X-wing paint questions

So Ive read posts with similar questions on this site and the consensus seemed to be that tje base coat should be a black primer with a gloss white ennamel overcoat i was wondering why gloss instead of flat white and would flat white not work?

The black primer with gloss white was done as a test during ANH, but seems to be the way they painted the big X for ESB. The overall paint used during ANH was a Krylon light gray primer called Platinum Gray, which is no longer available. Actually Krylon still markets a primer called Platinum Gray, but the color has been made darker.

Now, your question is asking 'what did they do'. That's fine if you are trying to duplicate 'what they did'. If you just want to know how you should paint your model, you need to ask yourself a question. Are you making a model of an X-wing, or are you making a replica of an effects model of an X-wing. The first simply requires that you paint the model to whatever works for your eye. The second requires that you make the decision between what has become accepted as the 'white over black' simply because that is what was described in a book, or to use the basic light gray base coat. Keep in mind that during ANH, they may have used the WOB paint on a hero model, but the pyro models were too delicate to be painted that way, so the Krylon primer was used. In the end, your eye sees either rendition of the X-wing as having a light gray base coat.

Technically, the model could not actually be 'white' due to that creating problems in filming. The over-weathered light gray actually photographed as white on film. This is important to note, again, if you are making a model or an FX replica. As a replica, you'll want to 'do what they did' as close as you can. As a model, it is beat up, heavily weathered originally white and how you get there is up to you. In the end, when you are finished, how you got it that way is not as important as 'it sure looks right'.

Scott

What Scott said. Also I have used Tamiya insignia white as it appears to have a very light grey finish.

Even if you go white (opposed to a light grey as described), if you weather it properly, it won't look white n the end.

Tamiya insignia white and a grey primer.

Spartan17 said:

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...i was wondering why gloss instead of flat white and would flat white not work?

If you're planning to use decals to replicate any of the markings, stripes, or other details, they should always be applied to a gloss surface to avoid "silvering" (i.e., the clear carrier film being visible on the finished model). Otherwise, there's no particular reason to specifically use gloss paints.

jedimaster said:

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What Scott said. Also I have used Tamiya insignia white as it appears to have a very light grey finish.

You mean that AS shade US Navy Insignia White? Yup, it is NOT white by any stretch of the imagination. I tried using it on my 1/72 Moonraker's SRBs and it was WAY too gray for the subtle effect I was trying to go for. You can see it stand out quite a bit against normal flat white here:



I ended up overspraying it with flat white to fade it back. But I agree it could work great on an X-Wing model.

The size of a model can also affect how a paint looks as light will play on a small model differently from a bigger one. So if I were doing a 1/72 FM X-Wing, I would probably not quite paint it the same as a large hero/pyro studio replica.

I nice color combination I used on my 1/72 FM X-Wing over 10 years ago was to put on a base coat of camo gray, give it a wash of a medium gray to stain it, then drybrush flat white over the top. It produced an effect that I really liked when done:

Yup.. AS -20.... I love Looking at your shuttle stacks. I'll get around to mine one day.

Hi Spartan17.

I've painted several X-Wings and I can advice you this:
The black coat is a very nice technique, it is also used in figure painting to bring up detail.
After applying the black coat, apply a flat white coat with spry or airbrush but try not to cover all the black out. Let the deep details and panels lines show a bit of black beneath and do the same when gray base color is applied later so that you get deeper shadows on the final overall look of the ship's details, specially in segments such as the droid strip and butt plate.

For my builds I use the following mixtures of colors for the gray base color:

You should mix all of these colors together with enough
thinner according to your airbrush on the amounts noted below:

One (1/2 oz. Bottle) Testors Model Master Camouflage Gray 1733 - FS36622
Testors »

Two (1/2 oz. Bottles) Testors Model Master Flat White 1768 - FS37875
Testors »

60% of one (1/2 oz. Bottle) Testors Light Gray 1732 - FS36495
Testors »

When you mix these three colors in the amounts required you should
apply some drops of:
3 drops of Model Master Flat Black 1749 - FS37038
Testors »

5 to 10 drops of Model Master Insignia Yellow 1708 - FS33538
Testors »

Those are the exact same colors we used to make our X-Wing base color.
Please note that the first number appearing after the color name is the
Testor Model Master code and the following number is the Federal Standard (FS)
military color catalog number for the color you can use to check for the same color on other
model paint brands.

Bests:
Rod

Thanks a lot for the help guys, Rodmart85 thanks for such an in depth anwser, that sounds great. I went out and got the colors you had mentioned this weekend and will give that a shot. I am doing a toy conversion on the hasbro Red 5 and Red 2 X-wings. Right now I am cutting out the back windows and adding cockpit detail but I will def give this a try when its time to paint. I think I'll actually put a thread up with the progress pics later this week. Thanks for the help again!

You are very welcome Spartan17.
If you wanna take a look of how the color I recommended you take a look at this thread:

http://www.therpf.com/f10/new-studio...6/index12.html

That Red 5 and 4 were painted with that exact mixture of paints. It is the same color guide we send to the people that buy our X-Wing revisited kit.

I think the Hasbro X-Wing is a very cool toy and that with some arrangements will look almost as a Studio Scale X-Wing. Good luck with your project mate.

bests:
Rod

That is exactly what I'm looking for Rodmart, I cant wait to see it on mine when I'm done putting the modifications on. It helps me in more ways than one as well, Im doing a red 4 model, just the old MPC kit but those paint shots help a lot as well as the cockpit close ups since I am rebuilding the cockpits in the hasbro toys. Phenominal job on those to by the way, I hope mine turns out to look half as good! thanks again for the help!

You're welcome Spartan17

If you want more reference of the Red 4 build my pal Rodrigo painted take a look at our web site, there is a gallery of the painting process and more pics of the build, even a video.

Imagevue Gallery

Remember to post pics of your conversions.

bests:
Rod

Awsome that helps a lot! I will get some up soon, hopefully today or tomorrow once most of the modifications to the toy are finished.

Very timely post. I'm just finishing up the cockpit on a Fine Molds' 1/48th X-Wing and was wondering about paint. I'll use this as reference.

Rodmart85, I'm doing a Red 4 and have been using your photos as reference for finding colors. I think I have them all nailed down, but I'm still iffy on the yellow/mustard canopy color. I was going to go with Floquil's Depot Buff, does that sound right to you?

Devin, I do not recall what yellowcolor did we use, I'll check it and let you know. What I now it that it must have been a Model Master or Humbrol enamel.

Excellent. Thank you.