Gemini 8 Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 (edited) I love the A-Wing, as one of the background ships of the classic Star Wars Trilogy, especially since I played the X-Wing Series on PC. It is not as powerful as the other rebel starfighters but I loved the maneuverability and speed which allowed unique reconnaissance and interception missions. But of course I also love the design of this very small ship. I think this is the first time I almost emptied the box right away. There are not many parts and all are impossible to mix up. So there is much to prime at the beginnung. Before priming After priming I started with the cockpit. There are almost no good references. So I used some slightly different dark greys on the panels, but this is hardly visible on camera. The inside of the cockpit is brighter than the outer hull part, which is almost black. Then I started to mix and paintbrush the light grey hull Edited April 28, 2019 by Gemini 8 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 Nice! What colours will you be painting it? The red/white from the movies, or some Expanded Universe scheme? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted April 28, 2019 Author Share Posted April 28, 2019 27 minutes ago, DalekCheese said: Nice! What colours will you be painting it? The red/white from the movies, or some Expanded Universe scheme? I go with the most known red/white "hero ship" version, that is visible on the box art. I started mixing the red colour and had a beautiful rusty red/brown paint that had a fantastic glimmering translucent effect over the dark primer. But it was sadly not the right tone and much too dark. So I am still adding brighter red paints. Sadly it already almost lost this unique effect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 The Paint Gods are cruel and mocking deities. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted May 5, 2019 Author Share Posted May 5, 2019 (edited) On 4/28/2019 at 9:10 PM, DalekCheese said: The Paint Gods are cruel and mocking deities. Yes they are. The final colour turned out alright, but rather conventional. There are a few slightly different coloured red plates around the model that are hardly visible on the references. I only started chipping around the cockpit. For the first gloss coat I protect the cockpit with a spare cockpit glass (that is included) with "Mr. Hobby - Mr. Masking Sol. R". Edited May 5, 2019 by Gemini 8 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 That's looking nice so far. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrés S. Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Hi. Great job !!! I have an old MPC A-Wing (of uncertain scale, I think 1/40) that is waiting for the painting phase after modify the panel lines. I hope your treatment of dirt to the paint. I'm sure it will be very interesting for me. Regards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 That’s lovely! The subtleties of the varying shades of red are very nicely done! (But I mustn’t say too much... the paint gods will hear!) but really, they are. As the cockpit, actually- I’ve got a rough idea about the size of this, but could you put something else in the pictures? Drinks can perhaps? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted May 11, 2019 Author Share Posted May 11, 2019 (edited) On 5/8/2019 at 2:17 PM, Andrés S. said: Hi. Great job !!! I have an old MPC A-Wing (of uncertain scale, I think 1/40) that is waiting for the painting phase after modify the panel lines. I hope your treatment of dirt to the paint. I'm sure it will be very interesting for me. Regards. Thanks a lot. I built the AMT/Ertl A-Wing over 20 years ago when I had no knowledge of airbrushes or weathering. I only tried some drybrushing for the weathering, but that is a bad idea... I think it is the same as the MPC kit. For my unexperienced self it came out the best of the rebel Star Wars starfighters I did back then (X-Wing, B-Wing, A-Wing). The TIE Interceptor also came out pretty good, but the TIEs are always simple. Here are some pictures of this old model where you can see the Bandai is only a little bit smaller and the old model is more bulky: 21 hours ago, DalekCheese said: That’s lovely! The subtleties of the varying shades of red are very nicely done! (But I mustn’t say too much... the paint gods will hear!) but really, they are. As the cockpit, actually- I’ve got a rough idea about the size of this, but could you put something else in the pictures? Drinks can perhaps? Thanks. I have no cans (only different sized bottles) but I put some common paints and a ruler (cm) next to it. The main fuselage without the engines is about 12cm. I have not much progress to show. I put a gloss coat over it and added the few decals with symbols, which are only on the top and on the side. So everything is a bit shiny and very contrasty now. Otherwise I built and painted the laser tower and the base but they are not finished yet. I plan to show that in a few days. Edited May 11, 2019 by Gemini 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 all that detail on a 12 cm model.... you are truly skilled . The plastic gods favour you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted May 15, 2019 Author Share Posted May 15, 2019 On 5/11/2019 at 11:08 PM, DalekCheese said: all that detail on a 12 cm model.... you are truly skilled . The plastic gods favour you... Thanks, but I haven´t done much yet. For most details we can thank Bandai. In the box is a laser tower included. Here are some pictures of the building steps und the finished model. The top of the tower is about 1,5cm long/wide/high. Next I plan to do the weathering on the A-Wing engines so that I can put them together and on the rest of the model. Before priming After priming Painted with some different coloured panels And the weathered model 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 4 minutes ago, Gemini 8 said: Thanks, but I haven´t done much yet. For most details we can thank Bandai. No, I meant on the paintwork- the control panel, etc. But Bandai do do a nice job on their kits. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 Slow progress on the weathering, but I want to speed that up now. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted June 11, 2019 Author Share Posted June 11, 2019 Making progress on the undersite. I am still adding hundreds of tiny scratches, chippings, blast marks etc. As always my goal is to recreate all of the details from the studio model on the correct position. For the white chippings on the red panels I want to try acrylic pencils for the first time. But I still have to place the order. I am looking forward to try them out. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 Have you considered getting a bronze/brown ‘sharpie’ pen, putting it on and then streaking it with a finger? That can get some nice looking rust. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted June 12, 2019 Author Share Posted June 12, 2019 7 hours ago, DalekCheese said: Have you considered getting a bronze/brown ‘sharpie’ pen, putting it on and then streaking it with a finger? That can get some nice looking rust. No, I haven´t considered any. Do you have any specific in mind? I haven´t used any pens or pencils on my models. I know there are some gundam markers etc. but I haven´t seen use for them yet. I have seen some interesting videos about the acrylic pencils last week and I want to try them myself now. But I think I don´t need more rust on the A-Wing. Actually there are only that orange oily streaks and I think that oil paints are looking fine for that... But I can consider that for the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 One of these: But I appreciate that it may not need any more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 On 15/05/2019 at 19:23, Gemini 8 said: Very nice work, though I can't help thinking that the Death Star was quite new 😝 The A-Wing is looking great I built the MPC one as kid, built a 3D model in my teens and now have the Bandai one in my stash. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) On 6/12/2019 at 6:18 PM, DalekCheese said: One of these: But I appreciate that it may not need any more The link isn´t working for me on any device. Can you repost it? 2 hours ago, JamesP said: Very nice work, though I can't help thinking that the Death Star was quite new 😝 The A-Wing is looking great I built the MPC one as kid, built a 3D model in my teens and now have the Bandai one in my stash. Thanks. I thought the same thing about the turret 😉 , but I am just recreating my references: https://images.app.goo.gl/upqyDaFpBdcH6RmY8 I thought about softening the dark oily streaks. Maybe they turned out a little to dark. I had an incident with the A-Wing. I was finished with the weathering on the lower hull, when the matt varnish made everything on the red panels milky, white and terrible. I am still not sure if it reacted to something or the varnish has become bad. Some weeks before, it worked flawlessly so haven´t tested it again (after I had some similar problems in the past). The only new elements were the acrylic pencils which I used on the red panels. So I still have to find the real culprit, but I am suspecting the pencils. I was able rub most of it off as soon as it turned white, so I don´t have to repaint it, but I have to redo most of the wheatering and chipping on the red panels. But I think I start on the top before I redo the bottom. Edited June 21, 2019 by Gemini 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 When you get white blotches in matt varnish it is often to do with the matting agent (fine particles) not been evenly distributed in the medium ie you might need to mix the varnish for longer. Of course it could be something else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 On 21/06/2019 at 16:15, Gemini 8 said: The link isn´t working for me on any device. Can you repost it? It was just an image link- one of these, but metallic bronze. https://groceries.asda.com/product/highlighters-marker-pens/sharpie-assorted-colour-permanent-marker-pens/1000052962658 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, JamesP said: When you get white blotches in matt varnish it is often to do with the matting agent (fine particles) not been evenly distributed in the medium ie you might need to mix the varnish for longer. Of course it could be something else. I tested the Microscale matt varnish and there are 2 problems with it. First the whole surface (without the pencils) gets evenly a little foggy. Secondly it reacts extremely with the acrylic pencils. A black weathering created with the pencils is turning completely white. After theat I tried an Vallejo matt varnish and it doesn´t react to to the pencils. So I have to use this one with the pencils in the future. I preferred the Microscale varnish because it generates a harder protective shell after it dried. The Vallejo needs more time to dry and doesn´t turn out very hard. So have to be more careful. I ordered a new Microscale varnish. The reaction to the pencils will not go away, but the fog didn´t happen in the past. I had similar problems with other varnishes but I was happy with this one until now. 5 hours ago, DalekCheese said: It was just an image link- one of these, but metallic bronze. https://groceries.asda.com/product/highlighters-marker-pens/sharpie-assorted-colour-permanent-marker-pens/1000052962658 Ok, thanks. Edited June 24, 2019 by Gemini 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Are they available in Austria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini 8 Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, DalekCheese said: Are they available in Austria? Yes they are. I don´t need it for the A-Wing but I consider it for a future build. I always love to try new things... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalekCheese Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 whenever you do use them, remember- only apply *very* small amounts of sharpie before streaking it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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