Gun-metal plating for imperial minis

[Jiraiya1969 3]

Kind of like a star destroyer deck. 

Any ideas?

[Alan Noir 426]

For the base or armour?

[Hidatom 503]

if it is for the base keep an eye out for "base toppers" for Legion...DO NOT get new bases with a design as we don't know how strict the FFG tournameent rules will be and you may have to have original bases on your figures.

[Jiraiya1969 3]

Basing.

[Hidatom 503]

best bet is to create a "template out of plasticard or something and then cut out "base toppers"...paint the base the appropriate colors (gunmetal and black?) and THEN glue the figures onto the base.

[Shadows of the Future 94]

Not star destroyer decking (Imperial ships seem to, largely, have and almost reflective polish to their floors), but I've found some hollow, plastic stir sticks that are rather heavy, and combined that with plastic canvas grating for my Imperials. Currently only have two squads of stormies, but one of them is just the grating and the other adds in the sticks in places as conduit appearing pieces.

If you want something like the more classic imperial floor plating, perhaps if you file the bases smooth, then paint it in a gloss black followed by polyeurethane gloss. You might be able to get some of that almost mirror look they had in the movies.

[Tvayumat 3,637]

I'm doing my Imperial forces as the "Death Star Garrison" complete with polished black floors.

The bases are just acrylic replacements with a bit of paint inside the etched floor lines and a washer glued to the underside. With the washer they are the exact height of stock Legion bases and the same footprint.

Got them from Rebel Light Works on eddy. I think he is working on some other patterns/colors and would welcome input.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Tvayumat

[Rvnt 2]

10 hours ago, Tvayumat said:

I'm doing my Imperial forces as the "Death Star Garrison" complete with polished black floors.

The bases are just acrylic replacements with a bit of paint inside the etched floor lines and a washer glued to the underside. With the washer they are the exact height of stock Legion bases and the same footprint.

Got them from Rebel Light Works on eddy. I think he is working on some other patterns/colors and would welcome input.

This is your work? It looks fantastic. The detailing on those troopers is incredible. The bases look great.

[Tvayumat 3,637]

17 minutes ago, Rvnt said:

This is your work? It looks fantastic. The detailing on those troopers is incredible. The bases look great.

It is, and thank you!
 

 

[Rvnt 2]

Curious what technique you use on the stormtrooper armor as it is probably my favorite that I’ve seen of any. 

Additionally, do you use any kind of glosscote or dullcote at the end? I’ve had issues with this myself.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Rvnt
Added question

[Tvayumat 3,637]

11 minutes ago, Rvnt said:

Curious what technique you use on the stormtrooper armor as it is probably my favorite that I’ve seen of any. 

Additionally, do you use any kind of glosscote or dullcote at the end? I’ve had issues with this myself.

I do my prep work and base colors with an airbrush. Prime black, then spray AP Uniform Gray from an upward angle leaving the deep shadows. Then do the same with Vallejo Wolf Gray from a higher angle leaving some of the Uniform Gray, then one more with Reaper Pure White from just straight up.

After that I go through with Reaper Gray Liner to hit things like the crooks of the elbows or any white area that could use some definition, then highlight by hand with Reaper Ghost White and Reaper Pure White. Takes some practice but once you get the process down they go fairly fast. The trick is leaving a few good deep shadows and giving the lighter shadows a blue tinge.

All of them are hit with AP Matte varnish at the end before being moved to their acrylic bases.

I strongly recommend anyone who wants to paint as a hobby look into basic airbrush kits. They open so many doors.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Tvayumat

[Rvnt 2]

1 minute ago, Tvayumat said:

I do my prep work and base colors with an airbrush. Prime black, then spray AP Uniform Gray from an upward angle leaving the deep shadows. Then do the same with Vallejo Wolf Gray from a higher angle leaving some of the Uniform Gray, then one more with Reaper Pure White from just straight up.

After that it gets highlighted by hand with Reaper Ghost White and Reaper Pure White. Takes some practice but once you get the process down they go fairly fast. The trick is leaving a few good deep shadows and giving the lighter shadows a blue tinge.

All of them are hit with AP Matte varnish at the end before being moved to their acrylic bases.

I strongly recommend anyone who wants to paint as a hobby look into basic airbrush kits. They open so many doors.

Thanks so much for the detailed response. Do you mind if I private message you so I don’t hijack this thread?

[Tvayumat 3,637]

12 minutes ago, Rvnt said:

Thanks so much for the detailed response. Do you mind if I private message you so I don’t hijack this thread?

No worries! Feel free. I can't guarantee prompt responses but I do promise eventual responses.

[Amanal 2,557]

Alclad!!! That stuff if you get the airbrush is plain out awesome. You apply it to a gloss black base and it is perhaps the easiest and best looking finish you can get. You will be best to do this before you glue the models to the base.

It comes in a whole range of metalic colours for Model Airplanes and Cars, so you can get pretty crazy with it. Perhaps you can get some flyscreen mesh to act as a mask and apply two colours as to get a textured look.

[BigBadAndy 640]

On 3/28/2018 at 7:32 PM, Hidatom said:

if it is for the base keep an eye out for "base toppers" for Legion...DO NOT get new bases with a design as we don't know how strict the FFG tournameent rules will be and you may have to have original bases on your figures.

I mean, not to hijack the thread, but if FFG is going to release this game with paintable miniatures that you assemble yourself and encourage creativity and then turn around and be insane bureaucrats about tournament legality then it’s going to make for a pretty miserable atmosphere.  I understand some people take tournaments very seriously but in a game where the official rules state you measure movement over barriers by holding the movement tool up in the air “as close as you can” to lining it up in the miniature base, how much can we really worry about potential mm differences in base manufacturing?

Edited May 9, 2018 by BigBadAndy

[Tvayumat 3,637]

2 hours ago, BigBadAndy said:

I understand some people take tournaments very seriously but in a game where the official rules state you measure movement over barriers by holding the movement tool up in the air “as close as you can” to lining it up in the miniature base, how much can we really worry about potential mm differences in base manufacturing?

So very much this.