USS Enterprise NCC1701 A color list anywhere?
- Thread starter judgedredd
- Start date
The re-designed Enterprise for STTMP was one of the most if not "the most" complex paint skemes I've know of made for film.I found a web page on the guy who was commissioned to paint the model back in 1977/78.It took him 18 months to paint it.6 months of it was a repair job because the Enterprise got an electrical fire and they had to rebuild and repaint one side of it.From what I researched/read, he used three primary colors.Red,blue green and the others were white,gold,silver and black.These were all pearlescent, transparent lacquers(no longer made due to EPA restrictions). Basically the Enterprise was sprayed a base white,and all the other colors(pearl white, red,blue,green,gold and silver) were custom mixed in small quantaties for the many varrient pannel colors.The idea was to keep the paints and colors transparent so they would refract off of one another,one color would meld to another and thus produce the illusion that the paint skemes would change before your eyes due to angle and light source,like an abalone shell or a pearl.The paint finish was so bright(as I;m sure allot of you know this info),they culdn't film the Enterprise with traditional blue screen,the mattes had "holes" in them do to the paint finish.They dulled it down with talc,lower lighting and produced the mattes with the black velvet background.Paiting the PL re-fit like this is a daunting task.I had searched and searched for the right kind of paint and I just can't find the irridescent/parlescent paints.They don't have the same properties.I've researched urethane paints,enamels and acrylics.I found a group of acrylic inks,but they cannot be airbrushed, theacrylic paints fall short as do the enamels.The difficult part is being able to thin the paints down enough to closely work on the model's surface with low psi and little to no overspray unless you just love masking.The pearl urethanes are really expensive($500-$900 per quart) and I've little experience working with urethanes.They are a bit intimidating.I've come to the idea/notion that a compromise be met and that custome mixing the paint's is a necessity. I found some automotive enamels by House of color and found all the necessary/primary colors.They are special formulated and are made "thin".I think that eye-balling the the mix of paint to clear coat to get the transluscent properties from the paint is obtainable and then adding the recomended ammount of pearlescent powder will make for astounding results similar to the actual miniature.The other thing I think is necessary is the use of a double action airbrush,virtually every pannel is of a differnt hue and twaek off the other color.Pearlesent white, white/blues,greys,silver,gold,greens and purple of varrying intensities .It be a hell of a challenge even on a 350 scale model,but I think well worth it and rewarding.
clancampbell
Sr Member
You need to be here...
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/forumdisplay.php?f=99
...for all your Enterprise modelling needs!!
Rich
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/forumdisplay.php?f=99
...for all your Enterprise modelling needs!!
Rich
MML
Well-Known Member
OhioAstromech
Well-Known Member
So are you saying that Polarlights is back?
Or is RC2 releasing the Polarlights kits under the Round 2 name?
Scot
Or is RC2 releasing the Polarlights kits under the Round 2 name?
Scot
Actually, it's not that simple really... the ship looks different in EVERY one of the movies... my personal favorite is the spanking-new pearlescent TMP look, she just glows.
The Round 2 repop of the polar lights 3 footer wil be out soon... I would guess that the kit will have complete painting instructions. I dunno how accurate, but they will have something. You might just want to consider the Refit to be a "research project" rather than a quick "paint list" situation. :confused
http://www.round2models.com/models/polar-lights/starship-enterprise/pol808-08
robn1
Master Member
I've seen builds using taxidermy paints with good results. www.taxidermy.com
I don't know if the Round 2 people are the same as the Polar Lights people, but whoever they are, Round 2 has got ahold of the PL molds and are reissing the kits.
Similarly, an outfit called Platz is repopping some of the old AMT model kits, such as the Enterprise-D from TNG.
- k
Similarly, an outfit called Platz is repopping some of the old AMT model kits, such as the Enterprise-D from TNG.
- k
judgedredd
Sr Member
Well on the Refit, they are supplying Decals. I don't know how satisfying that will be. Over on the Hobby forum people are talking about painting the ship pearlescent and applying the decals over that.
Origianlly I thought they were supplying masks for painting the aztec, but now it seems it's decals. :unsure
On the E-D, as I recall the original kit had molded-in panel lines, which was the bane of AMT models. At that scale, there should be no apparent raised or engraved lines.
-k
Origianlly I thought they were supplying masks for painting the aztec, but now it seems it's decals. :unsure
On the E-D, as I recall the original kit had molded-in panel lines, which was the bane of AMT models. At that scale, there should be no apparent raised or engraved lines.
-k
