Something I noticed while detailing the FFG ISD-

Apparently the CAD modeler sought to rectify a design flaw in the imperial: if you look very closely at the angle of the engines (and thus the nominal "pointed" direction of the destroyer) you can see that by making the whole thing slightly stubbier, the dorsal surface's relative angle of attack allows for all turrets to superfire in the axis of travel without issue!!!

I would have done the same Thank you FFG- that used to always bother me about the ISD design. I guess they really wanted to justify that 8 dice front arc.

For the curious: the technique is a zenithal airbrush over stock paint job, then apply basecoat color as an ink (using Les Bursley's recipe). The ink is translucent so I just kept doing it till I was happy with the contrast (took maybe 3 rounds?) I then glazed some of the panels in dark grey ink, some of them once, some twice, some 5+ times all over with a tiny bit of Future acrylic to also change the sheen. I waited about an hour, then took a q-tip dipped in 90% isopropyl to streak the wash backwards a bit (I may have over done it...I think I may need one more dusting of the original basecoat to unify all the panels again, though I do like how it's turning out). What's left: the underside, which is still clean, fixing my mistakes on the non-grimey panels, and a few edge highlights. I'm in the process of picking out certain panels to do a brilliant coat of the base color/highlighting edges.

I probably need one or two more rounds of that basecoat ink to knock down the panel lines I don't want to emphasize and to help cover over the "painted" look that some of the bigger panels show. And no, I still don't know how to take pictures! Once this guy's all done up I'll look into taking a more stable pic with a poster on a cloudy day or whatever other voodoo I need to do.

Still thinking of a name for her: I was thinking the "Fifty Shades of Grey" but I think that's best left for a Slaaneshi or Dark Eldar cruiser.

Is it possible to learn this recipe....?

http://www.lesterbursleyminiatures.com/p/blog-page.html

In my case, rather than adding ink, I just used my basecoat (which is Testor's camouflage grey acrylic, which I always have prethinned for my airbrush anyways). Touching this basecoat ink to one little panel line and it just got sucked right into there! This also works if you want to keep the FFG scheme and just want to lighten panel line contrast (light ghost grey is a pretty good match for the Imperial's base color)

The dark grey glaze is just black ink + wash recipe until it looks/behaves how I want. For a few odd panels, I added just the tiniest smidgen of sepia ink to add a bit of hue (looked too "cold" before- if that makes any sense...) though the majority of the yellow is my bad camera skills + natural, non-diffused sunlight.

I suddenly remember reading about using watercolors and cotton swabs to weather WWII ship models- I think I'll give that a try as well.

This is my third ship, but this time I decided to have a go at an imperial vessel. I present to you the Raider "Initiator"!

I'm fairly happy with it overall.

I'll post some pics of the sides tomorrow if I get time

These panels are an utter ***** to isolate with masking tape.

It takes layers of tape to get into the groves, the odd panels, and so on and so fourth. Tomorrow I'll take off the tape, and then do a dark grey for the recessed gun decks, engine, another panel or two perhaps and maybe the engine...but that might need a free hand touch.

I debated on going with my "rebel red" concoction but I just don't see it...I mean these boats come out of the dock and are dispatched rapidly rebel ships aren't known for clean graceful lines, and clean bright paint.

Are there any tips for painting the fighter and capital ships bases? Is it just simply a couple of coats of black then a matte varnish?

I am curious how you do those rebuilds Vykes and make them look so clean. Any tips, what you use etc?

Lastly I was painting on of my CR90's and was trying to take it off the stand and disaster struck. I twisted the CR90 instead of pulling up and it broke off the small peg that attached the CR90 to the clear stand. So basically my CR90 has no plastic peg on the bottom to attach into the stand, the plastic peg is stuck in the clear stand. What are my options? I am having trouble even getting the broken peg out of the clear stand. Am I SOL? Would FFG replace the CR90 model or am I thinking right that since I damaged it painting they will say tough luck, be more careful? Thanks!

The cheap stuff, with no varnish coat... Perfect, well almost, it is slightly translucent, but it dries in like half an hour, an has held up great to the rigors of play.

Thats my secret. Use the cheapest suf on the bases.

As for the missing peg, find the correct diameter copper wire. Im guessing 10 or 12, maybe 14 guage. Drill a hole in the ship where the peg was insert wire. File front of wire flat and trim to fit in stand. Glue wire in ship. Boom done.

I took off the mask. I think this came out very well the little bits that could be touched up are not an issue at all.

I went with the idea "**** happens" your boat gets hit, you replace the panels...and I'll have two other colors to add to this. Then I'll touch up, add dark grey to the gun deck and then gloss varnish then black line...it'll look lovely when done.

Yo Gotts, I'm an airbrusher myself, but I am waaaay too lazy to mask

My suggestion: learn how to use thinned paints by hand. Before you poo poo this idea, get yourself a size 1 Raphael kolinsky sable brush. I bought one on Ica's advice (search for his ungodly x-wing squadron paint thread...) and it totally revolutionized my painting experience!

Now I leave the airbrush for effects and tinting and use the good 'ole brush for things such as you're doing with the mask. You really can't tell the difference when using properly thinned paints off a wet pallet and it's just downright convenient!. (A good dose of les bursley's youtube tutorials also aided me greatly!)

I'm using Ammo of Mig paints that are pretty thinned as they are as is and they touched up the panels quite well. I will look into your suggestion though.

Update on the frigate:

Think she needs some color folks...then a gloss varnish - then a dark wash...or perhaps a filter before all of this

My Rubbish Kath, really not happy with how it turned out but it does look better in the flesh, cockpit still needs a gloss coat;

Was based on my X-Wing Kath which turned out better...

This is probably old stuff to most of you but here is me TIE Fighters done. Will work on the rest of my Emp. squadrons this week.

Man!!! After seeing those Ties by Gorrt3907 my next stuff pales into insignificance when compared to the work he has done!

Anyway, after all that, I've painted 18 2 squadrons of Ties! I've run out of grey primer so it will be a bit before I can post anymore of these.

Alpha and Beta squadrons report in!

Alpha and Beta squadrons escort the "Initiator" on a reconnaissance flight.

Beta squadron pursues a squadron of X-wings.

If anyone is wondering what the funny white lines are on the side of one of the ties they are Kill marks.

hey guys! first post on here, just got into Armada.

So First Order themed Star Destroyers:

still gotta paint those TIEs though...

@ Viperous, Thanks for the kind words but yours are much cleaner looking than mine! I figured mine are good enough to look ok on the table, at arms length....

All of everyone's ships look Awesome! I'm just glad to be here!

OK, gotta go and start the rest of the Imp's squadrons. Any suggestions on colours for the TIE Interceptors? Red maybe?

Using the word in the loosest sense possible, I got my first commission! Sure, it was from a friend, and he's paying me in a ship trade, but that doesn't matter!

Anyways, he's a big fan of the Sword Art Online series, and wants two of his ships done in Kirito's and Asuna's color scheme. He left the choice of ships up to me, but requested they be in the same faction.

Here's his ships:

Rebel: 1 AFMkII, 1 Mc30, 1 Neb, and 1 Corvette

Imperial: 1 ISD, 1VSD, 1GSD, 1 RDR

I have a general scheme of how I want to paint it, but I'm unsure of which two ships to put it on. If you guys could help me out with the ship selection, that'd be awesome!

Thanks!

EDIT: I should have probably put this in here before, but the schemes are black w/silver highlights and white w/ red highlights. There, I saved you a google search.

After a quick google image search it seems to be a black and white scheme with some grey and gold trim? I think it'd look nicer on rebel ships myself; Neb and Corvette would be my suggestion then it wouldn't be massively dominant?

Loving the superneat TIEs in this thread. And Viperous I love the blue trim on that Raider!

@Viperous, those TIEs look really clean! Great job!

I haven't had a chance to load these onto Flickr yet, but here is a link to my latest WIP.

https://plus.google.com/117993279660351289096/posts/8TaD6BLpW4s

Inspired by the latest episode of Rebels, "The Call", I decided to start a small Mining Guild fleet to use along side my regular Imperial Navy. As this is Armada, I chose a GSD as the Mining Guild flagship, figuring the Empire would allow them access to small Star Destroyers. As soon as I get them done I will post more pictures, but as I am due to leave on vacation in a few days, I just couldn't wait to share.

Here is a link to the concept art for the episode I mentioned.

http://www.starwars.com/tv-shows/star-wars-rebels/the-call-concept-art-gallery

I haven't had a chance in ages to take some photos under natural light so I finally got round to taking some today.

Here is a picture of the windows of the "Initiator". I'm treating it and my Vsds as stepping stones to the titanical terror that lurks in my cupboard!

The background that I took these pictures on was a board I knocked up originally to play my first Armada game on with a friend.

I took a few of the Ties while I was at it-sorry if I'm boring everyone to death with these!

Finally a picture of all my painted Armada so far....

I'm just finishing Tie "Gamma" squadron and I've got several Interceptors ready primed - I emptied the dregs of my primer on them.

Just got into armada, have yet to buy the core set. So far I have 4 ships.

My 2 CR-90s, both from Rebels. I am definitely more proud of the Liberator, but the McQuarrie corvette had been beat up badly during the process of painting (plus general age) and it has taken it's toll on the look of the ship close up. At least she's got character!

My Star Destroyer. I named her The Deception. I can't wait to get her some escorts!

Finally my MC-80. Nothing too fancy, but I'm happy with it nonetheless.

I'm treating it and my Vsds as stepping stones to the titanical terror that lurks in my cupboard!

You're repainting a slow cooker into a torpedo sphere?

Finally a picture of all my painted Armada so far....

I love the X-Wings!

After being inspired by a lot of the great work I've seen on this board, especially Vykes beautify repaints. I started with some Tie Fighters and then did some of the Rogue's and Villains. I have done some touch ups to a Nebula B and my CR90's but nothing too crazy. I finally decided to try a repaint on one of my GSD's and I tried to go with something similar to Vykes's work on his Citadel task force as I thought the slight blue hue would look great on the GSD. I would say on my first attempt I am pretty happy. I had some trouble with the wash but was able to highlight and brush some of it off. First attempt at windows but I think they look ok. I am calling this one Insidious. Thinking about trying Demolisher next and changing it up with a grey with a slight orange/yellow hue to it.

Here she is with her Flagship SSD Executor in the background .

Gladiator and a test squadron!