69.013 Titan Blue Matt

A dark blue for the main areas

Titan Blue Matt belongs to the tones that carry the main color area on a model. It is dark enough to create a contrast against light panels, and yet it keeps a distinct blueness, so it does not slide into gray even in shadow. On machines with a two-color or three-color scheme it tends to be exactly this kind of shade that holds the overall impression together.

The matte surface is what defines the line. On large flat areas that is an advantage, because gloss would bring out every ripple and every trace of sanding on them, whereas a matte finish calms them down.

Sharp edges between colors

A dark tone next to a light one makes demands on masking. Stick the tape onto a completely dry finish, press it down with a fingernail along the whole edge and lead the first pass so that the paint goes away from the tape, not under it. This single habit will rid you of most paint bleeding under the tape.

If you need a transition without a sharp edge, peel the tape off a little sooner and spray the last coat freely across the boundary. The difference will be visible but not hard, which suits places where the colors flow into each other on the real subject.

The shade also works as a ground under lighter blue tones. If you build a graded range out of them, you get panels with a depth of their own without having to reach for black. Write the ratios down as you go, because mixing the same blue again from memory will not work.

Stir the contents properly before the first use. Blue pigments are among the heavier ones and settle to the bottom after standing for a while, so the first drops tend to be thinner and lighter than the paint really is.