Building of a plastic Spitfire model kit in 1/48 scale step by step, part 3
Join us for the third part of our Spitfire model kit build! Miniature was assembled, painted and weathered by Piot "Słoma" Słomiński.
We can now disclose, that another model is in the works and should soon appear on our website!
You can read the previous parts here:
How to build a model kit of a Spitfire, part I
Second part of our Spitfire build guide. How to paint a Spitfire?
Phase III - Weathering or imitating dirt and exploatation marks on a model kit.
Now the time has come to emphasize panel lines and other recessed details. For this, I used products of Ammo by Mig from Panel Line Wash line, known shortly as PLW. Those enamel products are ready to use, you just need to shake or mix them. I applied them with a brush straight into the recesses. When it dried a bit, I wiped the excess using cotton buds or paper towel. Washes remained in the lines making them stand out nicely.
For the lower surfaces, I used Ammo Mig 1617 Blue Black.
For the upper surfaces Ammo Mig 1618 Deep Brown.
To protect the effect before further operations, I sprayed the model with clear semi-matt varnish Alclad 2 Klear Kote Light Sheen.
I let the varnish dry thouroughly. Then it was time to proceed further with weathering. Spitfires had very distinct stains on their undersides. Of course - some bigger, some smaller. All modellers weather according to their taste. I like weathering effects although i a more subtle manner.
I started doing the effects by making some streaks using AK Interactive 075 Wash for Nato Tanks, thinning it with white spirit.
To places I considered dirtier, I applied spots of AK Interactive 082 Engine Grime and…
I „stretched" them with a liner brush moistened in white spirit, so the streaks would achieve shape that conforms to the airflow on the plane.
Using the same wash I created a streak on the previously made fuel stain in front of the cabin. Again using fine paintbrush I shaped it and with the same brush moistened in white spirit i feathered the edges so that the colour transition become smooth.
Next to made were various chips and scratches. Firstly, using a brush with Vallejo 70883, I made some irregular spots and stains. I did them in places where I thought it was logical for them to appear on the real machine.
In the areas where I wand to expose the effect more - I scraped the paint all the way to silver base. This is the point where applying earlier AK 088 Worn Effects came in really handy.
Using AK Interactive 080 Summer Kursk Earth and 015 Dust Effects I made imitation of dust and dirt on the wing, where it could happen due to the working ground crew and pilot entering the plane.
Like earlier, I applied the products in form of small spots
which then I blended using a cotton bud moistened with white spirit.
To make exhaust stains I started with applying the streaks using AK Interactive 083 Track Wash enamel, which I heavily diluted with white spirit.
Then, with black pigment, I accented a little the stains' edges using paintbrush.
Final touch was to add some grey pigment in the middle of the stain.
At this point I could finish the exhaust stacks. I used rusty coloured AK Interactive pigments 043 i 144 and a black one. Using fine brush I added them on the stacks little by little untill I was happy with the result.
For simulating dirt on the wheels, I used AK Interactive Dust & Dirt Deposits n. 4062 Light Dust and 4063 Brown Earth. You can describe them more or less as a sort of "liquid pigment". When it dries it makes an effect of accumulated dust. It can be brushed or sprayed through an airbrush and freely modulated afterwards.
After it dried, I swabbed the wheels with a cotton bud to soften the transition between the paint and the pigment. I was really happy with the result.
Undercarriage pepared im this way was glued to the model. I could now add some dirt and dust near the wheels and all of the places exposed to all of the dirt and dust raised during takeoffs and landings. For this task I chose some earthly coloured pigments. I applied them in selected areas with a paintbrush starting from the darkest colour and moving up to the lightest.
I added some more dirt on the wings in the same way.
All that was left was to remove the masking from the clear parts and glue all of the small details to the model
and using black pigment (applied with a brush along the airflow's direction) improve a little gunsmoke streaks near the armament and…
…the model was finished!
Howard Kilburn
Beautiful work and excellent weathering