Scale modelling basic colours set

A basic set for mixing and for markings

Instead of a particular army or machine, these eight cover situations that come up on every build. Traffic Yellow to RAL 1023, Traffic Red RAL 3020 and Signal Blue RAL 5005 are three saturated base tones from which shades missing in narrowly focused ranges can be mixed. Traffic White RAL 9016 and Jet Black RAL 9005 serve to lighten and darken without shifting into a different hue.

The remaining three items aim at particular jobs. Willow Green to FS14187 and ANA 503 is the classic green of aircraft interiors, Silver covers bare metal parts and Gunmetal suits barrels, exhausts and moving mechanisms, where plain silver would look too new.

When to reach for a basic set

It pays as a first purchase, because a good share of warning markings, stencils and small details can come out of it without waiting to buy individual bottles. It serves equally well as a supplement to a narrowly focused range that lacks a pure red or yellow for warning stripes and triangles.

Orange Line means lacquer. The dried surface is hard and smooth, it takes further coats well and with the metallic tones it can even be polished with a cloth. It is thinned with lacquer thinner and ventilation is in order when spraying.

The base tones also suit toning other shades: a drop of black moves a green into shadow on the lower surfaces, while a drop of white creates a lighter variant for brightening the centers of panels. It is always wise to mix with a margin, because hitting exactly the same ratio a second time is difficult.