Today was painting day. The Kingfisher will be painted in the Atlantic dark gray over white camouflage. I figured that almost any preshading will show up under the white, while black will probably be needed in the dark gray areas. I started with Tamiya white primer over the whole plane. When that had dried, I added the pre-shading. I used black in the areas that would be covered with the dark gray camouflage, then I used dark gray, gray-blue, and light blue in irregular patches in the areas that will be covered with the white camouflage. I diluted Tamiya white with about 60% X20 Thinner, then began applying thin layers of the white paint in the appropriate areas. I always have a hard time creating a soft demarcation between camo colors, so I wanted to try using tape to create the effect. I added a very thin piece of plastic strip to some masking tape and then applied the tape to the model. I hoped that the plastic would raise the tape a small amount, creating a soft demarcation when I sprayed the dark gray. This plan worked to a certain extent, but I ended up neatening the demarcation freehand. I may still need to try to sharpen the demarcation, but I will take a vote tomorrow after everything dries.
The replacement engine won't arrive until sometime next week, but I think I can complete everything on the model except the engine and cowling. Tomorrow I will work on the demarcation, if needed, and then apply some clear gloss to prepare the surface for decals.
5 attached images. Click to enlarge.
