vineri, 13 martie 2015

Modeling colours considerations

De catva timp (cam mult) studiez diverse referinte - carti, reviste, bloguri, site-uri, fotografii de artefacte si interpretari ale putinelor documente referitoare la acest subiect care au ajuns pana la noi.
Am pornit sa fac acest studiu pentru a obtine o serie de vopsele (culori) pe care sa le folosesc in vederea obtinerii unui aspect unitar si veridic colectiei mele de machete ale avioanelor japoneze din cel de-al doilea razboi mondial.
Cu cat am studiat mai mult acest domeniu, cu atat am dat peste mai multe pareri expuse (uneori fara echivoc), sau chiar aberatii publicate cu nonsalanta data de mediul online.
Rezultatul este ca am ajuns sa-mi pierd speranta ca voi ajunge vreodata macar la o forma provizorie a unui game veridice de vopsele. Ma vad pus intr-o situatie ridicola atunci cand vreun modelist cu mai putina experienta, care doreste sa abordeze un subiect japonez, imi cere parerea ca unuia care se ocupa de acest segment de circa 10 ani. As putea sa-i prezint pentru fiecare culoare vreo 6 variante (fiecare cu argumentele ei)pentru ca apoi sa-l sfatuiesc sa ia singur o decizie uzand de o logica de bun simt. Eu am facut asta la randul meu si m-am ales cu "huiduielile" sau macar tacerea respectuoasa a unui numar considerabil de modelisti/cercetatori care-mi demontau din 3 fraze toata "logica de bun-simt".
Pot sa va spun insa cu siguranta ca una este sa FACI o vopsea si alta sa analizezi in procente si coduri, compozitia din care ar putea fi formata o vopsea deja aplicata.

Nici chiar firmele consacrate de vopsele nu pot repeta cu exactitate, cu toata tehnologia moderna pe care o au astazi la dispozitie, o aceeasi nuanta a unui anumit cod de vopsea.
Mai jos aveti exemple



Cu atat mai dificil cred ca era acest lucru acum 75 de ani cand amestecul de pigmenti din diverse surse era facut manual. Mai mult decat atat, in ceea ce priveste vopselele firmelor de machetism, aproximarile ("echivalentele") intre anumite produse (vopsele) ale unor diferite marci (firme), odata verificate, se dovedesc de multe ori eronate si asta pentru ca, sa fim cinstiti, cine face aceste echivalente are de cele mai multe ori in vedere aspectele comerciale ale problemei. Adica vor o piata de desfacere si rentabilitate pentru niste produse in care au investit. Un exemplu de echivalenta de care m-am lovit recent dar care nu e nici pe departe singular este cel de mai jos Humbrol 64 versus Revell 75:



Cum spuneam, este greu de crezut ca un numar de producatori de vopseluri din perioada razboiului, care castigasera licitatii si incheiasera contracte cu segmentul militar, puteau obtine cu o precizie colorimetrica extraordinara, aceeasi nuanta de culoare specificata printr-un exemplu de urmat - respectiv un standard oficial.
In plus, camuflajul avioanelor era menit sa CAMUFLEZE avioanele in mod eficient fata de privirea inamicului (in aer si pe uscat) in situatii reale, si nu sa castige vreun concurs - "cine reproduce cel mai fidel culoarea X".
Consider deci, cel putin in ceea ce priveste intersul meu de a vopsi cat mai corect modelele mele, ca toate aceste controverse duse in extremis, pe subiectul unei culori, sunt niste aberatii in care s-a pierdut din vedere scopul initial si s-a ajuns deseori la exacerbarea unor orgolii personale.

In sprijinul acestei afirmatii pot aminti situatia anecdotica la care s-a ajuns in cadrul unor studii, de a se atribui nuante diferite ale aceleiasi culori (recomandate de standard), nu numai in functie de firmele producatoare dar chiar si de diverse tipuri de avioane ale aceleiasi firme.
Daca ar fi sa facem o schema in care culoarea recomandata de standard a fost aplicata, tinand seama in acelasi timp de parerile cercetatorilor, aceasta ar arata cam asa:



Vi se pare logic ?! Vi se pare ca in asemenea situatie ar mai conta ca exista un standard si niste reguli de aplicare ?

Pe drept cuvant, cei care alcatuiesc o gama de culori de folosit la modele sau care incearca sa faca macar o sistematizare si sa dea anumite exemple edificatoare, ajung sa puna invariabil alaturi de aceste lucrari un disclaimer care sa spuna:
- "Aceste concluzii sunt personale si nu reprezinta o regula de aur;
- Trebuie avut in vedere de catre fiecare machetist sa urmareasca si sa se raporteze la dovezile din epoca (foto si/sau scrise) si sa traga propriile concluzii in functie de acestea."

Adica, cam tot de capul tau esti si niciuna din afirmatiile citite sau vazute nu se pot constitui in argumente valabile.
Pai atunci care mai e rostul acestui traseu intortocheat !?!

Mai jos va dau un exemplu celebru. Este vorba de culoarea in care erau vopsite avioanele de vanatoare imbarcate Mitsubishi A6M Zero Sen, cunoscuta in literatura de specialitate si in cercurile initiate drept J3.
Pentru aceasta culoare am gasit urmatoarele echivalente:

FS 1 sau 26307 - un gri aproape neutru (Dr. Tenesse Katsuta - IPMS Canada citand ModelArt)
FS 14255 - Beige olive cald (Nohara - FAOTW)
FS 36463 - Un gri cu tenta bleu (Gullgray)- pt. aparate construite de Mitsubishi (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 35300 - Pentru aparate construite de Aichi (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 24424 - Gri-verzui spre mustar - pt aparate construite de Nakajima (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 25622 - Gri deschis bleu (asemanator RLM76)pentru aparate Kawanishi (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 36251 - Gri neutru asemanator RLM75 - (Serie de articole in SAMI citand Nohara).
FS *3440 - Foarte apropiat de RAF mid stone (Serie SAMI citand David Aiken)
FS *4257/*4255/*4201/*6350/*0277; Methuen 1E6 / 3E5 / 4E4; Pantone intre 5825U si 5835U sau 4495U sau 451U, mai brun decat 4505U; Methuen 4D2 la B-C1 (nu mai inteleg demult nimic si oricum mai continua pe cel putin 10 randuri - (Serie de articole in SAMI citand Lansdale)
FS 24424 - IJArmy (Fearis 1999)
RLM02 sau RLM02 cu putin Mid Stone
FS 34201 care e insa prea galben
RAL 7002 sau mai degraba 7003 - similar cu Revell 45 light olive dar acela e prea olive
FS 26357; FS 34201
Thorpe N9
RAL 7034 - pentru o vopsea de Zero proaspat iesit din fabrica
Xtracrylics 1016 RAF Hemp (canepa)
Humbrol 90 Matt Beige Green
Humbrol 168
Humbrol 168 + 886
Humbrol 168 + 225 (mid stone RAF)

Daca nu sunt 20 de variante, nu-i nici una. Hai ca avem de unde alege. Poti sa pui orice culoare iti vine si dup-aia sa motivezi ca te-ai luat dupa ce a spus X cercetator.

Spor la machetism !!!


MODELING COLOR CONSIDERATIONS

For quite some time, I started to study several references regarding the paints used to paint WWII aircraft (mainly from Japan and Germany). I tried to focus on articles, blogs, sites and studies that found their considerations on hard evidence.
My purpose was to create my own series of paints to be used on my models, hoping that this way I will achieve an uniform look for my collection.
The more I studied this domain, the more I came across several opinions expressed (sometimes unequivocally ), or aberrations published online nonchalantly.
The result is that I got to lose my hope that I will ever get even a temporary form of a reliable range of paints. I found myself put in a ridiculous situation when, one less experienced modeller who wants to deal with a Japanese subject, asked me for an opinion as one who deals with this segment for about 10 years. I could only recomand him about 6 variants of the same color (each with its arguments) and then advise him to take a decision using his own logic and common sense. I did that on my turn and I got the "boos" or even respectful silence from a considerable number of modelers/researchers that have dismantle my logic in three sentences. So much for the " common sense " .
But one thing I can tell you for sure. One thing is doing a paint and another one to analyze the percentage and codes, of the composition which may form an already applied paint.

Not even established paint companies cannot repeat exactly the same shade of a paint, even with all the new modern assets in this domain in present days.
You can see up a photo of a commercial set of RLM paints where in some cases 71 gets to be darker than 70.
There is also a photo of same codes of paints but from different batches. Not just the lids are different shades, but also the color in the pot differs from that on the lid. So for one code, you get 4 shades.

The more difficult I think it was 75 years ago when the mixture of pigments from various sources was done manually. Moreover, in terms of modelling companies paints, approximations ("matches") between certain products (paints) of some different brands, once verified, often prove to be erroneous and that's because, to be honest, who does these matches often bears in mind the commercial aspects of the problem. That will be a market and profitability for some products in which they have invested. An example of equivalence that I recently hit, but not far from singular is Humbrol 64 versus Revell 75, said to match.(You can see the image up in the text).
As I said, it is hard to believe that a number of manufacturers of paints during the war, which had won tenders or contracts in the military segment, could obtain extraordinary accurate colorimetric shades of the same color, specified by an example - given by an official standard.

In addition, the aircraft painting was designed to effectively camouflage (hide) planes from enemy eyes (from air or land) in real situations, and not to won a race - "who can get most closely to the X color".
So I think, at least in terms of my interest to accurately paint my models, that all of these controversies brought in extremis on the subject of color correctness, are aberrations and have lost sight of the original purpose, getting to exacerbation of personal pride on this subject.
In support of that I can ask you to remember an anecdotal situation reached in studies, where different shades of the same color (recommended by a standard), are assigned not only to different manufacturing companies but even to various types of aircraft manufactured by the same company.
If you were to make a scheme on how some colors from a recommended standard was applied, taking into account what we know until now, I guess it would look like this:



Does this seem logic to you ? You think that in a situation like this it will matter anymore that a standard and rules of application exists !?

Rightfully, who makes up a range of colors for models or even trying to make a systematization and give some illustrative examples, invariably should end up with a disclaimer that may read:
- "These conclusions are personal and should not be considered a golden rule";
- Care must be considered by each modeler when follow those rules. Please relate to specific documents from the historical period (photo and/or written) and draw your own conclusions based on them."

So much for the rules. At the bottom end you are on your own again and prone to be criticized (unconstructive, because they will appear when you have already finished your model).
So, why should we go through all this maze of knowledge !?

Bellow I will give you a famous example. It's about the (belived) color of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero Sen, known in the technical literature and in the initiated circles of connoisseurs as J3.
For this color I found, around my sources the following equivalents:

FS 1 sau 26307 - an almost neutral gray (Dr. Tenesse Katsuta - IPMS Canada citand ModelArt)
FS 14255 - a warm Beige olive (Nohara - FAOTW)
FS 36463 - a pale blue tinted gray (Gullgray)- pt. aparate construite de Mitsubishi (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 35300 - for some machines build by Aichi(Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 24424 - moustard gray-green - for machines built by Nakajima (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 25622 - pale blue-gray (close to RLM76 a.n.) for machines built by Kawanishi (Ichiro Hasegawa)
FS 36251 - neutral gray resembling RLM75 - (Serie de articole in SAMI citand Nohara). I know that 75 has a violet hue. More neutral is 77 but it's less known.
FS *3440 - very close to RAF mid stone (Serie SAMI citand David Aiken)
FS *4257/*4255/*4201/*6350/*0277; Methuen 1E6 / 3E5 / 4E4; Pantone between 5825U and 5835U or 4495U or 451U, brown-er then 4505U; Methuen 4D2 at B-C1 (They lost me long ago and it continues like same for at least 10 rows - (Series of articles in SAMI quoting J.Lansdale)
FS 24424 - IJArmy (Fearis 1999)
RLM02 or RLM02 with a little Mid Stone
FS 34201 which is too yellow
RAL 7002 or better 7003 - close to Revell 45 light olive, but that is too olive.
FS 26357; FS 34201
Thorpe N9
RAL 7034 - for a fresh factory Zero.
Xtracrylics 1016 RAF Hemp
Humbrol 90 Matt Beige Green
Humbrol 168
Humbrol 168 + 886
Humbrol 168 + 225 (mid stone RAF)

If there aren't 20 variants there is none ! So you have where to pick from. Just start building.
I wish you success in guessing the cockpit color. After that you can pick any color you like from above and if asked about it, you can point to one researcher as your inspiration.

Happy modelling !

marți, 20 ianuarie 2015

Adlers Heimat

A winter diorama with 1/35 figures from Zvezda set WWII German Gebirgsjager Edelweiss # 3599.



I received this set as a comission and when I saw the boxart my imagination started to virtualy construct a vertical scene. Most of the dioramas I saw are horizontal developments of an action, so it seemed a good idea to make something different.
Fortunately Zvezda gives you plenty of opportunities, with alternative torso and arms, the gear being also separately molded.
I used the spare parts and modified even more the positions to obtain postures to fit my project.

I started with a round wooden base of a dense essence on which I attached a chunk of isolation polystyrene foam (extruded polystyrene foam) which is more dense than the expanded sort, and easier to sculpt and glue.
To sculpt it I used a big kitchen knife, with a sharp broad blade and a pointed end. The secret is to cut/scratch the surface in repeated strokes to obtain cracks and crevices, in an almost rectangular pattern that imitates the rock structure.
I sprayed this with acrylic black paint, generously. After a day of drying I sprayed an intermediate grey, mostly from above and sides, so that the inside of crevices remain darker than the rest. After that I gradually added white to the composition of paint in my heavy duty airbrush.
Bearing in mind that this is a winter diorama there is no limit of how much white one can add, the surplus getting to look like frost.
To vibrate more the overall appearance I added diluted ochre color with a brush in certain random spots. This was applied to simulate the iron deposit which stains rock and snow when wet.
After this step I dry fitted the figures in their places, mark those positions with toothpicks and also get figured where the vegetation will come, and what kind it will be.
On the exposed top of the rock it's logical that big trees will be difficult to develop. Here will be more likely to grow shrubs and coarse bushes.
At the base of the outcrop, some conifers will be at their home, but not growing directly from the land, but being surrounded by bushes and dry grass lumps.
Also, to break the monotony of the rock, in certain creases some bushes can get a hold with their roots (in my country they are called "jnepeni")
Before attaching the vegetation, a layer of snow was added. This consist of backing soda mixed with white glue and a small amount of water.
While the mix was still wet, I bore holes for vegetation and attached it with white glue or cyanoacrilate glue, depending on the gravity challenge in certain areas of the rock wall.
After all was dry, I prepared a new lot of snow and add it up where needed (on the vegetation too). While this was still wet I sprinkled more soda. This will absorb humidity but will remain more fluffy, resembling real snow.
It was now the time to fix the figures and add tracks from their boots and snow rackets. The unpainted figures where pressed in their places to give the impression of weight when will be finally fixed in their places.

I painted the figures in my favorite manner - a grey ground, acrylic base colors and oil color enhancements of light and shadow.
For the strings I used a lint free thread that was coupled with the plastic rolls provided in the kit.

miercuri, 14 ianuarie 2015

Hachiman Haru - Comander of a tekko group of ashigaru.

This was one of my first serious worked figures. It also virused me for big scales. If at airplane models I'm stubborn to remain at 1/72 scale, in figures I appreciate the spaces where I can tell the story. Big scales gives you the opportunity to play with textures of materials and to make details credible without oversize them.
A samurai sword in 54 mm scale will be either to thick to be realistic or too thin to resist accidents.
And above all, my sight is no more what it used to be. Maybe that is the reason that I tend to think that scales from 75 up draw all the attention in an exhibition.
Well, this figure was sold by Pegaso models as a 90 mm one. After a few years when I purchased the 90 mm Viking from them I found out that all samurai series from Pegaso is in fact 120 mm.
I was so inspired by this figure that I conceived a whole story for it. As a good omen, at that time I was reading the Taiko saga by Eiji Yoshikawa, in which it was described the begining of the use on a large scale (by Toyotomi Hideioshi) of the fire arms. The archebuse was known to Japanese as Tekko.
In my imagination this guy properly armoured, with sandals and even exquisite accessories could not be a simple ashigaru, how Pegaso named it. Instead he might be a bushi with quite some hopes for a good position in the clan hierarchy. Willing to please his Daimyo but somehow frustrated that he was asigned to lead a group armed with those strange new weapons that will keep him away from any glorious involvement in an important combat, he is trying to make the best and influence the course of the assault by using himself a tekko.



The work at the figurine was a provocation due to it's weight. It can be considered fitness for the left hand to keep it steady or turn it slowly during the painting process.
I painted the separate head and arms but eventually it had to came together and I guess after the final assembly it weights around 300 grams.
The process of building and painting is revealed in the following pictures:



I accorded A special attention to the base.
The idea was to combine the atmosphere of a beautiful warm spring with the destructiveness of the human conflicts. For that reason I had in mind a defective wooden ashtray that I saw on a 1 dollar kind of shop in my neighborhood. I guess it was a piece of pine root. The defect served well my purposes, representing a fracture in the land due to the seismic activity of the Nippon islands. Also it creates a certain dramatism to the scene - the subject is on the edge of this ravine so the future that lies ahead is uncertain.
The metal base from the kit was integrated on the upper surface with an equivalent for Milliput.
Vegetation was represented with various forms of moss gathered from my yard in the countryside.
The tree tries to picture a quince tree or a malformed wild peach tree.
The trunk was made from a piece of oak root. For the buds I used unexpanded polystyrene granules (those are warmed and pressed to form the PS foam).
I had to cut and attach every leaf and bud, but the result was pleasing.



The model was awarded in several occasions and that was a very encouraging start for me.