Warning! Horrendous Paint Job! Not for the young, faint of heart or loose of bowel.

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Pem Tech

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For all to see, I bare my personal shame....
About two years ago I bought a Paasche single action airbrush, and up to now, I hadn't the courage to break it out and start learning. Well, that is part falsehood, I did try to use it right after making the purchase. Unfortunately I tried to use indoor latex wall paint. It was a disaster...
:bangbang:
It has taken this long to heal the wounds and finish the therapy.

This past week I finished a new scratch build that really needed an alien looking paint job, to do it justice, so it was time to attempt airbrushing once again. Yesterday I picked up a complete selection of opaque and florescent Createx paints and put them to use.

The above mentioned scratch build, right now it doesn't have an official name, is called Code Name Kran. (Photo is at the end of this post) It was the result of a break from my dependence on Rocksim, but I will cover that in a different thread.

Given its exotic appearance I felt it screamed "ALIEN!" and one of my favorite alien spacecraft schemes belongs to the Vorlon's. Below is a beautifully crafted and finished Vorlon ship showing how they are supposed to look.

models_das_vorlon.jpg


The original paint job had to be sanded off, but that is another thread as well.
So, I shot my model with a bit of white primer, then a coat of Createx white, then a coat of Createx florescent green. After researching Vorlon spacecraft and how modelers have tried to duplicate the paint schemes, I proceeded to butcher said theme.

CodenameKran_1277.jpg


Oh.....
The pain...
The shame...

But, maybe there is a lesson or twelve to be learned.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to fixing this mess? That is besides burning it and starting over. How could I duplicate the Das Model finish.
 
I don't think it looks all that bad.

Oh! That was the plastic model! I was wondering how stable that was.

As for yours, I don't think it looks all that bad. In fact I think it looks good. It just doesn't look like the plastic one. It kind of evokes it...kind of... but it still looks good.

As for therapy, you need go go put in some quality time with your llama and "feel the love"
 
Did you get the H model? I just got one too! That paint job doesn't look too bad honestly, I'd just hit it with some clear and call it good.

Don't fix what aint broken. :D
 
I don't think it looks all that bad.

Oh! That was the plastic model! I was wondering how stable that was.

As for yours, I don't think it looks all that bad. In fact I think it looks good. It just doesn't look like the plastic one. It kind of evokes it...kind of... but it still looks good.

As for therapy, you need go go put in some quality time with your llama and "feel the love"


Thank you Brother John....
I thought it kind of invoked... nausea?

Here is a shot of another problem I had...

CodenameKran_1295.jpg


The white coat dried rather quickly, and the green felt dry when I whipped out the black. However, while committing the horror that was the black squiggles I hit a couple of isolated wet spots of green paint.
:bangpan:
How long should one let Createx dry between coats? And are these spot repairable?
Meaning, is it worth the effort or should I slap and insignia over them?
 
Last edited:
Thank you Brother John....
I thought it kind of invoked... nausea?

Here is a shot of another problem I had...

CodenameKran_1295.jpg


The white coat dried rather quickly, and the green felt dry when I whipped out the black. However, while committing the horror that was the black squiggles I hit a couple of isolated wet spots of green paint.
:bangpan:
How long should one let Createx dry between coats? And are these spot repairable?
Meaning, is it worth the effort or should I slap and insignia over them?

I usually let my createx sit for about an hour before spraying another color on top of it.

As for fixing those mistake areas, you could always mask the area around off and hit those spots with primer and re do them.:confused2:
 
Thank you Brother John....
I thought it kind of invoked... nausea?

Here is a shot of another problem I had...

CodenameKran_1295.jpg


The white coat dried rather quickly, and the green felt dry when I whipped out the black. However, while committing the horror that was the black squiggles I hit a couple of isolated wet spots of green paint.
:bangpan:
How long should one let Createx dry between coats? And are these spot repairable?
Meaning, is it worth the effort or should I slap and insignia over them?

The technical term, I believe, is "Battle Damage". A ship can absorb only so much punishment before the shields let energy through and the hull starts melting.
 
Ugly is apparently in the eye of the beholder. My first attempt at airbrushing as an adult was my scratch built 'Arrow' Simple theory, make a rocket that looks like an arrow. Different color fins to look like feathers, a silver nosecone and a simple woodgrain body tube.

Well, it turned out horrendous. I almost scrapped it, but figured I'd just fly it on a big single use motor and plastic chute and lose it. I have now flown it 5 or 6 times and people seem to think it loos good during check-in. I still think it is terrible, but who cares, it flies great and others don't seem to mind.

As far as Createx, my skill improved 100 fold once I started spraying a light first coat (maybe 30% coverage, or just a hint of color). Then, hit it with a heat gun, but no so much as to bubble it. Maybe a hairdryer would work, but I happen to use a heat gun and move it around all over the place, never staying in one place at all. Then, a second coat maybe 70-90% coverage, but still not at all wet. Heat gun dry again. Last coat might be able to get a little wet looking, but this stuff is nothing like rattle cans and going on wet does not ever work for me. Final heat coat and move on to the next color.

The first pic is my Arrow, which still almost seems to be a little stick 2 years later. The second pic is my LOC 4. The final colors (not black and white, which were rattle can) took about 45 minutes with the neighbor kids watching and asking questions.

Actually, I tried to freehand a stripe at the end and ruined the paint job, but had I skipped that step, it would have been done that quick. The link to the problem and fix are here:

https://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4184

Suffice it to say, I have given up on freehand. . .

Sandy.

arrow finished small.JPG

new_stripe 1.jpg
 
Ugly is apparently in the eye of the beholder. My first attempt at airbrushing as an adult was my scratch built 'Arrow' Simple theory, make a rocket that looks like an arrow. Different color fins to look like feathers, a silver nosecone and a simple woodgrain body tube.

Well, it turned out horrendous. I almost scrapped it, but figured I'd just fly it on a big single use motor and plastic chute and lose it. I have now flown it 5 or 6 times and people seem to think it loos good during check-in. I still think it is terrible, but who cares, it flies great and others don't seem to mind.

As far as Createx, my skill improved 100 fold once I started spraying a light first coat (maybe 30% coverage, or just a hint of color). Then, hit it with a heat gun, but no so much as to bubble it. Maybe a hairdryer would work, but I happen to use a heat gun and move it around all over the place, never staying in one place at all. Then, a second coat maybe 70-90% coverage, but still not at all wet. Heat gun dry again. Last coat might be able to get a little wet looking, but this stuff is nothing like rattle cans and going on wet does not ever work for me. Final heat coat and move on to the next color.

The first pic is my Arrow, which still almost seems to be a little stick 2 years later. The second pic is my LOC 4. The final colors (not black and white, which were rattle can) took about 45 minutes with the neighbor kids watching and asking questions.

Actually, I tried to freehand a stripe at the end and ruined the paint job, but had I skipped that step, it would have been done that quick. The link to the problem and fix are here:

https://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4184

Suffice it to say, I have given up on freehand. . .

Sandy.

Hey, I like the color fades....
Gotta learn how to do that.
 
Brother John, you are a genius!!!
:cheers:

If only SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED could see this post. When she gets done laughing/coughing/crying/teaching naughty words in Korean, she would see it as her duty to try and have you committed.:y:

Don't worry though, she never reads these posts AND she still hasn't managed to get committed and I'm her first priority.:bangpan:
 
The technical term, I believe, is "Battle Damage". A ship can absorb only so much punishment before the shields let energy through and the hull starts melting.

I was going to suggest something along the same lines.

smudge some more black around the spots to make them look like photon torpedo strikes.
 
OMG! You should have also warned everyone that it is not for the old, too! :y:

My eyes, my eyes...... :eyepop:

I don't think that I'll ever be able to get that image out of my head! :(




Actually, I agree with the others - it looks pretty cool, Layne. Even the problem areas that you pointed out don't look bad. In fact, they look like a couple of areas of battle damage that were patched up after the ship returned to base. Really cool extra detailing, there, guy! I don't know if there are many modelers who would go that extra mile to include such touches in their paint jobs, or who would even have the skill to pull it off. Nice work! :D Give this man the gold! Best in show! :wave:

MarkII
 
"young, faint of heart or loose of bowel"

Well, I'm certainly not young anymore, and I don't think I'm too chicken....how about two out of three?

Your design AND PAINT looks great! I agree with the others that you have done a fine job, now just leave it alone! (anybody gives you grief about the paint, tell 'em you have been on the original, and that is exactly what it's supposed to look like!....that ought to throw 'em for a few seconds until you can make your getaway)
 
Thank you Brother John....
I thought it kind of invoked... nausea?

If you're aiming for something comprable to the original, I think that the green background color is more of the problem than your painting technique. The original has a muted look, even with the black on yellow. It's no wonder it suffered photon torpedo strikes: that fluorescent green color you painted it wouldn't allow it to sneak up on anyone. :bangbang:
 
Layne, I like the overall look. It looks to me as if you have the same problem I do.. impatientitus... I can't wait either, and thats where I run into troubles too.

Cool looking rocket! paint a few blaster marks over the screw ups and its good to go!
 
Warning! Horrendous Paint Job! Not for the young, faint of heart or loose of bowel.

Ooops:eek:! Oh Lord... My good pants:(. I should have read the title more carefully.
 
Layne, I like the overall look. It looks to me as if you have the same problem I do.. impatientitus... I can't wait either, and thats where I run into troubles too.

Cool looking rocket! paint a few blaster marks over the screw ups and its good to go!
What screw ups?!?! Everything in that paint job was meant to be there, right? And it took years of practice to develop the skills to create it (along with a hefty dose of talent)!

MarkII
 
The "battle damage" idea came to mind before I saw that i was beaten to the post!:cool:

LEAVE IT ALONE! It looks great as is. Repost this thread as a poll and see what the rest o' the peanut gallery thinks.:D

Ed
 
As a teenager many decades ago, I was building a model of a P40 to enter into a plastic model contest. I got a drop of glue on one of the side windows and hit on the idea of making it into a bullet hole so the fogged window looked intentional. Of course, I had to make a string of bullet holes leading up to that one. That led to mud spatters and oil streaks on the belly and ultimately to a muddy footprint on the cockpit floor. I guess I got carried away with the battle damage/weathering theme. In any case, the judges were blown away and I took 1st place over some much more experienced modelers who had built military models with a factory-new look.
 
If you're aiming for something comprable to the original, I think that the green background color is more of the problem than your painting technique. The original has a muted look, even with the black on yellow. It's no wonder it suffered photon torpedo strikes: that fluorescent green color you painted it wouldn't allow it to sneak up on anyone. :bangbang:

Yes, you have a point..
AFter the green had gone on a tried a couple of methods to tone it down. A light shot of opaque yellow looked like dark spots. Then I shot the lower fin with a very light black coat, trying to get a stripling effect. Well, that didn't work either. Maybe next time I mix something into the paint to tone it down BEFORE spraying it on.


Layne, I like the overall look. It looks to me as if you have the same problem I do.. impatientitus... I can't wait either, and thats where I run into troubles too.

Cool looking rocket! paint a few blaster marks over the screw ups and its good to go!


Thanks....
Yes, I was very impatient. A cold front with snow was headed or way and I wanted to get it done before the precip started.


put a bunch of leds on it and only fly at night.

Ohhhhhh
FLorescent gree leds.......
Shiney


What screw ups?!?! Everything in that paint job was meant to be there, right? And it took years of practice to develop the skills to create it (along with a hefty dose of talent)!

MarkII


Can I list you on my Resume?
;)


"young, faint of heart or loose of bowel"

Well, I'm certainly not young anymore, and I don't think I'm too chicken....how about two out of three?

Your design AND PAINT looks great! I agree with the others that you have done a fine job, now just leave it alone! (anybody gives you grief about the paint, tell 'em you have been on the original, and that is exactly what it's supposed to look like!....that ought to throw 'em for a few seconds until you can make your getaway)

HA!
But I HAVE been on the original!!
Wait..
Was that I "outside voice"?
Pretend you never heard that.

After finish the black I was disapointed and so thought that bringing up to the house to get some positive reenforcement from my Trudy.
It didn't work that way..
Between the laughter, tears and twitching in a corner she managed to convey the idea that is wasn't too pretty.
:bangpan:

OMG! You should have also warned everyone that it is not for the old, too! :y:

My eyes, my eyes...... :eyepop:

I don't think that I'll ever be able to get that image out of my head! :(




Actually, I agree with the others - it looks pretty cool, Layne. Even the problem areas that you pointed out don't look bad. In fact, they look like a couple of areas of battle damage that were patched up after the ship returned to base. Really cool extra detailing, there, guy! I don't know if there are many modelers who would go that extra mile to include such touches in their paint jobs, or who would even have the skill to pull it off. Nice work! :D Give this man the gold! Best in show! :wave:

MarkII

You were warned!

Thanks...
But I am sure there are modelers that would go the extra mile to get away from this atrocity.

If only SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED could see this post. When she gets done laughing/coughing/crying/teaching naughty words in Korean, she would see it as her duty to try and have you committed.:y:

Don't worry though, she never reads these posts AND she still hasn't managed to get committed and I'm her first priority.:bangpan:


Yeah, that was the reaction I got from Trudy.

And getting commited?
Like she would be the first to try...
HA!

:duck:
 
Thanks....
Yes, I was very impatient. A cold front with snow was headed or way and I wanted to get it done before the precip started.

these paints laugh in the face of humidity, precip, heat ,cold... that one of the beautys of acrylic paints !

now if you meant "you" didn't want to get cold and wet.. yes I see your point on that...lol
 
I think it looks good Layne!

Some practice painting might help in your confidence level. Prime up some sheets of balsa and get one of the Badger 8 color paint sets at Michael's with a 40% coupon and play (also get some of the badger caps that fit the paint bottles, they fit in to the Paasche brushes too!). I haven't done much acrylic work yet but it seems the many light coats is the way to go, much different from shooting Testor's which is what I learned on.
 
Yeah, that was the reaction I got from Trudy.

And getting commited?
Like she would be the first to try...
HA!

:duck:

Trudy spreaks Korean? Then we are BOTH in trouble:bangpan:
 
Okay, so I liked your idea, so I decided to try it...

Yours looks a lot better. :neener:


however, I had the same problem with the black bleeding into the green.:rolleyes:

DSCN0813.jpg
 
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