discussion Should I paint the white bits first or last?

[Guest]

So, as the title says. I'm about to paint the Bf109 F4 Trop in the classic sand over light blue, but it has white wing tips, spinner and fuselage band. White first or last? I'm using Model Air.
Thanks

 

[Tim Marlow]

Personally I would prime, then do the white, then mask and paint the rest. Let the paint cure properly before masking though, and use Tamiya tape. This should minimise the chance of lift when you remove the tape.
Cheers
Tim

 

[rickoshea52]

When I did a Hawk in ETPS colours - red, white and blue - I paint the white first.

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/ricks-airfix-1-48-bae-hawk-t1-etps-raspberry-ripple.25539/

 

[Dave Ward]

I work on the principle light > dark - it being easier to cover light paint with dark paint than vice versa. The only time I have strayed was a whitewash winter finish!
Dave

 

[RM6239]

As Dave says, it's best to cover light to dark. So white first and use a light coloured primer.

View attachment 304070

That becomes this.

View attachment 304071

Hope this helps.

cheers
Ross

 

[Guest]

Thanks chaps. The lightest to darkest principle is what seems logical, it's just that I've seen it done otherwise and wondered if there was an advantage to it. Maybe the complexity of the masking.

 

[BarryW]

While light to dark is the standard practise there is another style of painting called 'black basing'.

This is where you lay down black primer first and then the lighter base colours over the top (starting lightest to darkest). You do this to create a modulated effect with areas of light and shade.

This has become my standard practise and, in fact, my current build is the 1/32 Dragon Bf109E Trop with a scheme similar to yours and I should be posting some pics of the painting stage on my thread which I am in the process of starting. http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/cyber-hobby-dragon-bf109e-trop.30055/

 

[Guest]

The lightest to darkest principle is what seems logical, it's just that I've seen it done otherwise and wondered if there was an advantage to it. Maybe the complexity of the masking.

Masking is far less of a hassle than having to apply half a dozen coats of paint to get it to cover, if you ask me. White, yellow and red I would nearly always paint first then mask off, instead of trying to apply them over other colours, especially dark ones. See my spraying-can–painted F4F-3 for an example.