Painting Tips - TC's Chopper from Magnum PI

[Mechamaniac]

Getting ready to build a model of TC's iconic MD500 and I can't decide how to paint the stripes.

I can't decide where I should start with the base color? Yellow? Since the Orange and Brown will cover it better than if I did it in reverse? Need some tips from the pros.

Thanks,

 

[JNordgren42]

Yeah, I'd go yellow to orange to brown. I probably wouldn't cover the entire model with the yellow and orange and just make sure you have enough to get full opacity where it will be masked.

The other option is to paint brown and then use a lighter undercoat (probably a fine white primer) first where the yellow and orange will be.

 

[rbeach84]

If you begin with the yellow, then mask, etc. to end with the brown, that is likely the most efficient method due to the coverage issues of painting lighter over darker base coats. Also, it would involve less masking, obviously.
The stated reasons would have also been the case when they painted the full size birds (there were more than one...)
Cheers! Robert

 

[drusselmeyer]

Which scale will it be?

 

[swgeek]

I agree, I'd do yellow first. Then orange and brown. I love TC's helicopter. One of my favorite shows. Are you doing the early years chopper or the later one?