Ok ...

Needed a break from painting figures and this is an attempt at me using ...

Zenthial via rattle cans

Object-Source Lighting Techniques via washes and paints

Used

6 20 oz bottle caps

Some random plastic

Idea

Sort of like fusion generators but was not sure on scale and did not have the time today to make the specific shape associated with fusion generators. Ended up with what looks like cargo scatter from battle scene from Scarif.

Goal was to try and do some modeling; try a few techniques and see what happened

Primed and painted

Little Orange Light and start of highlights

Final stage with dry brushing

Scale

I like the generators, but I'm not sure the zenithal is appropriate for them. Mostly because it works best on figures with a lot of relief in their sculpt (lots of edges & nooks and crannies).

A better photo .... but not great ... at some point I will need to figure out photo taking of tiny objects ...

FM, noted. Always appreciate the feedback

In an effort to stay engaged; learn and not get frustrated I moved onto something bigger than a mini. Additionally, on garbage that let me try out some hobby skills in a safe zone. If it fails, then throw it away. No problem.

The the first photos suck. Zenithal was soft and gave the edges a nice pop. Now, I have an idea how to do it prior to trying on smaller. Same with the OSL. The effects are ok. They are not great. I did the final dry brush/damage AFTER the coats of glaze so the silver shows as true silver. Mistake made and documented. Few spots I need to go back and tone down the orange/yellow but I have a general idea how to do it.

The failed attempted on the face of Figure 1 needed to be followed by some success.

Whoa ...

Been a really ... REALLY ... long time since I did this and ...

Directions are fewer; less definition of what is what ... and super tiny print

Appears the model comes in a few colors of grey and a grey black / black. Assuming you can put this together, as is, and it would work.

I am going to attempt to build this tiny guy, while doing some painting and such

Guessing Bandai is top of model pyramid, as this little thing is super detailed with almost no mold lines

If you have built one of these ...

Did you glue, as is, or prime and paint?

Any general suggestions on what not to do, if you completed the vehicle?

Paint on sprue? Based on research appears to be the thing to do.

I built one, as is -- no glue, everything held together fine.

I didn't prime, but did wash, touch up paint, and dry-brush parts, plus painted on orange stripes instead of the grey decals. Painted the two crew as well -- cut off sprue and eliminate flash first. It looks pretty good, though a complete effort with more time would probably include priming most of the model and repainting.

The water slide decals gave better results. Also, though I initially tried the cockpit frame decals, I ended up just painting the grey on the cockpit frame.

53 minutes ago, Hawkstrike said:

I built one, as is -- no glue, everything held together fine.

I didn't prime, but did wash, touch up paint, and dry-brush parts, plus painted on orange stripes instead of the grey decals. Painted the two crew as well -- cut off sprue and eliminate flash first. It looks pretty good, though a complete effort with more time would probably include priming most of the model and repainting.

The water slide decals gave better results. Also, though I initially tried the cockpit frame decals, I ended up just painting the grey on the cockpit frame.

Thank you for the reply.

I have found a few youtube tutorials on the model. Given that the theme of the thread is new guy doing stuff for the first time ...

I am going to prime / paint the entire thing. Practice painting; removing flash an all that modeling stuff.

Dear God ... it is just so small especially some of the decals.

I think today's effort is probably done. I opened; sorted; washed in little soap and vinegar in hopes of priming and ...

Typical south Texas fall/winter. It is about 85 with humidity in same ball park. Given lesson learned with primer spec'n up on my last 2 minis, going to wait for the weather to cool a little.

Goal rest of the day ...

Watch the tutorials on this model.

Determine which parts will be light, medium or dark shades of grey. Sort them.

Hope for an immediate cold front.

Ok ... looks like I have not touched this since November 5th, given my last post. With that ...

Side bar ... I do not know how, where and when some of you find time to do all this painting and building and gaming. Seriously, good for you, as I travel for work 70% of the time and I am discovering my time to "hobby" is limited.

That and the weather ... not ideal for painting in Austin, Texas. Using rattle cans for most of the work and the weather in the past few weeks has been 85; snow 3 days later; 60s and rainy; 70s and sunny and, now, 40s and damp with drizzle. At some point I am researching and airbrush ... onto the model ...

This is in prep for the Legion sets coming out in what looks like earlier than later in Q1. So ... have not built a model in a really, really, really long time. What I am doing and trying for first time ...

Techniques (For the other new folks on the boards)

• Black to mid tone to light grays for primer to help with a more natural look and chipping effects. I want to see the level of painting I can do with Tamiya spray cans. Not really zenithal priming as much as pre-planned to help with a future state with weathering and such
• Hair spray and salt chipping
• Salt and water with mist of paint to help with a "bleached" look and depth
• Pin wash with oils. That looks easier than using acrylic washes and giving it a try
• Streaking with oils. Again, looks so much easier than acrylic washes
• Tamiya masking tape, as I plan on putting some lines of color on the model
• Pastels for weathering
• There are about 1000 of the smallest possible decals and I have some Micro Set and Micro Sol coming via the good people of Amazon. Have a feeling this will be the most challenging part and the steps which will most likely see me drop multiple profanities

Attached picture has pieces that have been primed black, dark/medium/light grey. Additionally some pieces have been colored with dark, medium and light grey.

Tamiya's grey primer and light grey are identical to the hue of the vehicle. I opted for something little bit darker.

Now, everything is drying and I am onto painting the cockpit and pilots

Hope everyone is having a good Christmas

So my day started full of potential awesomeness. Nothing planned. ENTIRE day to paint and model and hobby, which is just really rare for me. Oh, and the temp moved from damp 30s up into the low 60s, which meant a chance at priming or spraying. More on that later ...

Well, I get around to the canopy and notice my spray coat from a few days back did not land well. Again, the spastic weather in Austin, TX this time of year makes this business of aerosol work impossible. Enter Simple Green. Then, tiny bit of brush cleaner, which I diluted. Long short ... I break a bar from the canopy, as I attempt to rectify the paint job.

It so happened I had ordered a variety pack of parts from Evergreen / Plastic Card. Cut a tiny piece and start using rubber cement to fix. Photo above. There was still a gap so off to a proper hobby shop. They sell me some patch repair / filler. Applied. Everything sanded and primed again. Primed before it goes back to 20 with snow tomorrow.

I guess that Bob Ross guy said there are no mistakes just happy accidents. The broken canopy saw me use Plastic Card for the first time and a filler. By no means an expert job but for me? It does not look super bad.

Meanwhile, as different things were drying and or when I needed a break from painting, I decided to prime a test model. I got a Revell1649 Heavy Walker from Michael's for $5. Think those were normally $20-$25. Clearance and the girl rang it up with another 50% off. Dump it out. Take out back. BLACK PRIMER. SOAKING WET. One piece ended up with some floating grass/pollen interwoven into the primer. So ...

Into my plastic gloved hand it goes. Enter the back of the house. Start my trek across WHITE carpet, which I am not supposed to do. Get busted by the Family CEO. Scares me and ... the part is dropped onto said carpet. Quick Goggle search ... removing primer from carpet ... read of the primer can ... and ..

Thinner, toothpaste, detergent, brushes ... hot water ... lots of scrubbing ... a hair dyer ... praying ... I actually got it out.

Lesson 2 after breaking and repairing a model I also learn how to remove black primer from white carpet. You too have the instructions just hope you never use them.

As a result, I end up being required to move my entire workstation of stuff into the garage. Full-time. Not sure my paints will ever be allowed back inside. I finish the zenithal on the Revell Snap-Tite, which I bought for cheap practice / "canvas", and got 90% of my cockpit finished. It looks like ...

I figured this a beta, lab, tutorial, whatever for me to learn how to paint. So ... sort of opting out of all the decals. Will use some.

Had a few reference shots of the T-47 cockpit. One from a txt book and another screen shot. The interior varies. What I always appreciated about SW is that the vehicles look believable. Not over the top. Logical. With that I used the screen shoot ... when Luke is trying to flee his downed speeder ... and looked at cockpit photos of F-4, F-5 and F-15. Fighters from the era the movies were made.

Started painting and started to experiment with mixing colors. I was able to make a few solid colors, like Yellow; Green and Red, become a metallic-like hue by adding silver/metallic colors. Something new for me, as none of this hobby business is intuitive.

Of course, I just had to ... HAD TO ... make 2 tiny areas black. This was after each piece was about as good as I am going to get it. And ... random black drop landed on the blue/green containers. Oh, and I had to swap out wet palette, which meant mixing a new batch of that blue and green. So all 4 ... not just 2 ... tanks repainted. However, the remix gave me colors I was actually trying to capture previously.

I could have kept working tonight. Instead ... since I am now 100% in the garage ... the temp went from aforementioned 60'ish to about 40'ish in 2 hours. Got a little cold. And I am trying to determine if I want to wash the receded areas for instrumentation and, then, dry bush it and call it a day. Or paint all those little knobs. Or wash it and use the decals. Going to put it down for a night.

I guess Bob Ross and his wild afro were more right than wrong. Sure, I broke the canopy; potentially ruined our carpet; had to repaint a bunch of finished stuff and it all ended up better than expected. Minus me being asked to vacate the house for the garage. No way about it. That blows.

Update again once I finish cockpit and move onto the body / air-frame

Somehow, I survived the carpet disaster and made it through a 48-hour'ish cooling off period. Morning temp today was 19 inside my garage and I was able to move work back into the house. Shocked ... still shocked ... and prepared for the forthcoming ask. With that I made decent progress today.

After sleeping on it decided to use a wash ... light ... on the cockpit and, then, opt for light dry brush. Also, going to give the decals a go and still waiting for my Micro Sol / Set. Worked up a wash of Nulin Oil / Agrax E'shade that was heavily watered down. Applied in controlled layers. Then, very light dry brush of silver. All that is left are the decals.

Finally, got to move onto the frame. Broke out my newly purchased oils and thinner. Mixed up a black / burnt umber batch. Heavily thinned. Hit each small piece, while it was still in sub-assembly. Of course, instead of starting with a smaller piece to get the hang of things I went right for the top portion of the speeder. One side came out pretty solid. For my first time I was happy. The second side has a very slight grit texture to it. I cannot determine if I did something with the pin wish; if it was somehow the light brush of a cotton swab and some threads of said swab got mixed up in the thinner or it this was a light layer of dust I did not realize was on the model. It is the speeder's right and you can just make it out in the photo.

Today, I used a pin wash for the first time. With the oils thinned just right it really does flow by itself through panel lines, etc. Also, I found it far easier to work / control vs an acrylic wash. Additionally, the pin wash seems finer and crisp. Now it has me thinking about a practical use on a mini, as opposed to a acrylic wash applied to a large area with required after work of highlights / color restoration.

It has stayed brutally cold and according to my weather app will be for at least 3 days. No use of aerosols but I did prepare for some coloring / stripes ...

The other day, while picking up my oils, I grabbed that architecture / design template. I plan on using that to enhance the stripes going onto the speeder. Mentally, I have it worked out. The triangles can be fitted to make a chevron pattern. Going to use colors associated with Blue Squadron from Rogue One. Specifically, colors from the helmets, which are identical to RLM hues from Luftwaffe plans in WW2. Primary use of US Navy Blue from Tamiya, which is IDENTICAL to the darker blues of the Rebels and Pathfinders in Rogue One. Goal here is to task myself with doing more, as to learn. Using 3-4 colors in addition to the primary blue.

I am finding this so relaxing. I travel a bunch. Job is pretty stressful and requires me to be plugged in / available nearly all the time. I saw 4 hours pass today and I had no idea I had sat still that long. Pretty awesome.

It appears I am catching on that you sort of break the larger project into smaller items. That is helping keep me interested, as I can bounce around. Today, I got to my hurry and wait for Micro Sol / Set point and moved onto the body. Then, had enough and decided to tape and wait for better weather.

For the other new folks picking up a brush and buying gear and starting out ... just have to start. My first mini ... several posts back ... sort of whipped my confidence. This model kit, though, has brought it back. Like, hey, I am getting a little better. Painting skills little better. Patience level better. And getting more comfortable that my work is still novice and is not going to look like a "pro."

Next update will be first stripes of color post freezing temps

Great job and awesome diary updates

On 11/10/2017 at 1:33 AM, Dash Two said:

Faces are super hard.

Yh this is why I’m going to do Luke last when I get legion. I dont want to mess up someone that important

This is fantastic! Thank you so much for all of the info - As a newbie myself, I really appreciate the detailed explanations of what you did. And glad you got that carpet cleaned lol

Appreciate the feedback and following along. Figure, if I can pass anything along or save anyone some time or headache, why not? Migrating back to adulting today has been difficult. Still trying to sort out what made the one side of the aircraft so grainy. At this point not doing any sort of cleanse and repaint. Just going to finish it and see what happens.

Think the Polar Vortex ... guess winter storm is just not catchy enough for the media ... has slowed movement of goods from the people at Amazon. None of my decal solutions have arrived. Hoping to finish the cockpit.

Ok ...

This takes patience. There are steps that need time. Primer needs time to dry. Paints does too. Learning that and realizing that is why it is handy to have multiple projects going on simultaneously. In my rush to work / finish the T-47 I mixed up the technique I used with oils ... pin wash vs filtering. I did some of my pin wash like a filter and that is what caused the discoloration. Guys at the hobby shop knew straight away. More on that later. The Micro Set and Sol arrived but putting aside this weekend. Instead, I went back to my test model: Revell 1649 Heavy Walker

Quick Lessons Learned ...

• Test models and random pieces of plastic are handy. Super handy. Tinker. Especially with underpainting; pre-shading and understand how a color will react with a light, mid-tone, dark or darkest primer/undercoat.
• Failing quickly is beneficial. I am still very much a novice and I am intellectually curious. There have been a few moments where I have achieved a decent result, while using rattle cans and brushes. Then, a few disasters and was able to work backwards to figure out what caused the problem
• If you have an old school hobby/model store .... not a Michael's or Hobby Lobby (U.S.) ... go there. Take what you are working on and ask questions. Dollars to donuts there will be more than a few regulars that have been building models for d-e-c-a-d-e-s. They know things. Youtube great place but little hard to ask questions real-time or get into a root cause ... the 5 whys ... discussion. Lot of folks willing to help you

What I Had Done

I had primed the model flat black. Then, I hit it with a dark grey primer and, finally, a mist of light grey. Under shading to aid with the finished color of the model and help give it a "lived in" look.

I was feeling STRONG right there. Pretty proud of myself and did I go right to the Tamiya Light Grey? Rattle cans in windy weather with essentially no control ... do I take the results you see? No ... no ... adamant about trying the salt technique. This is the salt/water to help with modulation not salt/hairspray for chipping. Do I stop? Nope ...

Lesson Learned

• There is a point where it is JUST RIGHT. Leave it.
• Find another object to test your next theory out on

Easy enough ... little messy and NOWHERE near the level of tragedy possible with black primer on white carpet. Used a hair dryer. Now, with the Tamiya medium and light grey ...

Ok ... hit it with a series of Tamiya Medium and, then, Tamiya Light Grey. Let everything dry for a bit and, then hit it with a hair dryer. Then, light strokes of tooth brush to knock of the salt. There is an area where it looks like a paint burst caught it and I think it is equal parts that and, then, the effect. Very subtle; tricks the eye; pretty cool and with an airbrush ... you could really do some cool stuff. Blowing through my little Tamiya cans on this ... stopped. Speaking of my cans ...

In the midst of that step I ran out of light grey. However, I figure the Tamiya Light Grey primer will fill in nicely and hit the other side of the model (below)

Lesson Learned

• Yeah, the drying and curing properties of the primer are different than the paint
• Light mist of paint; wait little bit; hit with hair dryer ... totally cool
• Primer ... 24 hours. Really need to wait 24 hours

Results ...

This is when I stopped.

Mentally thinking ... what the (insert your go to here).

Drove to my local hobby shop; took the model and got some help. Confirmed ... primer was wet/had not cured and BAD result with the salt/brushing. Essentially, stripped paint off the model. I cannot stress enough for the other new guys ... find a place like this or someone like this. Oh, and bought another can of Tamiya's AS-2. By the way their aerosol paints are soft and awesome.

Fail quickly.

So I take some very fine sand paper and do my best to smooth it out. Then, hit it again with the med grey and, finally, light grey. Jeff Spicoli said it best ... My Dad's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it. Not going to burn the calories to stop and drown the model in Simply Green. Press on ...

It is not awesome. Not going to win any awards yet I took it from a place of pretty bad and me frustrated to ok ... sorting it out. My thought is, when I move onto the salt/hairspray chipping phase, use some planning and work these areas more than others. Take the mistake and make it work for vs against the model. Try some oil filtering and pastels to help correct the error.

Additionally, I am debating another fine mist of sprays with the salt/water method prior to moving on ... put this down for a while to log-in and update. My goal is to revisit and finish the T-47 next weekend, as work is blowing 100% and my free time is no close to 0

New Guy Gear and Where To Get It

Little change of pace, as I am done painting today and noticed a few more threads from other new gamers/hobbyist. Doing a little to help out. Page 1 has a list of how to tutorials and where to find them. Here is a list of things you may need. It's the gear I have acquired since I started poking around with the announcement of Legion

If you are in the USA, Hobby Lobby, Michael's and Amazon will be your friend. Most products at either HL or Michael's, when the weekly or daily 50% coupon is applied, end up being priced similar to Amazon. Tossing that out there.

Hobby Lobby is to Walmart, as Michael's is to Target.

Michael's DOES NOT carry Vallejo acrylics and it does have a higher-end selection of brushes; oils and craft items, like foam board or tools/templates for design or products to make something from scratch (molding chemicals)

Hobby Lobby HAS a basic set of Vallejo acrylics and, opinion, a lesser overall selection of quantity (options) and quality of stuff

Things Needed ...

• Hobby/cutting mat ... those green/blue items in every video. Both stores have them. Use a coupon and get one
• Brushes ... grab a cheap variety back to do dry brushing or painting on terrain or helping apply washes. Beware. These do not last long. Michael's does have a grading and naming system for their brushes ... acrylics, oils and mixed medium. Can get some decent individual brushes and, then, variety packs Hobby Lobby's individual brush selection not as nice and they have variety packs. But ...

I view brushes as the PRIMARY tool for painting minis. I am an avid archery hunter and swear by top line equipment. It matters. It performs better. More durable and will last longer with proper care, as compared to a random bow/arrow I grab off a shelf at a sporting good store. Those lack consistency and will break in time and, then, have to replaced prior to any extensive use. Something lesser for something so important simply does not work as well or fails or fails to produce results. Lot of science in archery. Fair amount of science in this painting and modeling

I bought Windsor Newtons from Amazon. Asked some questions at an art store. Got Windsor Newton brush cleaner and restorer. They'll last. They'll perform. They do behave differently than a less expensive brush specifically holding a point. I am a new guy yet I notice a large difference between those and my cheap wash/terrain brushes. It is the one thing I went out and bought the best product I could find. Rest ... coupons/sales/what made sense ...

Everything below minus GW paints and Tamiya rattle can paints are available at Hobby Lobby or Michael's (US). Use your daily/weekly coupons. Michael's will have a general 40-50% coupon and, then, other 30-50% coupons specific to art products, like oils or thinners or brushes.

• Paints for minis/models ... Lots of options. I like Vallejo paints due to the dropper. Just easier. GW solid products. Be sure to REALLY slam the GW pot lid down. I failed to do that and had one dry out on me. Lots of options. GW going to be at your local game store
• Paints for Terrain ... cheap craft paint. Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Michael's ...
• Washes ... GW are the only ones I have used and they are solid. You can do some cool things with them. Soroastro's videos are helpful here. From what I have seen/read Secret Weapon and Army Painter also have good products
• Paint Mediums ... I don't know the technical name for these products but items like thinners; glazing mediums; drying mediums all have a function/property. Worth having some on hand and tinkering with
• Wet Palette ... find a video; take 5 minutes and make one. Old plastic tube; wax baking paper; paper towel; some water ... boom. Do this prior to starting to paint. It is so helpful.
• Spray/Rattle Can Paints ... Tamiya products are AWESOME. Your local model shop will have these
• Sealers ... Testor's Gloss and Dull Coat. There are others and these are the ones I was directed towards
• Primers .... cheap terrain or practice stuff ... a general flat primer only from Home Depot or Lowe's will work. Your minis/models? Tamiya and GW make really nice products. Tamiya white and grey primer IS at Hobby Lobby. GW primer at your local game store.
• Hobby Knives ... Exacto with a few different load-out blade options. One to cut; one to saw. A large box cutter. Small hobby mitre saw is handy.
• Hand Tools ... Dremel with some optional heads (not mandatory but NICE); pin vise
• Sand Paper ... Hobby Lobby and Michael's have some nice sets within their modeling department. Variety packs coming with different levels of softness/grit
• File(s) ... hardware store will have large selection. Hobby Lobby and Michael's will have them too.
• Glues ... super, PVA, wood ... readily available just about anywhere
• Throw Away Plastic Items ... wash thoroughly; dry and save. Use these to test out what you are doing BEFORE you move onto a mini or model. A playground of garbage.
• Hobby Lamp ... Any type of light or lighting system to help improve the view
• Hobby Glasses ... I caved and started using them
• BBQ Sticks (Smaller) and Toothpicks ... utility tools with duct tape versatility and usage options
• Masking Tape ... more for a model than a mni and Tamiya has a nice product
• Respirator ... Home Depot or Lowe's. If you are using aerosols, use one
• Box of plastic gloves ... grocery store will have them in pharmacy department
• Blue Tac/White Tac ... holds minis in place and works as a nice masking product
• Oils ... venture out an give them a try on a model. Michael's has great selection
• Pastels/Weathering Kits ... lot of options out there. Found at a game shop, model shop or Amazon
• Basing materials ... lot of vids on how to make your own or can be purchased game shop, model shop or Amazon
• Fillers/Plasters/Epoxy ... not a must but, if you are going try to make terrain, you'll need it
• Foam Board/Plastic Card ... not a must but, if you are going to try and make terrain or scratch build some stuff or repair something broken, you'll need it

Probably missed something and, if so, throw it in there on a reply. Picking a little bit up in time and, as needed, with the use of coupons and sales you can get started with a whole bunch of hobby product under $100. You get can get going with a lot for $50.

Get going ... experiment ... jump in there ... mess some stuff up ... see what you got

Hobby ADHD ...

Feel like there should be a middle school type movie to educate the new hobbyist titled Hobby ADHD and You. I have seen this mentioned in different online tutorials, as Table Top Minions has a fairly funny take on this, and I sort of laughed it off. Now ...

I have 4 concurrent projects running with roughly 3-6 weeks before all my Legion minis arrive. An example ...

Head to hobby shop for some more Tamiya primer. The place has hundreds of old models on consignment. Start looking at them ... get to thinking ... wham ... I leave with $30 of old kits. Few aircraft ... some WWII ground crew equipment ... few WWII military tractors ... on top of my ongoing T-47 build; walker test model and some terrain stuff. Just then and there decide I am going to scratch build a few things. Specifically, a pair of the SW mini-rig toys tied to ESB. So, now, I am also tied to an effort of taking the blueprints (found) and determining size, etc.

So a question for the field, readers and everyone following along ...

Do you have this issue? How do you mitigate it?

Doing great man. As a wargamer of 30 years, I love seeing somebody get into the hobby like this!

As for hobby ADHD, over the years I’ve decided it’s simply a wargamer thing, and that’s that. Almost everyone at my 3 LGS’s has it to some extent (pretty bad in my case!). No idea how to handle it at all unfortunately, but best of luck

can I just say...thank you for painting the gaiters in a different color than the boot?

I think your doing great, learning as you go along and figuring things out way faster then I ever did! If you paint together an army in the quality of your rebel trooper, it will really look great on the table and thats what we want

Whatever you do, especially if your new to the hobby, dont stress yourself out. Take on too many project and too high expectations and youll burn yourself out before youve even get to play. Take it relaxes, try to just get things going smoothly before doing anything fancy.

Skip those faces, they arent essential for the models. You can always go back and do them later, even years from now if so be. I havent painted a single face on any of my 70+ imperial guardsmen.

When it comes to weathering I have never tried chipping, but simply painting on some greeble and dirt after the model is finished will also give a great worn out impression (if perhaps a bit less spectacular) with much easier methods.

Switching between projects can be a good thing, get some variety to what you are working on but again, dont stress it and dont take on too many projects at the same time. I think you should focus most of your time to building your hobby collection (tools, materials, workspace) and building terrain. When the game arrives you will have some time to try out the game and enjoy learning the rules, on a nice looking table! And later when you feel you are ready to start painting your models you will have a workspace loaded with tools and materials you need to get started

The single best advice I can give; If your not enjoying it your doing it wrong! Its not a chore, its not your job, its something you spend your free time and hard earned money on so make sure its worth it

1 hour ago, Hidatom said:

can I just say...thank you for painting the gaiters in a different color than the boot?

This made me giggle. A gaiter is a gaiter and a boot is a boot. Factor in my OCD and, yes, 2 different colors.

Soulless, thanks for the compliment. Those photos are my first ever mini and minus the face ... think I did ok for first time.

Appreciate all the feedback.

Today, I am heavy into the T-47. Photos later but ...

Cockpit done; gloss coat and drying. Then, decals next weekend. My cockpit looks halfway decent. From the lens of a new guy ... pretty pleased.

Have the pilots started.

Have various parts sprayed with first line of blue (stripes) and about to check them and move onto next spray(s) of yellow and light blue. Yeah, went ahead and came up with different design and color scheme.

Doing some filtering with oils. Learning oils are a messy little business; little goes a LONG way and can do some pretty color stuff with them.

Somehow, a layer of grit/dust has wound up on an entire side of the speeder. Zero clue how or where or what but pressing on at this point.

And the cock pit panels are done or at least mostly done.

Currently, have tried the Micro Set/Sol and have a few decals in position. Admittedly, applying tiny transfers is not easy. At all. I placed a single item on the pilot's console and, then, both long instrument transfers. Something that small ... a tiny brush ... toothpick ... Q-tip .... tweezers ... challenging. Thus far this has been the most difficult task I have encountered.

The two very long transfers for either instrument panel ... major pain. Both are drying and both have wrinkles. My understanding is that Micro Sol will help these settle over a period of time. We shall see.

Not sure how I feel about them.

I was able to get a decent effect on the instrument panels. The large gunner screen and two smaller pilot screens. Painted white. Then, a mix of a Vallejo Game Color (BRIGHT/Fluorescent green) with Vallejo blue in several layers. Finally, a super thinned layer of Drakenhof Nighshade. Sort of looks digitized and "on"

10 hours ago, Dash Two said:

Do you have this issue? How do you mitigate it?

The best "solution" for this is having a limited budget. Seriously. Whether it's real or artificial, setting limits forces you to get both creative and make use of the things you already own/have purchased. If you have too many options, plans and things in the works, you'll get overwhelmed and paralyzed.

I'd suggest making a chart with 4 or 5 slots for projects you have in mind. Go ahead and have 1000 different projects in mind, but only move forward on those first 5. Once one of them is completed, cross it off/remove it from the list and you can move one of the others up onto your short-list.

Of course, be realistic. Don't list something that will take 4 years to complete as ONE project. Small chunks are easier to manage.

About the only problem you haven't had (on a quick read through) is that hair spray (being a water soluble lacquer) has things in it that may soften enamel paints and cause it to go soft. Thus ending in tears as you put finger prints over your hard work.

9 hours ago, Amanal said:

About the only problem you haven't had (on a quick read through) is that hair spray (being a water soluble lacquer) has things in it that may soften enamel paints and cause it to go soft. Thus ending in tears as you put finger prints over your hard work.

What is odd is that I have zero patience and drift into an area of perfectionism. Yet little of that has shown itself, as I trip through different techniques on my test models. Sort of like stuff happens; what did I do; what did I learn and don't do that again.

I think the salt (discoloration not chipping ) would be better served with an airbrush. Spray cans do not offer enough control. You get too close and it ruins the effect. Too far and the paint drys prior to hitting the surface and it shows up spotted.

Already doing research on an airbrush. My problem is I have no place to use it. I am 100% certain that will not be allowed inside my house. The garage/work space has temps that are too drastic. Trying to sort through that, as I have learned the spray cans work really quickly and leave such a pristine layer of paint.

In a short period of time I have noticed my painting and use of paints and how to use/when to use a medium or wash has gotten much better. My use of tiny tools to hold and move or clip tiny things has not improved. That is going to take a lot of time.

Appreciate all the feedback.

2 hours ago, Dash Two said:

What is odd is that I have zero patience and drift into an area of perfectionism. Yet little of that has shown itself, as I trip through different techniques on my test models. Sort of like stuff happens; what did I do; what did I learn and don't do that again.

I think the salt (discoloration not chipping ) would be better served with an airbrush. Spray cans do not offer enough control. You get too close and it ruins the effect. Too far and the paint drys prior to hitting the surface and it shows up spotted.

Already doing research on an airbrush. My problem is I have no place to use it. I am 100% certain that will not be allowed inside my house. The garage/work space has temps that are too drastic. Trying to sort through that, as I have learned the spray cans work really quickly and leave such a pristine layer of paint.

In a short period of time I have noticed my painting and use of paints and how to use/when to use a medium or wash has gotten much better. My use of tiny tools to hold and move or clip tiny things has not improved. That is going to take a lot of time.

Appreciate all the feedback.

indoor spray booth: http://a.co/33qIOfx

That way you can airbrush indoors and minimize the chances of hitting anything valuable.