Hi there, after my disaster with Vallejos liquid mask I had to sand the model to get the masking off and thought this might be a good time to try freehand camo. But its harder than I thought. I can't seem to get a nice even coat on the larger areas and dont get me started on the edges. I'm using WEM enamel paints thinned with MM airbrush thinner.
So how you do get a nice coat and a nice feathered edge sprayed freehand ??
Has anyone got any tips or tutorials on how to do this ??
Thanks for any help.
David.

The key is low pressure (10-15 psi) and very thin paint, slighty thinner than milk. Go slow and allow the paint to cover fully and you should do fine. It takes lots of practice and patience though, so don't expect your first try to be perfect. Good luck.

Gino gave some very good advice and his caution.....my recommendation is to take an old model or even some scrap material and practice. Get the feel of the AB with the thin paint and how to make the camo patterns flow.

Also you can see what different distances do for the edge you are trying to create.

Rounds Complete!!

Hi
Ditto the above from Gino and Mike.
I practice the pattern on sketch book paper first.
Slow and steady with well thinned paint, as per the two posts above.
Regards
Garth

when possible,

rest your hand on your workbench. I makes you more stabile. Sometimes it also helps to hold your AB with 2 hands

To add on to what the others have said:

before i have any freehand camo to paint I also take the entire airbrush apart, clean it carefully, and lube it up properly.

and i practice the fine lines until i get my paint ratio perfectly

Practice.

Practice.

Practice.

Practice some more.

Practice on old models, practice on flat surfaces, practice working the mechansim to get the right line thickness, practice mixing paints to get the right consistency, practice different masking techniques to get the right look, practice setting your airbrush to get the pressures right.

Did I mention practice?

My practice was mostly the 100+ kits I built after I got my airbrush at the age of 15. At 50, I still try new techniques on scrap plastic or kit surfaces.

I can pretty much promise that your first few paint jobs will not come out exactly as you hoped. Stick with it.

Paul

All good advice, personally, I think you should blind fold yourself use the arm that you usually dont write stuff with. I can guarantee a unique camo design when your done.

That's "Crazy Talk"! Pretty funny though.

Other than Lou's , the above advice is solid, and most of all, be patient and move slowly. It took me a to discipline myself... I wanted it all, and right away. Do the outlines first and fill them in with a SLIGHTLY larger spray pattern... SLIGHTLY! If you look at some modern armor... and WWII for that matter... you will see some airbrush marks on the real thing. So don't feel bad if you see thin spots after the paint dries and the AB is cleaned.

NATO schemes follow a standardized pattern, but you don't have to be exact. Following the pattern up and over the roof, then down the other side, it might help to outline it in pencil first. WWII German camo can be so subtle and "wispy" at times, it will make you crazy trying resist the urge to spray more paint.

Good luck, and post your results.
Mark L.

I agree with Lou. To airbrush camo patterns, I lay a base of one of the camo colors down first. I set my airbrush to the tightest spray and hold it back from the model. This usually leaves 'wispy' lines. As for the edges, you may not be thinning your paint enough or you aren't painting at a consistent pace. Lots of good advice here. Best of luck.

lots of masking