Official Blaster Painting Tips

Originally posted by Lynn TXP 0369:

Nathan,

Thanks for the info on your weathering.
I use washes and pastel chalks to do alot of mine. I got some artist chalk that has a varity of colors from white to black that I use to dirty things up with.
I also use spongs dipped in paint to creat alot of my battle damage as well as using a paint brush. I also have started using Shelby's paint misting color technique of using similar colors that works great.
I'll get some more pics when I can, but the weahtering is coming along good now.
Lynn

Ok gang believe it or not Im almost done with my Jango. what I was wondering is how does one weather the stuff to give it that used look?


Bear

usually, paint on a soft cloth or paper towel that has been sortof "wiped off" a bit, or smudged around for awhile (so not to make it too tihckof a black) then just sorta swirl and smudge that on wherever you like!

I noticed the Jango suit at the Star Wars Celebration that the armor is pretty well weathered. It is particularly on the edges of all the armor.So dont be shy with the dirt! I like to use watered down paint, then use a bit of very fine steel wool to remove excess paint and get it the shade I like. Also charcoal and water works great.

I made my blaster out of a Sega gun and pvc and wood i think it looks great but what colors should the ROTJ blaster be and what is a good technique of weathering the blaster?

Spary a light mist of flat gray or primer from a distance of about three feet. This will help 'age' the blaster a bit. Then use the edge of a torn sponge dipped in silver paint (I prefer Rust-Oleum Aluminum 7715) and ever-so-lightly drag it across the edges (barrel tip, edge of the grip, barrel ribs, etc.). With a little practice you end up with a nice weathered look.

So other great ways to Weather stuff..

1) Airbrush.... great for doing over sprays.. and misting... with a even coat of paint... *I use this on my Fett prop*

2) Dry Brushing.... Dip a brush into some paint that you want to use to weather.. dab it onto a cloth.. or palette.. till there is little paint on the brush.. brush onto piece.. test first to make sure its the colour and a proper amount of paint is on the brush *Not to much* and brush till the paint is almost transparent.. This to me is a quick and majorly nice looking weathering process if done right.

3) Scrapping and scratching and highlights. I find after I have done either of the top two steps... and good scratching the item with a needle to score it up a bit.. and adding highlights.. and wear marks to the edges of a item.. make the age of the weathering come right out... even if a scratch has gone to far down in the paint.. and the actual original item colour is showing a bit.. this just ads to it.. I feel.

Also putting some little details into the item sure does help. I to sometimes get lazy and say its good enough.. but then I add say to a metal colour, a little mark or smudge of orange.. or red to it.. gives it a bit of rust look.. Plus little details like that.. sure do make the item even more attractive.. and realistic...

Hope that helps a bit...

that is good but what about a rust look?

Looking closely at MoM photos I see three primatry colors--a greyish silver, rust, and black.

My blaster is currently sitting in the shop with a rust primer coat, followed by a black primer coat, followed by Testor's Steel buffable metalizer.

I will buff the metalizer topcoat, then will take after the gun with fine grit (600-2500) sand paper to expose the colors beneath.

You'll see it when I'm done.

With me doing a rust look.. I paint a base colour.. then I do a acrylic over the base... usually a orange paint... dab it with a brush... a spread out brush to give it that splattered look. Then before it drys.. I wet the brush.. and spread the paint a bit.. sort of like doing a dry brush.. but this time with a brush just went...lol. So with doing so.. it spreads the paint.. and also lifts it up a bit.. giving the ruffness look of rust.. I then add a few other colours of rust.. depending on what you might feel looks like rust *look at them MOM* and you'll see alot of colours used... Depending on how insane you want to get it to look like the real thing.. is the amount of time you want to spend at painting.. I feel if the paint job just ain't right.. it doesn't do the item any good... just makes it look bad...

Yeah, you definitely need the rust color...

Update on my descrived technique: Worked sort of well, but not great. When using THREE layers of colors, this presents a problem...

Mine had:

Silver
Black
Rust

If I wanted black to show through--no problem, just sand away some silver.

BUT if I only wanted the rust to show through, well then I had to get through black FIRST, inevitable leaving some black exposed that I did not want.

Corrected it all with washes ofthe main colors.

thanks everybody i will start this week!

post some pics after u start!

Man the weathering isn't going that good.....I put a base coat of silver down....then a base of a rust color....Then what Do I use for a top color?

Top layer on mine is Testor's rattle-can metalizer, Steel (not Stainless Steel).

Check my RPF thread (couple of posts down) for more on the finish...

http://rpf.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...=17565&forum=1

What colors did you guys use on your blasters? I figure a rust color, a grey primer, and black. Any suggestions?

I'll copy and paste my paint list from the thread I did on my blaster...


As far as paint goes, this is my "paint list":

DecoArt Dazzling Metallics acrylic "Black Pearl" (purchased on clearance at "Michael's". I later found it here: http://www.alpineimport.com/cgi-bin/...05102411027.00


Folk Art acrylic "Nutmeg" (available at WalMart in the craft section for $.88 a bottle).


Folk Art acrylic "Dolphon Gray" (available at WalMart in the craft section for $.88 a bottle).


Liquitex/Grumbacher acrylic "Mars Black" (available at Michael's for about $4 a bottle).



The Black Pearl is a really cool color. It's black with a metallic sheen to it - almost like a really dark gunmetal gray color. I initially tried airbrushing this color, but due to the metallic nature of the paint, it was too thick. Thinning it caused it not to stick , so I ended up brushing on 3 coats by hand as a base color.

I thinned the Nutmeg color with a few drops of water and airbrushed it on to make "rust" patches on the gun.

I thinned the Dolphin Gray with a few drops of water and airbrushed it on to make "weathered" places on the gun.

I used the Mars Black to simulate places where the finish had come off of the gun due to one reason or another. I also used it for the trigger and carbon scoring marks. It was brushed on by hand.

Just curious what the general consensus is regarding the stock on the blaster. I have Spidey's kit and am thinking about staining it dark rather than painting it black. I love the look of the wood instead of the black finish that you see on on the MOM blaster.

What do you guys think?

Great question - I had the same one! I just got the same kit myself (thanks Spidey) and I like the wood look myself as well. Anyone have pics of their stained-wood stocks?

BH991

Yeah, the wood makes it look much more realistic. Like the old-time western bounty hunter look.

I would say paint it as you see fit. A dark brown will 'appear' dark enough but it will add that bit of realism. I know I can be bashed for saying this but it is 'your' prop and costume... make it how you want it. I personally like the wood rather than painted surface... it breaks up the colors and makes a piece more interesting.

Quick question. Will just varnish work with the Webslinger's wooden stock? Please LMK and thanks!

Stay safe.

Anyone that has stained their Spidey stock, what type (color) stain did you use? I have been thinking of a dark walnut.

I am about to stain my stock but noticed that thr stock is made up of 2 different woods and colors??? Anyone have this problem? This may prevent me from staining because the wood may take the stain unevenly.

Any advice?

I have one of Spidey's kits. I stained my stock a walnut and then sprayed black at it from a distance. Worked out just fine !!

Del, did your stock come out spotty at first from the stain?

No .. I sanded it pretty good and then used Minwax polyshades, which is a stain/urethane mix, so it goes on pretty even ... a few sandings and a few coats and it looked pretty good ... I sanded the last coat before I sprayed the black ...

hi guys

I was asked by a member ive got to know on the BS.net and wanted me to do a tutorail on how I painted my Kenner BS blaster.

Ive made a downloadable pdf file for anyone who can paint and are new to this and thought I'd share it with the TDH forum members

heres my Blaster Painting Tutorail for those who want to paint there blaster.

Download Blaster Tutorail here!!

hope it helps

cheers

Neil
uk-scout TB7290
www.uk-scout.co.uk
ukbikerscout@hotmail.com

It certainly came in handy when I painted this:



Thanks mate! Great tutorial!

Cheers!
TJ

TJ

glad it was of some use to you and congrates on the blaster it looks good.

Ill be doing another soon for my spidey blaster which i got last week.

Im going to be using GAMESWORKS SHOP paints, and they do a paint called TIN BITZ which is a black/metailic rust colour which ill be using to weather/age it.

If anyone else has used this tutorail post your pics please.

cheers

neil
uk-scoutTB7290
www.uk-scout.co.uk
ukbikerscout@hotmail.com

Can't get Acrobat Reader to open it.

"File does not begin with %pdf"

Corrupted file?

Regards,
OK

Ive put the new Tutorial in Prop Building Methods.......
as ive got a new ISP this is why the old link will not work

cheers

Neil
uk-scout TB7290
www.uk-scout.co.uk
ukbikerscout@hotmail.com

Hi all

heres my Blaster Painting Tutorail for those who want to paint there blaster.

Download Blaster Tutorail here!!

hope it helps

cheers

Neil
uk-scout TB7290
www.uk-scout.co.uk
ukbikerscout@hotmail.com

Now I have it working but no images are showing (in the places you put them there is only a black box).

Regards,
OK

Ive tested it on another machine at work and it seems to work fine.

It might be your comp but ill look into it also..

cheers

Neil
uk-scout TB7290
www.uk-scout.co.uk
ukbikerscout@hotmail.com

It would not surprise me in the least if it was my comp...

This machine is 2 years old and has had the same install of Windows 98SE on there since day one...

I'm currently building a new rig and will be installing XP Pro on that one so perhaps it will work then...

Problem is my blaster will be here before the new computer will LOL... I'll just have to go without the pictures and improvise a little.

Regards,
OK

Don't know if this has been threaded already, but I'm working on another project in which I'm taking a part metal and part abs like plastic kit and trying to make it look all metal. Not looking to make look to weathered. It's actually a German WW2 MP40 sub machine gun kit. Most of the big parts are plastic and I wanted to get some ideas on what paints and primers to use.

I'd recommend a sandable gray primer (Krylon makes a decent one) then use silver Rub-N-Buff. There are plenty of examples of how this looks in the Jango forum (armor and helmets).

Try a search for Alclad. This stuff works great and looks real too.

Flan

I just don't want it to look chrome, just gun metal grey... isn't there a spray paint with that name???

Plastikote gunmetal metalic in the automotive dept. of Wal-mart.

None of those could stand up to a clear coat though.

What I did for my ESB sidearm was two coats of Krylon chrome paint, (don't remember the exact type, comes in a teal can) then I did a coat of clear spray that dulled the chrome a bit, sanded it really glass-like with 2000 grit sandpaper and then I did a lil bit o rub n buff. Looks really good.

So, I got my HS 'webley', my 'Elvis' aluminum barrel... My YH grips and the stock plates are coming soon in the mail... (this little project is quickly approaching the $500 mark!!! )


Anyway - once I find a scope and get it all together - before the orange 'rusty' weathering - do I paint it ALL black¿ or use alumi-black or ____? Does it ALL get covered in black¿ Or what¿ I'm kinda clueless on the blaster stuff... (so naturally, it's the first thing I make for Fett )help!!!

ROTJ is all black baby. Like that color your stock has? well kiss it goodbye 'cause it's all black... even the glass on the scope... all black.

BUT there is a variation in black.


hope that helps.



edit by dcb - cropped pic to reduce width and byte size

so - do i just PAINT it all blackÀ (then weather) and if so - should I use a hi-temp grill paint to make sure it sticks to the aluminum or is there a better methodÀ

Nope, first you put it all together. Then, you mold it and cast the whole thing in fiberglass. Then you paint the cast version. Screen accurate.

dang

From what I remember HS and Chrima have had good luck with the gun black stuff, or aluminum black for a base. Then a little paint on top of that for a layered weathering effect.

But ya might want to let one of them explain it better as I have not tried any of this myself and I could be a little off.

My gun is in the same shape as your still.

Oh yeah, looking good so far!
How many feet of “T” grip did you buy?

obi1kenny wrote:
How many feet of “T” grip did you buy?

8 1/2 feet @ $5/ft. I figured it all out here: http://tdh.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...c=8422&forum=5

DUBBLE BUBBLE!

Are you sure its black? It looks gray in some photos and gunmetal gray in other photos. Where the gray paint has chipped off the scope (especially on the rear bell and windage knobs) you can see black underneath. Could that be the original black plastic of the scope?

Of course ya paint it ... silly boy

Grimy black, and gray, and rust, and brown, and ... and ..

AAAAAAAARG ! I hate that thing

And the pics, like with everything else, play tricks ...

All I can say is ... I'm sure it's much darker than it looks in the exhibit pics .. as with everything on that boy. You've had some first hand experience with dat, seing it in real life and all ... can you confirm ?

FP

Yep, I agree that it must be darker than it appears in the pics (as with other parts of the costume) but compare it to the black showing on the scope... it can't be a 'true' black. Maybe a very dark gunmetal or gray?

fettpride wrote:
Of course ya paint it ... silly boy

Grimy black, and gray, and rust, and brown, and ... and ..

AAAAAAAARG ! I hate that thing

And the pics, like with everything else, play tricks ...

All I can say is ... I'm sure it's much darker than it looks in the exhibit pics .. as with everything on that boy. You've had some first hand experience with dat, seing it in real life and all ... can you confirm ?

FP

--

Howdy folks,

When you say you used "rust" color paint, can some recommend a brand or type of paint.

Thanks in advance,
Kata

Thanks for the response. I have the ceramcoat at home already so that should be helpful.

Kata