My way with fade paint jobs

[AL.]

'Im sure there are other ways but this is mine. It's based on what I learned when doing the same to the inside of Lexan slot car bodies.

You will need the following:

A thick sheet of card for the base.
A thin sheet of card for the 'mask'
Some masking tape.
Some double sided sticky tape.

The photos should be self explanatory as to how to construct the mask.

Place two strips of the double sided sticky tape where indicated. This will hold the body in place while spraying.

Spray the front of the body in your chosen colour:

Expose the double sided sticky tape and stick down the body. If you are unsure about exactly where the fade will start, place the body further in. This will start the fade further back. Then if you get it it to far back, you can move the body out of the mask and spray again.

Now spray your second colour. In my case it's gold and as the rear colour is going to be metalic red, I sprayed all of the rear end in gold, ready for the clear red.

Spray at an acute angle for the slowest fade.

Move the body out and repeat the procedure for next clolour.

Here's the finished body (complete with mucky lens spot... LOL) ready for a light buffing and then clear coat.

[Misha]

Another great tutorial Allan! You shown a simple yet effective way to fade aways along the length of a body, the Fireball 500 being an excellent example for this technique. Also found your thread on rust treatments very informative and it has moved me a bit further to attempt such a finish as I have been a shiny finish modeller, being somewhat skittish to model a patina finish.
Cheers Misha

[peteski]

Very helpful pictorial instructions - thanks!

[Nacho Z]

Wow! That is simple but soooo effective!  I do believe I will be using this idea.  Thank you so much for sharing this!

[1930fordpickup]

This is a very nice explanation. Great photos. 

[Mile High Scale Modeler]

This is very cool with great photos and explanation!

[chepp]

Thanks! To spray fades on only the top or only the sides, one could add "wings" to the cardboard drive-through mask to limit overspray.

[slusher]

That’s neat and easy to remember…

[Mike F.]

How long to wait between colors?

[Spex84]

Well that's cool! Thanks for the detailed photos, looks like the technique produces a very controllable result.

[tim boyd]

Alan...very cool stuff!  

Would you believe that I used almost exactly the same approach when I first built my MPC/Dodge/Car Model funny car entry back in 1968?  Here's my photos, showing the same type of props, that I took when restoring this old car a couple of years ago in 2019...  I had to create two mask, one for the front as you used, and a second one to apply the paint over the rear canopy area....

...and the final result after a few finish coats of old Testors Ed Roth Mysterion Candy Yellow ...

By the way, yours came out great!  Hopefully your post will encourage others to give this technique a try....TIM 

[carnut]

That’s a great idea.

[doorsovdoon]

Great tutorial, I'll have to try this. Like a magic trick, looks impossible until you know how it's done. Thanks for sharing.

[gtx6970]

Ive done that exact car using that exact method

Also did a similar job many MANY years ago, same basic method,,,just no box. Both done with nothing but rattle cans