Galactica - Colonial Viper MKI - Making of

[stararts2000]

Hi friends, this is one of our last projects, finished not much time ago: a Galactica's Colonial Viper.

We would like to share with you our making of, always trying to be helpful to anyone interested in this model in particular.

As always, we'd appreciate very much any contribution.

Cheers!!!

BUILDING


Due to its lack of details, the first thing we ought to do with this model would be to re-panel. The electric structure has to be installed before building the model. In this cases, only once the model has been built and sealed, it will be painted. Although the original model comes with an opaque cockpit, we’ve decided to cut the plastic in the areas where we believed to contain glass, so that the inside of the cabin (including the pilot) remain visible.

For the rockets, we’ve used white LEDs and, for the cabin, different coloured ones. The central part of the engines has been rebuilt with copper tubes and styrene layers. On the top parts of the model, a stylene layer has been cut, covering the junction of both pieces, as seen in the original TV series model.

Junctions have dissapeared under the central piece, cannons have been completely rebuilt by adding, amongst other things, small-section copper tubes on the extreme, to give it an empty look.

The lower section (rockets) has been rebuilt as well. Its central area required a complete erasing of details to add every tubes after.

It’s convenient to replace the turbo rear engines with metallic tubes. For the air exits of the front part we’ve drilled holes, and added a little piece taken from a metal tube. Once included in the structure, it has to be sanded with a medium-rough sandpaper and, for final touched, with a soft-soaked sandpaper.


PAINTING


For the firs coat of primer we’ll use a grey colour for all the model surface. For painting we´ll use a fog-grey as the main colour, which will be lightened or darkened to simulate a rust sensation (always using airbrush).

Whats interesting about Viper kits is that they appear used and worn down, due to an intense fighting, but never too used because they’re supposed to have been taking to the garage regularly so they have to have tiny rust touches.

Painting highlights: colour balance, contrast subtlety and a lot of chromatic details, in search of realism.

While painting we have to insert tiny dirt marks on every panel of the model, looking for regularity, in order to achieve some contrast. Something that gives excelent results, specially on square and rectangular pieces, is to disguise the plate and add smoothly a mix of navy blue and black along the plates. Once the mask has been retrieved, we should notice the dirt marks that are naturally stucked in junctions.

Freaky MovieKits touch: we’ve decided to create this model with the pilots head looking to one side, because it gives a more dynamic sensation.

This is the philosophy we are applying to this model.

For the orange marks, we can use the original model vynils. It would be ideal to paint them. For our Viper we are using a mix of cadmium orange and brown/red (90%-10%). Before applying this colour, we will spread liquid mask all over the surface. Once painted (with model mask), we’ll have a naturally made damages.

Rust and dirt should be always distributed in small quantitives in a selective way, and the different colour touches smoothly applied.

To achieve the tiny paint damages in this selective kind ( distributed on several small groups) we are using two colours: a very dark grey using a very sharped toothpick, and the opposite: a very clear grey on different points. That gives the sensation of where the Viper is becoming to rust, but not completely rusted yet.

[Rob]

Very nice work. Looks great.

[StalkingButler]

Really good!! love the LED's in the engines.

[khimbar]

I have just thrown away all of my kits and tools and paints as I will never, ever produce anything this good.

Superb work. I love it.

[stararts2000]

Very nice work. Looks great.

Thanks man!!

[stararts2000]

Really good!! love the LED's in the engines.

Well, honestly is the easiest part of the building process, but with huge impact. Kinda trick ;D

Thanks mate!

[stararts2000]

I have just thrown away all of my kits and tools and paints as I will never, ever produce anything this good.

Superb work. I love it.

Dont do it man!! Give em another chance!!! Well we began to use oil painture a year ago, its just a matter of time to improve ones skills. We have much to learn, but very glad to help you in anything you'd need, just like we were helped before.

Thanks for your words!

[PaulAyrey]

Wow (said drooling) that is a nice build and love the lighting.

[stararts2000]

Wow (said drooling) that is a nice build and love the lighting.

It was an exhausting work mate

Thanks for your words

[Keleborn]

Well done!

[Willem]

Serious skills.

Awesome.

[stararts2000]

Well done!

Thanks mate!

[stararts2000]

Serious skills.

Awesome.

Thanks Willem!!!

[stararts2000]

And some compositions... just for fun

[warpedcrisis]

very nice work there
just a quick one where the clear engine parts (the back of the engine) part of the original kit ?

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Superb job!
Love the lightning
Just finished the lightning in my viper, want a easy task.

[stararts2000]

Superb job!
Love the lightning
Just finished the lightning in my viper, want a easy task.

Thanx mate!! Please show us your work!!!

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Thanx mate!! Please show us your work!!!

You can find my BSG Viper MKII here: http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =42&t=6425

[stararts2000]

Thank you very much!

Yes the clear engine parts are part of the original kit, but if you are looking for a better one, go to Moebius model kit. The Colonial Vipef MKI from Moebius is perfect!

very nice work there
just a quick one where the clear engine parts (the back of the engine) part of the original kit ?

[stararts2000]

WOAUUU, AWESOME WORK THERE!!

We would like to share with you (and all of you) our works in our facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/stararts2000

Would you join us? we would be proud to see your works there!

Thanks in advance

Thanx mate!! Please show us your work!!!

You can find my BSG Viper MKII here: http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =42&t=6425

[RobertK]

Looks amazing! Cool compositions!

[stararts2000]

Thanks a lot mate

[AchtungPanzer]

O FU.K ! Really great work Well done Mate

[stararts2000]

O FU.K ! Really great work Well done Mate

Thanks a lot Panzer

Cheers!!!