Metal plates - pics & looking for suggestions

[cybertron]

Okay, here's my first attempt at modding. I'd like to put some metal-looking panels on the side of my case - something similar to the panels you see on Crimson Sky or Mashie's Doom 3 mods. Probably more along the lines of Mashie's simply because I think he did his without an airbrush and I don't really have a good way of doing airbrushing (even assuming I were willing to buy an airbrush, which I'm not sure I am). Basically if it can't be done in my kitchen it probably can't be done because I live in an apartment where there isn't a good place for me to do major wood or metalwork (although someday I'd like to do that too). Spraypainting could probably be arranged.

So I went out and bought myself some acrylic paint (was that a good choice?), cheap brushes, etc. and sat down to do a little painting. I'm using mat board that I bought at a hobby store, but I think balsa might be better from reading Mashie's worklog. Apparently he cut his with scissors like I did with this and I think it would turn out better than this stuff does. Plus I can sand it if necessary. Regardless, this stuff is just for practice since it wouldn't fit on a case anyway.

On to the pictures of what I have so far, suggestions for improvement appreciated.

What I'm working with

Progress so far (the blue things are just separate test pieces)

Close up

I definitely need to do a base coat of black before I start painting next time. There's spots where the white underneath is still showing through. I drybrushed on some blue-gray and brown to try to make it a little less flat. Not sure how well that turned out. Maybe I need more? Also tried a little rust effect on the bolts (that are just painted on). I intentionally left the edge of the silver around the outside a little rough to simulate uneven wear, but maybe it would look better smooth? And I know that I did a crappy job cutting out the pieces which is part of why I want to use balsa instead so I can sand them smooth (and I would be more careful next time if it were actually going on my case). I could also sand balsa a little so the silver worn areas would actually be worn.

Anyway, I'm looking for suggestions here. Preferably not "take an art class so your painting doesn't suck." (although if that's all that will help so be it)

[Cevinzol]

Nice start for a first attempt.

- Acrylic paint is fine (use a matte sealer)
- looks like you went to a craft store for the paints. Go to a gaming store. They have a wider selection of colors (for painting lead figs - D&D, warhammer 40k).
- ditch the cheap brushes (especialy if they have plastic bristles)
- Styrene sheets might be a good choice (cut them with an exacto knife)
- You might want to paint up/down instead (helps with the weathered, rain stained look).
- maybe have (slight) different colors between panels to simulate age/replacement.
- you're white borders need to be more subtle. the paint is to wide, too even and shows too many brush strokes. try dry brushing (you had too much paint on you're brush)
- also try washes to simulate rust stains

Look into Warhammer 40k sites for info on painting techiques (nonmetal metal, highlighting, dry brush, wash)

Good luck and keep us updated

[cybertron]

Thanks for the reply. Looks like some good stuff to try. Just a couple of questions though...

- Acrylic paint is fine (use a matte sealer)

A matte clearcoat then, or something different from a clearcoat?

- ditch the cheap brushes (especialy if they have plastic bristles)

Any suggestions on what I should get? I seem to recall sable being recommended back a long time ago when I dabbled in painting miniatures (and then lost interest because no one around me played).

- Styrene sheets might be a good choice (cut them with an exacto knife)

Hmm, where should I look for those. I can't recall having seen them anywhere, but then I wasn't looking either.

- You might want to paint up/down instead (helps with the weathered, rain stained look).

No idea why I didn't think of this.

- maybe have (slight) different colors between panels to simulate age/replacement.

Yeah, that was a bit of laziness on my part again because this was just a test piece. I figure if I can get it looking good with one color then doing slight variations on that shouldn't be a problem.

- you're white borders need to be more subtle. the paint is to wide, too even and shows too many brush strokes. try dry brushing (you had too much paint on you're brush)

Yeah, that occurred to me last night after I posted this. I really don't like the way they look right now. I'll have to try being a little more subtle with them when I get a chance (could be a while since I'm on vacation for the next week).

- also try washes to simulate rust stains

Will that show up well against the dark background? Maybe with multiple passes over the same spot? I guess I can try it and see.

Look into Warhammer 40k sites for info on painting techiques (nonmetal metal, highlighting, dry brush, wash)

Will do. I've run across a couple of their pages already in my searches.

Good luck and keep us updated

Thanks and I certainly will.

Okay, maybe that wasn't just a couple of questions.

[meticoeus]

I claim to know nothing about painting but for the exacto kinfe, just look in local hobby shops and ask them if they have any.

[cybertron]

Heh, I have an exacto knife, I was wondering about the styrene sheets.

[Cevinzol]

model railroad suppliers should have the styrene sheets. I guess I'm lucky where I live. There are tons of hobby shops within driving distance of my house. I guess I asume its that way everywhere.

A matte clearcoat then, or something different from a clearcoat?

I'm not sure about semantics. A matte sealer will prevent the paint from rubbing off when handled and it will NOT be shiney. I think a clearcoat is generally a car finish, its shiny, which would probably ruin your industrial look.

[meticoeus]

A matte finish is, by definition, dull, so that's the semantics bit. Clearcoat does generally refer so the shininess of a car finish. Sorry if it seems like I'm repeating you Cevinzol, but you seemed unsure so I'm just trying to clarify.

All we seem to have around here are a bunch of pawn shops full of guns. An then bunches of gun shops. Darn hunters around here, it almost seems like they're the only ones catered too. The whole northern part of Louisiana seems like a vacuum for any culture .

[cybertron]

Okay, thanks. It sounds like we're thinking of the same thing as far as the finish goes. Just a protective coat of something that has a matte finish.

Now that I'm back amongst civilization (been camping for the past week) I'll keep my eyes open for those styrene sheets. I didn't see any railroad section in the hobby shop down the road, but I haven't looked to see what else might be in the area. That kind of store would be a goldmine for what I'm thinking of doing now. Upon further review I'm not sure I'd like the way this looks on my current case so I might not use it for this one, but if I can come up with something decent modding my current case(s) I plan to buy one specifically to mod and then I will definitely use this. I still want to get this looking good now since it's some great practice painting at the very least.

[JacobS]

"All we seem to have around here are a bunch of pawn shops full of guns. An then bunches of gun shops. Darn hunters around here, it almost seems like they're the only ones catered too. The whole northern part of Louisiana seems like a vacuum for any culture ."

I know how you feel Meticoeus thats how it is around here too, the closest I can get to styrene is 8",10" sheets of plexiglass from the hardware store, the closest good hobby shop is about an hour drive from her and they don't really have that kind of stuff, so you're not alone.

otherwise, it looks pretty good, I would suggest a basecoat of black than a cheap chrome paint, sand down the chrome some until it is no longer shiney (depending upon what brand you use it may not be shiny in the first place) if it still looks to new looking take some kind of scraping implement and take a few gashes out of the top layer (being careful not to take off too much black). This may or may not work, I haven't tried it myself but in my experience using photoshop to design GUI's this is what I would do.