1st Paint job.

[The Chef]

So I have my air brush, Compressor and a body shell, I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my paint and air line. I've drawn up the design that I hope to achieve, I'll have a go at applying the fast mask later When I get to cutting the fast mask should I use a curved blade scalpel or a straight edged one?

Anyway once the paints and bits arrive then I can crack on with ruining my-first shell. Wish me luck

[bigred5765]

use a curved one something like 10 i think is the one i use, take a quick look here

[eyeayen]

The 10's are curved, 10A are pointy sharp and 11's are like darts !

Personally I like to use 11's, I find the long pointy tip on the blade is further away and you can really see where you're going with it.

Best thing is probably to get a pack of each and see what suits you, it mostly a personal preference thing.

[julianb]

I'd never considered the 11A's but I see what you mean, less obstruction to follow your design! Nice one, have to give that a go...

I remember my first shell. Bits of mask left in it. Paint spidered all over the place, visible scalpel cuts, and then a disaster with the aerosol chrome attacking the paint. Lol

Happy days....

;-)

Julian

[The Chef]

julianb.

That is what I see coming.

Practice. The only school

[telboy]

I've always used a straight edged blade for the last 17 years.

[eyeayen]

When I started airbrushing someone had given me a couple of boxes of 10A's so that's what I used, it wasn't until I started college about 5 years later I realised there were other ones available ( well before the internet - it's so easy now ! ).

My tutor who was an airbrush god said he used 11 so i tried them, he told me about seeing the tip of it and staying on your mask lines. We used to ink onto masking film with a .18 or .13 technical pen, he said it was better as you had less room for error than if you followed a pencil line which however sharp your pencil was still gave you room to wobble. To be hones that's something I struggle with now. Working to the lines of even a fine marker pen aren't as accurate as I want them to be because your scalpel blade can wander within the width of the line, am I being too picky, I probably think I am....

Aside airbrushing at college we used to ink on film a lot, if we made a mistake we were told the curved blade was best to scratch out with as the pointy ones made furrows in the film.

Tel - when you say a straight edge blade do you mean something deadly like a razor blade or a stanley blade or do you just mean straight edged scalpel blade ?

[jonmiller]

get the RCS mask out Chef haha

as for blades...as mentioned it is just personal preference. I use the no.10

another option you could try would be the no.6 i think. it is inbetween the curved n straight blade

[eyeayen]

When you buy blades make sure they fit which scalpel handle you have, I know the Swann Morton No3 and No7 Handles take 10 - 10A and 11. I don't know what the No4 takes though.

That's another point, I have 2 handles, No3 and No7, the 7 is much thinner and easier to turn for corners than the fatter 3, so I have both on the go at the same time, the 7 has the newest blade in it for cutting masking, then if I need to cut a loose mask or anything else at all I use the 3 which is not as sharp, every time I put a new blade on the 7 I transfer it's blade to the 3 and the one on the 3 goes into my sharps box, it might seem a hassle but you keep an ultra sharp blade on your best one then and only use it for masks.

[jonmiller]

i just use an old thin paintbrush handle with a slit in the end. then slide the blade in and use a small piece of acetate sheet or similar and a strip of tape.
haha...tight
http://www.rcsgraphicworx.com/howto_liquidmask19.htm

[eyeayen]

That's quite genius actually Jon !

[The Chef]

Half way through my first shell. Looking ok but I'll be better next time. Need to cut the fast mask a little harder, so that I go all the way through

Fab product I think that with a lot of practice I may actually enjoy doing this.

I'll get some photos up as soon as I'm finished.

[telboy]

Originally Posted by eyeayen

Tel - when you say a straight edge blade do you mean something deadly like a razor blade or a stanley blade or do you just mean straight edged scalpel blade ?

Just a straight edged scalpel. Tried the curved ones but didn't like them, and I just use a pair of tweezers to revome the masking film.

[eyeayen]

I've never used anything but the scalpel edge to lift and remove mask, it's what I did when I worked on illustration board so I've always stuck with it. You soon learn not to go too deep and dig into your paint

[The Chef]

I've been using a pointed dental tool to remove the mask. I think that i've gone too heavy on the shadinglive and learn.

[eyeayen]

You can't say that Chef and then not post photo's for us to see.

[bigred5765]

i juts use a old airbrush needle which i slightly hooked at the tip, works a treat

[The Chef]

Here is the Shell. Gone too dark on the shading for the peel should have used a different colour may be grey or light blue. Had a few issues with the fast mask as it is the first time I ever done this. I think that I've got the hang of the mask now. Loved doing this. I'm off to buy another shell next week to do more! Want to get as much practice as possible.

Oh I missed a bit on the roof that i thought I'd painted until I unmasked the windows only to find that I hadn't. I'll see what I can do about that later.

Honest opinions please advice and pointers all welcome please be honest.








Let me have it guys.