AT-AT diorama - FINISHED PAGE 6!!!
- Thread starter christrom
- Start date
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Wow, thanks Scratchy! I've been a big fan of your work also. I could see you doing a great job on these. The AT-ATs are near as damn it identical, but some detailing is most definitely not movie accurate. I think when you get to this scale the impression is more important when it comes to greeblies and stuff. They are certainly much more accurate than they were, and I can't wait to start the painting. The only issue with the paint is I think I'll have to keep them in pieces to get to every hard-to-reach area, but I may do a rough assemble on one of them for morale!
Wow, thanks Scratchy! I've been a big fan of your work also. I could see you doing a great job on these. The AT-ATs are near as damn it identical, but some detailing is most definitely not movie accurate. I think when you get to this scale the impression is more important when it comes to greeblies and stuff. They are certainly much more accurate than they were, and I can't wait to start the painting. The only issue with the paint is I think I'll have to keep them in pieces to get to every hard-to-reach area, but I may do a rough assemble on one of them for morale!
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
More AT-AT stuff:
The armour needed changing, the studio models we know and love have 2 panels. I dremelled the original bits out and filled the resultant void with bits of kitbash. I also scratch-built the vents at the top:
Then I constructed the new armour plates (Scott Girvin from SMA is to thank for the helpful template for this.) I made new rivets by poking a needle through the reverse side of the armour plate.
Also I put some more detailing on the side which will connect to the AT-AT's underbelly. This is not movie accurate per-se, but just provides a little more interest.
Finished unprimed:
Then, a bit of primer and we're good to go!
I still have to create the top armour panel but will wait until I have put the body pieces together.
Not long until I start painting!!!!!!!
TBC...
More AT-AT stuff:
The armour needed changing, the studio models we know and love have 2 panels. I dremelled the original bits out and filled the resultant void with bits of kitbash. I also scratch-built the vents at the top:
Then I constructed the new armour plates (Scott Girvin from SMA is to thank for the helpful template for this.) I made new rivets by poking a needle through the reverse side of the armour plate.
Also I put some more detailing on the side which will connect to the AT-AT's underbelly. This is not movie accurate per-se, but just provides a little more interest.
Finished unprimed:
Then, a bit of primer and we're good to go!
I still have to create the top armour panel but will wait until I have put the body pieces together.
Not long until I start painting!!!!!!!
TBC...
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Painting here we come!
First though, I made sure all the legs looked right and marked the bottom of each foot so I could replicate the poses after painting:
^ So these are basically the leg positions I'm trying to get
^ Headless but happy
Didn't take a photo of the third one... you get the picture though
.
Preshading
fading back the preshading with main coat
I've perhaps faded the shading a little too much, but I'd prefer it subtle rather than toy-like, and this is my first try at airbrushing models. I might mix a lighter shade and carefully hit the centres of the panels.
Incidentally, I'm mixing all these colours from scratch using Windsor and Newton artists acrylics. I teach painting and had to buy some new acrylics and I'd heard nothing but good stuff about the new Windsor and Newton range. They thin down perfectly with water and airbrush very well.
Thanks folks
Painting here we come!
First though, I made sure all the legs looked right and marked the bottom of each foot so I could replicate the poses after painting:
^ So these are basically the leg positions I'm trying to get
^ Headless but happy
Didn't take a photo of the third one... you get the picture though
.
Preshading
fading back the preshading with main coat
I've perhaps faded the shading a little too much, but I'd prefer it subtle rather than toy-like, and this is my first try at airbrushing models. I might mix a lighter shade and carefully hit the centres of the panels.
Incidentally, I'm mixing all these colours from scratch using Windsor and Newton artists acrylics. I teach painting and had to buy some new acrylics and I'd heard nothing but good stuff about the new Windsor and Newton range. They thin down perfectly with water and airbrush very well.
Thanks folks
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Yeah the paints are really excellent.
I've been practicing dot fading oils for colour modulation tonight on an old model and I had a nightmare time with it. But, I think I've come up with a new application technique for oils which allows beautiful subtlety! If the model looks good in the cold light of day I'll post something about it!
Yeah the paints are really excellent.
I've been practicing dot fading oils for colour modulation tonight on an old model and I had a nightmare time with it. But, I think I've come up with a new application technique for oils which allows beautiful subtlety! If the model looks good in the cold light of day I'll post something about it!
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Update - only a small one, but trust me, I've put the hours in! -
I'm taking it slow and steady with the painting. Since doing the preshading and base coat I post shaded with a lighter, slightly greener tone, still staying subtle. I went and then painted individual highlights on small surfaces to make them pop a bit more. Then after looking at screenshots I wanted to variate the colour a little, as the studio models are not just a flat tone.
So, I kept some little bottles (these originally held e-juice for my electric cigarette) and mixed up some very transparent acrylic washes. I'm still using the artist's acrylics and they are great.
So, once I got some warm primary colours I airbrushed them at random on the surface of the model. In the areas where they overlap, secondary and tertiary colours are produced. As you can see I kept this effect low-key and if the colour got too intense I knocked it back with the post-shade colour. The result is not dramatic, but I feel it is an important stage:
These colours hardly show up on these photos, and look more like lighting conditions but if you are eagle-eyed you can see the slight variation.
All 12 legs are also done this way, as are the heads. My next step is to get my airbrush and start painting the streaks and rain marks. After this, a satin layer and then watercolour washes/filters to dirty everything up and get some consistency in terms of colour. The watercolour will also be used to start sharpening up the oil streaks on the AT-AT
Update - only a small one, but trust me, I've put the hours in! -
I'm taking it slow and steady with the painting. Since doing the preshading and base coat I post shaded with a lighter, slightly greener tone, still staying subtle. I went and then painted individual highlights on small surfaces to make them pop a bit more. Then after looking at screenshots I wanted to variate the colour a little, as the studio models are not just a flat tone.
So, I kept some little bottles (these originally held e-juice for my electric cigarette) and mixed up some very transparent acrylic washes. I'm still using the artist's acrylics and they are great.
So, once I got some warm primary colours I airbrushed them at random on the surface of the model. In the areas where they overlap, secondary and tertiary colours are produced. As you can see I kept this effect low-key and if the colour got too intense I knocked it back with the post-shade colour. The result is not dramatic, but I feel it is an important stage:
These colours hardly show up on these photos, and look more like lighting conditions but if you are eagle-eyed you can see the slight variation.
All 12 legs are also done this way, as are the heads. My next step is to get my airbrush and start painting the streaks and rain marks. After this, a satin layer and then watercolour washes/filters to dirty everything up and get some consistency in terms of colour. The watercolour will also be used to start sharpening up the oil streaks on the AT-AT
Last edited:
connormwood
Active Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Nice work and I like the icy snow setting, its a nice touch
Nice work and I like the icy snow setting, its a nice touch
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Next stage of painting is the streaking, which I am doing with the airbrush to begin with. I did make a piece of styrene with a narrow slit in it to make a mask for the dark streaks, but after a while practicing found I could do it freehand, by placing the body sideways, 22psi and very, very little paint. So, I'm sort of doing a combination of the two approaches. I'm being careful not to overdo at this stage as once all the weathered pieces are together the effect could be overpowering.
I've used Tamiya tape and post-it notes to mask and protect certain sections. I got some really cheap post-its and have got through about 30 already!
^ This shows a first pass of the streaks
^ This is after they are knocked back and refined with a layer of lighter basecoat, masked in some areas to sharpen lines.
Once this is all done I will satin coat and apply watercolour mixed with soap (to break the surface tension) and do some pin washing and filtering. Then, it will be Tamiya weathering power applying with a brush to sharpen up areas (especially in streaks) and increase the contrast. I'm really happy with how it is turning out!
Comments and criticism always welcome
Next stage of painting is the streaking, which I am doing with the airbrush to begin with. I did make a piece of styrene with a narrow slit in it to make a mask for the dark streaks, but after a while practicing found I could do it freehand, by placing the body sideways, 22psi and very, very little paint. So, I'm sort of doing a combination of the two approaches. I'm being careful not to overdo at this stage as once all the weathered pieces are together the effect could be overpowering.
I've used Tamiya tape and post-it notes to mask and protect certain sections. I got some really cheap post-its and have got through about 30 already!
^ This shows a first pass of the streaks
^ This is after they are knocked back and refined with a layer of lighter basecoat, masked in some areas to sharpen lines.
Once this is all done I will satin coat and apply watercolour mixed with soap (to break the surface tension) and do some pin washing and filtering. Then, it will be Tamiya weathering power applying with a brush to sharpen up areas (especially in streaks) and increase the contrast. I'm really happy with how it is turning out!
Comments and criticism always welcome
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
Last update before Christmas, been pretty busy and I'm amazed my compressor is holding out! I've taken to leaving the compressor next to my open window to keep it cool when airbrushing. Apart from a little masking here and there, all the weathering is freehand airbrush with acrylic. I think once the airbrushing is done these will need very little in terms of traditional painting. I may put a chalk pastel wash over them just to give them a more random dirt stained appearance.
Thanks for looking and Merry Christmas
^ The feet still need doing by the way
Last update before Christmas, been pretty busy and I'm amazed my compressor is holding out! I've taken to leaving the compressor next to my open window to keep it cool when airbrushing. Apart from a little masking here and there, all the weathering is freehand airbrush with acrylic. I think once the airbrushing is done these will need very little in terms of traditional painting. I may put a chalk pastel wash over them just to give them a more random dirt stained appearance.
Thanks for looking and Merry Christmas
^ The feet still need doing by the way
christrom
Sr Member
Re: ertl AT-AT diorama WIP
I couldn't resist putting up a couple of teaser photos... the AT-ATs are basically done and I'm about to start on the rest of the diorama!
.
Once I had finished airbrushing with acrylic I laid down several filters by grinding up chalk pastels and mixing them with water to create a thinned down solution. I used some soap to break the surface tension and then carefully brushed the wash on, adding water to thin down areas and dropping neat colour onto the wet surface in other areas to help it all run together, creating streaks and blemishes.
I'm a watercolourist by nature, so wanted to be able to do this on my models. The secret is to use plenty of water, and if you are covering a large flat piece you want to hold the model at about 30 degrees from horizontal, so when you apply the watery solution it naturally flows all in one direction. You start from the top and work your way to the bottom in horizontal strokes. You will end up with a little reservoir of paint at the bottom where it all collects and all you do then is get a dry brush or cotton swab (Q-tip) to soak up the accumulated water. This way you avoid weird shapes forming when it dries. Remember to leave the model at this angle until dry. It sounds complicated but it is a very well-known watercolour painting technique.
I have tried this with watercolour but have found that because watercolour is so finely ground it is difficult to control. Because pastel scrapings are a little thicker, they tend to 'stay' better and you can move the particles around with your brush more effectively.
This technique is a bit like the promodeler's weathering washes and luckily, the pastel adheres without the need for matte varnish. Darker colours come off slightly, but if care is taken, this is not a problem. If I made any errors I could remove the solution with a damp cotton bud, or more interestingly by using a pencil eraser once the area is dry. The eraser can make some really crisp edges as well as fading out, or toning down areas.
The amount of control I gained from doing this was staggering and as a plus point, the pastel also filled in panel lines perfectly. Instead of using black pastel I mixed some cold blues and browns together. This gave some variation and stopped the black from killing the model. All in all this technique combines washes, colour filters and paint effects all in one, and can be carefully built up.
This will be my technique going forward... it is simple, but is very intuitive! It works better than using watercolour as it can be lifted off easily, and the coarse pastel grains can be moved around easier.
Now, on with the base, figures and gun placements!
I couldn't resist putting up a couple of teaser photos... the AT-ATs are basically done and I'm about to start on the rest of the diorama!
.
Once I had finished airbrushing with acrylic I laid down several filters by grinding up chalk pastels and mixing them with water to create a thinned down solution. I used some soap to break the surface tension and then carefully brushed the wash on, adding water to thin down areas and dropping neat colour onto the wet surface in other areas to help it all run together, creating streaks and blemishes.
I'm a watercolourist by nature, so wanted to be able to do this on my models. The secret is to use plenty of water, and if you are covering a large flat piece you want to hold the model at about 30 degrees from horizontal, so when you apply the watery solution it naturally flows all in one direction. You start from the top and work your way to the bottom in horizontal strokes. You will end up with a little reservoir of paint at the bottom where it all collects and all you do then is get a dry brush or cotton swab (Q-tip) to soak up the accumulated water. This way you avoid weird shapes forming when it dries. Remember to leave the model at this angle until dry. It sounds complicated but it is a very well-known watercolour painting technique.
I have tried this with watercolour but have found that because watercolour is so finely ground it is difficult to control. Because pastel scrapings are a little thicker, they tend to 'stay' better and you can move the particles around with your brush more effectively.
This technique is a bit like the promodeler's weathering washes and luckily, the pastel adheres without the need for matte varnish. Darker colours come off slightly, but if care is taken, this is not a problem. If I made any errors I could remove the solution with a damp cotton bud, or more interestingly by using a pencil eraser once the area is dry. The eraser can make some really crisp edges as well as fading out, or toning down areas.
The amount of control I gained from doing this was staggering and as a plus point, the pastel also filled in panel lines perfectly. Instead of using black pastel I mixed some cold blues and browns together. This gave some variation and stopped the black from killing the model. All in all this technique combines washes, colour filters and paint effects all in one, and can be carefully built up.
This will be my technique going forward... it is simple, but is very intuitive! It works better than using watercolour as it can be lifted off easily, and the coarse pastel grains can be moved around easier.
Now, on with the base, figures and gun placements!
Similar threads
