Droolin Bulldog paint

[Russell Brown]

Hi everyone, I'm a brand new member, and quite filled with enthusiasm for what seems to be a brilliant site.
my first question concerns Drooling Bulldog paints. I've just bought a set of German colours, and two things concern me.
1. Is there a chart for mixing these basic colours to produce others, eg, mauve, Albatros light green etc.
2. What is the recommended THINNER to use, and if thinner is not required, the best and most appropriate airbrush cleaner?
I'm currently working on my third Wingnut kit, a Roland C.11

Cheers, Russell B.

[drdave]

Hi Russel.
I really like DB paints. They're lacquers so don't thin them. I clean out my brush with airbrush reamer or cellulose thinners. They clean up easily.
Tips. You will need to prime. I've tried without and the flow patterns in the plastic can be seen. Once you've done that, the finish of DB is glossy and rock hard, unless you get solvent near it!
I have polished the paint with micro mesh and decalled over it without future.
I mix my own too. I just  add the colours until it looks like the wnw instructions.
The yellow definitely needs a white base. The reds and blues are great because they are a bit translucent so you can add depth with layers. That looks really good if you say want to see lozenge or markings through your top coat, as on the real planes.

[Russell Brown]

Hi Dave,
and thanks for that! It has everything I needed to know.
I'd been thinking, and what's YOUR opinion - red and blue Fokker D VII of Georg von Hantelmann, use the red and Prussian blue directly? 

Cheers
Russell


 

[drdave]

Yes

[maddog]

Russell, if you haven't begun priming already, the undercoat colour is something you should consider as this will markedly change the end
result. I love the Kraplak; two very different results ensue however depending if I use the black or a whitened version of the Mr Surfacer 1500.

Cheers.

[GrahamB]

Hi Russel,

DB paints are excellent and can be mixed to give various colours although it is a problem for people without access to Methuen chips when many of the German colours are matched to this system - although there has been some attempt (by me and others) to translate these into other accessible colour chips (not just screen RGB that can be so unreliable) such as Resene paints or Pantone. For instance, some time ago I mixed the DB Prussian Blue and white to get an Albatros underside blue based on a Methuen value (can't remember the ratio now, possibly 1:15 - must keep notes). At the moment I'm building the WNW Rumpler and saw the colour matches based on the surviving German example (in a Windsock issue) to both Resene and Pantone. I was a little skeptical of the Resene match for the pale blue when I viewed the Pantone colour online - wildly different values - but managed to get a hard copy of the relevant Pantone chip and the Resene match is fine. Anyway, to cut  long story short - the previous DB blue I had mixed was also bang on for this Rumpler colour!  So it is very possible to mix DB basic colours and I've achieved similar results for various greens and browns, although some of DB's pre-mixed camouflage colours can be used straight from the pot.

Another thing I found a couple of days ago: painting the Rumpler's pilot's seat - I  base-coated it with DB Umbraun No.6, then applied Vallejo Saddle Brown 940 heavily thinned with gloss varnish - in a patchy-puddled fashion, not worked in. When dry it looks great - worn effect. It can easily be added to as well.

Food for thought.

Cheers
GrahamB

PS. The Rumpler mauve/purple is proving to be a b----r to match. The DB mauve is insufficiently 'violet' to get there. I'm working on it.

[Russell Brown]

Thank you very much Graham and others. Good valuable advice. Although I've been modelling for more than 50 years, there's still an awful lot to learn, so it's good that this fraternity is so helpful.
Cheers, Russell

[drdave]

I added prusian blue to German purple

[GrahamB]

Hi Drdave

thanks for this hint. I've just ordered some more DB paints, including the Purple.
Cheers
GrahamB