Here's my build-up of Bandai's 1/12 C-3PO and R2-D2 kits. These little guys are amazingly engineered and highly accurate! I went for the classic STAR WARS look--weathered and dirty. I was aiming for a mid-movie, "aboard the Death Star" look--hence the dirt surrounding where Artoo's restraining bolt used to be, and Threepio's dented head, as well as the Death Star floor base, with magnets to keep Threepio in place. I also built up the alternate hand with the comlink, although I'll usually display Threepio without it, I think. The eyes were a particular challenge to get right--I ended up applying the decals over the clear eyepieces, drybrushing gold over the raised grilles, and then darkening the pupils with a black Gundam marker.
As gorgeous as the stock, shiny Threepio looks, I had to weather him up and make him movie-accurate. So, I gave him a wash of Tamiya metallic bronze. In order to replicate the dulled-with patches of shiny gold look, I coated him with Elmer's white glue, then carefully dabbed away bits of it with a microbrush dipped in water.
Artoo was painted with Tamiya silver and white. I wanted to give the blue panels the proper, dark metallic blue-purple look from STAR WARS, so I painted them silver, then coated them with Dykem steel blue layout fluid (which was used on the original props). To tone down the purpleness of the Dykem, I then lightly coated it with clear blue. The results look pretty darn good, I think. Paint chipping was then added with dabs of silver, and the whole thing was given a black wash, then weathered with black and brown pastel chalks.
As gorgeous as the stock, shiny Threepio looks, I had to weather him up and make him movie-accurate. So, I gave him a wash of Tamiya metallic bronze. In order to replicate the dulled-with patches of shiny gold look, I coated him with Elmer's white glue, then carefully dabbed away bits of it with a microbrush dipped in water.
Artoo was painted with Tamiya silver and white. I wanted to give the blue panels the proper, dark metallic blue-purple look from STAR WARS, so I painted them silver, then coated them with Dykem steel blue layout fluid (which was used on the original props). To tone down the purpleness of the Dykem, I then lightly coated it with clear blue. The results look pretty darn good, I think. Paint chipping was then added with dabs of silver, and the whole thing was given a black wash, then weathered with black and brown pastel chalks.
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