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[Blake27]

Hello, All!

It's been a second since I came and said hi, just been working on the kit and lurking for when I have questions. The kit I'm working on has been through a lot - at least 3 repaints for the lid, and the armor has been doing double duty as testing canvases. I've been working under the watchful remote eye of Bade Duun, though, and he let me know it might be about time to show my work, as incomplete as it might be.

First up, a general image. I'm going for official membership, so trying to be unique while utilizing good fundamentals. There is a lot of evidence in these images, in my opinion, that I'm still learning, but I hope y'all can see potential.


Here's the lid from the front. I tried two different weathering methods on here, one being tape as a mask. I like it but don't love it and will likely chip away further during wet sanding. Also considering making the cheeks black.


Right Side. Earcaps will be chrome and touch ups are needed.


Left side, same deal.


Back. The little strip on the back plate is a happy accident that I actually like, barring it needing to be straightened out. Likely will go chrome though.


Armor. I was going through a multi layered deal, and like the idea, but don't love it. I likely will sand down until only traces of red remain, to hint that it was once there.


Embarrassing, but there's no point if I'm not gonna be honest. Trying water on the gold layer to see what would happen. I think it could be fun with a proper sanding but the paint didn't all set so might toss the idea and go with a similar theme as the rest of the armor.


Getting too happy with my sanding. Know of any way to fix this?


I could make a whole post just on the gauntlets and my struggles with them. While I don't want this one to die in a fire, I will be repainting.


Ok, how do I make this look real? Another frustrating piece.


As far as soft parts, that is a WIP. I got a flight suit but my cat decided that it was his new bathroom and it's wrecked. Life, I suppose.

I welcome all input, no matter the character of it. It should be known that I'm a beginner and if it looks even slightly acceptable, it's because I have an amazing mentor. Thanks for your time and critiques.

[Odran Krayt]

For the blaster, I'd say just give it a matte black coat, then drybrush the high points with silver, and give the barrel tip a bit more silver, with a bit of copper to show heat coloring, assuming you don't have an airbrush to get the full gradient. (I don't, so I have to make do)

 As for the flightsuit, is it damaged, or could it be washed? Because if it is only mildly damaged, any stains could be made to look like weathering.

[Blake27]

For the blaster, I'd say just give it a matte black coat, then drybrush the high points with silver, and give the barrel tip a bit more silver, with a bit of copper to show heat coloring, assuming you don't have an airbrush to get the full gradient. (I don't, so I have to make do)

 As for the flightsuit, is it damaged, or could it be washed? Because if it is only mildly damaged, any stains could be made to look like weathering.

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely try that on the pistol. It's been driving me up the wall. The flight suit is more of a smell thing. Repeated washings have failed to eradicate the smell, although visually it looks fine.

[Sylvilagus]

Have you tried soaking it in cheap vodka? Failing that, have you tried soaking yourself in cheap vodka?

[Blake27]

Have you tried soaking it in cheap vodka? Failing that, have you tried soaking yourself in cheap vodka?

Um... I've tried soaking myself in cheap vodka, but it turns out it doesn't help with the smell or my ability to put together a kit.

Lol, does that work? If it does, I'll give it a shot. Flight suits ain't cheap.

[Sylvilagus]

It does for a lot of pervasive odors. The alcohol takes a lot of stank with it when it evaporates. Cheap vodka in a spray bottle is also a good way to clean anything you don't want to immerse in water.
Or maybe you could try for the Beast Tamer Brigade...

[Fenn Ryse]

As far as soft parts, that is a WIP. I got a flight suit but my cat decided that it was his new bathroom and it's wrecked. Life, I suppose.

Get some Nature's Miracle cat mess enzymatic spray and SOAK your flightsuit in it as a pre-treatment. Let it sit for a day or two, then put it in the washer with some enzyme spray added to your normal detergent. It might take a couple bottles, but that stuff WORKS. My wife and I use it to clean up similar cat-related issues on our carpets, towels, sheets, pretty much anything that our cats have soiled. It uses enzymes to break down urine, feces, and vomit. The best part is, if you let it sit, it will continue to function as long as the enzyme has something to eat.

[Blake27]

Get some Nature's Miracle cat mess enzymatic spray and SOAK your flightsuit in it as a pre-treatment. Let it sit for a day or two, then put it in the washer with some enzyme spray added to your normal detergent. It might take a couple bottles, but that stuff WORKS. My wife and I use it to clean up similar cat-related issues on our carpets, towels, sheets, pretty much anything that our cats have soiled. It uses enzymes to break down urine, feces, and vomit. The best part is, if you let it sit, it will continue to function as long as the enzyme has something to eat.

It seems this issue is more common than I knew, lol

[Fenn Ryse]

It seems this issue is more common than I knew, lol

Yeah, cats can be jerks sometimes. Lolz.

[Aster Veris]

Love the colors, and really like the helmet design! Good luck with your flight suit, that sounds awful.

[Blake27]

An update:

I wasn't in love with the goldish bronze on the cheeks, so I painted over it, but masked it so the gold showed through, as a multi layered and chipped kinda thing. I prefer it this way, hope y'all like it:


In addition, I colored the inside of the visor area. I dunno, seemed like a nice touch:


I also touched up some of the imperfect areas as of tonight, but honestly I'm not too freaked on it, this is MMCC, not Van Gogh lol

Thanks for all the comments and advice so far. It is very helpful.

[Blake27]

Love the colors, and really like the helmet design! Good luck with your flight suit, that sounds awful.

Thanks! You don't even want to know how many schemes I went through before settling on this. Interestingly, this lid type got added to Mando Maker or one of the other services after I started, so I had to do the original idea on a classic lid. I think the process for the next one will lend itself much more to preplanning but yeah - pretty happy with it!

[Firefly42]

Hey hey!! Looking good. So some good weathering techniques i can offer is using vasaline or toothpaste as a method. You spray your base color, vasaline where you want damage (remember it should make sence), spray next color let dry and wipe off. If you do a 3rd color re-vasaline the area and cover a little kf the 2nd color and spray thr 3rsd on. That way yoy see all the layers. The salt method is also Intresting for "potmarks" dampen some salt, rub helm in it or plate ans make sure some sticks stray, dry dust off, you tube is great lol!! Also it almost looks lile your going super heavy on your layers. You def wanna do multipule layers in even coats. It does take 2 or 3 that I have done. Good luck!! Loving the red..but I'm not bias or anything... #teamred. Have fun!! And good luck!!

[Blake27]

Hey hey!! Looking good. So some good weathering techniques i can offer is using vasaline or toothpaste as a method. You spray your base color, vasaline where you want damage (remember it should make sence), spray next color let dry and wipe off. If you do a 3rd color re-vasaline the area and cover a little kf the 2nd color and spray thr 3rsd on. That way yoy see all the layers. The salt method is also Intresting for "potmarks" dampen some salt, rub helm in it or plate ans make sure some sticks stray, dry dust off, you tube is great lol!! Also it almost looks lile your going super heavy on your layers. You def wanna do multipule layers in even coats. It does take 2 or 3 that I have done. Good luck!! Loving the red..but I'm not bias or anything... #teamred. Have fun!! And good luck!!

Thanks for this! Yeah, Bade has gotten onto me multiple times for going too hard on the paint, it's just like... when you're a beginner I think that's an easy way to notice it. We overdo everything. On the other hand, if you broke this particular lid into two, it would look like a Gobstopper, lol, from all the junk I've tried. Next kit will be much cleaner.

The salt idea is definitely fascinating, hadn't even occured to me. I appreciate the input and yeah, red is wicked. Love the kit on your pfp!

[Blake27]

Hey Everyone!

I know it's been a second. I took a step back from the kit for a little while, to figure out what I was doing wrong - there were some good ideas, but my execution was lacking. So I tested, and tested, and tested. I used your helpful advice and that of Bade Duun. I figured out after coming back to it that in the old images (And moreso in real life) it felt like I was trying to have it both ways. I wanted damaged gear that still looked good and new. Some of you have done this and very masterfully, but I was going for something different. I wanted my kit to look like Hell. Like my Mando never fixed anything, he just would apply new paint before meeting a potential client, and due to that limited upkeep (not even cleaning it before painting), his kit has colors coming through on all sorts of parts, and in general looks ramshackle. It turns out that his, for me, was a MUCH bigger challenge then doing a new looking kit. I have also aquired a lot of my soft parts, but they need to be cut and weathered, so that's incoming. Before I seal anything, I wanted your gracious input. Enjoy.

Firstly, the lid. Wet sand is my best friend.






The Gauntlets are not finished. The red one, specifically, had been a headache and there is just... so much wrong with it. Bade described it as the wet sanding tattling on me for past mistakes and I have to agree.




Front Armor. I really like the idea of nothing matching very well. The red and gold shoulder piece was another rascal, that I eventually got to where it is, and I love, but it was anything but straightforward and I don't think I could duplicate it. It involved dish soap, water, and a lot of frustration.







You might notice that this isn't a complete set. That's because some stuff broke due to excessive sanding and I'm working on repairs.

Gratefully accepting any and all observations, critiques, or any other feedback.

[Aster Veris]

I really like the textures! Good job vod!