1/1000 NX-0002
- Thread starter Gregatron
- Start date
I see a starship and I want it painted black…
After addressing a few minor imperfections, I gave the model a coat of flat black as a base for metallics. It’ll need a second coat, since the airbrush missed a few nooks and crannies, and the black is patchy in spots.
Once the black coats have cured, I’ll do the detail painting (nacelle domes, secondary hull deflector rings), mask those areas off, and apply the base metallic color.
Still deciding what colors to use, and in what order. And I’m trying to recall how people paint two-tone Aztec patterns—is it the darker color or the lighter color which gets laid down first?
Anyway, I’m thinking maybe a steel basecoat, then masking off details like the rear nacelle endcaps, then aluminum, then applying the hull-panel paint masks, then silver.
After addressing a few minor imperfections, I gave the model a coat of flat black as a base for metallics. It’ll need a second coat, since the airbrush missed a few nooks and crannies, and the black is patchy in spots.
Once the black coats have cured, I’ll do the detail painting (nacelle domes, secondary hull deflector rings), mask those areas off, and apply the base metallic color.
Still deciding what colors to use, and in what order. And I’m trying to recall how people paint two-tone Aztec patterns—is it the darker color or the lighter color which gets laid down first?
Anyway, I’m thinking maybe a steel basecoat, then masking off details like the rear nacelle endcaps, then aluminum, then applying the hull-panel paint masks, then silver.
I believe they lay down the lighter first, so that the darker covers the light (better than light would cover the dark).
Thanks!
Masked off the painted detail areas, then applied a basecoat of aluminum over the black. After it takes a few days to cure, I’ll buff it with a soft cloth, highlight detail areas with a wash and/or a Gundam marker, then begin applying paint masks for the steel paint coat.
Are you going to scribe panel lines into this to represent the way the ship looked while being built in the comic, or are the painted panels going to represent that?
Painted panels. Scribing all those lines would be far too much work, and too hard to get in-scale.
I noticed that the black undercoat was showing through in a few spots which weren’t fully covered by the airbrush, so I re-masked and gave the model a second coat of aluminum. Once it’s cured and buffed, then I can proceed.
Over the years, I’ve bought many of these 1/1000 kits, and now I can finally make use of the included stickers (as opposed to the waterslide decals) by using them as paint masks for all of the hatches and technical markings.
Over the years, I’ve bought many of these 1/1000 kits, and now I can finally make use of the included stickers (as opposed to the waterslide decals) by using them as paint masks for all of the hatches and technical markings.
Paint masking has begun. I trimmed out the hatches/technical marking stickers from the Polar Lights kit and applied them to the model, then began the painstaking process of adding the hull plating masks.
I laid out basic patterns across the saucer and secondary hull, moving all around so as to maintain the randomness and spacing of the pattern. The first sheet of paint masks is nearly used up. During the next session, I’ll use the second sheet to fill in the blanks and make the pattern even more dense and random.
I laid out basic patterns across the saucer and secondary hull, moving all around so as to maintain the randomness and spacing of the pattern. The first sheet of paint masks is nearly used up. During the next session, I’ll use the second sheet to fill in the blanks and make the pattern even more dense and random.
Like a kid on Christmas, I had to pull off a few of the masks to get a sense of how things look.
I’ve removed all the technical hatches (the T-panels and rectangles on the undersides of the nacelles, the underside of the secondary hull, etc,), the triangular landing legs on the saucer, a few from the front rim of the saucer, and the starboard nacelle pylon.
The silver contrasts nicely with the steel, and kicks back light at certain angles. Gonna have to wait until the whole model is stripped of masks before I determine whether a light dusting to blend it all together is required. The model will also need minor touchups from removing the masks, as well as being buffed to reduce paint buildup around the edges of the masks.
I’ve removed all the technical hatches (the T-panels and rectangles on the undersides of the nacelles, the underside of the secondary hull, etc,), the triangular landing legs on the saucer, a few from the front rim of the saucer, and the starboard nacelle pylon.
The silver contrasts nicely with the steel, and kicks back light at certain angles. Gonna have to wait until the whole model is stripped of masks before I determine whether a light dusting to blend it all together is required. The model will also need minor touchups from removing the masks, as well as being buffed to reduce paint buildup around the edges of the masks.
Three hours of pulling off tiny paint masks. I’m very pleased with the results. The brighter aluminum panels pop nicely in certain angles.
That being said, the contrast between the aluminum and steel is a little too strong for this scale, so I’m gonna lightly mist aluminum over the model after it’s had a few days to dry. Although I’ll also do a little bit of preshading with a Gundam marker before the misting.
That should tie everything together and make it look quite nice. It looks quite good as it is, but it needs to be a wee bit more subtle.
After that, the nacelle rear endcaps and trenches will be painted with a darker steel color, and then I can glosscoat in preparation for decals.
That being said, the contrast between the aluminum and steel is a little too strong for this scale, so I’m gonna lightly mist aluminum over the model after it’s had a few days to dry. Although I’ll also do a little bit of preshading with a Gundam marker before the misting.
That should tie everything together and make it look quite nice. It looks quite good as it is, but it needs to be a wee bit more subtle.
After that, the nacelle rear endcaps and trenches will be painted with a darker steel color, and then I can glosscoat in preparation for decals.
Well…you could keep it as-is and say the Cybermen modified her. 
Now…replicate your paint pattern on some throw-away plastic..then put the thinnest Duck Egg Blue wash over that..repeating to taste?
That might replicate the comic..or at least knock things down a bit?
Now…replicate your paint pattern on some throw-away plastic..then put the thinnest Duck Egg Blue wash over that..repeating to taste?
That might replicate the comic..or at least knock things down a bit?
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