Airbrushed prop blur discs.

I like aircraft models in flight, and I like representing the spinning prop, like in the war comics I grew up reading. So here is how I make mine..

I use a mask/template and then airbrush the blur on to a clear plastic disc. I tried freehand masking but the edges of the blur did not look sharp enough.

So after buying a circle cutter I set out to make the mask/template.

Using thin card I marked out the blade postions and a nice width for the segments of the prop blur. (This is a mask for a five bladed prop)

Blur section cut out.

On a sheet of paper, mark out the blade postions, then tack the clear disc over the top.

Tack the mask on top of the clear disc, use the lines for the blades as a guide to make sure the mask is aligned.

Now the airbrushing, I use very very thinned black acrylic (I've used Gunze Aqaeous and Tamiya Semi Gloss Black) so you can slowly build the density of the blur up slowly... (The prop blur here is a three bladed, but its the same kind of mask)

I always start form the centre of the blur to the outside, this gives a darker centre which feathers out to the tip.

First blade blur done, and second started..

Working on the third blade.

Mask removed...

Finished prop blur. If its no the look you are after, its easy enough to wipe the arcrylic off the disc, using thinners or alcohol.

Once satisfied I normally give the blur disc a coat of Klear/Future, as the acrylic is rather delicate.

I have tried a yellow tip on the blur, by using a circle cut out as a mask over the blur, but I've not perfected that method yet.

The template/mask is the trick, and very thinned black paint, slowly building the opacity up. Once you made a mask/template its easy to do a few blurs.

Here is the result..