Shadow help? (pics)

[SilentWov]

Here's two pics of my latest work. I like to airbrush, but its mostly shading, and filling in small areas. The part I'm having the biggest problem with is doing the shading so it looks real. Mine looks blotchy, uneven, and unreal. If I have the air pressure up to high, the spray pattern seems too wide. If I turn the air pressure down, I can see spittles of paint. Anyone have any tips or suggestions I can work on for making it more realistic?????? Thanks in advance.

First one is for a buddy who wanted the main color silver, likes Atsushi's ride, but didn't like the pink in it. The inset is the design I refered to.

Next one is for a friend that wanted long flames, with blue and chrome. I used chrome/black for the carbon look on the wing which really pops out. The inset is a magazine cover that I got the paint idea from.

Both of these was my first time using Bob Dively's Liquid Mask. I brushed on 3 coats, letting each coat dry before applying the next. I could have gone 4 I think, because it was really thin when peeling it off. But the stuff works like a charm. Draw the design on top with a sharpie, and exacto each layer on the bottom.

Refer to the pics for the shadowing problem. Thanks for looking.

 

[Wardo]

That's not all that bad, I like how you are learning to roll the flames down the fender instead of the common 3 piece flame I see alot of people do.

The trick to it is to keep the brush with alot of air and very little paint, hopefully you're using a double action brush??? Your spray pattern should work from laying the paint completely on the masking then gradually rolling it out to give the light, consistant fade.

One tip, if you don't have the steadiest hand with a double action brush is to slightly pull the needle out the back of the brush or to adjust it with the thumbwheel if your brush is equipt with one. It's there to set the needle depth and allow the same amount of paint to come out at all times, making the double action brush and adjustable single action. Doing this will give you a consistant spray pattern for all of your shadows.


Grab a small pane of glass, lay basic masking and practice away, a straight edge razor will clean all the paint off and try again until it's perfected.

 

[SilentWov]

One thing I like about the Liquid mask, is that you create the design to the body. Looks like it just fits better. I probably had drawn 3 sets of designs on top with the sharpie, then combined into one by coloring in. <G>

But back to the problem: I use a Paasche VL 2-stage w/Sears 2-gallon compressor. I never really had practiced at all with it, just started painted bodies. I do have the thumbwheel I've played with but still seems inconsistant with viscosity and air pressure. Great advice about the glass. I guess I could lay out some flames on the outside, and practice getting the line smooth on the inside. I also have the tiny little spray cup that clips onto the gun that I've never tried, prob easier than trying to manuver than the Faskolor bottles attached.

So if I read you right, you're saying alot of air pressure, with little paint coming out? How close are you to the surface, an inch or two to get a small pattern? And you're making a smooth sweep with your hand to not stay in one place too long?

 

[Lessen]

do you have interchangable tips (cones) and needles? I've been experimenting with different setups and realized that using a medium tip with a small needle puts out very little paint in a very small pattern. using the small needle also allows greater control of the flow because of the very gradual tapering of the needle. I don't know if this helps you're situation but it's just what I've found out from experimenting with my setup. good luck with future works and btw, I'd say that looks pretty darn nice.

 

[SilentWov]

AAargh! I have additional needles in the box! **Silent smacks forhead with a book** Why didn't I think of that? G<> thanks, more stuff to try.

 

[hb1111]

nice job on the bodies i like the bule color combo keep up the good work

 

[kazi]

Do not make the shadows with pure plack y use to do it mixing some silver and black to get a dark silver, or dark grey mixing white and black, or just paint the shadows with a darker color form the same family, dark blue over regular blue. Maybe is not the best example because this one turned very soft but I can't find another one now.

 

[FRIDGE]

you get the spatter if the paint is not thinned out good but making the paint mix thinner means the paint is likely to run. I've been airbrushing for about 3 years now its hards to learn everyhting because you learn something new everyday that you pick up your paint gun. try using the #1 needle and tip assembly but you WILL need to make the paint thinner. o yea nice bodies

 

[Candyman]

You're definitely off to a great start. Frankly, my shading ain't no better. I have the same problems and I am realizing that practice is the key. I do use the technique where I typically aim the brush at the masked portion when shading and just let the paint fan itself outward. But I still get uneven paint. I like Wardo's idea of painting glass. I used soda bottles, but with glass you just wash it off and start again. Cool idea. This winter I intend on practicing a whole lot and getting some custom stuff up for sale locally and on here. I still think I have a ways to go before I'm as good as I'd like to be. But I've found tons of great advice here.

 

[NJRC]

I like them both. What did you use toget the carbon fiber wing? Is that decal or actual carbon fiber design from a mask or something?

 

[SilentWov]

Thats an old trick I learned right here. You use a non-slip shelf or toolbox liner to stencil the weave through, then fill it in. I found a roll of it at Target. I think Sears may have some for their toolboxes.?.

 

[SilentWov]

Hey thanks for the tips guys!! My buddy wanted another body, so I was able to try out these tips last night....

Lessen, I did put in a small needle and narrow spray tip, and it narrowed the spray pattern considerabley.

Wardo, I found the thumbwheel hard to know where I was, so I took the back off the pen, and pulled the needle out a little. It took me several tries to get the air pressure and paint volumn just right. Critical step, and hard to find just the right spot, but when there, the contol was very good.

Fridge, I thinned the Faskolor almost 50%, making it very thin, and alot easier to work with using fine tip needles. I also put the mixed paint in a small clip-on cup on the gun eliminating the big bottle, so it was easier to move around too.

CandyMan, nice tip with aiming the first stroke at the mask, and fanning it outward. It gets your hand used to tracing and following the curve that you are shadowing.

Kazi, I liked your tip too about shading with a darker similar color, but I wasn't able to try it here, because I was going for a twin (if color-flipped) car.

Here's the results. I'm very pleased with them. Now the flames actually do look like they're raised off the surface. Theres still some room for improvement, but they're pretty darn good. Thanks guys, RCNT is the best!.............

 

[Wardo]

looks good.

 

[kazi]

Yeep, looks much better, the blue and chrome color looks really good.

 

[Lessen]

good work! looks awesome dude.