Need help with pre-shade :)

[minor fable]

Hi guys wondered if anyone could help me out here.

So im going yellow with the paint on this model, the sections I've circled red I'm going to do a pink undertones to give a nice contrast to the yellow all over.. but the sections I've circled blue I want to do a Pre-shade, brings me to 2 problems one I've never pre-shaded before, so do I just literally apply my shade wash into these areas before applying my main colour over the top, and secondly I've heard that flesh tone wash/shades are best for under yellow? Is this the case or am I better sticking with a nuln/agrax or black wash?

Also been told a brown tone for the shade would be better, so I'm a bit unsure aha

[cursive notch]

Several ways. I'd personally leave the pink out.
My personal way is to brown/white undercoat with heavy preshade transitions . Then a yellow filter over the top.woth either contrast or ink or thinned down paint.
Keep adding the yellow over ituntil you're happy with the tone.
You could do a dark red to bright red if you wanted a warmer yellow.
Or black to white if you wanted cold but vibrant yellow
Below is an example of a light green filter with a black to white preshade

[minor fable]

Ahh okay fair enough, so as I have my model now, should I effectively do a warm brown into the areas I'm wanting darker? Or effectively go from tracks so far up with a brown?

Btw that's an amazingly good looking tank! 😍

[cursive notch]

For tanks I prefer a bit of realism where the panels refect most of the light from the bottom due to panel angle.
So brown at the top. Paint the top half of the panels brown.
Then white working bottom up. So lighter colour builds at the bottom and blends into the darker colour.

Ps thanks for the kind comment 😊

[minor fable]

Got you, that feels backwards in my head due to light shining down, but your models look better than mine so I won't argue 😂.

Sorry for being so annoyingly nooby, but would I be doing that brown all over the top then? And like a nice blend/zenithal effect by the time I reach mid way down the side?

And props where ita due! 🙂

[cursive notch]

Treat each panel individually, which is the example image I gave. So each panel, brown at top of the panel, about half way down, then each panel start layering the white blending into the brown.
Or you can treat the whole model as one panel..... Your choice. 😉
Treating each panel individually makes it pop for me, as it creates a "shinier" look.

[minor fable]

Right I think I follow you now aha, so basically everytime there's a point where a panel is broken into another one, only come like a 3rd of the way down it

Like I'm looking at the front left panel on yours and the subsequent ones above and you've effectively come a short way down each one

And gone down the edges of them, correct?

[cursive notch]

Don't let that fool you..... That's how preshade works. As you build up the filter layer, it lessens the contrast between transitions. But yes actual brown you may only have 7/8 of the panel pure brown by the time youre done. But I'd paint half of each panel brown and then you have plenty of manouvering room for transition

If you look at the panels, the highlights for lighter colours do form an elliptical pattern, yes. So it's not just straight lines.
Imagine this. In Microsoft paint, place a square.
Then place a circle 2/3 way in the square with the radius of the circle slightly smaller than the width of the square.
Hope this makes sense lol

[minor fable]

Right, it's one of those trust the process things isn't it haha, I'm still pretty new to the finer arts of model painting, and very new to using my airbrush for anything other than all over priming haha.

Yes that actually does make sense 😂 thankyou.

I suppose a lot of it will come down to controlling the airbrush effectively really 🤔

Well I'm about yo load some brown into the airbrush and see how I get on. I'm going with a lighter toned brown btw, I'm assuming that's better than an overly dark tone?

[cursive notch]

What I'd say at this point is just have fun and experiment on one panel.
One only really learns, even under tuition, from experience and playing with it.
After all..... I got to where I am today with painting (an OK level!) by making many, many mistakes and experimenting.
Keep your paint thin, and you have plenty of scope to repaint if you're not happy 😉.
Pre shade one panel (I'd suggest underneath of the tank) and then apply the yellow filter in thin coats. This way you can see how it works, and before you know it, you'll be adjusting the preshade yourself, and the number of filter coats 😊👍

Best of luck dude, keep us posted 😊💪

[minor fable]

Thankyou, really really appreciate the detailed answers you've given and the time you've taken. I will do mate 😄

[minor fable]

Don't think I got enough of the brown down or not a dark enough brown so I went back over with a yellow oil to add some depth then decided f it I'm slapping some purple on too 🤣🤣

[minor fable]

@cursive notch Been getting a bit better with controlling the airbrush, so tried to do some placement with pink undertones in areas around the marine before applying the yellow over the top, quite like the slight shading/contrast its given me inside/outside sides of legs, around tha back pack, inside the neck hole 🙂 might try a little more and maybe a darker pink on the next guy

[cursive notch]

Hello mate. Lovely pre shade. If I may......... Yellow needs to be a lot thinner. Up until third coat you should be going "shit this isn't covering it up" 🤣.
Beautifully smooth and vibrant though dude. Good job 👌