Aircraft Panel Lines: A

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Step-By-Step Guide
One of the things that I believe really helps to accentuate
the three dimensional nature of a model (aircraft in
particular) is the highlighting of the panel lines that criss-
cross its surface. Panel lines that have had subtle
shading applied, help to give the model's surface some
visual depth. Like most modelling techniques, it is easy
to overdo, which then becomes distracting.

I have experimented considerably with what works best

(to my eye anyway) on modern aircraft subjects.

What follows is a step-by-step guide to my technique. In

no way do I advocate this as the only or even the best
way to highlight panel lines. I simply hope that by sharing
it, you might find something useful for yourself.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so rather

than talk you to death (or sleep), I have a brief
introduction to the challenges of panel lines, the paints
and colours I find work best and then its straight into the
pictures.
The Challenges
The method that I will describe involves washing a
thinned paint into the panel lines. As can imagine this
requires recessed panel lines to work. I have read of
methods for highlighting raised panel lines, but I have
never tried this (I prefer to re-scribe the panel lines for
these older kits).

Having said that, even newer kits that have recessed

panel lines require some prep work if you are planning
on washing them. In their attempt to make the panel lines
on kits very subtle and appropriate to the scale of the
model, manufacturers (Hasegawa is a good example)
have inadvertently made it more difficult to get a wash to
stay in the panel lines.

Why is this ? Well its because the panel lines are too
shallow and after you apply perhaps several coats of
paint, gloss clear (for decals) etc, the panel lines fill up !!
This means our wash will not stay in the recess and can
ruin the effect.

Preparation: Pre-Scribing
Preparing for a panel wash, actually begins long before
you paint the model. In fact, in most cases it can begin
even before you assemble the model. This is because
the right time to pre-scribe our panel lines is when each
part is easiest to work with (ie its not attached to other
parts).

We do this by using a scribing tool and lightly tracing

over the existing panel lines, while the kit is still in pieces.
This deepens and sharpens the existing panel lines and
makes our later task of panel washing easier. I find that
during this process you do not need to press down with
the scriber, just the weight of the tool alone (providing it
is sharp) will remove enough plastic for our purposes.
I have found that not all kits require pre-scribing. For
example, the picture at the top of this article is of the
Revell 1/48 Rafale. The panel lines on this kit are deep
and sharp enough to not require additional work from us.
As you become more experienced with washes, you will
get a feel for those panel lines that will and those that will
not require pre-scribing.

To further illustrate, consider the two pictures below.

Both are of the Hasegawa A-4 Skyhawk kit. The one of
the left was painted and the panel wash applied with no
pre-scribing. The one on the right (built after the lesson
learned from the left one) was painted and washed after
the kit panel lines had received a light pre-scribing. If you
look closely, you will see that the panel lines on the right
Skyhawk are more evident and more consistent.
What Paint and Colour ?
The choice of paint type (enamel, acrylic, water, ink etc)
and colour (black, brown, oil etc) that you use for panel
washes is an important one. Why ? Well, to make our job
of washing panel lines easier, we need a paint that flows
well when thinned, is easily removed with thinner when
dry and is capable of holding its colour when applied in a
very thin mixture.

As you follow through the steps below, you will see that I
always seal the final paint scheme on my models with an
acrylic gloss clear finish. I do this for two reasons.
1. To provide a suitable surface to apply the decals on.
2. To seal and protect the paint scheme from the panel
wash process.

The choice of acrylic gloss clear is worth explaining. I

choose gloss clear as it encourages the thinned panel
wash paint to flow into the recessed lines and allows me
to cleanly remove any excess from the surface of model.
I choose acrylic clear because the paint I use for the
panel wash itself is enamel based. By using an acrylic
clear, I am less likely to have problems with the enamel
thinner I use to remove any excess wash from the model
surface once dry.
So, exactly what paint do I use ? Based on trial and
error, I have settled on Model Master Enamel - Burnt
Umber (#2005). I like the dirty oil colour of Burnt Umber
and I have found that it is easily removed once dry using
fairly mild solvents such as White Spirit. I have tried to
use Humbrol enamels for the wash, however once they
dry you almost need sandpaper to remove the excess
(not a good thing). To be honest, I have not tried to use
acrylic paints for washing as I was very happy with the
result of Model Master. As a general rule, I find acrylic
paints have a coarser pigment and are not as suitable for
subtle effects as enamels or oils.

Some modellers use artist oil paints for panel washes. I

do use oil paints for final weathering (oil stains etc), but
find that you need to apply too many coats of the oil
wash to get a suitable depth of colour for panel lines.

Finally, remember that you don't have to use the same

colour for all panel washes. I frequently lighten or darken
the basic Burnt Umber colour depending on the paint
scheme of the aircraft. For some models I would use an
entirely different colour (say light grey for a black aircraft
such as the F-1117A). No matter what colour you use,
the basic techniques of preparing the model and
application of the the wash still apply.
Step By Step
What follows is the process of washing the panel lines,
accompanied by several photos of the results of each
step:
Step 1: Paint the model as normal.

Using whatever paints you prefer, complete the basic

painting of the model. At this point, the general painting
of the model is complete. Note that is not important for
panel washing the type of paint (acrylic, enamel) you
choose to paint your model with, as we will be sealing it
anyway under a coat of clear in the next step.
Step 2: Apply a clear gloss coat over the entire
model.

Coat the entire surface of the model using an acrylic

gloss clear (such as Future, Tamiya, Gunze, Polly S etc).
This provides a protective layer for the paint (especially
needed if you paint using enamels) as well as providing
the gloss surface for the application of decals

Step 3: Apply the decals as normal.

You should always apply decals over a gloss surface.

When the decals are dry (say overnight) wash off any
excess decal glue using warm soapy water and apply a
second coat of the clear gloss over the decals to seal
them, This also provides a consistent gloss finish over
the entire model / decals and helps to achieve that
"painted on" look.

Step 4: Apply the Panel Wash.

Mix up the panel wash using a mild enamel thinner (I like

White Spirit). A rough guide to the correct ratio is about
3-4 drops of paint to a thimble full of thinner.

Using a small brush (I normally use a size 0), apply the

wash of MM Burnt Umber into the panel lines. If properly
thinned, all you need to do is touch the brush tip to the
panel line (corners are good staring places) and the
wash should flow into the lines by itself. A good wash will
flow about 0.5cm before stopping. If it does not flow, no
problem, just work your way along the panel line, working
the wash into the recess as you go.

Some of the wash will end up outside the lines. Its at this
point that the resolve of many a good modeller has been
tested. Seeing their latest masterpiece covered in a
mess. Do not worry ! The clear acrylic coat we applied
earlier will protect the model and allow us to clean up the
mess in step 5.

Remember it takes practise to get the amount of wash

right. Try not to be heavy handed. Refer to the pictures
below as a guide on how much you need.
Step 5: Remove the Excess Wash

Once the wash has dried (overnight is plenty), apply

enamel thinners (I use artists white spirit as it is solvent
based but not too strong) to a clean, white, lint free cloth
(I use old cotton T-Shirts) and begin to wipe off the
excess paint from around the panel lines. I like to stroke
the cloth from front to back of the aircraft (ie with the
airflow).

I normally start in one spot (say a wingtip) and do a

single swipe with the cloth. For the next swipe, move
inboard and again do a single swipe. Even though you
will not have removed all the excess wash, do not go
over the same section immediately, rather keep working
across the wing, fuselage and other wing doing single
swipes. By the time you get to the opposite wingtip, it will
be safe to go back to the start and begin your second run
to remove the remaining wash. Above all else, resist the
urge to rub in one spot until it is clean. Doing so can
result in rubbing thru the clear coat that is protecting the
decals and paint below. This is not what you want (trust
me).

Keep wiping and rotating the cloth to keep it clean. This

is a slow process and needs patience. Keep wiping until
all the paint outside the panel lines is removed and only
the paint in the panel lines remains. Sometimes if the
panel lines are not deep enough the paint may come out
as well. If so, then re-apply the wash a second time and
repeat the process.

Sometimes, you will find panel lines that are not easy to
get at with your finger or a cloth. In those cases, I use
simple cotton buds. Dip them in thinner and carefully
wipe the model surface as with the cloth above.
Step 6: Finishing Up

When you are happy with the panel lines, you can
continue to complete the model as you normally would.
For me, this typically involves applying a flat clear coat to
dull down the gloss finish and seal the wash into the
panel lines. I then commence final weathering using oils,
pastels and whatever else looks appropriate.

With a little practise (and a lot of patience) the end result

should look something like this.
So there you have it. I hope you have found this article
useful and hope to see more models out there with panel
lines proudly displayed :)

All content copyright Gary

www.scalespot.com
Wickham