Millenium Falcon color guideline

[thejurasikfrank]

Hello everyone,
After 20 years, I'm back to modelling! Working currently on a AMT ERTL Millenium Falcon. Yeah I know, it's a crapy model but, it gives me the chance to try a lot of new things; using leds, fiber optics, plastruct, making drastic modifications, and of course cutting myself. Ok so here's my question: I'm planning on using Tamya paints. Before going to the hobby store and buying five bottles of every different shades of grey available, can someone suggest a color and/or a mix of colors.
Thanks

[thejurasikfrank]

Read something about half and half Deck Tan and White.
How does that sound?
Anyone?

[nico]

First thing, you don't need to use Five bottles of paint on this kit. One is enough. Use white as your base color and add tan and medium grey or light grey. The color must be very clear if you planed to discolor it and weather it. I did a light grey on mine but it already to dark. Look at Foo's Wip I think he gave the colors references he used for his own Falcon.

[thejurasikfrank]

Thanks Nico.
Yes, I'm planning on weathering the kit (following Fichtenfoo's great tutorial) so your suggestion seems to make a lot of sense. However, I did not find the color reference you were refering too...
Anyway, I'll give it a go and post my impressions afterwards.
Thanks again.
Cheers!

[thejurasikfrank]

Yep, found Ficht's reference for the color, that is of course after I painted the kit...
I'm very happy with the end result as far as the color is concerned ; the finish on the surface is another story. It was very grainy and I had to sand the top and bottom dishes 2 times. Turns out the paint was drying before hitting the kit... now I know thanks to this very helpfull blog!

Anyway, this was my color mix:
2.5 parts flat white
1 part deck tan
and about a quarter to half a part of light grey, just to give it a bit of greyish/blueish depht, sorry for the lack of vocabulary, it's late...

Right now, I'm not totally happy with the fit of the cockpit. This kit IS a piece of crap indeed  !
More puttying and sanding to come before any pictures are posted  .
Thanks again for putting me on the right track Nico!

Cheers
 

[nico]

No problemo, That's Fichtenfoo forum spirit. I got into troubles with my own cockpit  Hope to see your work soon.

[FichtenFoo]

Glad to see it's working out. Sorry I didn't reply sooner... been VERY busy. Seems that you're on the right track. Thin your paint more and lower the air pressure and that should help.

Thanks Nico!

[deepblue_va]

FichtenFoo,

Could you share the ratios for your top-coat color for the Millennium Falcon build?

I noticed you give the proportions for the whites (1 and 1/3 jars), what ratios should I use when adding the grey and flat earth to achieve your “star wars grey” look?

I am still relatively new to model building please excuse my ignorance.

Thanks,
~Robert

[FichtenFoo]

I really don't have any idea. I mix paint like I model... by the seat of my pants. If I didn't write it down, then I don't remember. I can tel you that the "Falcon White" as I labeled the jar, isn't very dark. I painted over a gray ish primer base and preshade so much of that shows through the white color. I would say... "a touch" of each. Add a little at a time until you get a tint that works best for you.

[deepblue_va]

Great thanks! I will give my mixing skills a go.

[kwh67]

Hi all. I read this post, my kids and I are currently working on a couple of x-wings and the millennium falcon, I have seen the reference to the blending of paints, my question is what brand/type of paint was used and what is the ratio? Any help would be appreciated.

[thejurasikfrank]

I used Tamya paint on the Falcon. The ratios I used are just a few posts up.
I like it but, I'm really no expert. I've got more lights to put up before starting the weathering process which, if I do it correctly, should darken the whole thing... I guess.
Anyway, having lots of fun 
Cheers all!

[thejurasikfrank]

Here's a photo of the cockpit. First time posting a picture and ah, yeah, well not sur what I'm doing... hopefully this will work.
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6056/img1922qx.jpg

[thejurasikfrank]

And an image of the lower hull.
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/8277/img1934l.jpg

[kat69]

Gotta be happy with that! The lights in the cockpit are looking great!
I have the two versions sitting on my shelf, the cutaway and the standard Falcon, though, after reading the post and theconsensuss being it's a junker of a kit, I think I will relegate mine a bit further back on the shelf....... Like to the back........ And out of site.......

[thejurasikfrank]

Thanks!
The kit IS a major piece of junk but that does not meen the finished kit can't look great  
I've seen amazing builts of these junkers, especially the cutaway version. There's a guy (modelmanTom I beleive) that lit the entire inside of the cutaway and, wow, it's pretty stunning. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWMVMcT1ffI&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL7D5F7AFE48A76E81

Pictures of the outside lights coming soon!
Cheers

[Grail]

Could you share the ratios for your top-coat color for the Millennium Falcon build?

"Ratios!? We don't need no stinking ratios!"      
Just joking guys, but I think the whole exact ratio on this will be over thinking it a little. Keep in mind, there are like 30 different falcons made for screen, and there were 1500 different tanks and Ferrari model kits used to build the first ones, so really, none are the same.
I don't measure my ratios either. Just mix it till it looks like what you want and you should be fine. My advice would be to keep it a little lighter than you think you should.
My base color was quite light colored as well. You can always darken it as you go. If you really want some awesome Falcon model ref with big pics, by a book called " Sculpting a Galaxy" I got it for $9 bucks at a book sale and it is huge and awesome.
Again, almost just off white or grey colors and filters do a lot of color grading work for you, and it really does just darken as you weather layers.
Hope this helps. Cheers.