What is this "Spanish School" stuff? I am a Spaniard by my ancestry? Though 6 generations past, I have never heard this term before. Can you explain to me what that is?

Typical Spanish school...

Go look at the OVERDONE versions of this (they're out there). THAT is the "Spanish school." When "too much is not enough". The models that look like cartoons.

Doing it modestly like this, following the rule that "less is more", is the opposite of what is meant. David didn't post the right thing and I don't keep copies of photos of these kinds of models because they're what I never want to do.

I'm through talking to you. My pain threshold for willful stupidity has been exceeded.

‘Spanish Scool’ is A pretty wide known term (probably more so here in Europe). The example I highlighted is a diluted version of it. Often, Spanish Schoolers go for a ‘hyper shaded’ approach that is like Trump, you either love it or hate it. If you look at the example I posted, it’s very ‘cartoony’. Artistic, but not very ‘real’. Bit like the Post Raphaelte movement in the art world in the 19th century.

The example below is a good illustration. Is is a great model? Yes. It’s alao sumptuous to look at, but it nothing at all in my mind what a real Tiger looks like. It’s like someone’s made a Tidger Tank where the only reference has come from a comic book

David - that armour is a great example of 'Spanish School' painting - as I understand it, and yes I think it is a fairly 'Euro' thing - there was a Greek site where it was almost a house style. Here are some aviation examples:

Most would agree that these are some lovely models, and have been completed exactly as the builder wanted, but are also fairly unrealistic in terms of what has happened to panel lines regarding pre- and post-shading. I think most elements of weathering and pre-shading could be described as exaggerated. 'Spanish School' is a tongue-in-cheek (irreverent) nickname I think.

I'm sure it takes considerable skill to achieve that look. I like the look if it is taken as art and even caricature (19th Century 'Spanish School' art I think is where the name came from but there are examples of Art like this through history so who knows) - but using the pictured Beaufighter as an example I'm fairly sure these are not entirely accurate depictions, however much I like them as art! Here is a 'Spanish School' painting of a bullfight. Note the strong contrast and emphasised outlines. Someone with a little too much culture and a keen eye made the link I guess!

Here is one from the 16th Century:

In some cases, where heavy weathering is needed (some of the Luftwaffe in Africa for example where planes were sometimes tidied up only intermittently when they returned to Europe (sometimes Greece)) and in some of the Pacific Theatre aircraft, this is arguably an approach worth applying. But only when the panel lines are not finished in such a 'perfect' and uniform way - even those panels routinely taken off would presumably have suffered 'non-uniform' weathering.

All that said I really love they way this Tempest is going and I can't wait to see the outcome of the paint job! It has been a mammoth effort and a magnificent WIP and I am excited to see the moment of truth approaching for an absolutely classic build!

Dave that looks amazing. You look at the photographs on aircraft with invasion stripes and they look uniform in appearance at a distance. Then you see close ups and they are not straight, ragged lines between the black and white, mostly brushed on with brooms seeing some of the pics on the larger aircraft like the C-47's. Most were hastily painted on for the operation. But try to replicate that on a model and it looks awful. And I have only built one with invasion stripes a P-47, your Tempest is coming along quite nicely Dave.

Stripes looking great, David. Painting them over the black reduces the starkness of the white paint. Chuck's comments cover the point well, and the look you've achieved strikes a good balance! Great work!