Commander Scale

With the primer fully cured, I moved on to the pre-shading stage.

For this project I wanted to create depth before applying the base colours instead of relying solely on washes and weathering later on.

I used Tamiya NATO Black (XF-69) to establish the primary shadows, emphasizing panel lines, recesses and the countless mechanical details throughout the engines and cockpit assembly.

To break up the large surfaces and introduce subtle tonal variation, I added Tamiya NATO Brown (XF-68) on selected panels. The intention isn’t to create visible rust, but to allow warm undertones to gently influence the final paintwork once the grey base coat is applied. These variations should remain barely visible, giving the vehicle a naturally worn appearance without looking over-weathered.

This stage may seem dramatic now, but once the base colours go on, the effect becomes much more subtle while adding depth and realism across the entire model.

The goal is to build the finish from the inside out—layer by layer.