Airbrush Camo Masks

J's Work, 1/72 and 1/48 scales

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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Camouflage masks seem to be a new and emerging genre in the modelling world and thankfully, for a great deal of us are “challenged” when it comes to reproducing intricate multi colour camouflage schemes using an airbrush, no matter what the scale!

J’s Work have identified the need for the product and produce a range of modelling products and mask sets are just a small part of their catalogue. The mask sets are available in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale for aircraft and in 1/35 scale for tanks.

The aircraft sets currently available for aircraft in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale are:

• Israeli Defence Force (IDF) F-16A 1/48
  

• IDF F-16C Camouflage Scheme
  

• IDF F-16D Camouflage Scheme
  

• IDF F-16I Camouflage Scheme
  

• F-16C Adversary Camouflage Scheme
  

• F-16A NSAWC 60 Camouflage Scheme
  

• F-16A NSAWC 53 Camouflage Scheme
  

• F-16A NSAWC 04 Camouflage Scheme
  

• F-15C 65th Aggressor Desert Scheme
  

• F-15DJ 2009 Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) Aggressor
  

• F-15DJ 2005 JASDF Aggressor
  

• IAF F-15I Bomber Scheme
  

• F-22 Raptor Camouflage Scheme.

The masks themselves are die-cut onto yellow abuki tape. To go about using them you first paint your model in the lightest of the camouflage colours and then apply the mask to the areas that you want to keep that colour. Once the masks are applied you simply paint the next colour and repeat the masking process until your scheme is completed then remove the masks and voila! Your model is in the correct camouflage pattern!

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A somewhat simplistic explanation really as there are many variables to the process including did the original scheme have a hard edge or a soft edge? If it was the latter you can go about raising the edge of the mask off the surface a little – fishing line is an easy way to go here as it is flexible and you can bend it around to suit the pattern. The former is easy as all you have to do is burnish it down on the surface.

Other issues include; will the burnishing down of the mask mar the surface of the paint, and the need to spray light coats at 90 degrees to the mask to prevent a build up of paint and hence a raised edge between colours.

The J’s Work sets come in clear cellophane-like envelope with a gummed flap. Inside the envelope you find an A-4 sized sheet that carries full colour line drawings of the aircraft carrying the camouflage scheme along with some images of the process of applying masks onto a model and the painting of that model, as well as the sheets carrying the camouflage masks themselves.

The masks are keyed by letter to the shade of paint to be masked off e.g. on their PPA5012- F-16B NSAWC 04 set –DB is Dark Blue, LB is Light Blue and G is Grey. Sure, you can work out what goes where with careful examination of the drawing but J’s Work could have made the task a whole lot easier if they had of included the key on the drawing too. Another gripe is that there is only a left hand side illustration of the fuselage (on all sets) so you are guessing on the pattern for the right hand side.

The tape used is nice and soft and from the little playing around that I did I was able to slightly stretch and manipulate one mask fairly easily to coax it into position. It stayed down reasonably well and did not lift for over an hour which should be enough time for even the slowest masker to complete both the masking and the painting stages.

So there you have it. A new tool that will require you to develop new skills but as far as I am concerned it is a tool that will be welcomed by those of us who are not airbrush masters!

J’s Work products are manufactured in China and are available exclusively from Luckymodel, over the internet.

Note

I have included scan of the three mask sheets that are in their PPA0512 F-16B NSAWC 04 set among the images that accompany this review. The demarcations between the masks are difficult to spot in the images but rest assured you can easily see them on the sheets when you hold them in your hand, to illustrate this I have included a drawn image of a mask sheet taken from their website.

J's Studio products are available online from Lucky Model's website

Text Copyright © 2012 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 17 July, 2012
Last updated 18 July, 2012

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