"Painting 1/200th scale aircraft" Topic

All,
I've recently gotten into playing Check Your 6 using 1/200th models. I am fairly pleased with the results. A friend suggested that a dark wash would bring out the details and give the planes a "lived in" look. Given the size of the models, I am hesitant. Here are photos -

link

Comments and suggestions welcome.
Nick

I'm outright pessimistic.

I think the only thing your planes need is dullcoat to kill the shine. They look nice. If you want to go to all the trouble, some "weathering" (with dirt/smoke/oil streaks) might help… maybe. It's hard to do nicely at small scales.

I normally use washes and/or drybrushing on everything, but not on airplanes. It looks wrong to me, so much that I've repainted entire planes to fix it. I do use diluted paints, but to create selective shading along panel lines and mating surfaces, and streaking for gunsmoke stains, exhaust stains, etc. There is one exception: canopies. Washes can nicely blend and shade the curves and latticework of canopies, if done right.

- Ix

Nick: I agree with YA. A dark wash in the smaller scales (e.g., 1/600, 1/300, 1/285) will make the model pop but in 1/200 it will produce a toy like effect.

I've applied very light washes (very light gray or brown) and like the effect but it has to be done carefully.

Your models look fine. Again, I would go with YA's advice on this.

R'/ Joe

What I have done, maybe you can't see it, is to do a darker shade where the wings join the fuselage and around high points on the bodies. I tend to varnish all my models, figures etc, with satin. Do you think the aircraft need matte?

No, I prefer a satin finish on aircraft.