Moisture Vaporators

I don't often take pictures during each step of a project, but I thought it might be fun to try it this time. Who knows, I may paint some more moisture vaporators in the future and can look back at this for reference.

1. Prime white.
2. Airbrush a dark grey into the recesses.
3. Airbrush base coat of white, letting grey remain in recesses as a shadow.
4. Using a torn sponge (from discarded packign material), blot scracthes onto model using dark red-brown paint.
5. Apply weathering with a small brush. This includes chips of the same dark red-brown paint used previously, followed by spot washes of sepia ink, and finally black-lining around crevices with a dark grey enamel wash. Paint radar/antenna with silver paints.
6. Attach models to a base (already primed in black) and apply base material.
7. Paint a thin coat of a sand color to base material. Follow by re-applying a second thin coat.

Star Wars Legion B-1 Battledroids

Here's a batch of B-1 Battledroids I painted for Star Wars Legion. I followed Sorastro’s video where he almost exclusively used GW's contrast paints. This was my first time using the paint and it wasn't as easy to use as I imagined.

Here’s what I learned:

• Don’t treat GW’s contrast paints like GW’s shades.
• Unlike shades, contrast paints dry reasonably fast.
• Unlike shades, contrast paints transition to a glossy, sticky phase before they fully cure with a flat finish. If you touch the paint when it’s sticky, it will lift the paint and the spot will appear as nothing more than lightly tinted primer.
• If excess contrast paint is not removed, the final color can be much darker than you intended.

My technique was to first load my brush with water, wipe away the excess on a paper towel, then dip the brush into the paint and coat the model. I then quickly proceeded to wash out brush, load with contrast medium and wipe away the excess on a paper towel, and finally mop-up contrast paint from flat areas and high points on the model.

GW's contrast paints seem like an easy-to-use product for models that appear weathered. I'm not so sure about clean models, though. I have a box of Clone Troopers. Perhaps they'll be good candidates to explore that technique.

Revell U-Wing, Part 2: Primer and Engines

I made a small amount of progress.

I've now primed all of the parts using an automotive lacquer from Duplicolor. After the paint cured overnight, I gently sanded the surfaces with my new favorite model tool: 3M's Ultra Fine Sanding Sponge (Item 02601). To get into the tight corners, I followed-up the sanding by scrubbing the parts with a mix of water and baking soda via a toothbrush. The end result is a super smooth finish ready for paint!

I also started weathering the engines. I airbrushed a basecoat of Tamiya's Nato Black (XF-69) followed by light coats of assorted Tamiya greys (mixes of 10% paint, 40% X-22 Clear, and 50% X-20 Thinner). I also included a bit of Hull Red (XF-9) to suggest some modest rust. After sealing under a clear coat, I applied an enamel pin wash to better define the details. I'll likely do some more weathering to the engines after assembling more of the kit.

Next up: Wings.

Revell U-Wing, Part 1: Cockpit

I just started work on my 1:100 scale U-Wing from Revell. This snap-together kit is generally simple and intended for young modelers. There are no sprues; the parts are trimmed, painted, and blister-packed. It also features a gimmick to illuminate the interior with a green LED and trigger a sound effect when you press a button on the rear engine deck. Although designed to be more of a toy than a model, I’m hopeful some extra effort with painting and weathering will bring it to life.

Here’s my progress so far: the completed cockpit and engine deck. If you’ve seen Rogue One, you can easily see that the interior isn’t remotely accurate. However, it is really nicely done! As for the engine, it certainly looks terrific and compares well to reference photos. The big, chunky, pre-assembled grey part houses the gimmick. A small speaker is located on the bottom and the light beams outward from the rear of the cockpit.

I really enjoyed the challenge of painting the two pilots - wow, are they small! I did my best to paint them to appear like the images I found of U-Wing pilots from Blue Squadron.

Next up: the 4 X-Wing style engines!