Your Model Starship Is Still Not First Date Material-Update, Panel Lines 22Mar14

[Maj Guiscard]

I present the Frigate, "Helena"




I painted it to match my fleetscale ships (the sample is wayyyy in the foreground):


The turrets spin, the Dropship is free, and the canopy is removable to access the briefing room behind the bridge.

More pics:
http://govgensectorsix.blogspot.com/

Thanks for looking,
MG

[commissarmoody]

Can we get a pic of the briefing room.

[warburton]

That looks excellent.

One thing that niggles though is that, to me at least, it somehow looks unfinished. I think if it were all painted grey that would be resolved, but I understand you are sticking with a theme. Still, looks good!

What are the figures you have used for the pilots?

Thanks.

[Elbows]

Yeah I agree, I didn't realize it was finished/painted.  I think you need some rust or some decals or numbers or something - the white portions just looked like plasticard to me. Great scratchbuild though.

[Maj Guiscard]

Thanks for the comments.

cmoody: Yep, I'll get those in the next few days.

warburton & Elbows: It's funny, when I read warburton's comment about the Helena seeming unfinished, I thought he was referring to the exposed underskeleton. It wasn't until Elbows mentioned the same thing that I realized I had it reversed, it is the armored sections that seem underdone. BTW- I wish the armor was plasticard, it is pvc tubing and weighs a ton. 

I am going to decal it, but I have a problem in that it actually needs to stand in for 2 different ships. I am still working my way through that.

The figures for the pilots are from cockpit upgrade figure kits for model planes. Aerobonus was the manufacturer (specifically, they are F-4 pilots in seats, with GW headswaps).  I couldn't find them until someone from LAF helped me. Go to Hannants in the UK or MegaHobby.com in the US if you need some.  There are a bunch of sets from WWII through the present.

Thanks for looking!
MG

[LazarusKing]

I am going to decal it, but I have a problem in that it actually needs to stand in for 2 different ships. I am still working my way through that.

What about putting the decals on plasticard shapes you've formed to fit the hull, with a thin strip of metal on the hidden side, and throwing a few small rare earth magnets under the hull bits?

[Elbows]

How about some bolts, or some additional plates adhered to the sides, or some minor etchwork with a wash applied.  I dunno, something to set it aside from white plastic.  That being said, we're looking at photos on the internet and not holding it - so it might be completely fine looking in person. 

[Daeothar]

A bit of panel lining? Just scribed in and washed with a grey? Just to break up the large white surfaces, which could look too much like unfinished PVC piping.

Regardless though, it's a smashing build, especially considering it matches the ship in another scale (I did something like that as well; great for zooming in on the action   ). Still; I understand the aesthetics you went for; a clean, white high tech look like the Camino architecture from the Star Wars prequels, or the robots in I Robot for instance...  

[Mr. Peabody]

Looks splendid...
Looks shiny in the photos, but I bet it's killer up close and personal. A coat of matte or satin to kill the shine might make it photo better, but this is a great build and I especially like how useful you have made it! 

[warburton]

Thanks for the comments.

cmoody: Yep, I'll get those in the next few days.

warburton & Elbows: It's funny, when I read warburton's comment about the Helena seeming unfinished, I thought he was referring to the exposed underskeleton. It wasn't until Elbows mentioned the same thing that I realized I had it reversed, it is the armored sections that seem underdone. BTW- I wish the armor was plasticard, it is pvc tubing and weighs a ton. 

I am going to decal it, but I have a problem in that it actually needs to stand in for 2 different ships. I am still working my way through that.

The figures for the pilots are from cockpit upgrade figure kits for model planes. Aerobonus was the manufacturer (specifically, they are F-4 pilots in seats, with GW headswaps).  I couldn't find them until someone from LAF helped me. Go to Hannants in the UK or MegaHobby.com in the US if you need some.  There are a bunch of sets from WWII through the present.

Thanks for looking!
MG

Thanks for that. ASnd yes, I meant the white parts do look a bit too much like, well, PVC pipes.... I think something needs to be done to remove that effect!



As said though, great work.

[The_Beast]

At the risk of piling on, I'd like to suggest a list of possible choices. Also note, they're in order of what I assume would be simplest to most work. They are not mutually exclusive, nor in the order you should apply if you do more than the first.

1) Matte - Do need to cut the shine, but keep very smooth. Think satin, or semi-gloss. Tells our eyes 'big thing at a distance.' Not always what you get in space, of course; I don't live in space, just dream of it. All my evolution, and experience, is earthbound. (Actually, it's not my damn planet, monkey boy, but I'm undercover.)

2) Color - Patterned decals or even just a solid cover. SOMETHING other than the white.

3) Scribe - Panel lines, outlines of other details. I'm going to include 'wash' with this.

4) Grebble - Add-ons to break the surface. Can be small details, can be the alternate scribed lines. (Flat pieces glued to the exterior) I'm going to include 'wash' with this, as well.

Sound about right, all?

Doug

[warburton]

All good suggestions.

[YPU]

Strange tangential question, where is the fleet scale models from?

[Maj Guiscard]

Dullcote and Panel Lines




Sorry to be so late YPU, the fleet scale ships are from Ravenstar, the Diesho Confederation in his Cold Navy line.

[warburton]

Great work.