"Insignia white" paint-Ok for a base color for M. Falcon model?

[Betamin]

I've searched the RPF and have seen the various threads about the base color of the Falcon being a mix of colors, but not having an airbrush setup, I'm looking for a basic off white or something that is close enough in a model paint spray can. I'm working on a Fine Molds 1/144 Falcon kit and have dremeled the damage to the hull and various other locations, and am working on mods so I can possibly light the kit. I'll be dirtying it up, but need to find the paint so I can get going on the weathering. Any ideas on a rattle can color that would work the best for the ol' Falcon color?

I saw a camouflage grey mentioned, but picked up a can and it seems too "tan", and I think I saw Insignia white (off white color) as a possible base. There aren't a lot of hobby shops near by, but I found a Hobby Haven that has the Ins. white.

Any info is appreciated! Thanks!:thumbsup

 

[b26354]

Insignia White probably isn't brown enough - but if you give it a wash of Tamiya Smoke or weather with brown pastels it might work.

 

[Betamin]

Insignia White probably isn't brown enough - but if you give it a wash of Tamiya Smoke or weather with brown pastels it might work.

What do you think about the camo grey that I mentioned? Maybe it's just my eyes, but it looks dark, but once it has some weathering around it and the various colored panels painted, it may be better than I think.

 

[JMChladek]

The Falcon color is a bit of a goofy one. Doing white over a black pre-shade might do it if the coats are kept light. But that is a tall order with rattlecan finishes, considering their high flow design. I agree that straight camo gray is too brown in shade and a little dark. Light Gray is another possibility as it is lighter in shade, but the problem I encountered using it over a black pre-shade is it shifted the color too blue. So I needed to mix it with camo gray to counteract the blue properties a bit.

Is the Insignia white you mention on Tamiya's AS color line paint rack? That may work. It really isn't a white shade at all and I think Tamiya was trying to represent a grunged up white on a Navy jet after it had been at sea for a month or so (Navy jets from the 1960s and 70s started out gloss gull gray over gloss white, but end up very flat after a few weeks). Insignia white SHOULD be just a straight white color. Tamiya cans have some REALLY nice spray tips on them and I think you could shoot it light enough to get a good coloring over a black preshade.

To me, the Insignia Gray looks a bit on the light side, although it seems to look about right for a Falcon color based on the original 5 foot ANH model as oppsed to the ESB one. Plus, washes can always be used to darken it down as in my experience it is easier to darken a base coat then to lighten it (drybrushing can only go so far). It might also be worth checking out some of the MIG filters as they could be used over the top to get the hue right. Someone else also mentioned Tamiya smoke tint and that could work as well. But I would go VERY light with it if using it as a wash and give the model a layer of gloss first so it doesn't spiderweb into the finish too bad. Even a normal wash of a gray based paint over Insignia white may give you the look you want.

BTW, here are some examples of the colorings I used to give you an idea of how the weathering altered the shades in the end. All pictures were shot with the same camera and the same light sources (flourescent countertop lighting up close with more normal room lighting above and behind the camera):

Original Falcon color attempt, FS Light gray over black preshade

Second attempt with 50/50 camo gray and light gray mix

Closeup of the color patches before weathering began

A very diluted Tamiya smoke tint wash added over a gloss coat (turned out more semi-gloss)

Here's the final look after flat coating and pastel chalk work

 

[Betamin]

It's a Tamiya color, AS-20. Here's a quick pic of a piece of the base with no primer I sprayed last night to see the color. It's not bad in person, and with washes and weathering, I think it may look pretty good. The tip does spray a nice fine pattern compared to a Testors can of gray I tried a day or so ago, so your tip of putting a light layer over a black undercoat may work perfectly. Here's a shot under a CFL bulb, and the one below it is natural light from the window.

 

[Betamin]

By the way, your kit looks fantastic! If you don't mind me asking, what colors did you use for the various panel colors? This is the tiny kit, so I thought about using the decals, but painting them would look much better.

 

[JMChladek]

Well, the dark gray patches are two brands of Neutral Gray (dark ones are Tamiya and the lighter ones are Model Master). The rust patches are just small bottle Testors rust with a couple drops of red added (I doubt it did much though). The light gray accent patches are a 50/50 mix of camo gray and light gull gray (Testors Model Master shades). Tamiya flat yellow was used in a couple spots, but they were heavily weathered to fade them out to the level I wanted.

After seeing your pic, I think AS-20 Insignia white should do the job just fine. It seems to be about the same type of gray as AS-16 light grey, but lighter. So if used straight or over a flat black pre-shade, it should make a good basecoat.

 

[Betamin]

Cool, thank you (and b26354) for all the info! I appreciate it. Now I can finally get started on the painting and weathering of this little dude.

 

[Gungai1138]

Hey Betamin,

I know this is an old thread, but I'm curious how the Insignia white turned out. Did you ever use it on your Falcon?

 

[GF]

I have the MR Falcon and Tamiya insignia white is almost a perfect match, I know as fact since I painted areas of a model using insignia white and compared it to the cleanest area of my MR Falcon and under the Dish which you can remove so you can clearly see the base color super clean with no weathering and its a dead on match, it also comes in a spray can version, thats definetely the color I will use to paint my DeAgostini Falcon, I also compared camouflage grey but its a bit too dark/yellowish and Testors Model Masters Light Grey too neutral.

 

[Gungai1138]

I have the MR Falcon and Tamiya insignia white is almost a perfect match, I know as fact since I painted areas of a model using insignia white and compared it to the cleanest area of my MR Falcon and under the Dish which you can remove so you can clearly see the base color super clean with no weathering and its a dead on match, it also comes in a spray can version, that definetely the color I will use to paint my Deagostini Falcon, I also compared camouflage grey but its a bit too yellowish and Testors Model Masters light grey too neutral.

Thanks GF!! That's great to hear!

You wouldn't have pics showing insignia white, would you?

 

[GF]

Check my Shuttle Tydirium build below, all the darker panels on the wings is Tamiya insignia white, as you can see its not white at all.

http://www.therpf.com/f11/shuttle-t...s-232857/?highlight=tydirium+shuttle+finished

Gerardo

 

[Gungai1138]

Your shuttle looks great, I've seen it before, but didn't realize you used insignia white for the panels.

I agree- the color looks like a great match for the "grime/reefer white" Falcon color. I'm surprised more people haven't used this color for the Falcon...

 

[GF]

Your shuttle looks great, I've seen it before, but didn't realize you used insignia white for the panels.

I agree- the color looks like a great match for the "grime/reefer white" Falcon color. I'm surprised more people haven't used this color for the Falcon...

Many don't have a MR Falcon to compare it to first hand otherwise they would definitely use insignia white, It was actually by pure accident I discovered the match, I had the shuttle displayed close to my MR Falcon and also another model painted with camouflage grey and decided to do a color comparasion and was amazed how close of a match insignia white was.

Gerardo

 

[blakeh1]

I was thinking about using the AS-20 (Insignia White) for my Falcon as well. I had been using the spray can color for something else and seeing it I almost felt like I could use it straight as is for the base coat on a Falcon.

It's a weird color. Definitly darker than white, but not really a grey either. it has some subtle tannish/earthen tone to it

Glad to hear it is a close match to the MR falcon. I think I am sold on using it now

 

[crowe t]

Has anyone used AS-20 Insignia White on a Falcon yet? Any pictures?

 

[j_holtslander]

here are some examples of the colorings I used to give you an idea of how the weathering altered the shades in the end.

Closeup of the color patches before weathering began

A very diluted Tamiya smoke tint wash added over a gloss coat (turned out more semi-gloss)

Here's the final look after flat coating and pastel chalk work

Do you have more photos you can share of your pre-weathering paint-job? I'm working on this model right now myself and am in the panel painting stage.

 

[j_holtslander]

btw I found Insignia White works well on small scale Falcon's like Bandai's 1/350 scale Falcon. Might be a bit to white/grey for 1/144 or 1/72 though.

 

[JMChladek]

AS-20 US Navy Insignia White would work fine as it is the closest thing I have found in current paint lines to the old Camo gray, but with about 20% of white added to it. It is also a recommended base shade for the DeAgostini Falcon and given the filters/washes and the like that will potentially be put over it, it will work fine IMHO.

 

[JMChladek]

As for additional photos, not really given these Photobucket images are pretty old. Some of the stuff I duplicated over at Facebook, but they are about the same as what I posted to Photobucket back in the day:

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