details, so
will apply the wash to the entire surface area of the model part.
Whichever way you apply the paint, you can then wipe unwanted
excess away with a Q-tip moist with thinner. If the end result
is not as dark as you would like, don't be afraid to apply another
wash, as long as the first wash has not completely cured, you
will still be able to cleanup with a Q-Tip.
Edge Gradients/Pre-shading:
This is by far the most complicated
form of panel line enhancement, but can also offer some of the
most stunning results. This technique requires an airbrush, and
an understanding of how they work. There are a few different ways
to achieve this effect, but the basic idea is to create a gradient
running along the edge of the panel line, to accentuate the panel
line. The main ways this can be achieved is either by underpainting,
masking, or a combination of both.
By underpainting, what I mean is
that you first paint a dark colored airbrush stroke that follows
the panel line, then once that is dry, then put a thin coat of
either a lighter color, or a transparent color, over the part,
so that the first stroke blends into the second coat and appears
to be a gradient. The trick with this method is to make sure not
to apply too much paint on the second coat, if you do your gradient
will be completely obscured, and you will have to start over.
This can take quite a bit of practice to get right, and you have
to carefully pick the colors you are using, to make sure the blend
together well, but can look quite nice, so is well worth the trouble.
By masking, I mean to use frisket,
masking tape or masking film to isolate each panel after your
base paint job has been applied, then one panel at a time, spray
a gradient of another color along the edge of that masked panel.
The trick here is to never spray directly on the model itself.
Spray, instead, on the masking material, or out to the side of
the part, so that you only get the soft spillover at the edge
of the airbrush stroke (called overspray) onto the model. This
technique can be very time consuming and difficult, but much like
a wash you can do it in several stages, with any color you want,
to achieve a variety of effects.
Of course for extremely complicated
panel line effects, you could combine Pre-shading, masking, washes,
and even pen or pencil strokes to get some amazing, and truly
time consuming, results!
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