Mottling on model paint schemes is becoming more and more popular. The item for this review makes the project much easier than trying to do it freehand.

All models require different levels of paint layers to get that realistic look. Mottling has become one of the layers of a lighter color of the basecoat to get the color variance and depth. The stencils help paint in the weathered look. People have used various freehand airbrush techniques to break up the basecoat, whether it is shading within a panel’s lines or indiscriminate lines throughout the basecoat to get color depth.

Masterpiece Models has a stencil with varying cut shapes that allows paint to be sprayed through and onto your model. The stencils are made of a compressed thin card board type material that can be laid right on your model or held away from the surface to get feather edges around shapes of the stencil. You can turn the stencil, say in a 90-degree direction on your model to get different shapes from the ones just sprayed.

The stencil comes with a border that can be removed so the stencil can be placed into a tight area and paint sprayed through. The stencils are also very flexible that allow them to be placed on a surface with a curve like an aircraft wing or fuselage.

To get the full diversity of the mottling effect a combination of different colors can be sprayed through the stencil, then a light basecoat color coat can be sprayed over the area to blend the mottling shapes.

If you are looking for something to help add that weathered splotchy look to your models that gives the paint scheme some depth, then this is a tool for you.

Thank you to Masterpiece Models and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review the stencils.