Tamiya Panel Line Accent

[vanhookvintage]

Hi All,

Can anyone explain how the Tamiya Panel Line Accent is applied? I like the look of dark panel lines, and I've seen how people will airbrush black along panel lines before the color coats. Is that how this works, or does it go on after the color is already on?

Thanks in advance, Cheers,
Greg

[cbk57]

I normally use it after paint, it has a small applicator brush and you just touch it where you want the paint to flow. On a glossy surface it pretty much floods into low spots. The black looks nice for highlighting bare metal details.

I suppose you could preshade with it over primer as well, adding it before paint. You could airbrush it or brush it on. I normally don’t do preshading on automotive applications, that is something I would normally use for military aircraft or vehicles.

I find it a little more aggressive than some of the other premixed enamel panel liners I have used. I also use some products by Amo by mig and maybe another brand. I have used it on white metal parts for my current Vincent Black Shadow build and am quite happy with the look.

[bossy122]

On top of what cbk said, I use an India ink pen. Just touch the tip inside the seam and it flows freely. There will be overflow spots. To clean those, I use a Qtip with 91 percent alcohol and wipe across the seam. If you go with the seam, you may erase all of your work. I should mention that i dip the Qtip then rub it across my pant leg. Too much alcohol can cause problems.

[jaydar]

The method you describe is most often used by airplane modelers and I don't think it is realistic for cars. I have never used black as I think it is too stark. I use gray for white bodies and I use a darkened body color for everything else. I usually mix the body color with gray.

I try to mix the panel line color from an acrylic paint in order to make its removal easy, just a wet q-tip.

Just my way, I am sure everyone uses what works for them, someone passed this technique to me.

Regards and good luck,

Joe.

[Tiffoc]

The method you describe is most often used by airplane modelers and I don't think it is realistic for cars. I have never used black as I think it is too stark. I use gray for white bodies and I use a darkened body color for everything else. I usually mix the body color with gray.

I try to mix the panel line color from an acrylic paint in order to make its removal easy, just a wet q-tip.

Just my way, I am sure everyone uses what works for them, someone passed this technique to me.

Regards and good luck,

Joe.

Plus one... I agree Black is far to harsh, said it for years... the method Joe describes is mine too!!!

Steve.

[JamesB]

Surely the pre shading on a civil car does not make any sense. In fact it's an "asumed" feature in military stuff that honestly does not match reality, but it's there. A bit like the "apple pie syrup" finish in some racing or street cars.
The liners work well, as they have also adequate colors: for white cars you'll want a "smoke" tone, for yellow ones an orange or light brown, etc.
Again it's not the real thing but an optical illusion.
And surely the thing of adding a new paint on a finished surface, then removing the remains is always a risk.
IMHO, water based stuff can be safer.

[vadim]

... and don't forget good old oil paint

[cbk57]

Where I like using washes and liners is on mechanical and dirty parts. For a street car, I would not use black to outline the doors as a rule or any other panel line on a car. Artistically these things like preshading and panel line washes make a lot more sense with Military subjects as the lend themselves to a more artistic interpretation.

Automotive subjects are normally not going to be weathered in the same style or manner. Although weathering does make sense for race cars depicted after a race or during. It is still going to be lower key as a rule, you are not going to do faded paint on a F-1 car, there would not be damage replaced panels as a rule, that sort of thing.

Artistically in military aviation and vehicle modeling there are some really neat things going on, I don’t say they are accurate but in many cases when well done they are visually interesting. I very much enjoy crossing between multiple subjects for this reason.

[Starr]

If I need to use panel line accents, I would do it in between primer and paint. I like to use a brown or light grey. on chrome parts like wheels, I use the black.

Cheers,

Starr

[billgtp]

The method you describe is most often used by airplane modelers and I don't think it is realistic for cars. I have never used black as I think it is too stark. I use gray for white bodies and I use a darkened body color for everything else. I usually mix the body color with gray.

I try to mix the panel line color from an acrylic paint in order to make its removal easy, just a wet q-tip.

Just my way, I am sure everyone uses what works for them, someone passed this technique to me.

Regards and good luck,

Joe.

Agree. The airplane guys use the black for panel lines but having just been to air show in Chino Ca. I dont know why. I saw no airplanes with black panel lines.