KingBob
14-12-2008, 05:28 PM
I'm far from a guru on the subject, but these are some of my tips, and the way i've found works best for me. A lot of the complex stuff (fades etc) comes down to airbrush control.
Before even touching paint/airbrush/mask, you need to plan the design. I'll often draw on paper the rough layout of what i want. usually do a top/side pic, drawing the lines, fades, etc, even get the coloured pencils out and see if what i'm thinking of works design-wise.
Once you're happy with the design, grab an artliner pen, a couple of thicknesses and colours helps. I then draw the design on the outside of the body. You're drawing on the overspray film so theres no worries about making a mess. I'll draw in all the lines, dots, panels, flames, whatever you want, and will write the colour on the body so i dont lose track. I also do scribbles where a fade is so i remember.
if the body doesnt come pre-cut, ie: wheel wells, post holes etc, now is the time to do them. Use straight and curves scissors for trimming the body, and of course a reamer for the body holes. Tip for touring cars, it can be a bitch to get nice smooth round wheel arches, so go to a stationery store, and get a compass cutter. Like a regular compass you'd use to draw circles, but has a blade instead. Use it to score the wheel well. Gives a perfect circle and a smooth edge.
Next, wash the inside of the body with detergent. Gets ride of all the mold release agent from when it was made, and all the dust, and grease from your fingers. I use warm water and whatever detergent is handy, and use paper towel to scrub it because it tends to be lint free. Once finished, use more paper towel to dry the body down, but avoid putting your fingers inside the body, that will add more fingerprints/grease. The water detergent should have no effect on the artliner used to draw on the outside of the body.
OK, time to mask.
You need to plan your design, and what parts will be painted first. Remember to always paint dark colours first, and light colours last. Otherwise if you do a white or yellow, and back with black, it will affect the colour.
Masking with liquid mask or tape will depend on the design you want and the body. Tape can have issues with complex curves, and may lift resulting in paint bleeds. But liquid mask can be difficult to cut in straight lines. I'll use a mix if the design calls for it. Key to remember, mask the last thing you'll paint, first. On my 8T body for example, i masked the yellow/flame areas first. I then masked the chrome area.
So, put on all the window masks, then mask the last thing you'll paint, then second last... etc for however may layers you're doing.
Just before you spray, run your nail along the edge of the tape to make sure its stuck down to avoid bleeds. Then spray the colour for that area, with whatever fades/colour your design calls for. If it is a solid colour, it may need to be backed. Flouro colours should be backed with white, as should "normal" colours like red or blue if they're slightly opaque. Silvers and blacks dont generally need backing. If your design will require you to spray a dark colour which may back a light colour, then back the light colour with silver first. Ie: flouro yellow - white - silver. The silver wont affect the white, but will be opaque and stop the dark colour altering the light one.
Then remove your masks in order of your paintjob. You can use a hairdryer to accelerate drying times, but dont use it on any chrome colour. Chrome needs to dry naturally to give the particles time to align and become reflective.When peeling a mask, try not to peel over fresh paint as it may peel it up, let it dry first.
Rinse, later, repeat. Basically keep going for as many layers you need. My 8T body had 5 layers. I masked the yellow/flame areas first, then the rear desk, then the whole rear/silver area, and of course the front black area. The front black bit was done first. (actually with a carbon fibre pattern but wont go into that here). Once dry, the rear silver area was unmasked. I actually only used a sheet of paper and 1 piece of tape to cover the rear bit... just stops spray going that way, no need to tape up every inch. I applied tape in straight lines to do the panel fades, and did the bolts with a paint brush. Did a small black fade around the bolts to give depth, then did the silver areas. The silver was then backed with black. (it's actually a white aluminium colour that needs black to become solid). Next i peeled the flame section, up to where the orange fade goes across the front. Did the orange fades first, then peeled the yellow front area, then did all the yellow. This was all then backed in white. Next was the rear deck, again in carbon fibre pattern.
Next was the window trim, with a sharp scalpel. i trim 3-4mm around the edge of each mask. peeled it, then did the silver bolts/dots. Back with black and voila. Peeled the window masks, and then used some tint spray to tint the windows.
If it's a nitro, i'll back the whole paintjob with faskolor faskoat. Its a latex stuff that dries solid and protects the paint from fuel/heat/rubbing.
Thats the basic principles.
Basically, PLAN the paintjob, mask the last thing to paint first, and away you go.
This is pretty much how i do all of mine, it does take practice, and there is no substitute for that. I've had some disastrous results in the past, but i learnt from them, so i got better.
:)
Before even touching paint/airbrush/mask, you need to plan the design. I'll often draw on paper the rough layout of what i want. usually do a top/side pic, drawing the lines, fades, etc, even get the coloured pencils out and see if what i'm thinking of works design-wise.
Once you're happy with the design, grab an artliner pen, a couple of thicknesses and colours helps. I then draw the design on the outside of the body. You're drawing on the overspray film so theres no worries about making a mess. I'll draw in all the lines, dots, panels, flames, whatever you want, and will write the colour on the body so i dont lose track. I also do scribbles where a fade is so i remember.
if the body doesnt come pre-cut, ie: wheel wells, post holes etc, now is the time to do them. Use straight and curves scissors for trimming the body, and of course a reamer for the body holes. Tip for touring cars, it can be a bitch to get nice smooth round wheel arches, so go to a stationery store, and get a compass cutter. Like a regular compass you'd use to draw circles, but has a blade instead. Use it to score the wheel well. Gives a perfect circle and a smooth edge.
Next, wash the inside of the body with detergent. Gets ride of all the mold release agent from when it was made, and all the dust, and grease from your fingers. I use warm water and whatever detergent is handy, and use paper towel to scrub it because it tends to be lint free. Once finished, use more paper towel to dry the body down, but avoid putting your fingers inside the body, that will add more fingerprints/grease. The water detergent should have no effect on the artliner used to draw on the outside of the body.
OK, time to mask.
You need to plan your design, and what parts will be painted first. Remember to always paint dark colours first, and light colours last. Otherwise if you do a white or yellow, and back with black, it will affect the colour.
Masking with liquid mask or tape will depend on the design you want and the body. Tape can have issues with complex curves, and may lift resulting in paint bleeds. But liquid mask can be difficult to cut in straight lines. I'll use a mix if the design calls for it. Key to remember, mask the last thing you'll paint, first. On my 8T body for example, i masked the yellow/flame areas first. I then masked the chrome area.
So, put on all the window masks, then mask the last thing you'll paint, then second last... etc for however may layers you're doing.
Just before you spray, run your nail along the edge of the tape to make sure its stuck down to avoid bleeds. Then spray the colour for that area, with whatever fades/colour your design calls for. If it is a solid colour, it may need to be backed. Flouro colours should be backed with white, as should "normal" colours like red or blue if they're slightly opaque. Silvers and blacks dont generally need backing. If your design will require you to spray a dark colour which may back a light colour, then back the light colour with silver first. Ie: flouro yellow - white - silver. The silver wont affect the white, but will be opaque and stop the dark colour altering the light one.
Then remove your masks in order of your paintjob. You can use a hairdryer to accelerate drying times, but dont use it on any chrome colour. Chrome needs to dry naturally to give the particles time to align and become reflective.When peeling a mask, try not to peel over fresh paint as it may peel it up, let it dry first.
Rinse, later, repeat. Basically keep going for as many layers you need. My 8T body had 5 layers. I masked the yellow/flame areas first, then the rear desk, then the whole rear/silver area, and of course the front black area. The front black bit was done first. (actually with a carbon fibre pattern but wont go into that here). Once dry, the rear silver area was unmasked. I actually only used a sheet of paper and 1 piece of tape to cover the rear bit... just stops spray going that way, no need to tape up every inch. I applied tape in straight lines to do the panel fades, and did the bolts with a paint brush. Did a small black fade around the bolts to give depth, then did the silver areas. The silver was then backed with black. (it's actually a white aluminium colour that needs black to become solid). Next i peeled the flame section, up to where the orange fade goes across the front. Did the orange fades first, then peeled the yellow front area, then did all the yellow. This was all then backed in white. Next was the rear deck, again in carbon fibre pattern.
Next was the window trim, with a sharp scalpel. i trim 3-4mm around the edge of each mask. peeled it, then did the silver bolts/dots. Back with black and voila. Peeled the window masks, and then used some tint spray to tint the windows.
If it's a nitro, i'll back the whole paintjob with faskolor faskoat. Its a latex stuff that dries solid and protects the paint from fuel/heat/rubbing.
Thats the basic principles.
Basically, PLAN the paintjob, mask the last thing to paint first, and away you go.
This is pretty much how i do all of mine, it does take practice, and there is no substitute for that. I've had some disastrous results in the past, but i learnt from them, so i got better.
:)