Hobby Boss 1/72 Spitfire Mk. Vb - Part 4 (ish)

Losing track of installments now, what with all the little niggling hic-cups. But, back on course now...

Weathering - bleaching and staining with oils
My post-shading attempt having failed I will have to do all my shading 'post' and I'm simply going to follow the same steps as I have with my vehicles. Not being all that experienced with aircraft models I'm playing things by ear.

RCAF Spitfire Mk V, 1943, No 417 Squadron, flying over the Tunisian desert.

So, as usual, I'm starting by 'bleaching and staining' using oil paints. As this is a desert aircraft I'm assuming there was certain amount of sand and sun damage to any paintwork.

While I don't know that much about the RAF's Desert Airforce I do remember what Derek Robinson wrote in his story of WW2 North African air warfare - 'A Good Clean Fight'.  He described the effect that the desert had on aircraft, he said that they looked like they had been 'sanded'.

I mixed some of my oils into a cream colour - I was hoping that this would give a sandy tone to the weathered underside...

Then using a brush wetted with thinners I smeared the paint across the model, giving the surface blue a faded and blemished look (hopefully)...

The effect is subtle, but the original Vallejo Azure Blue has been toned down quite a bit. Of course, depending on how beat up you want your model you could add more spots of poil paint and more streaks. If I want darker stains I'll add some small darker brown spots and smear them.

A quick, light coat of Humbrol Matt acrylic varnish should seal the oil paints (which would smear if not sealed) and then I can move on - add additional weathering or apply shading or highlighting.

Next: The top side - same treatment, but with slightly darker coloured oils.