how to make black interiors nice

[youpey]

I am going to be working on an 1993 Rx7 kit starting today and i have never been able to make a black interior look nice. For example, i use matte black for the the dash and the seats (to make the seats look like leather), but what would you do for the carpet and the door panels. probably matte black there as well, so it matches the dash.

 

But now it looks like i can build the entire interior and drop it in a bucket of matte black paint and call it finished.  any ideas on how to mix it up a bit on modern cars to make it look realistic?

[AC Norton]

Michael, the method that I have used for years is the following-----spray the parts with the flat black of your choice--let dry for about 2 hours--then, I use Testors semi gloss model master spray can, dust a light coat on all parts, wait about 10 minutes,,,then spray one nice coat on all, not a wet pass, but enough that you can see the paint. at first, it will appear gloss for a couple of minutes until it starts to set up.......let all dry at least a full day or two,,,,,then, take a  clean cloth, like an old cotton sock or t shirt scrap, that is fresh cleaned, something here that won't have fibers floating around,,,,,then gently polish the parts,,,GENTLY....until they come to that nice sheen look......hope that helps...same deal works well for white interiors too..........the ace...........

[StevenGuthmiller]

Some embossing powder or flocking for carpets and/or rear package shelves can make a huge difference too.

 

Steve

[rsxse240]

Different shades of black for various parts like a flat black to represent cloth on seats semi gloss on leather/vynil (a little glossier for vynil) gloss on hard plastic pieces, and don't forget to detail paint and use foil for shiney metal bitsbits.  

 

Look for reference pics on Google or simply follow kit instructions if you aren't up to the task of extensive paint detailing.

[crazyjim]

I use Testors bottle flat black.  when it dries I rub a fingertip on the sides of my nose and then rub the seats.  Gives the seats a leather look.

[Tom Geiger]

Back when my daughter was young we were building a model of a Suzuki Samurai that we painted to match the colors of my Geo Tracker.  When we got into the gray interior, we noticed that there were over 20 different grays in there... not only color, but material, texture and tone.  Black interiors would be similar.

This is why I buy every different can of spray paint in gray, black and browns... the tones I seem to paint my interiors most.  Then get all the clear sprays... gloss, semi-gloss, matte and flat for starters... and in different brands.  

If you have access to a 1:1 car like the one you are modeling, get in the interior and notice what is in there.  If not, my favorite archive is eBay Motors, especially the ads/auctions where the seller has posted 25-200 photos.  Those are great for detailing.

Once you know your tones, use different blacks and then experiment with the glosses.. I've even found that spraying with a matte and then adding a semi-gloss coat over it gives you another variation. For leather, many people use the nose grease trick,  rub your finger on the side of your nose and then on your seats to get an interesting and realistic tone.  Use flocking or embossing powders for your carpets.  

Then look at the details. BMF what's chrome, detail out anything you can. I always add printed gauges when I can. They don't have to be decals, they set in well with white glue and a canopy glue gloss over them.  If small switches and things are different colors, pick those out with paint on a toothpick or a Sharpie pen.  I've also added missing items... does your kit have sun visors and a rear view mirror? I've added visors from other kits or even cut my own from plastic sheet stock.  Are there door lock buttons?  I've added those by using a short length of engine wiring. 

Headliners are usually a shortcoming of kits... I've added many with painted masking tape (same technique as making vinyl tops, only upside down) and even business cards with a pattern in the card stock.  I also buy every different roll of masking tape I can, and it seems that the cheaper ones have the more interesting and deeper patterns.  I use these for headliners as well as adding a center section to a seat.

I've also done some minor detailing to add realism.  For instance I've installed bucket seats in different positions... passenger seat all the way back, drivers seat a bit closer to the wheel as if set for a short driver.  I've cut head rests off of seats and reinstalled them at different heights.  Add items -   I've made state inspection stickers, and even parking permits. An air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror, or even a tissue box on the front seat.  Little unexpected details like these bring an interior to life.

Good luck!

 

Edited August 26, 2015 by Tom Geiger

[Matt Bacon]

Here's a couple of examples of the technique Tom's talking about. If you look around, there are any number of "blacks" that you can use for different parts, which, coupled with surface finishes from dead flat to super shiny give you loads of options to "busy up" an "all-black" interior. Look for Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black, Rubber Black and NATO Black, Vallejo German Grey, Black Grey and Basalt Grey, Revell Anthracite, Testors (?) Tire Black, Citadel (Games Workshop) Adeptus Battlegrey and Charadon Granite...

bestest,

M.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Matt Bacon

[johnbuzzed]

Use different brands, types (acrylic v enamel) and shades (aircraft interior black, flat black, grimy black, etc- there are so many to choose) and finishes (gloss, semi-gloss, matte or flat) for the surfaces that you will paint.  If you want to simulate carpeting, embossing powder works better than flock.  Of course, that's just my opinion.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Great replies to this topic guys, the photos were especially helpful for me

Thanks to Michael for asking the question as well

[aurfalien]

Wow, the work displayed on this thread is amazing!

Thanks for starting it youpey.

[jbwelda]

another good idea is to invest in a bottle of pledge/future/whatever and paint everything the matt color of your choice and then after that is dry pick out some of it with the Future to make it glossy, items like the console shown above. much easier than doing it with actual paint plus it comes right off with ammonia if it goes out of bounds or you don't like the look, and it will not harm the paint under it like solvent paints will.

I used to use fuzzy fur for carpeting etc but now embossing powder is my thing, great stuff and much more in scale look than the shag carpet that fur used to look like (unless it was tamped down)

the other thing is to run some Detailer over parts of the panels and let it settle into nooks and crannys before wiping the majority off the top surfaces

jb

 

[my80malibu]

I have Drybrushed some interiors with silver paint to help highlight areas.