Suggested decals and paint job vs Your own ideas

Hey there,
I'm just wondering who among us uses the suggested paint job and supplied decals that come with a rocket kit vs doing it your own way that has nothing at all to do with what the manufacturer supplies and suggests.

I like to have fun and be creative and come up with my own ideas when it comes to paint and decals. So out of the 7 rockets I've completed so far I have yet to do what was in the instructions for decorating.
For example, my next plan when it gets warmer here so I can spray paint outside, is to paint and re-name the Estes Neon to Snowflake since it has 6 small tubes surrounding the main one and to paint it white and light blue to match the color of the sky when it snows during the day.
I have some snowflake stickers that I found to put on as well.

So what do you do? Customize your decorating from kits or go with what they suggest or both?

I've done both, but tend toward original or at least original-ish (similar to kit but different colors, and such) color schemes. Unless one is entering Classic Model competition there's certainly no necessity to reproduce what the kit calls for.

A specific case where creativity is called for: Vern Estes has said more than once that the Big Bertha should always be done to suit one's on personality - and if you look at his original you can see where that comes from. The original BB is the one on the right in this picture taken last July at NARAM-56.

LaunchPad said:

Hey there,
I'm just wondering who among us uses the suggested paint job and supplied decals that come with a rocket kit vs doing it your own way that has nothing at all to do with what the manufacturer supplies and suggests.

I like to have fun and be creative and come up with my own ideas when it comes to paint and decals. So out of the 7 rockets I've completed so far I have yet to do what was in the instructions for decorating.
For example, my next plan when it gets warmer here so I can spray paint outside, is to paint and re-name the Estes Neon to Snowflake since it has 6 small tubes surrounding the main one and to paint it white and light blue to match the color of the sky when it snows during the day.
I have some snowflake stickers that I found to put on as well.

So what do you do? Customize your decorating from kits or go with what they suggest or both?

Click to expand...

Oh, both, of course...

One thing to keep in mind is, visibility in flight and on the ground after landing... More than a few rockets have lifted off with REALLY cool paint jobs (including sky blue/white rockets) that nearly instantly were "lost" in the sky and never seen again, or were impossible to find on the ground (grass green or really cool looking camo paint jobs).

Not saying it CANNOT be done, just that one has to be REALLY careful about such things if they want to avoid losing their rocket... while brightly colored parachutes and/or streamers help, they don't GUARANTEE you'll be able to find the rocket again either in the air or on the ground...

Just something to consider...

"Dressing up" otherwise hard-to-see paint schemes with highly reflective (mirrored) wraps, bands, fin appliques, or bands or a single fin (or opposing fins) with bright "neon orange" or other similar colors (reflective "Trim Monokote" is available in a variety of highly reflective and neon colors that can be applied to areas of the rocket to make it more visible in flight and on the ground) will GREATLY assist one in keeping a visual sighting on the rocket in flight and finding it in the air if one DOES momentarily lose sight of it, (the sky is a SURPRISINGLY big place when one loses sight of a rocket suspended in it!) or on the ground (which is very big as well, but at least has the benefit of mostly being planar... )

Later and good luck, and be sure you post plenty of pics of your creative paint jobs here on the forum!

OL JR

BEC said:

Vern Estes has said more than once that the Big Bertha should always be done to suit one's on personality

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Ha ha! Now this is ironic, because the Big Bertha is really the ONLY rocket I currently own for which I used the stock decals and prescribed paint scheme EXACTLY. I alway customize, but for that kit I used the retro style that was rereleased a little while ago.

LaunchPad said:

Hey there,
I'm just wondering who among us uses the suggested paint job and supplied decals that come with a rocket kit vs doing it your own way that has nothing at all to do with what the manufacturer supplies and suggests.

I like to have fun and be creative and come up with my own ideas when it comes to paint and decals. So out of the 7 rockets I've completed so far I have yet to do what was in the instructions for decorating.
For example, my next plan when it gets warmer here so I can spray paint outside, is to paint and re-name the Estes Neon to Snowflake since it has 6 small tubes surrounding the main one and to paint it white and light blue to match the color of the sky when it snows during the day.
I have some snowflake stickers that I found to put on as well.

So what do you do? Customize your decorating from kits or go with what they suggest or both?

Click to expand...

I came up with a simple but vibrant livery, designed to look decent across my entire fleet. The masking can be a little tough on some models but the painting itself is a simple two color combination. I am not particularly artistic but I like to have them look nice, so this was an easy means to that end.

Once in a while I like to use the stock suggested color scheme for a rocket, but more often I do my own thing.

Scale models do deserve a scale or at least scale-ish colorscheme.

LaunchPad said:

So what do you do? Customize your decorating from kits or go with what they suggest or both?

Click to expand...

We (my son and I) went with the suggestions on the first two kits. We lost those two so I now aim for maximum visibility. I'm gradually improving my modeling skills- I'm experimenting with a two tone high contrast theme on my next rocket. So the answer to the question is we started with suggestions and now do custom.

I tend to do it exactly as indicated. Of course most of what I'm into is scale, so there's that, but even on the few non-scale things I build I tend to do it without any changes.

Glenn

LaunchPad said:

Hey there,
I'm just wondering who among us uses the suggested paint job and supplied decals that come with a rocket kit vs doing it your own way that has nothing at all to do with what the manufacturer supplies and suggests.

I like to have fun and be creative and come up with my own ideas when it comes to paint and decals. So out of the 7 rockets I've completed so far I have yet to do what was in the instructions for decorating.
For example, my next plan when it gets warmer here so I can spray paint outside, is to paint and re-name the Estes Neon to Snowflake since it has 6 small tubes surrounding the main one and to paint it white and light blue to match the color of the sky when it snows during the day.
I have some snowflake stickers that I found to put on as well.

So what do you do? Customize your decorating from kits or go with what they suggest or both?

Click to expand...

When building Kits use of color and markings (decals) are about the only way to do any kind of creative customizing on our models.

Rarely do I ever go with the Pictured paint scheme unless I really like the look to begin with. I do use the supplied decals if they will show up on whatever paint scheme I come up with and/or add additional home made and decals from other kits to complete the look.

More recently I've started adding little bits and dodads to kit models to add a bit of interest to the normal kits (Unless Scale) Scale models are generally built, Colors and finished to reflect a specific vehicle or round I have documentation on.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Ha ha! Now this is ironic, because the Big Bertha is really the ONLY rocket I currently own for which I used the stock decals and prescribed paint scheme EXACTLY. I alway customize, but for that kit I used the retro style that was rereleased a little while ago.

Click to expand...

OMG, it's like a rocket Rorschach...(in a Viennese accent), "Tell me, Herr Barbarian, vhen you look at das Rocktet, vat do you see?"

If you are prone to losing rockets I will suggest hot pink. I know it is a "girly" color, but it contrasts well against the sky and nearly every type of ground color (grass/snow/cornfields). I have a small rocket that is yellow and black. This scheme worked well when I launched from a grassy park, but not very well when my club uses a harvested corn field. I have 60 recorded flights on this little rocket and have decided to repaint it after spending way too much time looking for it in cornfields. I have almost stepped on it several times as I didn't see it until the last second. If a pink rocket is too much for you, then consider safety orange or bright red. If you have access to a sewing machine you can get some brightly colored rip stop nylon and make your own parachutes out of a bright color.

If I choose to build a kit, it is likely because the I found the marketed paint/decal scheme appealing, so I would finish it that way. I do enough of my own paint schemes for my scratch designs.

While I don't really have a specific paint design like watermelonman, I do paint almost all of my rockets blue, some with some silver paint also. Interestingly none of my rockets have the same blue paint on them (One is navy/silver, one is teal/silver, one is standard blue/silver, and one is a crayon that came with blue plastic/paper). I tend to not follow the suggested designs, although I do occasionally use the stock decals.

I have always gone the creative path on all my rockets except my current one. Last year I named my L3 Ultimate Darkstar UP IN SMOKE complete with Cheech & Chong graphics. The main chute failed to open and only half the rocket could be salvaged.I have rebuilt it better stronger and lighter.I had to rename it as it really is a different rocket. This time anything that I came up with had already been used so I relented to the Ultimate Darkstar & Wildman logo holigrahpic style and am planning a wicked black metal flake paintjob. So it is a manufacturer name with alot more pizzaz.

Some rockets just look "right" in their face card or catalog scheme (particularly some of the more "classic" rockets)—but it's really about your own sensibilities and what pleases you.

For my own part, I sometimes do a rocket in it's catalog scheme, sometimes I vary that scheme and sometimes paint a rocket in whatever I happen to like. It's all fun.

A look through the Galleries here will give you a good idea of what and how other folks think about this very topic. Some good ideas, creativity and inspiration to be found there.

The_Lone_Beagle said:

OMG, it's like a rocket Rorschach...(in a Viennese accent), "Tell me, Herr Barbarian, vhen you look at das Rocktet, vat do you see?"

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Well, if I ever do another Big Bertha, I'm thinking about putting a B-17 cockpit on it and painting it in warbird livery with a sexy pin-up girl on the nose. It's going to be an RB-17 (Rocket Bomber model 17).

If/when I build my spare Mega Der Red Max, I'm going to get Stickershock decals for it that are a variation on the original. One idea is Erik Der Red Max, with a Viking theme. Another idea is Mega Der Mad Max, with Road Warrior barbarian styling. If anyone else wants to do the Mad Max one, you have my blessing, but I'm calling dibs on the Erik Der Red Max!

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Well, if I ever do another Big Bertha, I'm thinking about putting a B-17 cockpit on it and painting it in warbird livery with a sexy pin-up girl on the nose. It's going to be an RB-17 (Rocket Bomber model 17).

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If you are going to build a cockpit you might as well put on a wing, tail and some more motors in PODS. I think a late war chrome finish B-17G with the chin turret would be awesome.

I seldom finish sport rockets like the face card anymore.

Daddyisabar said:

If you are going to build a cockpit you might as well put on a wing, tail and some more motors in PODS. I think a late war chrome finish B-17G with the chin turret would be awesome.

I seldom finish sport rockets like the face card anymore.

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Well, I am a fan of pods...

Is that a Maxi Alpha Three with the missile paint job? I accidentally squashed my nephew's little Patriot, so I owe him a replacement rocket. I've got an MA3 in primer I might paint up for him. He would probably like that kind of look. Of course, he would probably prefer it with Chinese or North Korean missile references --- maybe Gangnam Style or a Type o' Dong.

I typically keep scale models correct - there's no point in building scale if you aren't reasonably correct - but when it comes to sport rockets its a different story. As others have noted, if the facecard livery looks good or is particularly iconic, then I'll probably keep it similar, but it all depends on the rocket. I'm likely to change up colors but keep the decals (see my EPM-010) or mash up themes from different models (Der Mean Max). For a time, I painted everything red, just because it was easier to see...

Each idea presents its own challenges and rewards. On the one hand, you may find it challenging to try to duplicate what is on the box--finding just the right shade of paint, getting the decals just right, etc. On the other hand, there is the creative act of "doing your own thing."

Kind of like bands doing remakes. Two bands might each cover a Beatle song. One band gets the comment, "Wow! You guys sound just like the Beatles." And this is a high compliment. The other band gets the comment, "Wow. You really took that song and made it your own." And this is an equally high compliment.

Summary: do what you enjoy.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Well, I am a fan of pods...

Is that a Maxi Alpha Three with the missile paint job? I accidentally squashed my nephew's little Patriot, so I owe him a replacement rocket. I've got an MA3 in primer I might paint up for him. He would probably like that kind of look. Of course, he would probably prefer it with Chinese or North Korean missile references --- maybe Gangnam Style or a Type o' Dong.

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That is the mighty Estes PS II Leviathan in the US ARMY test missile scheme. The Mega Skeeter is Chinese scheme, an AVG Flying Tiger.

I have enough trouble coming up with paint ideas for my scratch builds, so for kits I tend to follow the package art as closely as I can. Same for cloning. If left to my own devices I'd probably come up with some kind of white/black/fluorescent paint scheme. Creativity isn't one of my strengths.:wink:

I've always favored rockets that look realistic whether they're scale or sport. When it comes to the latter category I have rarely (if ever) used the face card motif. Most of the sport models I've built look like sounding rockets.

LW Bercini said:

If I choose to build a kit, it is likely because the I found the marketed paint/decal scheme appealing, so I would finish it that way.

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I agree, as I've built most of my kits that way, but one look at the Leviathan Gallery has me reconsidering.

The first time I noticed what a difference paint could make was when I was building my Semroc Vega. I was spraying it with gray primer behind the garage when one of my neighbors stopped to see what I was doing in the alley. She asked when it would be done, and I said I still had white and red to paint, but she said, "You should leave it gray. It looks...menacing." I looked again, and she was right. It did look sinister as a flat gray rocket, almost like the V2's cousin.

So now I'm working on several rockets, waiting till warmer weather to paint, but I think only one of them will get painted in the marketed scheme.

With the exception of kits from Sirius Rocketry, I usually come up with my own scheme.