After quite a bit of thought, preparation and confidence building (supplied in equal measure by advice from trusted individuals and through practice), I went ahead with a pattern on my MilCiv build today.
I’m a big fan of scales on blasters, but I wanted to do something a bit different and try to introduce more contrast – as well as adding green to the palette. The gun will, after all, mainly be used in UK woodland.
While some patterns look great close up, others look better from a distance – and it was the latter I wanted to evoke. Rather than going for small scales, I went big. Big scales need bigger netting. For this ‘macro’ pattern, I used car boot netting. Costs about £10.
Now, the problem with netting and complex shapes is the netting doesn’t lie flat. If it doesn’t lie flat, you don’t get the funky net shapes.
Before this, I removed the cylinder and barrel/hop group from the gun, masked the ECU and closed the gun. Externally I masked the UID on the magwell and the bottom of the grip (to make sure I didn’t spray paint into the motor).
I also used my remaining Humbrol Dark Brown 29 to touch up the wear spots from the original paint job and to provide a more even base. My original base was a lightly dusted coat and almost looked pre-worn. To give the new pattern a chance, I needed the base to be more saturated.
The pics below represent the application process of the macro pattern, which I enjoyed immensely. For this job, Krylon really is the nuts. When going for the dusted/pre-worn look, or to provide an even base coat which can be built up in layers, Humbrol is awesome. But for dumping colour in quick, precise bursts, Krylon is best. I used Dark Brown, Khaki and Sand – in that order – for light and shade.
After this stage I used Humbrol Olive Drab, dusted through standard sized washing machine bags, to tie the pattern together and add a green tone.
To the trusted individuals who helped build my confidence – especially the Pieman – thank you.
The Reptile House 