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Working with Photo-etched Foliage
© 2008 Ngineering
Pond and Marshland Plants
Figure 1
Painting our etched foliage is quite straightforward but varies slightly with the type of foliage. All etched foliage should be completely primer spray painted first, then "color" painted. For primer, a medium gray, such as Krylon All-purpose Gray Primer #1318 works well. For airbrushing, an acrylic light to medium gray primer is recommended.
Below, we'll cover painting each of the three general types in greater detail.
In each case, our recommendation is to perform the majority of the painting
while the fret is still fully assembled (or in sub-sections that are intact).
It is much easier to paint the tiny components, remove them, assemble them,
then do touch-up; than trying to paint them individually. The first step is to
primer paint the entire fret. The parts on the fret have a front-side and a
back-side (which is obvious). However, from a painting standpoint, the less
obvious edges are most important. If not completely painted, these tiny
shiny brass edges will become really obvious and detract big-time from the
realism you're trying to achieve. We suggest primer spraying each fret as
shown in Figure 1, to ensure the edges, as well as the front and back surfaces
get covered. Avoid spraying on too much paint. Keep the spray can at
sufficient distance to cover evenly and thoroughly, but not a heavy
coat. Allow the primed fret to dry thoroughly (overnight is good).
This fret has 2 sub-sections of different plant life which is repeated 8 times
on the entire fret (for a total of 16 sub-sections). Unless you will be
modeling seasonal changes, we'll assume all of the fret to contain actively
growing plants (not dead or dying), in other words, green. If you plan to use
part of the fret for browning or dead plant matter, you may wish to either cut
out that section, or mask it for painting later. If you choose to mask a
section of the fret, keep in mind the very flexible (fragile) nature of the
individual thin brass plants. We strongly suggest a cut piece of paper to
cover the area to be protected with any taping restricted to only the fret
edges (and only a tiny amount of tape). If you place tape over the individual parts, you will probably destroy
them when removing the tape.
There are several different ways you can apply color to the Pond and Marshland Plants. Which approach you use depends entirely on how much time you wish to spend and the level of detail you need to achieve.
Figure 2 show a typical group of Bullrushes (Cattails). Using lighter and
paler greens such as the colors in this picture will allow the photo-etched
versions to show up well against darker pond and marsh colors. Shade variation
in color adds interesting detail and depth.
Figure 2
When cutting the plants from the fret, always remember to cut the thinnest,
most fragile connection first, working your way up to the thickest connection,
last. This will minimize damage to the part.
Since we'll be working with etched parts in brass frets, the same basic work
area preparation will apply as is outlined in the How to links for our other
Photo-etched Products. Most of the same cutting and bending hand tools will be
used.
Attach these plants using a tiny dab of gap-filling CA adhesive. If after the
adhesive dries there is a shiny spot, add a small dab of Model Masters Flat
Acrylic Clear paint, and the shine will totally disappear.
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