I wasn't sure this deserved it's own topic, but I also didn't want to intrude upon the stellar work I see in this section from various people with my ridiculous way of doing things.
Back in the day, I played a lot of Warhammer 40k, and pretty much all of it's sub-games (still have my Gorkamorka game box back home in the attic, with many red vehicles...). I never really had the patience for painting though, and have only grown less patient with it since then. These days my painting projects don't go further than building props, where everything is quite different and the scale is much larger. As such, I was incredibly out of practice, but looking at my Imperial squadrons and thinking that I really should dress them up, even a tad. I decided to experiment with an alternative to painting (for the most part, but that'll become apparent) these guys, which would be quick, relatively mess-free (important for working on them in the living room while watching Masterchef Australia with the better half), and still give decent results. The answer to my prayers was actually staring me in the face for months; Gundam markers.
For those who haven't seen them, Gundam kits are model kits of giant robo-suit things that have enormous swords, cannons, wings, jetpacks, and other nifty stuff that only Japan could explain being a good idea in a space battle. They're wonderfully complex and detailed, and I've built a fair few Master Grade units at this stage. The Gundam markers are a series of pens designed to do detail work on the models without necessarily needing to prime the plastic, mainly for panel lining and shading. What I've found is that they do a stellar job on TIEs, too. The pictures below aren't amazing, but it gives an idea of what is achievable.
These were done entirely with a handful of Gundam markers. Specifically, a couple of shades of grey Real Touch markers (essentially shading/blending inks) to provide contrast and shading, some black panel liners of various thicknesses, and a couple of the larger coverage markers (akin to paint) in blue, red, white, and fluorescent green. I also used a maroon Real Touch to fill in the cockpit windows, as I rather liked the glow from the /fo cockpits, and it somewhat gave them my own signature I guess. The only time a brush has touched these is with the application of red to the Defender, where the shape meant it was never going to be possible to fit pen nibs into every angle. Fortunately, the coverage pens can actually be pumped onto a platter and used like paint anyway, and the two Royal Guard ships I've done are probably the only two I'll bother doing anyway.
This method isn't going to win me any painting competitions, but honestly I'm quite happy with the results, and they've always turned heads when people see them on the table. The engine glow especially draws attention, which is something I didn't expect people to notice. I can knock out a stand of Fighters in 10-15 minutes with full detailing complete, while lying on the couch, enjoying a nice beer, and yelling at the cooks on Masterchef for attempting risotto in an elimination challenge, which is pretty much my ideal way of getting things done. This is far from a perfect option, but for those with limited painting skills and/or time like myself, this has turned out to be a fantastic option, and I'd recommend trying it.
Edit: I have no idea why the photos won't embed. Imgur is apparently not my friend.
Edited by NakedDex
