I've been asked to explain how I go about painting BRS models. As I was just about to start on a Squadron of Ju87s I thought "why not"? I don't think my results are that good, but they work at table distances, so here goes. I should also add that most of the "advice" that follows are the result of my mistakes in the past so are there just to make life easier if you try it -in fact as you read this you will see where I keep making schoolboy type errors. I should know better :-)
The actual models are from Armaments in Miniature. I chose these for two reasons over Warlord's metal models. Firstly, and most importantly, these were going to be for my Battle of Britain game, so needed to be the Ju87B variant, and Warlord only do the later Ju87D at the moment. Secondly, the AIM models are resin. I prefer resin or plastic over metal anyway for BRS models, but in this case I had in mind the fact that the undercarriage on both the AIM and Warlord models were separate parts. If I was going to end up trying to get these to sit right I thought resin would be an easier material to work with. There are significant cost implications - basically a Squadron from AIM will cost you twice what the same one from Warlord will by the time you factor in bases and postage, so you need to weigh that in to your calculations. If Warlord ever switch to resin, and there are persistent rumours this is on the cards, I'll be first in the queue.
Step 1 - Clean up the model. This applies to all types - metal, plastic or resin. Take a few minutes to clean any mould lines up. Do this twice! This is particularly important if you plan to use a lot of washes later on. AIM models in particular have very fine mould lines and because they're usually cast in a pale cream coloured resin they are often hard to see - until you start to paint it later. With my Ju87s this is where I made my first mistake. I was less than thorough about the clean up and missed some mould lines, particularly around the undercarriage "spats" which came back to haunt me. Give the model a wash to get rid of any mould release agents. Some plastic and resin will have deformed - now is the time to correct it with a hot water bath if needed. At this point I also decide on how I'm going to mount the model on the advantage base. This may need some work if metal from Warlord, as the locating hole often seems to get deformed in the casting. If AIM you may need to remove the base mount post, or drill a location hole if you are using Hawk Widgets like I do , or a combination of all three.
Step 2 - Assemble. Most models don't need this, but some, like the Ju87 have separate parts. I don't like this step one little bit, because of, well, the little bits. If you are working with plastic kits in particular take a minute to decide if there is anything that you should leave off, such as flimsy radio aerials and the like. No matter how careful we are, we are making playing pieces not scale display models, so they will get a lot of handling and some bits will inevitably not survive. Better to either cut them off now or omit them rather than having the playing area littered with broken plastic later. The AIM Stukas have a centreline bomb, two under wing bombs, the two spatted undercarriage units and two tail support struts. I threw the struts away as being too fiddly, and anyway almost invisible on the model when in play. What I should have done is thought ahead and painted the main bomb and it's bomb crutch separate before sticking it on later (the bomb crutch is the thing that swings down when the bomb is released to ensure the bomb falls clear of the prop arc - pretty essential for a dive bomber) but at the time I was more worried about gluing the undercarriage on and having to work around that, so the main bomb got glued in first. My worries about the undercarriage were well founded. There are small locating holes and pins on the AIM model, but due to my earlier failure to properly clean the (very) small parts properly at step 1 I really struggled to get a good fit. In the end I drilled the locating hole all the way through the wing, This helped, but in another Doh! moment I forgot to clean and fill the upper wing afterwards, which I should have done. In my defence this was getting to be quite a frustrating build.
Step 3 - Undercoat. I use a cheap spray from Halfords or similar. I've used more expensive and better versions such as Tamiya or GW but the details on BRS models don't really justify it and I always have cheap primer around. Grey for preference unless I am cheating and painting something in winter colours when I would use white. I try to avoid black.
Step 4 - Decisions. I search for an online source for camouflage patterns and when I find one I like or that matches the Squadron I'm building I print it off. I usually try and get a 3 view plan if possible. Wings Palette is a great site for getting ideas - link at the bottom. I also write on the plan the colours I intend to use. This is actually quite a good idea if like me you have a lot of different paint colours as the number of times I come back to add another model to a squadron then forget which paint colours I used is quite common. Keep it in a safe place. If you are using some of the excellent paint sets available this may be less of an issue. The actual colours are down to personal choice - in my case I'm sticking to the original scheme I used on my Me109Es back in the stone age so my Battle of Britain era Luftwaffe look homogeneous. I mentioned paint sets and if you can get them I would recommend using them. Sadly I didn't with the 109s so I'm not with the Ju87s, instead relying on TLAR (That Looks About Right). In my view I think people get too hung up on the "right" colours, forgetting that in wartime all quality control goes out the window, and anyway, scale models really need to be somewhat brighter than the real thing to show up, so in general, if you think it looks ok, it is.
Step 5 - Blocking. I start with the underside colour and block it in. Then using the printed sheet I do the rest in fairly quickly. Where there is a camo pattern I try to copy it without getting too involved in the details. I usually block the lightest colour first.
Again with my Ju87s I did wander a bit, particularly on the starboard wing and with hindsight more care was needed but............ Models with panel lines make this far easier than those without - one of the reasons I don't like the Zvezda Ju88 . I also block in the cockpit - I use an electric blue as much out of habit as anything else.
Step 6 Tidying up. Best done the next session. Go back over the model and correct any major mistakes. I also tidy up the leading edges. Add canopy highlights - I use a bright sky blue again out of habit. Then I paint the canopy frames, guns etc. When I started off I tried to get the canopy frame colours to match the camo of the fuselage patterns but now I just choose one predominant colour and go with that for simplicity. Also paint details such as guns and the like. I sometimes add exhaust stains at this point too.
Step 7 Gloss varnish. If there are lots of panel lines a quick light coat of gloss will improve the capillary effect allowing thin plaint to work its way into recesses. If there are no panel lines on the model skip this and put some £££$$$ in the swear jar. I also attached the Hawk Widgets at this point as I was finished with big paint and the chance of getting paint on the clear plastic is less. Having the widget in place will also give me the opportunity to get a good steady handle on the model for the next step.
Step 8 - Panel lines. Panel lines really make your models stand out. I usually use a wash - Army Painter soft tone or GW Agrax but just pin wash the lines rather than washing the whole model. If the lines are deep enough and you have glossed the model then capillary action will help here. If there are no panel lines like on the Zvezda Ju88s I paint some on - just enough to give the impression. I like panel lining as it really gives the model a lot of character. I also use a pin wash around the cockpits etc. I've just bought some Tamiya panel liner which I hope will make this easier in future.
Step 9 - Decals. If you have not already gloss varnished I would do it now, at least where the decals are going as it gives them a good smooth surface for the decals to adhere to. Actual decals depend on the model and what I'm building. The new decals from Warlord are superb, but the range is limited. Luckily we have the excellent decals from Miscellaneous Minis. These are not so easy to use as you need to cut them from the decal film yourself, unlike the Warlord ones which are individual decals. In either case the process is pretty similar - use microset to prep the area, then apply the decal, microsol, then once dry a coat of gloss varnish, and then finally a spray coat of matt. All done.
One warning - painting BRS planes is quite addictive. They're usually in batches of six which is a nice small painting project, which probably explains why I keep buying them!
Anyway, links
Warlord Games - models and decals
Armaments in Miniature - models
Miscellaneous Miniatures - decals
Wings Palette - good starting spot when looking for camo
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