What worked was Tamiya acrylic paint mixed with their Flat Base, a paste
used to "flatten" the color. Rather than using my preferred thinner of
straight up denatured alcohol, I used denatured alcohol mixed with an equal
amount of tap water. The primer was lightly sprayed on and there were no
issues. I used the color "Light Sea Gray" (XF25) which would also be used
for the darker colored details on the model. These details, all illuminated
domes and the main sensor were then masked off prior to re-spraying the
main color.
When it was once again time to match the color of the Enterprise,
I was a little more experienced and prepared than I was the first time
around. I went with a 4:1 mix of Tamiya Flat White (XF2) and Light Sea
Gray which closely matched the color in the photos from my last DC trip.
Being a simple mix, it was easy to consistently mix enough for a single
painting session instead of mixing up a large batch. Again, the paint was
thinned with alcohol and water.
The model was given several light coats of the main color. Each coat was
given a few days to a week to dry completely and was gently sanded with
1800 grit sandpaper before the model was sprayed again.
It was then time to decide if I wanted to give the model those deflector
grid lines. The heavy grid lines look very interesting on the big model
but is that the Enterprise I remember seeing on TV? They're just
not visible when viewing the original episodes. |