Help on pre - painting methods

[Phil]

Here is an area that is a mystery to me, pre painting.

Is it just me who thinks - but how exactly did you do that - when viewing somebodies build when they write, (''I pre (or and ) post shaded'')


1/ Pre Shading
What is it, Why do it, Then the method.

2/ Post Shading
What is it, Why do it, Then the method.

A written step by step on this would be a huge help for all who want to try this, me included!

 

[mlp]

Howdi Phil,

not that I'm an expert here, but I've tried or better do it most of my builds with sometimes more and sometimes less notice able outcome so what is it for me:

PreShading:
well it's nothing more that spraying the panel line in a dark color so that could look through - yes but in fact it is tons more imagine working with semi transparent colors, lets say transparent for about 25%. If you lay i.e. a green above an red and then mist on top of that a dark blue you get a very dark brown/black. This you can use to tint panels. You lay down some red, blue and or green on to some panels and then if you spray better mist a fine layer of green on top of that you have some panels already shaded different. together with preshaded dark panel lines you already have some nice variations in your color and thats what I think preshading is all about.

postshading:
well in the end you can just get the same result as with preshading you just do it after all the painting is done. I often have read postshading when it is more weathering, but well if you like then postshading could also be done for shading the colors exposed to the sun and a like. But this I would name weathering then ... Remember my He-115 I have done postshading there esp. for the panel lines. Just because the old Matchbox did have raised panel lines so I just masked along those lines (just a very small bit wider) and sprayed super thinned black oil paint to have those panel lines darker = postshading


So I cant name a step by step - but id you search the web for "Testors Scale workshop" videos made by BrettGreen You will find some real nice videos about it

 

[moon puppy]

Like I said at Swanny's Phil, I like the post shading because I can see what's going on better. Looking forward to the other folks here what they say because I wouldn't mind being able to pre shade now.

 

[MrT]

Are we talking about armor, aircraft or whatever? All sounds like color modulation to me.

B)

 

[Ken Abrams]

It's a paint technique so it doesn't matter if you do it to a plane or the death star. Also, it is nothing like color modulation at all, that is a completely different technique altogether.

Pre-shade and post-shade are the same basic technique, with the same basic outcome simply done at two different times in the paint job. One pre paint, the other post paint.

It is nothing more than creating false shadow around raised details and in panel lines or nooks and crannies etc.

MLP has pretty much described it but if you'd like Phil, I can make a quick little video later showing the differences?

 

[MrT]

It's a paint technique so it doesn't matter if you do it to a plane or the death star. Also, it is nothing like color modulation at all, that is a completely different technique altogether.

Pardon my ignorance.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Pre-shade, Post-shade, color modulation, filters (instead of glazes), washing, dry brushing (instead of highlighting), lots of terms here that get confusing even to the old hands!

I think a glossary in Sprue U is in order!

Don't look at me to start it as I am usually confused with the new terms for old techniques applied to modeling.

Regards,

 

[Ken Abrams]

Pre-shade, Post-shade, color modulation, filters (instead of glazes), washing, dry brushing (instead of highlighting), lots of terms here that get confusing even to the old hands!

Sure, it can get confusing and I understand that completely. MLP did a great job explaining and describing the technique asked about in this thread in the first reply, hopefully that post will get read and digested and not just passed over.

Most of these terms however (as I'm sure you know) are nothing new, just maybe new to modeling.

Pre/post-shade, false shadows painted onto a model, either before (pre) or after (post) the paint.

Color Modulation has been used for centuries, on canvas. Making Mona Lisa's face appear to have more depth on a flat canvas by painting in shadows and highlights of the base color. Art text books refer to it as: ...a method used in the creation of recession or illusion of depth...

Filters, just like in photography or lighting, a translucent shade used to slightly alter the color spectrum of the underlying paint, shifting a green that is too green to a more brown tone for instance.

Washes and dry brushing are old school, I assume those need no real explanation?

:idonno

I have a really crappy video loading with about 37 minutes left, hopefully it will only add to MLP's already great explanation and clarify it a little for Phil.

:v

 

[Phil]

Great replies on this subject and Saul that is a good idea, and maybe a few photos showing the effects?, Ken's video would go well there as well and it wouldn't get lost amongst the posts ( thanks Ken )

I think this would really help a lot of modellers and would save questions in this category from being repeated.

 

[moon puppy]

I've always thought the unwritten rule is, if you come up with the idea it's your puppy. New title for Saul, Sprue U Librarian..

 

[TomN]

Hope it's ok to post this here, if not, Mods please delete...but here's is the first time I ever heard of post-shading:

http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/german/jbpaint/jbpaint.htm

An excellent tutorial by James Blackwell on Missing Lynx.

Tom

 

[kryptosdaddy]

thanks for posting this Eric um, Tom.

 

[moon puppy]

I'm waiting for the Ken Abrams show...

 

[JSteinman]

If you look at my 7 RTR Matty in the Blitzkreig forum you can see both pre and post shading in action...

 

[Ken Abrams]

Pretty crappy video as it was just done, drop of the hat and on the fly but it should explain the differences pretty well, just don't expect big production value. B)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYxWNUZlMes

 

[JSteinman]

While Ken is technically correct - I find it easier to paint the whole kit the preshade shadow color. That way you don't miss any areas... Also you can use a pre and post shade together. I use dark preshades and light post shades to accentuate the contrast as much as possible.

 

[moon puppy]

Looking forward to seeing this in full tomorrow Ken. Nice airbrush :woohoo

One thing though, you say that post shading you have to be neater with your lines, I would say it's about the same.

I notice the thing I was missing, you sort of avoided the dark shades to some extent, where I have been screwing up is I would, like in your video, flood the area obliterating any shading.

Pre versus Post, I think it boils down to Ford vers Chevy.

Thoughts? Are their any pros and cons on either way?

 

[Ken Abrams]

While Ken is technically correct - I find it easier to paint the whole kit the preshade shadow color.

As do I, all my OD schemes are primered solid black.

This was done this way merely for the clarification of the effect and simplification of the video, not a representation of how I paint.

I notice the thing I was missing, you sort of avoided the dark shades to some extent, where I have been screwing up is I would, like in your video, flood the area obliterating any shading.

I'd explain why I was doing that but you obviously caught it yourself, if you don't try to avoid it somewhat then just like you mention, you lose the effect completely.

Pre versus Post, I think it boils down to Ford vers Chevy.

Thoughts? Are their any pros and cons on either way?

For me it's simply that I prime in flat black and apply my OD leaving those areas to bleed through, causing a pre shade effect. Each successive lighter shade of OD afterward, follows suit and creeps inside the panels a bit more. I don't think what I'm doing to the panels could be called post shading, because they are highlights, not shadows. If you can post shade (darker color) than by all means do what works for you.

 

[Iron Mike]

Thank you, Ken! I love these big buck productions!!

 

[Ken Abrams]

There were a few Doe and some Fawn in the yard this evening,

I didn't see any big Bucks though.