toy model painting

well I'll show you how to make you star wars models to look its best or your best. :)

Step 1 Preping

well I'm not going to show you how to build the model because there are instructions in the box for that (duh) but I'll show you how to paint it to look pretty realistic. I started off with gray primer, for two reasons one its base coat to build on and 2 it makes the other paint stick better. So the first step is to paint it with gray primer. and move on to next step.

Comments

[nnygamer]

A quick paint and build job, good for those who aren't sticklers for authenticity. I didn't bother fillinging in the seams on mine either but I took a few liberties and also added a base.

[webman3802]

The overspray technique is useful in some situations, but most of the time, an airbrush can give you a much more refined look. With the overspray from a spray can, you get a roughly even distribution of the spots, which usually would have a hard edge (color contrast) to them, instead of blending in to the base coat. Also, you need to be careful because you can sometimes get a "shadow" where an area doesn't get the overspray because something (another part of the model) was between it and the spray can. Having said all of this, it does have its applications. I use it when I need to simulate stone. A grey primer base coat, followed by a dusting of dark grey, black, and white to give it a grainy texture, then I follow-up with washes and drybrushing to keep it from all being the same texture throughout. Consider if the model were the real thing, where would be some likely locations of wear and/or dirt or grime? You mentioned drybrushing the tank treads, and that's a good example. On the AT-ST walker, the feet would likely be dirtier than the rest of it, maybe some dark burn marks around the laser cannon, some runny oil streaks coming from the joints in the legs, etc, while on flying vehicles, any leading edges are likely to have chipped paint.

[slimguy379]

ik, if you read in one step i made mention of airbrushing, but didn't want people to run out to get an airbrush

[webman3802]

Forgot to add, one of my favorite techniques to simulate wear on "metal" surfaces is to paint and weather as usual, then take a silver artist pencil and run it along any hard edges or points (rivets, etc) that would be exposed to wear. This will look like the paint is wearing off along those edges. You may need to seal it in with a clear dullcoat.

[FreshPineSent]

You forgot one crucial step: removing flash.

[Patrik]

Yeah - my thoughts exactly. You can see a little flash in the 4th picture of Step 1, on the seam running diagonally through the "head" of the model. Plastic flash is pretty easy to shave off with an xacto knife - just be careful not to scratch the model and make things worse than before. Metal flash and mold lines are much harder to deal with.

[JakkRabbit]

Careful when trimming flash and such. Make sure to trim away from you and that there are no fingers/ other body parts on the other end of the piece to be trimmed. My thumb learned this lesson the hard way. Also, a nifty tip I picked up for small cuts (such as from xacto knives) is to apply a small amount of super glue to the area. This will seal the hair-line cut, and stop bleeding. NOTE: only use on small cuts.

[slimguy379]

thanks for informing me about what I needed to do and What flash is etc, thanks again

[FreshPineSent]

Your welcome. My uncle is a mold maker, so , yeah.

[slimguy379]

you wouldn't happen to be able to get me some deals on non car models, would jah?

[FreshPineSent]

Wish I could, but his company makes medical equipment. Sorry!

[Patrik]

I'd settle for a nice plastic skull! :-D

[slimguy379]

amen!! put red 10mm leds for the eyes and put gears on the hinge of the jaws, so the top part of the skull moves so it looks as though its laughing!! *instructables idea

[slimguy379]

What?!! elaberate

[FreshPineSent]

Ok. You probably know that your models are made using a technique known as injection molding. With injection molding, hot liquid plastic is injected into a mold. After the plastic has cooled for a few seconds, the mold splits apart and pushes the plastic pieces out. Flash is the term used for the extra plastic around the edges of the model, where hot plastic got into the seam between the two halves of the mold.

This might explain in a little better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molding_flash

[wenpherd]

the blast marks on pict five are good but if you hold it at a angle with the tip pointing at the back you can aceeve a better look

[slimguy379]

awhh yes, thanks i did this along time ago, but yeah i might re-paint them, so i will thanks

[sivion44]

Try putting a coat of Future Floor Polish on your model to protect the finish from the wash, then you can put a Dullcaot on it.

[slimguy379]

Dullcaot!?! elaborate..........

[darkmuskrat]

heres a great site I reference for building my Gundam models.
http://www.dannychoo.com/adp/eng/213/Gundam+Modeling+Tutorial.html

[slimguy379]

cool site, I'm not that into Gundam but appreciate the art etc. but if I find other cool models I will post them, THANKS!!!

[Spiritwolf]

Nice job, but you should have "removed" the construction joints.

[slimguy379]

I would have but this is an older model and was already put together with glue

[Mr. Rig It]

Oh duhh, I see it in the photo.

[Mr. Rig It]

Is there a certain primer that you use. Is is specifically modeling primer, or can it be Krylon primer?