Before heading to the paint booth, I needed to drill out the port holes. This was done by hand using a pin vise and a very small bit. Below you see the pin vise and my glasses which come off for close up work. The model already has a coat of flat white paint. After the first coat, you can see how it will look and if you need to add or change anything.
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200613_092139-1024x498.jpg)
Below you can see the holes along the hull. It helps give the model scale. I don’t need to light the model with fiber optics because that sort of thing is done in post using Photoship. It helps to have something there to start with.
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200613_101345-1024x498.jpg)
I love this shot of the painting process with the drop cloth behind it. This is the bottom of the model. I left the holes along the hull, because, why bother to cover what will never be seen?
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200613_153503-1024x498.jpg)
I used an airbrush and Tamiya Flat White for the overall base coat. I added a bit of tan to the white in a nod to ILM and the Falcon. If you’ve ever painted the Millennium Falcon, you’ll know it has deck tan mixed in with white.
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200613_155012-1024x498.jpg)
For the weathering stage, I used dirt wash and water with applied with a brush and wiped away with a soft cloth. This is a common modeling technique that I didn’t spend a bunch of time with. A little goes a long way.
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200614_082730-1024x498.jpg)
The wash gets into the cracks between the parts and adds just enough contrast to accent them.
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200614_082646-1024x498.jpg)
The panel lines on the engines are a great spot for some grime.
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200614_091140-1024x498.jpg)
![](http://ken-mcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20200614_153520-1024x498.jpg)
And that’s all she wrote for this model. It will sit on my shelf while I write the next three books featuring it; proving some much needed inspiration. Then I’ll dust it off and shoot it for the various covers.