Pre- and Post-Shading

[T1000]

Here is from a novice's advice:

1. Do a good filing / sanding job. It seems that your Destiny, EX-S and Freedom is plague with seam lines and uneven surfaces!

2. Adopt a simple shading technique. There are a few, like pre-shade, post shade, etc. Shades on models make them looks great as they would bring out the 3D perspective more.

3. Learn and adopt a good and easy enamel wash technique for panel lines.

4. Use a flat coat afterwards. The shine on your kits are killing them!! They made them looked plastic... Through all the efforts of painting, coating, etc.. we are trying to remove that "plastic" feel. Dun you feel funny that after all these, it still looks " plastic" ??  

5. Have patience. Beat the urge to quickly complete the kit as fast as possible

This is the colour layers I used for most of my kits

Pre- and Post-Shading

[nightbringer]

T1000, thank you for the advice.
 I used Games Workshop satin varnish to topcoat my S.

I'm still not too sure on the whole puttying thing.

With my Destiny ... I didn't topcoat it at all - it was my first painted model, so all I did was paint it and that was that - I did a lot of experimentation while I was painting it. I experimented with preshading using this technique for the Destiny:
http://members.lycos.co.uk/dougi3000/techniques/preshade.htm
Well, I have the stand, so I can always buy another one if it's too hard to repaint.

The Freedom was the first model my brother built, and was done OOB, so it's not painted.

I tried an enamel wash with my S Gundam - somehow there weren't too many lines that I could actually do it effectively.

I've been getting something of the look I want as I paint more models - what I'm working towards is a crisp and clean finish like many Asian modellers do (and FF does).

I finished the Gundam 05 recently using the spray-on-sprue method, and I feel it looks great. I'll put up some pictures later.

[T1000]

I know what you are refering to.. those clean clean asian modeller's work... and in fact, I also love their works..

But after I examine their works carefully, I realised that there may be a very in distinctive shading used!! so much so that our eye could hardly make it out, but it is there. Then why is it there? My answer is: shading is there to bring out the 3D perspective and also to simulate light casted on the body of the kit.

Shading does not means that it have to be seen outright. It's purpose, as I have mentioned, is to bring out perspective and simulate light. So, it can be subtle like this:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/EatMeRaw_/DSC02695.jpg
See the green.. It took me 7 kits of practise to get this kind of shading!!    For the blue, I used a more defined shading becos I wants to cast "more light" on the dark colour parts. If you observe the yellow, you will see orange on the edges and yellow on its middle. But I bet your eyes would have fooled you that there is a light casted on the shield if I have not mention it right?    That is also another shading technique I have learnt.

To have a less subtle shade, you could use a different black - white composition for the shade and highlite colours (like base + 10% black and base + 10% white) and you will get an effect similar to my Nemo green.

[DN]

T1000
U chart is very clear work and I think about Color it's up to personal style right? Thanks for chart

[T1000]

T1000
U chart is very clear work and I think about Color it's up to personal style right? Thanks for chart

Of cos it is personal style! Modelling is an art..

In fact, I am going to change to a new painting style to see if it works.. I will be upating it in my upcoming kit.. Z'Gok!!  

[michel]

uhmmm... maybe this is going to deserve its own thread, but I think that even the best Japanese modelers we've come to love so much are way back as it comes to pictoric painting and shading... lots of errors and overlooked details , also on the Nemo ... of course this is their style, and they are perfectly comfortable with it, plus, the quality of their building is the real subject of the pictures, so the painting comes as a complementary thing...

...but, although I started as a kit modeler when I was a kid, I switched to 25 mm / 28 mm lead miniatures during my teens.. when it comes to shading, this kind of figures are very harsh mistresses, as you actually have to "piant shadows" everywhere, or else the mini is going to look very flat... I see that in Italy shading and washing techniques are considered fundamental, as you can see in Z-Luca's works, for example...

but talking is always easy, I hope to demonstrate what I'm saying as soon as possible, as I'll resume some gundam modeling

cheers

[Major Blah]

Since T1000 has provided the illustrated layers for the shading technique, it's been moved to the help forum for future reference.

michel, I'm anxious to see your way of shading.  More in-prog pictures would be beneficial for the rest of us too.  :)

[michel]

michel, I'm anxious to see your way of shading.  

sure!...
for now, you can go to my miniatures page on CMON (see links in my signature)... of course, no gundam there, but some interesting mechas nonetheless...

[tetsujin]

I love the layering chart - but when you put on decals, and then no levelling gloss-coat on top, doesn't it cause a problem when you put a wash or filter on afterward?  I always re-gloss after decals in order to help level out the decal edges.

[Captain Obvious]

Nice helpful thread.  I'm going to try pre-shading for the first time with my next kit, and I wanted to clarify somthing on the layering chart.  The darker pre-layer; is it only on the edges/corners/panel lines, or do you coat the entire peice evenly before applying the next coat (the same goes for the lighter layer)?

[gamerabaenre]

That layer chart is very nice.  I will add a version of that to my live presentation on model building and credit you with the idea.  Very cool.

[Major Blah]

Nice helpful thread.  I'm going to try pre-shading for the first time with my next kit, and I wanted to clarify somthing on the layering chart.  The darker pre-layer; is it only on the edges/corners/panel lines, or do you coat the entire peice evenly before applying the next coat (the same goes for the lighter layer)?

Since according to the chart it's 20% dark mix I would color the entire piece.  For the next layer of the actual base color try to avoid the edges.  If you're going for some really heavy shading (usually looks bad), you can just shade the edges with a very dark color.

Also I find that preshading the entire piece also leave out the possibility that you forgot some of the edges.

[Zoccoli]

Since according to the chart it's 20% dark mix I would color the entire piece.  For the next layer of the actual base color try to avoid the edges.  If you're going for some really heavy shading (usually looks bad), you can just shade the edges with a very dark color.

Also I find that preshading the entire piece also leave out the possibility that you forgot some of the edges.

I gave this a shot last week, but I found it very difficult to accomplish with my airbrush. Up until now I've just used the needle that came with my Badger 200, but would I have greater control if I got a different needle? Specifically, even with my needle chuck turned almost all the way in, I still had a relatively large spray pattern.

[gamerabaenre]

Since according to the chart it's 20% dark mix I would color the entire piece.  For the next layer of the actual base color try to avoid the edges.  If you're going for some really heavy shading (usually looks bad), you can just shade the edges with a very dark color.

Also I find that preshading the entire piece also leave out the possibility that you forgot some of the edges.

I gave this a shot last week, but I found it very difficult to accomplish with my airbrush. Up until now I've just used the needle that came with my Badger 200, but would I have greater control if I got a different needle? Specifically, even with my needle chuck turned almost all the way in, I still had a relatively large spray pattern.

What air pressure are you spraying at, and how much distance is there between the target object and the tip of the airbrush?

Usually, when I'm doing the lighter coat, my air pressure is down to about 8-12 psi and the parts are about 10 - 15 cm away from the tip of the airbrush.

[Zoccoli]

What air pressure are you spraying at, and how much distance is there between the target object and the tip of the airbrush?

Usually, when I'm doing the lighter coat, my air pressure is down to about 8-12 psi and the parts are about 10 - 15 cm away from the tip of the airbrush.

I don't recall exactly, but probably at about 15-20 psi and at around the same distance you mentioned. My airbrush has a slightly wonky bottom feed that doesn't react well to really low pressure, and my compressor's regulator is also unreliable below 12-15 psi. It works, but it tends to creep up or down over time, so I tend to spray at 20-25 psi.

So the simplest solution is likely reducing the pressure and holding the part closer (thus reducing the spray diameter), and being careful to avoid pooling/splattering?

[gamerabaenre]

yep.  The lower the pressure, and closer you get, the more control you have to do fine lines.  I would highly recommend you practice on a sheet of paper.  Making dots, lines and such.  Change the distance, change the air pressure.... you'll learn what does what really quickly; and it's good practice.

[FichtenFoo]

I stickied this thread for future reference.

[oteebzo]

I could recommend a trick I have learned over time.
But be careful because you can damage your needle.
 Take the front part of your airbrush head off so the the tip of your needle is expossed. And spay very close to the object so that way , you will get very , and I mean very fine lines and spray. Be warned that if you hit your needle tip, that you will have to replace the needle. So if you don't have the airbrush experience don't try this.

[Zoccoli]

yep.  The lower the pressure, and closer you get, the more control you have to do fine lines.  I would highly recommend you practice on a sheet of paper.  Making dots, lines and such.  Change the distance, change the air pressure.... you'll learn what does what really quickly; and it's good practice.

Thanks, excellent advice!

I could recommend a trick I have learned over time.
But be careful because you can damage your needle.
 Take the front part of your airbrush head off so the the tip of your needle is expossed. And spay very close to the object so that way , you will get very , and I mean very fine lines and spray. Be warned that if you hit your needle tip, that you will have to replace the needle. So if you don't have the airbrush experience don't try this.

I'd try it, but the head on my airbrush is factory-tightened and more or less impossible to remove.

[pu_rplecow]

I could recommend a trick I have learned over time.
But be careful because you can damage your needle.
 Take the front part of your airbrush head off so the the tip of your needle is expossed. And spay very close to the object so that way , you will get very , and I mean very fine lines and spray. Be warned that if you hit your needle tip, that you will have to replace the needle. So if you don't have the airbrush experience don't try this.

Whoa! I remember reading it somewhere before. Its a trick airbrush artists use. It really does work.

Anyway about the tightened head, use a plier and some cloth or newspaper wrapped around to prevent damage? Guess thats what I do sometimes when I cannot remove parts.