When a project ends that has been as enjoyable as this one, you are struck with a sense of triumph, of a job well done. Then the anti-climax hits and there is a sadness because it's finished. Well, almost finished - I still have the figures to do.
I don't usually bog the reader down with too much paint detail, but I was asked to expand on it, so here's a run down.
Painting
Having under-coated the model in a matt pale green, I pre-shaded it with black. Since there is a lot of handling of the hull, I allowed for a 12-24 hour drying period in the painting sequence. Starting with the lightest colours, I then began to add the camouflage. To achieve the hard-ish edges, I used BluTack rolled out in thin sausages. This can cause overspray though, so careful masking is important. The final shade I used was black; jet black would be far too stark, even in 1/35 scale, so I cut it with tan, around 15%. Any more and it looks like mud.
Weathering
I started with the deck. It must be remembered that PT boats were often in the thick of action and at the mercy of a Pacific sun, suffering the ravages of daily wear and tear. Following the route on deck that the crew would take to carry out their duties, and using the original green as a base, I gradually lightened in a seemingly random pattern with my airbrush turned down. I started with a light brown and gradually moved on to a yellow. By now I was covering less surface, but with greater density to give the impression of wear.
Weathering the hull was similar. I just did more of a vertical cloud pattern, blending the colours carefully for each camo shade. A light brown was used on its own to simulate wear on the bow where the bow wave is constantly battering it. The only wash I used was in dark brown, and that on the deck and fittings only.
And that was it, give or take. It was a wonderful project to build - the first I have tried, but it won't be the last. Figures to come.
