Really loving the more subdued fighters- it definitely lends a more military, gritty vibe in contrast to the bright primary colors typical for reb fighters!

Thanks mates. Leeets see, bit of brush work, not all of it complete of course but I think I may be going for a fairly clean Assault Frigate. I'm thinking I'll need to counter shade just a little bit more to get the effect to the degree I want. And then we'll see about markings.

Oh, and I finished up those B-wings. Just a trio of flights, nothing special in the Kenarthi Greys scheme.

Realistically these look great, most military vessels and fighters are painted in a subdued pattern. Why waste paint on something that will either be blown up or shot up!!

Sorry all, I meant to post a bit earlier but a rather difficult personal relationship situation arose so I'll likely be more absent than before.

Thanks for sharing all the paint work Vykes (long time lurker, particularly your threads). I really appreciated the broken down tutorials you occasionally post and they'll helped some random guy who decided to paint his armada with 0 painting experience come a very long way (I think anyway). The red striped fleet is pretty stellar.


Edit: (I think I figured out the problem, darker glows helped a lot, the 'mustard yellow comment tipped it, threw a touch of sepia in and it went a long way, next part may be moot.)

I'm stumped (well, was stumped) though, and I know you've explained windows but I just can't seem to get it to 'click'. Either that or I just don't like what I am ending up putting down. I tried a light dry brush glow of say andrea blue (maybe too bright?), highlighted windows with a sky blue, gave it a 'wash' with fluorescent blue (very thing colour, quite nice, balanced the andrea well), rehighlighted and it just looks a mess. I feel as if I am missing something critical in execution (although you mentioned before you then shade over this? I just can't seem to get a glow that doesn't look like a hamfisted hack job (I do not have an air brush either, if that's it I'll just give up).

When I finish processing my photos from May (yeah... about that), maybe I'll try to bust out a macro and get some pictures of the works so far, least I can do to return the favour (albeit they won't be anything near the painters who hang around this place).

Sorry about that, Darthain, mate. Not sure if I missed that or it just got approved late and I didn't see it too now. Still, welcome aboard.

I'd certainly be happy to hear that they worked for someone out there. Painting's always a constant effort and quest to improve, even I know I've gotten a lot better than when I started. It's just about getting the sense of refinement.

Sometimes it could be something as simple as the shades that you use can look a bit 'wrong' in the particular hul; colour. There is some method to pre-sharing using a dark colour just to artificially flatten the area before time. For the most part (Star Destroyers and the like) it'll be a dark wash of black or something in the deck facings which turn them darker than the hull around it. That means the medium blue should come across slightly stronger. Then adding in the 'definition' sources which are individual lights. Let the brush do the work for you. If you're putting lights on the long narrow spars of something like an ISD, just try to make a thin 'line' across it so the whole window will appear sharp and square. After that you can wash it with a thinned blue, just enough to give the darker grey 'flat' layer beneath a bit of hue and to try to meld some of the paints together. Watch your wash, it may be shiny which means it will require a topcoat like dullcoat to really make the model come together. Sometimes that alone is a significant issue (I use minitaire paints in conjunction with citadel and oils, and I'm almost never happy because some paints are satin, some are matte, some are gloss, and it all looks discombobulated until the end. Then I find out I'm happy with my work.

I only started using an airbrush to help with transitions on engines and large hangar bays, but lights can absolutely be done without them. Drybrushing will give you an almost identical effect on most textured surfaces (Imperials, and things such as Nebulon B's in particular. I still do the majority of my CR90's by hand as well as an airbrush is a bit overkill.

If you posted some pictures it might give us an idea of what the issue may stem from.What ships were you painting up?

I'm sorry stuff is going south for you Vykes - give a holler if you need an ear, dude.

Before this cropped up I did a bit of colour blocking and testing. Red engines like the Dradnaughts are a very likely prospect for this one, and the lighting will go with traditional blue with just a half-section of the armored prow after I counter shaded the aft a bit more.

The picture is a good example as to what I mean by 'get the ship and brush to do the work'. Long vertical streaks on the prow doodles and using conforming spaces for windows gets solid and impressive consistent results. These haven't gotten the actual light shading, but I was trying to figure out what the balance between hull and lights are on these things. Sometimes it's just a good guide before you do something you regret, but it's hardly necessary.

I'll get around to finishing it whenever I get to it, need to shake things off and pick up some pieces.

Without airing too much dirty laundry, we'll just say I'm the only fool in the room who didn't know something till I saw it on someone elses proverbial fridge. Seriously though, FoaS, mate, you have no idea how much that means to me right now.

You hang tight in there, things can always get better, even if it is after they get worse.

And those Dreadnoughts look awesome.

Hi Vykes,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope it gets resolved soon. But you've been my painting inspiration for a long time now - I always look to your work whenever I need a pick me up. No better time to say that than when it sounds like you need a boost, yourself!

Here's my squadron I've just finished this week, and am taking to Worlds with me as a good luck charm. It's shamelessly ripped off from you, though much more coarsely done. Someone said something about imitation, and flattery, or something, once, right?

Are the Dreadnaughts the same that comprised Katana Fleet?

The engines look cool, and the contrast is wonderful.

Vykes; how do you do the panel lines on your imperial ships? I've been trying to paint my 418 interdictor and can't seem to them to look right no matter what I do. How do you accomplish imperial panel lines?

Thanks Darthain, I rather like the engines too. It was just a slight simplification of the Dreadnaught engines I did before. I do think they look a bit better than my usual blue version, but now I have two and that seems fine (even if it probably should have been the Ravager, given the slight mix of more warm tones from the rust.

Well Salty, it's typically from 2 sources: I use a thinned P3 armour wash (I find it really flows well) to cover most of the ship, then I see if any particular lines need to be reapplied. After that, I highlight the 'upper' edge of the plate with the previous grey, then a little bit more towards the 'front' of the plate with a lighter grey. It exaggerates the line a little more and helps it stand out.

So do you get to play with all these amazing ships you paint? Or are they all orders you work on and grab pics before you send them off?

It's about 50-50, Mel's stuff is all mine, I occasionally offer some individuals 'trade in' deals so I always have more to paint.

The Mk.I's, Dreads, Kenarthi greys, phoenix, Spire Guard, coyotes, etc, are all mine. The red-shift Imperial fleet I did before I did in a week for someone heading to worlds. Some like Rose/Dagger were gifts, etc.

I wish I got to play more. It's been a little while since I got a proper game, but I'm plotting out a Ceknell match with a lot of Mel's stuff front and center. Just need to eventually make/get a bigger better playmat.

That dred looks cool, make a squadron of three and that would be impressive. I need to get time to set up again and play..............college and real life getting the way right now.

Ugh, don't I know it Stuh, don't I know it. Well, long time no see, eh? I've been preoccupied with 'realsies' in life, not a fun time but what is? Still, CC stuff and Wave 5 is coming out, and I picked up a few things here and there. Here's the trick to photography, don't be like me and do anything at night. Granted, night where I am is like 18 hours long.

First of all, like everyone else I had to do up a ghost real quick. Little irritated that the extreme highlights got washed out, but them's the breaks. I'll grab a clear picture soon.

Our second bit is the second of the VCX100's. It's not too big or pretty but it's not really supposed to be.

It's supposed to be based on this, my ghost that I -finally- got around to painting for X-wing. Never played with it, it just looked like a Starship Trooper dropship and I had to paint it.

Then the usual VT49. I still need to figure out how many 'standards' I want and how to mark 'em.

"It's an older project, sir, but it checks out. I was about to clear them." A repainted Red Squadron. What Poe's doing in there, I haven't got a clue.

And, you know, another project I got done. Not quite related, but it's neat. Not super useful as I preordered FO armour rather than TK (Standard stormtrooper) which means I need an update.

Good lord Vykes, you have managed to make me like the look of the Ghost! Love Rebels but really don't like the look of the Ghost but your drop ship grey monster looks brilliant. Any chance you could post a few more pics of the large x wing version?

Any plans on painting a Pheonix Home?

Glad ya like it! I really am. I'll admit the Ghost is an -ahem- interesting looking ship. Gaudy, eh? I'm a fan of the more sedate look myself and that one sorta does it. (Strange as it was more a desperation than anything, I had the ghost for most of a year and just couldn't get it finished until very recently). Sure, I'd get some better lit pictures but it's till nice and miserably dark.

Yeah, I carried the 03 over to the Armada drop-Ghost to.

And for some more Armada bits: a desert squadron I had in mind ever since I did up a pair of K-wings in the scheme. Not my best, and not all that special, but it's a neat enough look to me, given how infrequently I plan to use E-wings.

As for the Phoenix Home, aye, that I do. I'd have picked one up but they were sold out at my FLGS (I got the last of everything else in wave 5).

Glad ya like it! I really am. I'll admit the Ghost is an -ahem- interesting looking ship. Gaudy, eh? I'm a fan of the more sedate look myself and that one sorta does it. (Strange as it was more a desperation than anything, I had the ghost for most of a year and just couldn't get it finished until very recently). Sure, I'd get some better lit pictures but it's till nice and miserably dark.

Yeah, I carried the 03 over to the Armada drop-Ghost to.

And for some more Armada bits: a desert squadron I had in mind ever since I did up a pair of K-wings in the scheme. Not my best, and not all that special, but it's a neat enough look to me, given how infrequently I plan to use E-wings.

As for the Phoenix Home, aye, that I do. I'd have picked one up but they were sold out at my FLGS (I got the last of everything else in wave 5).

I really like the dropship. No self respecting military is going to paint their military craft outlandish colors. Try to camouflage a dropship coloured shocking pink and red.......oh sorry sir but don't you like the ship......it positively screams hug me!!!!!!

I really like the dropship. No self respecting military is going to paint their military craft outlandish colors. Try to camouflage a dropship coloured shocking pink and red.......oh sorry sir but don't you like the ship......it positively screams hug me!!!!!!

Don't be Planetarily-Close-Minded....

Shocking Pink and Red would work, say, in the outer gas lines of a Planet similar to Jupiter, or Bespin.

It all depends on the background you're working with, after all....

I feel as though you just threw down a challenge to me to get some Wave 5 Gucci painted. because you got some **** fine birds there man, **** fine.

Awesome as always Vykes! Missed looking ato your stuff

Welcome back Vykes, fantastic work as always. We are almost exactly opposite ends of the spectrum (garish vs understated), but your work never ceases to impress (we won't forget you are a lot better than I am to boot ) .

I've got to play rebels in CC... so I've been catching up on those right now.

I hate the fact you can put this level of gucci and I'm stuck in bed with the flu ugh!

Ey mates, glad to be back. Well, Merry Christmas to all first and foremost.

Aye Stuh , I think that a sandstone look -could- work but it has to be executed properly, eh? I may try it some day soon. Gottmituns , consider it the gauntlet of a challenge then! But flu? Sorry to hear mate, real sorry about that. Hope everything's getting better and feeling better for today. . Thanks Dedmanzhand , glad to see ya back too. Aaaah Darthain , the spectrum is good, 'tis great. Both are needed, aren't they? Besides, you do good work mate. Aye, I know what you mean. I have to finish up a bunch of Imp stuff for the CC thing.

Got a small present I suppose, I finished up the good Lieutenant to compliment my Green squadron (Respite Garrison, Militia pilots). I added in the X-wing figure that I ended up basing it on (a retouched Black Sun). But... now I wonder if I should try the weathering on the Armada Z's. But I still have one more flight of prepped grey Z-95's, but I haven't got a clue what I want to do with them.

You know, in addition to these.