Hello fellas In this video I am going to show you a simple technique to create stencils and use them to paint the markings on your models instead of using decals. For this technique we need a clear acetate sheet. Those are available in most office suply shops I am going to attach the decal sheet to the acetate using some tape but first I will clean it up so I don't accidentally damage the decal sheet. Lets warm up with a simpler shape I will place a piece of 40mm tamiya tape over the the marking I want As you can see the tape is fairly transparent which allows me to see the outlines.
Here a transparent ruler makes things a bit easier but a non transparent one works too. A fresh blade is a must if you ask me Despite the efforts some lifting may occur it is not a big issue and I will show you how to fix that a bit later. Now lets remove the leftover tape but don't trow it away, you might need it later. to fix the lifted edges we can simply pit strips of masking tape over them Just be careful to keep the reinforcing tape within the stencil. This step is quite impportant because it is very easy to rip the tape to prevent this from happening i remove the tape very sowly and preferably lifting all external edges first. In some cases there are plenty of reference points to help with placing the stencil in position. in this case I can use the ribs and the aileron joint as a guide. In other cases we have no way to judge the correct position. In those cases the leftover tape that we saved earlier comes in handy.
This is the actual marking thet we want to paint and it is much easier to estimate its position futher more this piece of tape has much more integrity and it is easier to reposition multiple times if necessary. Then its simply a matter of placing the stencil around the tape in question and once we have the stencil where we want it to be to remove the excess tape Now lets jump to some more complicated stuff In my case the decals are white and are a bit difficult to see. you can place the whole thing on a window and cut there or do some tracing instead. To allow for a better grip I sand the acetate sheet with a 1000 grit sandpaper then I trace the outlines with mechanical pencil.
You can do that with ruler or freehand. Then when you place the tape, the outlines are much more visible. To cut the tape you can use ruler or do it free hand… it may take some practicing When it comes to painting have in mind that the portions of the stencil which have small area will have issues with the adhesion and the pressure from the airbrush may lift them it is necessary to press the stencil right before the airbrushing. also dont bother with small overspray or simiolar issues. you can always correct them with brush or during the weathering steps. when you remove the excess tape it is important not to force it. if it does not want to go, get your blade and cut the problematic area. In any case the painted markings look much better than the decals. If you are interested in more tutorials visit the playlists on the endscreen thanks for watching and until next time…
happy modeling..
