I picked up a second Assault Frigate during prime day and want to change the red to either blue or something else. I don't want to repaint the entire ship. I was going to paint over the red and maybe expand some of the gray sections. I was looking around on here for ideas, but since Photobucket changed their policies there aren't many around. Could you all help a beginning painter out and post some pics for me to steel ideas from?

Sorry mate, mine are all full repaints

I wish I had the confidence to ty a full repaint, but I don't trust myself.

Well...I went for it and did a little repaint on my second Assault Frigate. Needs a little touching up, but I like the way it turned out.

Looks great! I might add another layer of white if I were you though. White is always tough, especially without any primer. Remember lots of thin coats is better than one thick one.

The blue really came out well. If I ever get a second AFM, I might do the same.

I'm jealous you are already painting you prime days buys. As for mine, they sent me a Home One instead of a Liberty! What kind of barbarian doesn't know the difference! Thankfully the replacements on its way.

I'll suggest just a bit of blacklining on your white, if you feel like it, and a touch of very diluted white on the high plates you painted blue to get a highlight

you can get a goo effect by painting the small plates that are at the end of the wings, acting as position lights. With a HB pencil, you can get a good "mechanical" effect on everything that looks hard to detail on the rear side

but it's good, the AF2 is a mini that is easy and rewarding to repaint, even partly.

I have a 4th queuing in the lead pile....

You are spot on about the white. I am planning on getting another layer of it on there.

That sucks that they sent you the home one...at least they are usually quick with replacements. I was very tempted to get a second liberty that day...but I was out of disposable income.

You scared me. I had my Amazon box with my Liberty sitting on my table unopened from yesterday as I read of your misfortune.

I immediately opened it to see what awaited. Its a M'Lady.

21 hours ago, gounour said:

I'll suggest just a bit of blacklining on your white, if you feel like it, and a touch of very diluted white on the high plates you painted blue to get a highlight

you can get a goo effect by painting the small plates that are at the end of the wings, acting as position lights. With a HB pencil, you can get a good "mechanical" effect on everything that looks hard to detail on the rear side

but it's good, the AF2 is a mini that is easy and rewarding to repaint, even partly.

I have a 4th queuing in the lead pile....

I'm a painting noob...so I would dilute the white a buch and lightly brush the raised blue panels to give a little definition?

As for the blacklining to white, would a light wash in nulen oil have a similar effect? Or would that dirty up the white too much?

13 minutes ago, mcworrell said:

As for the blacklining to white, would a light wash in nulen oil have a similar effect? Or would that dirty up the white too much?

Just apply the wash to the recesses in that instance. You don't want to slather over the top - especially when the paint itself has a texture to it.

And its "Nuln" Oil

Yeah, if you can just get the nuln oil in the recesses, which is really easy with the AF because the spots between panels are wide and deep. If any gets on the white just wipe it off real quick with a damp paper towel (or your thumb if you're like me and don't care about painty fingers).

Alternatively, get some medium and thin out the nuln oil with it and coat the whole area. It'll still be dark in the recesses but thin enough on the white that 1 or 2 coats will brighten it right back up!

13 hours ago, mcworrell said:

I'm a painting noob...so I would dilute the white a buch and lightly brush the raised blue panels to give a little definition?

As for the blacklining to white, would a light wash in nulen oil have a similar effect? Or would that dirty up the white too much?

well if you're not very well at home with painting, I will give you some simple advices that are good and that I generally utterly forget:

-always think at where your light is thought to come. That is, if it is from the top, lighten the top of your panels and darken the bottom.

-you WILL put paint/wash where you do not want it. so keep a damp paper, a clean finger or a water brush close at hand to correct. You generally have 10 to 20 seconds before paint begins to dry, so you can remove it in the mean time

-nuln oil is good, but beware it takes more time to dry, like all washes, and is quite runny, so you can not do anything with you model in the mean time.

for your raised plates, put some very diluted white (or an light blue as your blue is quite intense) on it (think "haze"). Gravity will collect the pigments in the lower part. If you want a better look, thin your white with matt medium instead of water.