What sticks do you use to hold the squads while you paint them? I tried coffee stir sticks, but they aren't snug enough fit.

BTW, the painting is awesome. Ill be posting some of my squads up here when I get a few more done....

What sticks do you use to hold the squads while you paint them? I tried coffee stir sticks, but they aren't snug enough fit.

BTW, the painting is awesome. Ill be posting some of my squads up here when I get a few more done....

I swear by Johnson and johnson cotton buds / q-tips (the blue ones), they are just the right size once you snip the end off

What sticks do you use to hold the squads while you paint them? I tried coffee stir sticks, but they aren't snug enough fit.

BTW, the painting is awesome. Ill be posting some of my squads up here when I get a few more done....

Thanks! I use plastic Q-tips, pull the cotton off, cut it in half, then I very carefully cut 1 slit (1/4-1/2") on the non-cotton side of the half-stems and that is where you stick the ship.

The plastic Q-tips are hard to come by it seems. I found a bunch at Publix if you live in SE US, otherwise, every grocery store, pharmacy or superstore you walk into, swing by the beauty section. If all else fails, I'll consider sending you some.

What sticks do you use to hold the squads while you paint them? I tried coffee stir sticks, but they aren't snug enough fit.

BTW, the painting is awesome. Ill be posting some of my squads up here when I get a few more done....

Thanks! I use plastic Q-tips, pull the cotton off, cut it in half, then I very carefully cut 1 slit (1/4-1/2") on the non-cotton side of the half-stems and that is where you stick the ship.

The plastic Q-tips are hard to come by it seems. I found a bunch at Publix if you live in SE US, otherwise, every grocery store, pharmacy or superstore you walk into, swing by the beauty section. If all else fails, I'll consider sending you some.

This is JD, btw so we got plenty of Publix down here in B-ham...lol. Thanks for the tips guys. Ill look first thing. These a wings won't paint themselves

What sticks do you use to hold the squads while you paint them? I tried coffee stir sticks, but they aren't snug enough fit.

BTW, the painting is awesome. Ill be posting some of my squads up here when I get a few more done....

Thanks! I use plastic Q-tips, pull the cotton off, cut it in half, then I very carefully cut 1 slit (1/4-1/2") on the non-cotton side of the half-stems and that is where you stick the ship.

The plastic Q-tips are hard to come by it seems. I found a bunch at Publix if you live in SE US, otherwise, every grocery store, pharmacy or superstore you walk into, swing by the beauty section. If all else fails, I'll consider sending you some.

This is JD, btw so we got plenty of Publix down here in B-ham...lol. Thanks for the tips guys. Ill look first thing. These a wings won't paint themselves

Oh yeah! Hey JD. The other 2 essentials are a magnifying glass and good light. Otherwise, you'll go blind.

Recently …

The Mando Corvette Crimson Blade and the Aggressor Preying (vice praying) Mantis. Both WIP.

That Corvette is BEAUTIFUL !

That Corvette is BEAUTIFUL !

Thanks!!! I got the idea from an XW repaint someone did and added a few things; primarily the mythosaur skull.

Oh wow, I hadn't caught that! Nice Job!

The Preying Mantis

Inspiration:

The Ship:

Another Mando Vette, the Crimson Blade

Sorry Ladies he's already taken!

Sorry Ladies he's already taken!

Took me a bit; good one! :-))

The Lunar Crescent ( unless y'all can think of a better name)

Decided to redo Fel and Saber Squadron

Redid a Raider to join the Green Arrow fleet. Not sure if I like this or the VSDs paint job better. Happy with the way it turned out.

Adding a little something to the Gladiator. I like the side hangars the best. I don't think I like the orange bridge.

So that's where the bridge actually is. I've been wondering where it was for a while now.

So that's where the bridge actually is. I've been wondering where it was for a while now.

You would think that with one large main hangar, two auxiliary hangars that these things would be the Imperial pocket carrier or there would be a version for that. A GSD3 perhaps?

THat raider looks.... fabulous... I like it, especially the ventral part. Very nice details on the Gladiator too

Thanks!!!!

I washed the Raider in the purple degreaser which took off the factory wash. Afterwards, I put a single, light coat of Testors gun metal (dark bluish sort of color and yes, enamel) making sure I got it into the creases and panel lines. Then I did a heavy dry-brush covering the surfaces but keeping it out of the panel lines with GW Ledbelcher (I think that's the name, I'm not at home) which is much brighter. I left the ledbelcher off of the ventral engine portions and the solar panels, those are the gun metal. Did a very thin wash with flat black over the entire model which flatened the ledbelcher a bit and brought out the panel lines. Then details (neon yellow for bridge, chrome for engines with a pin washing, medium grey for the "engine straps" dry-brushed with a light grey, medium green with grass green highlighting and finally put a single, light semigloss lacquer coat over it.

I forgot to mention that I popped off the 3 panels and glued them back on when painted.

I agree the raider looks slick.

Did some experimenting with glaze and metallic medium. The aux engines are the subjects. Engine 1 is the top left, 2 the bottom left, 3 is top right and 4 bottom right. I know it's hard to see with a cell phone camera but which looks best. Here is what they were hit with

1: straight Vallejo metal medium

2: 1 drop metal medium with 2 drops glaze medium

3: 1 drop sky blue with 2 drops metal medium

4: 1 drop sky blue, 1 drop metal medium, 2 drops glaze medium

BTW, all the aux engines started with a paint job similar to the 3 main engines.

Looks fine don't you think?

Self criticism with painting is something you have to learn to unlearn. You hold the thing 2" off your eye and know every last shake, bump and missed dab of the brush. No one will ever take your work and hold it under such scrutiny, so learn that if it looks nice the rest of us will be impressed.

Very true and thanks. Perfect is the enemy of good enough haha. But, I'm experimenting with glazes and metallics and thought an already finished engine would be a good subject. I'm thinking engine 2 is probably the best effect. #4 would be second. What do you think?