b - Blocking in Colors on the Hang Glider

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Finalist Cmdr G writes:

Blocking in the Colors

We left off in my last article having cleaned up and undercoated the model, with the gaps in the model filled, but not assembled. Now we needed to start looking at the application of color.

I referred to my plan that I decided when entering this competition. Well, I referred to my memory, so who knows what I planned. So anyway, from memory the plan was for aged sails like an old ships, Mahogany type woodwork, and a dash of color on the tail like green or reds.

Looking at the model I decided to paint the dark wood framing first, followed by the sails, then the fiddly bits, like pilot and rigging. Being first and base color coats, the paint was applied with less the final quality precision. My main worry was to not get the white and browns overlapped too much.

The paints used were all enamel-based, mostly Humbrol, but a few Tamiya and mixed GW. The base wood color is Humbrol 186 and a touch of Humbrol 6, the white of the sails Humbrol 34, the rigging Humbrol 7, the Pilots boots Humbrol 33, his skin Humbrol 61, his shirt Humbrol 159, jerkin was Humbrol 63, pants Tamiya Deep Green, beard Humbrol 125, gloves Tamiya Acrylic Desert Sand, fittings and the main weapon were Humbrol 54, metal fittings like steel Humbrol 126. The tail was painted first with a green made from a special mix I made of GW paints, Blue with some Yellow and some Wash. The red was GW. I paint with a variety of brushes, mostly Sable or synthetic Sable.

The advantage for me in not having assembled is that it is much easier to paint this model, particularly the pilot, because there are no obstructions which the wings would have been.