Very interested to hear others opinions ?

[paddy]

Make a cup of coffee, grab a couple of biscuits and read

Follow the link,

The Problem with Panel Line Shading

So this is the post where I get to shit all over other people’s builds! Not really. Or at least, that is not my intent. My intent is to talk about shading panel lines (mainly pre-shading, but…

doogsmodels.com

 

[jeaton01]

I like Doog's approach. What he said at the last rings true to me:

"In short, my issue with all the panel shading nonsense is that it only pays attention to a specific feature of the aircraft’s surface, at the expense of the rest. As nice as the rest of the work may be, it’s a distracting and ultimately detracting element. Pay attention to the whole of the aircraft, and how all of its elements come together in a cohesive fashion."

 

[moon puppy]

Sounds familiar. That's what I've been attempting to some extent lately.

 

[RichB]

As a user of the Hairy Brush, not the Airy Brush, I definitely lean to the subtle, more typical realistic weathering, building the effect in layers of washes, filters and dry brushing. To me, this allows the viewers eyes find little details as thy wander over the subject. However, there are always exceptions to the rule when it comes to heavy weathering and stark panel lines. If there are photographs of your subject like that, then go for it, but it doesn't mean every subject will look like that.

I generally apply an off white (on the grey or ivory side) overall base wash to blend the camouflage and decals and don't worry if it dries a bit blotchy. For panel washes I use a dark brown and again, not worrying if some panel lines are heavier or lighter. Any excess I wipe off in the direction of airflow. I will go back and apply heavier weathering to doors and panels that are opened and closed regularly during maintenance and servicing and areas where there may be leaks and spills. The last stage is various light and dark tones, a mix of washes and dry brushing, to dirty up surfaces (dust, mud, oil, grease, boot and hand marks, paint touchups), often going back and forth between lights and darks.

Cheers,
RichB