Showcase: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6)

Incom Corporation T-65 X-wing space superiority fighter (Red 6); Bandai 1/72 scale finished in Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics, 502 Abteilung oils, and Secret Weapon Miniatures and Tamiya pigments.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 8

Painting on Porkins' base is complete! I will let the paint on the base dry overnight and then give it a gloss lacquer for a smoother finish. I already have the acrylic rod cut to the proper length and then I will epoxy everything together.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 7

Here are some early pictures of Porkin's X-wing. Everything on the model is done except for maybe a final topcoat of matte varnish. I got some 3/16" acrylic rod in the mail today that I will use to mount the model to a wooden plaque.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 6

All of the oil and pigment weathering is complete! I used the same process on this ship that I did on Luke's: various oil paints for panel discoloration and pigments for streaks and blaster marks. I also picked up some small wood plaques from Hobby Lobby to serve as a base. They came in a two-pack and were pretty cheap.

I won't be using the plastic stand, that was just for demonstration purposes. I'm thinking of making the base gloss black with a red Starbird in the center and attacking the ship with a clear acrylic rod or a metal rod painted black.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 5

The matte varnish has dried and I have assembled the X-wing. This weekend I will start working on the panel discoloration using oils and then a final pass of weathering with pigments, not unlike Luke's X-wing.

Though I had intended on keeping Porkins for my personal collection, the same client that commissioned Luke, Vader, and the TIEs made me an offer on this model. I'm happy to report that he will live out his days along side his wingman Luke!

30,000 Pageviews!

I hit 30,000 pageviews today!

I started this blog in 2012 shortly after I started the hobby. I had no modeling experience and for whatever reason I decided to start compiling my work and thoughts into this blog. Since then, I've matured as a painter and writer and I look forward to continuing that trend!

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 4

 

 Porkins is nearing completion! The oil paint has dried and now a couple of coats of matte varnish are drying on the model before I move on to discoloring the individual panels with different oil colors. I'm not sure what to do with the base at this moment, but I probably won't use the Death Star tile that came with the kit.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 3

This is a short updated, but I've started the gunk wash on Porkins' X-wing. The bottom half has already been gunk washed while the top half has not, leaving a noticeable difference. After all of the parts are done they will be left to dry for a week or so and then will be given a matte varnish in preparation for more weathering. Gunk washes have quickly become one of my preferred methods of weathering. The dirty surface effect they create works very well with Star Wars ships and it really makes a nice base for the rest of the weathering.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 2

I just applied the filter, only this time I used white spirits instead of turpenoid like last time. I let a piece of sprue soak in some white spirits all day and there seemed to be no ill effects so I went ahead and gave it a try. There are two coats of a filter made with 502 Abteilung German Ochre; the effect is obvious on the S-foil with the grey paneling, which was painted with Tamiya Royal Light Grey (XF-80).

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing (Red 6), Part 1

"I can hold it!"

I had some free time and an X-wing in pieces so I decided to do a quick build of the most endearing Rebel pilot from Star Wars: Jek Porkins!

His color scheme has always been among my favorites and I think it's because it has similar colors to my favorite American football team, the Washington Redskins. Since this model was already disassembled, I went ahead and primed everything with some Tamiya Surface Primer from a rattle can. I preshaded everything with Tamiya German Grey (XF-63) and then gave the model a base coat using the same color I mixed for Luke's X-wing.

His paneling isn't as varied as Luke's, but it is still rather interesting and the dark red color is unique to his ship. The yellow is Vallejo Model Air Ochre (71.033) and the dark red is a 4:1 mix of Vallejo Model Air Hull Red (71.039) and Fire Red (71.084). I used AK Interactive Heavy Chipping Fluid for the scuff marks on those colors. The lighter red is a 10:1 mix of Tamiya Flat Red (XF-7) and Hull Red (XF-9). I used some masking fluid applied with a piece of torn foam for the chipping effects.

Build Review: Bandai 1/72 X-wing

I had previously done a quick out-of-box review of this kit in December of last year, shortly after the kit was released to the public. To summarize it, I felt that this kit was vastly superior to the Fine Molds offering. Now to be fair, the Fine Molds kit is pretty old (at least ten years) and was previously the best and most accurate 1/72 scale model of the iconic X-wing. Now having built and painted both, I believe my initial reaction to this kit was well deserved. After the break, we'll dive into the good, the bad, and everything else with this stunning model kit.

Showcase: Bandai 1/72 X-wing

In a surprise move, I finished this model today. I didn't think I would be done with it already, but I was able to work on both the oils and the pigments without the two mixing. I'm not really "done" with the model because I need to get it a final coat of matte varnish to seal the pigments in, but I wanted to give the oil paint I applied a couple of days to dry. Truth be told, there are a couple of areas I need to touch up as well, but I'll get to that over the next couple of days. I will also write an end-of-build review to talk about the kit and the build process, so look forward to that shortly.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing, Part 8

I added the grey/black chipping on the S-foils and some other spots on the hull. I had forgotten to do this but luckily I caught it before I got any further on the weathering. It's a small detail but it's pretty distinctive and helps complete the model.

Working on some panel discoloration, primarily on the underside of the X-wing. I used some browns and greys to discolor a handful of panels using the studio model as a guide. The oil is very thin, almost a filter consistency, and will dry quickly. After it had dried, I'll protect it with a matte varnish and move on to some pigments.

This model is nearing completion and as soon as it's done, I'll begin working on the Death Star tiles for the the trench run. I have to buy a new workbench because my painting desk is nowhere larger enough to handle the volume of work that I will have making all of these tiles. Also, I have rather large model to work on, but what it is will be revealed shortly.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing, Part 7

No computer can hit that!

Working on some simple panel discoloration. This is one of my favorite techniques and is pretty easy to achieve.

Starting on a matte surface, dampen the panel with white spirits (it doesn't need to be soaked, just a barely visible sheen is enough). On your palette, mix your preferred oil paint with some thinner into a thin slurry (I used 502 Abteilung Faded UN White, Engine Grease, Faded Grey, and Faded Navy Blue). Get a little of the slurry on a clean brush (soft small flats work best) and apply it to the panel, working it over the surface making sure to leave no brush marks. Go around and pick out different panels with different colors for a nice mottled effect!

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

"It's true, all of it. The Dark Side. The Jedi. They're real."

WIP: Bandai 1/72 Y-wing

Like a cat distracted by a laser pointer, sometimes I just can't help myself... While waiting for the oil paint to dry on the X-wing, I decided to crack open one of my Y-wing kits to have a look inside. Of course, one thing led to another and I built and painted the cockpit. I primed it with black Alclad II primer and gave it a base coat of Tamiya Rubber Black (XF-85). I gave it a dry brush of Flat Aluminum (XF-16) to give it a worn look and went through and picked out panels and knobs with various Vallejo greys. The instruments on the front panel were painted with Tamiya clear paints. I then gave everything a brown enamel wash. After it dried, I used a Tamiya gunmetal pigment bring some of the metallic sheen back that the wash darkened. There is a pilot but I did not paint him as this ship will be displayed landed.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing, Part 6

I had my camera out to take glamour shots of the TIEs for the Star Wars commission so I decided to take a couple of nice pictures of the Luke for a before and after shot when the weathering is complete. The model is extra shiny because it has two coats of Future on it in preparation of oil paints. Personally, I think the model is gorgeous as is, but it would be an X-wing if it wasn't weathered to the nines!

I managed to disassemble the model even though I had originally intended on doing all of the weathering on the completed model. Taking it apart was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be and I'm happy I did it; it was a lot easier to work on without getting in my own way. I was planning on doing a panel line wash over the entire model, but I made a command decision to instead give the entire model a gunk wash. A gunk wash is a tried and true weathering technique that move model makes have relied on for years and I first learned about it after watching Adam Savage build models on the Tested YouTube channel. The process is very simple: put your desired oil color on a palette, apply generous amounts of oil paint on the model without thinning it, then wipe it off with a rag. This ends up discoloring the entire surface of the model and allows oil paint to build up in panel lines and recesses. This can be done over a matte or gloss varnish; matte leaves more oil on the surface compared to gloss, which may or may not be desired.

These models are fairly small.

Now the oil paint sit for a couple of days to dry completely before I begin to add more oils of various colors to give the model some tonal variations. After that oil has dried, the oil will be sealed with matte varnish and then I will apply pigments for the final stage of weathering.

Showcase: Bandai TIE Fighter & TIE/x1 Advanced

I finally got around to taking some showcase photos of the TIEs for the ongoing Star Wars commission. I wanted to play around with using a white backdrop instead of the black backdrop that I usually use. Overall, I like it; the pictures seem brighter (duh!) and more vivid. I forgot to adjust the white balance on my camera before I shot these so they're slightly off but not too bad. I also need to get a higher quality backdrop than the ones I currently have, so look for that in the future.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing, Part 5

After I applied two coats of an ochre filter and allowed the model to dry for a couple of days, I went ahead and assembled the model completely. I was initially going to hold off on this step and weather each section of the model individually, but after some test fitting with another one of these models I have in pieces, I decided to go forward with assembly. I also think that it will be easier to get a more consistent finish in the weathering since I can do the entire model at once.

The next step is to give the model a couple of coats of Future before applying an oil panel line wash across the entire model and a gunk wash in some selected areas such as the engines and droid trench. After the oil dries for a couple of days, I will seal it with some matte varnish and begin applying pigments, using the studio model as a reference. I would also like to note that the ochre filter is much more noticeable in person than compared to these pictures I snapped with my iPhone camera.

WIP: Bandai 1/72 X-wing, Part 4: The Turps Strike Back

After giving the entire model a rubdown with a 3200 grit sanding sponge, I applied a filter using 502 Abteilung German Ochre thinned excessively with odorless turpenoid. When I went to see if it was dried, I found this:

Other modelers have had issues with oil paint thinners reacting to Bandai plastic, specifically the AT-ST kit, but this is the first time I've seen it on an X-wing and the first time it's happened to me. While these few issues can be fixed with some cement and then hidden with weathering, it now has me worried that other areas of the model will be damaged by the turpenoid. Other than these issues, the filter worked great in toning the color down and warming the base color, so that's a positive.