X-Wing Paint

[achilles266]

Hey guys

I have done some searching on the web and on this forum and I can't seem to find the answer. I am looking for some paints for my studio scale x-wing build but in particular the base coat or main fuselage or panel color what ever you call it by. Surely I thought this question would have been answered so of someone could link me to the answer or if it hasnt been answered before if you could help me out that would be greatly appreciated.

Also I forgot to mention if you have any other suggestions for paint colors of the other parts that would be great as well.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Watson]

The general opinion is that the color is different for EVERYONE some see white some see brown some see grey.

In my personal past I have used a black primer and built up thin layers of white to get the off white color that my eyes see.

You are not going to get two people to answer this the same way but this seems to be one of the more accepted methods.

Greg

 

[Nwerke]

Hang on, didn't we learn recently that they ARE NOT WHITE!!!!!!!!!!1!!!one!!!!1

You are taking the mickey, aren't you? :lol

Going as JDH suggests will usually win you grudging acceptance, especially if you use Floquil whites and off-whites.

 

[jedimaster]

Damn...... You mean they are not white? Anyone recommend a good paint stripper? ...or maybe just a good stripper?

Seriously though as Martyn said floquil paints are a goon start. Reefer white and caboose red are among the many used on the originals. Depending on which bird you are building, there are also a lot of really nice brown and green tones as well as the usual weathering stuff.

 

[PHArchivist]

Hang on, didn't we learn recently that they ARE NOT WHITE!!!!!!!!!!1!!!one!!!!1

You are taking the mickey, aren't you? :lol

Going as JDH suggests will usually win you grudging acceptance, especially if you use Floquil whites and off-whites.

That is right where my mind went!

 

[Nwerke]

But is it all great minds, or fools never differing?

We forgot to mention the nicotine! For a truly studio finish, you must be sure to rub your finished model with large amounts of moistened tobacco.

Achilles, pay us no mind - we are just referencing some recent argy-bargy.

 

[Robiwon]

For my Salzo V2 that I built I used flat black as a base coat. Then I used flat white that I dusted (can held about 2 feet away) over the entire model. This took a while to get the coverage I was looking for. By doing it this way you don't fully cover your base coat. The paint, as it falls from a greater distance, lands on the high spots while leaving the nooks and crannies a darker color. After that I then dusted the entire model with a flat Earth brown from an even greater distance. This gave me the off white color I was looking for. Of course then the normal weathering was added.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...dNFgkUnj0ss/s800/tammiescameraone%2520014.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...oGZoq6uaXM0/s800/tammiescameraone%2520035.JPG

 

[achilles266]

Ok thanks guys for the suggestions and tips, I had a feeling this was going to be a tough one.

Also I was wondering if anyone used a airbrush instead if cans to paint their bird as I am looking for some tips on how people went about it.

Yeah oops sorry I forgot to mention which one I was doing, I am doing red 5 thanks again guys

 

[achilles266]

Wow really nice paint job, I am currently painting my cockpit and I'm daunting painting the rebel insignia on the helmet, I may just leave it blank though, I should be used to it as I painted symbols on minitures but I think that symbol is a bit complicated for me lol. But once again great work on the paint.

For my Salzo V2 that I built I used flat black as a base coat. Then I used flat white that I dusted (can held about 2 feet away) over the entire model. This took a while to get the coverage I was looking for. By doing it this way you don't fully cover your base coat. The paint, as it falls from a greater distance, lands on the high spots while leaving the nooks and crannies a darker color. After that I then dusted the entire model with a flat Earth brown from an even greater distance. This gave me the off white color I was looking for. Of course then the normal weathering was added.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...dNFgkUnj0ss/s800/tammiescameraone%2520014.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...oGZoq6uaXM0/s800/tammiescameraone%2520035.JPG

 

[CessnaDriver]

This is on my mind too, I am doing a FM 1/48 before I tackle the painting of my studio scale. I need to practice first. I got it flat black coated, after some clean up it's time for hull color.

Found this thread useful as well......

http://www.therpf.com/f10/studio-scale-x-wing-81645/


As for the rebel insignia on the helmet, you can print your own decals these days.

 

[Robiwon]

The pilot in my SS X-Wing is actually a Hasbro Luke action figure! I weathered the figure to make him nice and dirty. I had to amputate his legs to fit in there with all the fiber optics, but otherwise, he is a regular action figure!

 

[Zombie Killer]

Looks like some of the parts were cast in dark grey or black resin. In this pic it looks like the background X was made using all grey parts and the foreground X has grey wings and engines but tan fuselage.

You can see in the background here a tan fuseladge with a black fuselage sitting on top of it.

So we need someone to figure out which X has what combination of grey and tan parts so we know which parts to give the black primer treatment to on each particular X. Even so i don't think it won't be screen accurate because i don't believe they painted any x's black. It's just that certain parts are cast in dark resin. So better yet what we really need is someone to cast up some dark grey or black X kits. :cool or i'm completly wrong...

 

[jedimaster]

There are ref pix of the x's on c-stands painted in black. And others in varying stages if paint. If you start with a black base and work from there you can't really go wrong. Some people start with the black base and then reefer white on top. You can then use the steel wool method for example to rub down and expose some if the base color. Ther is no correct color or way of doing it. Each pic is taken under different light conditions and varying degrees of light exposure so no two will look identical.

Fund a reference pic that you like the look of and try to match that.don't forget that by the time it's weathered the main color will look nothing like when it is first applied.
Have a read through this.

http://www.therpf.com/f10/anh-pyro-x-wing-references-mainly-red-6-search-97933/

 

[achilles266]

Thanks again for the info guys, I love the mystery surrounding this bird, Ill try my best for my interpretation I will definatley be doing a black base but what I put on top is not decided yet.

 

[PHArchivist]

Wow really nice paint job, I am currently painting my cockpit and I'm daunting painting the rebel insignia on the helmet, I may just leave it blank though, I should be used to it as I painted symbols on minitures but I think that symbol is a bit complicated for me lol. But once again great work on the paint.

Why bother painting it...? Take the easy way out.

Shrink, print on sticky paper - boom you're done.

 

[Nwerke]

Re resin colours, they were using expanding urethane foam rather than regular resin as we know it today. Black/indigo resin was used for some later pyros but that was in the ROTJ period AFAIK. The expanding foam was always tan, again AFAIK.

The black base coat is potentially relevant, some models were vigorously attacked with not just steel wool, as Simon says above, but even Dremels! This sometimes bites through to the black base coat, and even below *that* in places.

 

[achilles266]

Haha I didnt even know why this didnt occur to me thanks for the tip, I guess there are some better ways of doing things ill give it a try, other then the insignia hes fully painted now, then ill be doing the cockpit detail, then after that ill start on the outside, I love painting but its very time consuming it took me about 10 hours of painting just for the pilot, so im looking forward to the cockpit.

Thanks again

Why bother painting it...? Take the easy way out.

Shrink, print on sticky paper - boom you're done.

 

[jedimaster]

All this free advice comes at a cost........you MUST post progress pix. We like pix around here.

 

[achilles266]

Ok once I finish the cockpit I'll upload some pics there's just not much to look at currently, hopefully during the weekend I'll have some pictures to post from my x-wing and tie interceptor I'm working on, no progress on the larger tie I have hit a dead end it requires me to purchase a 27mm or 1 1/16 drill bit but here in Australia we dont have those unusual sizes we only have the common ones, I guess I'll have to keep looking around.

All this free advice comes at a cost........you MUST post progress pix. We like pix around here.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I've always heard it was black with white over top then had steel wool run over them. I always just use Testors Light Ghost Gray because it looks right to me.