ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) I was commissioned by a friend of mine to build four models to recreate the trench run from Star Wars; Vader, two TIEs, and Luke's Red 5. I was excited about this because I wanted a chance to do another Red 5 X-wing after I completed my own last year and was never really happy with the final result. I started out with the cockpit and Luke. The interior was painted in Tamiya Neutral Grey (XF-53) and given a couple of coats of Future for the decals. I'm not too happy with the decals on the control panels, but since you can barely see inside the cockpit when it was complete I decided to leave them. I then went around and picked out some details before painting Luke. After giving everything a coat of grey Alcad II Primer/Microfiller, I went to work preshading all of the numerous panel lines over the model with heavily thinned Tamiya German Grey (XF-63), which turned out to be quite a tedious job! After the preshading was complete, I began laying down the base color. In the past, I have used a 1:1 mix of Tamiya Flat White (XF-2) and Medium Grey (XF-20), which I think makes a fine color for Rebellion ships. However, I wanted to try something different so I picked up a couple of Vallejo mixing bottles at my FLGS and set to work mixing up a custom color. I mixed one 10mL jar of Tamiya Flat White (XF-2), 2/3 of a jar of Tamiya White (X-2), twelve drops of Tamiya Flat Earth (XF-52), and four drops of Tamiya Neutral Grey (XF-53). Overall, I was pleased with this color. Although there is an extensive decal sheet provided with the kit, none of the decals have any of the typical weathering found on so many Star Wars vehicles. As nice as Bandai decals are, I prefer to use paint wherever possible for the most consistent finish. For the paint chipping, I used a combination of Tamiya masking tape and Humbrol Maskol applied with a piece torn foam, trying to mimic the weathering on the filming miniature as best I can. After a couple of hours, I had all of the panels on the fuselage complete. I tried to follow the studio model as best I could, but I took some liberties on various panels. I used twelve different colors on the different panels!The panels are rather stark right now, but I will go over everything with some fine grit sandpaper to give them a work look and then a combination of filters, washes, and pigments for weathering will tone them down. I moved on to painting the S-foils, which is the most complicated part of the painting due to the squadron markings. Again, the kit is supplied with high quality decals, but I much prefer the finish of paint an it's easier to weather compared to the decals. Luckily, this is not my first time trying to mask X-wing squadron markings so it went pretty well overall. The hardest part is getting the hash marks properly spaced, but after a little trial and error I think I got it. Like the red stripes on the fuselage, I used a 10:1 mix of Tamiya Flat Red (XF-7) and Hull Red (XF-9) for the squadron markings. The decal sheet has a medium grey colored decal for the lower wing panel around the cutout. I decided to use Tamiya Cockpit Green (XF-71) instead because it appears to be greenish in the reference photos I have of the studio model. Above all, I just wanted a little splash of color on the wings. I also used this time to insert the engines that I had previously painted. They were done with a basecoat of Tamiya Gun Metal (X-10) over a black primer and then highlighted with a misting of Flat Aluminum (XF-16). They were then given a light drybrushing with some Tamiya metallic weathering powder. Both sets of S-foils and laser cannons are complete. For the engine nozzles, I sprayed them with Tamiya Dark Iron (XF-84). During the weathering process, they will get multiple drybrushes of various metallic pigments. The brownish panel on the starboard engine was painted with Tamiya Medium Grey (XF-20) and the panel on the port wing by the squadron markings was painted with Tamiya Buff (XF-57). The black squares on the lower wing were painted with Tamiya NATO Black (XF-69) and the bluish panels were painted with Vallejo Model Air US Blue Grey (71.114). The barber shop stripe was painted with a mix of Vallejo Model Air blues: French Blue, Dark Sea Blue, and Intermediate Blue. I don't remember the mix ratio; I just added the different paints until I got a color I like and that more or less matched the decal. Now that all of the painting is complete, the next step will be to give the entire model a light rub with some high grit sandpaper to tone the boldness of the panels down, followed by an overall ocher filter to warm the entire model, and then begin work on the detailed weathering with oils and then pigments. Edited October 10, 2015 by ScootyPuffJunior 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Rose Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Cracking start! Great paint job on Luke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foghorn Leghorn Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Wow, great cockpit/figure work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Red 5 looks great, can't wait to see what you do with the rest of the trench run kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Shelter Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Sweet That's going to be a great diorama commission when the trench is finished. We really are being treated what with all these superb Star Wars popping up here in the sci-fi forum pages Your Tamiya turntable brings home the true scale of the kit and also the intricate detail of the cockpit and Luke that you have produced - its really good Looking forward to seeing more soon John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 After giving the entire model a rubdown with a 3200 grit sanding sponge, I applied a filter using 502 Abteilung German Ochre thinned excessively with odorless turpenoid. When I went to see if it was dried, I found this: Other modelers have had issues with oil paint thinners reacting to Bandai plastic, specifically the AT-ST kit, but this is the first time I've seen it on an X-wing and the first time it's happened to me. While these few issues can be fixed with some cement and then hidden with weathering, it now has me worried that other areas of the model will be damaged by the turpenoid. Other than these issues, the filter worked great in toning the color down and warming the base color, so that's a positive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hope4sun Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Great work on the paint job, the chipping and weathering are looking great. It is worrying about the turps on the Bandai kits, PIA as learning these techniques on FInemolds kits and have a stake of Bandi to get through. Really enjoying this build though, can't way to see the completed model Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennygman Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Lovely job so far. My heart sank when you mentioned turps. My X-wing did what I can only call 'crumbling' when I used it on mine. I lost one detail part off one of the canons as it simply disintegrated. There was also some cracking but I managed to glue it back together. Hopefully you'll largely get away with it. Good luck. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 10, 2015 Author Share Posted October 10, 2015 Thanks everyone! I began my work shift yesterday so I won't have much time to work on the model over the weekend but I do have a short update. After I applied two coats of an ochre filter and allowed the model to dry for a couple of days, I went ahead and assembled the model completely. I was initially going to hold off on this step and weather each section of the model individually, but after some test fitting with another one of these models I have in pieces, I decided to go forward with assembly. I also think that it will be easier to get a more consistent finish in the weathering since I can do the entire model at once. The next step is to give the model a couple of coats of Future before applying an oil panel line wash across the entire model and a gunk wash in some selected areas such as the engines and droid trench. After the oil dries for a couple of days, I will seal it with some matte varnish and begin applying pigments, using the studio model as a reference. I would also like to note that the ochre filter is much more noticeable in person than compared to these pictures I snapped with my iPhone camera. Also, as you can see the base is not yet painted. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Lovely masking and paint work, it looks really vivid compared to the decals. That shot from the side is a great demo of how aggressive the X-Wing looks. It's a pain about the cracking - I'm sure I've weathered some Bandai stuff with enamels and apparently got away with it, but all these instances with the SW kits in particular make me wary. Especially strange given that you had primer and paint on there beforehand - maybe cutting the paint back with the fine grit thinned it enough over the details that the thinner could reach the plastic? Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 The turpenoid just got to areas with bare plastic and give the pressure that some of those joints are under, it cracked. It's not too big of a deal, just frustrating. It also happened to Artoo's dome so I'll have to scavenge one out of another box (I have like five of these kits so I have lots of spares!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Ah, the miracle of conception. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Ah, the miracle of conception. See, I thought that but I didn't say it, thus establishing my "class act" credentials W 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 I had my camera out to take glamour shots of the TIEs for the Star Wars commission so I decided to take a couple of nice pictures of the Luke for a before and after shot when the weathering is complete. The model is extra shiny because it has two coats of Future on it in preparation of oil paints. Personally, I think the model is gorgeous as is, but it would be an X-wing if it wasn't weathered to the nines! I managed to disassemble the model even though I had originally intended on doing all of the weathering on the completed model. Taking it apart was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be and I'm happy I did it; it was a lot easier to work on without getting in my own way. I was planning on doing a panel line wash over the entire model, but I made a command decision to instead give the entire model a gunk wash. A gunk wash is a tried and true weathering technique that move model makes have relied on for years and I first learned about it after watching Adam Savage build models on the Tested YouTube channel. The process is very simple: put your desired oil color on a palette, apply generous amounts of oil paint on the model without thinning it, then wipe it off with a rag. This ends up discoloring the entire surface of the model and allows oil paint to build up in panel lines and recesses. This can be done over a matte or gloss varnish; matte leaves more oil on the surface compared to gloss, which may or may not be desired. Now the oil paint sit for a couple of days to dry completely before I begin to add more oils of various colors to give the model some tonal variations. After that oil has dried, the oil will be sealed with matte varnish and then I will apply pigments for the final stage of weathering. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 Like a cat distracted by a laser pointer, sometimes I just can't help myself... While waiting for the oil paint to dry on the X-wing, I decided to crack open one of my Y-wing kits to have a look inside. Of course, one thing led to another and I built and painted the cockpit. I primed it with black Alclad II primer and gave it a base coat of Tamiya Rubber Black (XF-85). I gave it a dry brush of Flat Aluminum (XF-16) to give it a worn look and went through and picked out panels and knobs with various Vallejo greys. The instruments on the front panel were painted with Tamiya clear paints. I then gave everything a brown enamel wash. After it dried, I used a Tamiya gunmetal pigment bring some of the metallic sheen back that the wash darkened. There is a pilot but I did not paint him as this ship will be displayed landed. I've had pictures taken off of my blog without my permission and it cheesed me off so I've started labeling my pictures like AndyRM (thanks for the idea... hope you don't mind!). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Shelter Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Y wait when you have an un-started Y wing on the shelf...! That's a cracking selection of paints you have going on in the background - a small fortunes worth. The X Wing is looking great - I see you have chosen to use the flying pink photon tadpoles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 Y wait when you have an un-started Y wing on the shelf...! That's a cracking selection of paints you have going on in the background - a small fortunes worth. The X Wing is looking great - I see you have chosen to use the flying pink photon tadpoles I do have quite a bit of paint and unfortunately, the shelves I built to hold it all aren't big enough so I have a bunch in a drawer. I plan on building some additions to them but it's not high on priority list at the moment. I don't think the torpedoes are going to be a permanent fixture on the display and I just put them on the base to show them off. I did manage to reassemble the X-wing: There is still some oil drying on it so I'll probably let it dry until the weekend at least before I attempt to do anything else too it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 I added the grey/black chipping on the S-foils and some other spots on the hull. I had forgotten to do this but luckily I caught it before I got any further on the weathering. It's a small detail but it's pretty distinctive and helps complete the model. Working on some panel discoloration, primarily on the underside of the X-wing. I used some browns and greys to discolor a handful of panels using the studio model as a guide. The oil is very thin, almost a filter consistency, and will dry quickly. After it had dried, I'll protect it with a matte varnish and move on to some pigments. This model is nearing completion and as soon as it's done, I'll begin working on the Death Star tiles for the the trench run. I have to buy a new workbench because my painting desk is nowhere larger enough to handle the volume of work that I will have making all of these tiles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Rose Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Looking great dude, nice work with the discolouration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Looking great dude, nice work with the discolouration Thank you! I have completed the model and it's up on the RFI forum now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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