The Spanish School Part One
Painting Cockpits
by Spencer Pollard
![](../images/3179555514_8481230d9d.jpg)
![](http://hyperscale.com/images/squadronbanner_1.gif)
HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron
After reading so many comments posted about my Revell Ju 88 on Plastic Pics, and then attending my model club where I was also asked plenty of questions about it, I thought that a very simple tutorial might help answer some questions on the 'Spanish' style that I use on my models.
This system has been used for years now by such wonderful modellers as Juan Villalba and Daniel Zamarbide (who both paint like a dream...) and as such, really helps pop out detail and make it visible within the dark confines of a miniature cockpit - which can often be difficult with more traditional methods.
It's not to everyone's taste, but I really like it and I spend in inordinate amount of time trying to perfect its look!
To do this I've used a simple sidewall from a Hasegawa 109 and though I painted this very quickly this morning, the pictures will give a fair idea of the basics of this technique. When building a model for MIS I would use these ideas, but spend considerably more time on it to make it a neater and more involved, but everything that you see in the pictures was used in both the Me110 and the Ju88. The only difference - this piece took half an hour to paint - the others a few days!
I hope that this helps and that you feel suitably inspired to have a go for yourself! Any questions - let me know!
Painting Cockpits the Spanish Way
Here's the basic plastic part...
![](../images/3178725951_59f8f3aabf.jpg)
A basic coat of grey has been applied using an airbrush. The colour was chosen to clearly show off the technique rather than being an accurate shade.
![](../images/3178725023_fab4fbd3b8.jpg)
Shadows are airbrushed around detail using a [i]very[/i] thin mix of dark grey and black acrylic thinned with lacquer thinner.
![](../images/3179561110_9dc3b843bb.jpg)
Details are basecoated in black using thinned Vallejo acrylic.
![](../images/3178723123_1bc1cede84.jpg)
Ribs and panels are 'highlighted' using Vallejo Light Grey. This produces a more definite appearance than using drybrushing and really helps specific details 'pop'.
![](../images/3178722117_41b0f765a9.jpg)
Edges were highlighted with grey, the hose being highlighted with brown. Note how the brown is only applied to the upper surface of the hose by using the side of a paintbrush rather than the tip. This allows the underlying black to show through and thus creates a more three-dimensional appearance. More time would produce a neater finish!
![](../images/3178721265_ff7daf3d18.jpg)
Details are picked out using more Vallejo acrylics - not to mention, Games Workshop's wonderful metallics
![](../images/3178720331_19525f8c63.jpg)
Further details such as placards can be added using acrylics and a very fine brush - the same system being used to produce some delicate paint chips
![](../images/3178719271_37348c5f4b.jpg)
The panel is given some delicate oversprays of very thinned Red-Brown/Black to tone-down the chips and add a little weathering
![](../images/3179555514_8481230d9d.jpg)
And here's the panel slightly larger than full-size; note how the effects tone-down considerably when seen 'actual size'...
![](../images/3179555514_8481230d9d_m.jpg)
Text & Images Copyright © 2008 by Spencer Pollard
Page Created 13 January, 2009
Last Updated
13 January, 2009
Back to Reference Library |