Painting continues with the bridge getting a flat gray color via my trusty airbrush. I purposely didn’t cut the fiber optics so that after painting, I can trim them and not have them covered with paint. I chose a darker gray so that it contrasted with the exterior. Weathering will probably lighten the color a bit as well as make it look worn down.
The over all base color of the Renoke is flat white/deck tan/gray. This is a nod to the Star Wars universe and in particular, the Millennium Falcon, which has the same color. I wanted it to have a non-gray base, because gray is military and this is not a military starship.
You will never see a more clean version of this model. It’s about to get all broke in with weathering.
The first level of weathering is done with a wash of thinned out artist’s oil paint. I used to do this wash in regular paint, but after having tried the oil paint, I’m a convert. It gives the model an earthy tone that I really like. You basically drench the cracks with a brown and black mix and then wipe it away with a rag. What you are left with is what you see from here on in the pictures. A wonderful lived in look.
I also started painting some of the panels red and green and gray. This needs to continue with more shades of gray and white. It’s a slow process.
The next phase of weathering involves rubbing the raised pieces with super fine sandpaper and or steel wool. This gives the model a more worn out look that a ship of this kind is prone to. It’s a big, dirty universe out there and space is full of particles that ruin your perfect paint job.
Flipping the Renoke and working the same magic on the bottom.
The next installment should be the final one for this build. More weathering and sanding and panel painting will result in a finished model. The bridge is yet to be weathered.