Rob's Mech Painting

Starter Six

Robovski

Well-known member
So, backstory, haven't painted a minifig since the 90's. Back then they were mostly lead, but some places you could get some plastic kits from (like GDW) and they were moving from lead to alternative metals towards the end of my time painting but I gave up just about all my hobby stuff when I moved to Scotland, all the paints and minifigs included. Recently, I caught the bug for Battletech again and opted to get some figures and having looked at them, I felt the need to paint them. But the world has changed, and things are different. The figurines are resin, my eyes are worse, and when I was painting figurines, I mostly painted undead for an army I had then. I did have lead Battletech figurines but I never gave them a great painting, I gave them a city camo and moved on. I'm creating this thread to document this project and my development, kind of an early New Year's resolution for myself.

So for my first steps, I decided to start with by priming in grey the Beginner Box Griffin and Vindicator and the Inner Sphere Striker Lance box Blackjack, Panther, Wolfhound, and Jenner. These should make a good mix to mess with to get started.

FkjZfpIVsAEUf04


I then decided today my first victim would be the Jenner. It's a solid light mech for scounting and ambushing. I also thought I would try the AP SpeedPaint Camo Cloak as I have never used something like this before. I did used to make a wash by diluting paint myself, but the claim for AP SpeedPaint is that it's 'one and done' base, shader and highlight. I expect that I will want to do more after I have used it but I was very curious to see how this performs.

FkjatpHVEAAV73s


Here it is wet:

FkjbAHBUoAAtcYH
FkjbAEpVQAEiOeP
FkjbADKUEAI22tg


Looking forward to seeing it dry. Some slop on the base but I do plan on doing bases towards the end. If nothing else I will paint the base to clean it up. Need to decide what to do next with it.
 
Last edited:

Robovski

Well-known member
OK, here's the Camo Cloak dry:
FkkpUeZUUAIqmR7
FkkpUeeVQAEGe5a
FkkpUeZVsAA9WLn


This is about four hours later under the same lighting (will get better lighting). I thought that this paint does make an effective start and it is a good look for not much effort but really it just is making a base coat for the figure. Could easily become a forest camoflage. I do not think I will be doing that with this first figure, but that is not yet decided. Decided to try some metal accent paints on the laser gunports and the jump jet ports as the next thing to try.

Used AP Evil Chrome (kind of bronze-y/copper-y) for the laser ports and AP Tainted Gold for the rear facing jump jet ports.
FkkqLL6UEAE-MTO
FkkqLKCVEAAp1yB
FkkqLHXUUAAX_iz


Not miserable but my accuracy is lacking. But this is a first effort and I hope I will improve my brush handling. Next I decided to try the cockpit, for which I thought I would try AP Crystal Blue. This was not my best idea, compounded by my poor skill in applying the paint.

Fkkqtu8VsAAn2Sx
FkkqtseUUAAaU1r


As such I wiped off most of the blue and then opened and applied AP Soft Tone Wash over the cockpit in an effort to tone it down and blend in the remaining blue. I then applied this over the metal accents and parts of the body to grime it up a bit. I like this more, really no idea what to do with the cockpit windows that I think makes sense and would be in my skill level but I can always come back to that.

FkkrU0RVUAIfc8M
FkkrUxmVUAM0ed3


Have to let that dry before I can do more but I think it has helped some.
 

Robovski

Well-known member
OK, next day and the paint is dry.
FkpsGvjVEAADbQC
FkpsGviUAAEg5ig


Added Army Painter SpeedPaint Fire Golem to various parts, which makes for a browning of these areas. Guess I'm going jungle/woodland camo. Vaguely. Also applied some Army Painter SpeedPaint Grim Black to the insides of the weapon ports and jump jets and (you can't see here) the under cockpit vent.

FkptIdUUYAADrG9
FkptIhsVUAAsuOK


I think I'm going to let this one rest for a bit here while I experiment with some other colors and decide and acquire some meterial for dressing the base.
 
Griffin

Robovski

Well-known member
OK, the next figure I selected to work on is the Griffin, which if you were looking for a counter to the Jenner, it's a fine choice. Usually a PPC/LRM combo with decent speed for 55 tons and a full 5 jump jets, it manages quite a bit of mobility, often with heat implications.
Fks9cK4akAAUu_-
Fks9cKFagAEgMri
Fks9cKGaAAAwtW4


Went with Army Painter SpeedPaint Fire Golem for (what I expected) would be an orange starting point. It went on fine but on the grey primer comes over very burnt, almost brown. Left the gun barrel and the missile pod clean for a different paint I will apply later.

Fks95IBakAAiNgh
Fks95FzacAATJo7
 

Robovski

Well-known member
Here we see the figure with one application dry:

Fks-JpnagAA_jgu
Fks-JplaYAU939Y


I decided to try to bring out the color by applying an additional layer or two to veriious parts of the figure.

Fks-lvqaUAAYhiW
Fks-ltlagAAk9re
Fks-lrWaYAIneHL


This did help but it's still at best a dark red orange. I'd probably get a better orange over a white primer. That I will probably try with the next batch but I'm sticking with the six I have selected and primed for this first project. To further experiment with bringing out some orange color I then tried applying Army Painter SpeedPaint Zealot Yellow to some parts of the figure.

Fks-_ifacAAvsth
Fks-_gBaUAAeBGh
Fks-_d5aAAA9IED
 
Last edited:

Robovski

Well-known member
I am less frustrated byt the brown-ness of the figure so I decided to try to then start on the weapon systems by applying Army Painter SpeedPaint Grim Black which I think should be a sooty black/grey.

Fks_LxaaEAAYrtr
Fks_LxbaAAAYb9E


This did not pull away as I expected on the arm cannon barrel as much as I thought it would and it has come off very black. I also applied some to the interior of the rear vent of the missile pod, jump jets, and some crevaces.

Fks__LQaMAAa0Mz


After that was dry overnight I applied AP Evil Chrome to the jump jets themselves.

FktAXsuagAA78kK


This was good but a bit bright so I then went to the AP Quickshade Soft Tone for the the jets, crevasses and the missile pod front and back. There was also a failed application of AP Warpaint Moon Dust to the cockpit that I (mostly) rubbed away and then covered with the Soft Tone.

FktAxuzacAE6Ec2
FktAxslaAAIFctm


This did tone down the jump jets and helped add shade. I will have to think more about what to do with cockpits that would look acceptable. I will also need to metalize the arm cannon barrel in some way. I might try some kind of white wash or drybrush to lighten some areas but I am uncertain and maybe I should experiment with other colors on a different figure while I wait for base materials I have ordered for use with this project. The Jenner and The Griffin are incomplete but not embarassing if I were to play with them at this stage.
 
Last edited:

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
Looking good, I may have to look into getting some of that paint.

By default, I tend to disapprove of painting missile launchers black. It makes it too hard to see the individual missile tubes and that detail tends to feel important to me.
 

Robovski

Well-known member
Looking good, I may have to look into getting some of that paint.

By default, I tend to disapprove of painting missile launchers black. It makes it too hard to see the individual missile tubes and that detail tends to feel important to me.

The idea was it would largley pull into the holes and it would soot up the grey face of the pod. Again, this would have probably worked better over white then grey because instead it all came over rather black. The pod face in driect light does show the10 holes but I agree that the contrast could be better.
 

Robovski

Well-known member
Gave the Griffin one more pass wiith the AP Speedpaint Fire Golem to various parts, likle the shoulder pads.

Fk8kldRakAAOT3e
Fk8klbZaAAMu1SQ
Fk8klZyakAIC4Jy


And then set that aside as I selected a new figure to start.
 

Robovski

Well-known member
So for the next mech figure I selected the Panther, a solid choice for a light mech in a defense or support role or another ambusher type with good mobility for a heavier mech but not great for a 35 tonner. Jumping a lot helps you not get hit but that + a PPC means choices.

Fk8hz2IaYAEZv8X

Fk8hz09agAAoPE2

Fk8hz06aUAE7JmW


Initially I was going to use Army Painter SpeedPaint Sand Golem for the next base color but this proved to be just brown on the paper. Decided to change to try Pallid Bone and Holy White from the same set. Holy White might as well be Battleship Grey, on the arm cannon it's hardly noticeable on the primer. AP Pallid Bone is a brown/olive on the grey.

Fk8iicCacAEUQlb

Fk8iiZ6akAAOpjj
Fk8iiX5acAIfRNh
Fk8iiX3acAAbpec


As you can see Pallid Bone on the grey primer made for a drab color I could toally see being used for several environments. After the application was dry I applied Army Painter Quickwash Strong Tone to the PPC and then Soft Tone to the rest of the Panther to blend hide some of the tide marks.

Fk8jqHMagAE5uu5
Fk8jqFNaEAA72_l
Fk8jqFKaEAAm4Ab
 

Robovski

Well-known member
And here is that dry:

Fk8yo19aEAEVB4L
Fk8yo12aMAIr7wT
Fk8yo11aAAEbugh


The Strong Tone is certainly thicker than the Soft Tone but did seem to work OK on the PPC so long as I'm good with it being kinda grubby looking which I guess I am.
 
Vindicator

Robovski

Well-known member
I also started the Vindicator (which comes in the new Beginner Box, as does the Griffin), which in a way is a bigger (mostly Cappellan) brother to the Panther. Despite the Capellans, I've long enjoyed Vindicators as a good lighter medium mech. Unfortunately I failed to take pictures of the figure primed but before beginning painting other than the group picture at the top of the thread. Sorry about that. I decided to start using the Army Painter Speedpaint Malignant Green, which went on a bit thicker looking than some of the other painst in this line. On white paper it's a mossy green, on the grey primer it's definately green, which I guess is fine for a start (and Cappellans).

Here ist is wet:
FlBmdC6aAAEiYyW
FlBmdC9akAAB_gc


FlBmdC-agAIxkkq


And dry:
FlBm3aHaYAEEH1O

FlBm3YWacAIAC5b
FlBm3WEaMAA9PYU
 

Robovski

Well-known member
Once it was dry I decided to try something different here so I did a pass with Army Painter Speedpaint Zealot Yellow over the upper torso but not the arm mounted PPC and did a AP Quickwash Soft Tone over the lower torso, legs, and the PPC.

Again wet:
FlBnHeaaMAASWd4

FlBnHcGaUAE0YM6

FlBnHcFaUAEneUY


And dry:
FlBoSVyaUAEnNJv

FlBoSVXaYAACI85
FlBoSVXagAUjigj


The Zealot Yellow over the Malignant Green over the grey primer has made for a tannish-brown, at least under this light. The Soft Tone has helped emphasize the lines. so I feel that was successful.
 

Robovski

Well-known member
Changed the lights my office so the light is better for seeing the color in a more neutral light. Haven't been painting because of the holiday and a cold I caught (sneezing and detail don't mix) but here's an update couple of pictures of the four figures in currrently in progress.

FlMQcMdagAEcBIs

FlMQcMgaAAAHdYD


Again, that's (from left to right) the Jenner, Griffin, Panther, and Vindicator. My white primer came so after I get the other two done I can try one with white primer and one with grey and then white primer. It will be interesting to see how that changes things.
 

Robovski

Well-known member
OK, kinda lost focus for a bit between cold and the holidays so let's get this back underway. Firstly, I applied Army Painter Soft Tone to the Vindicator to kind of brown down and mellow the colors together.
Here that is wet:
FmJxMi7aMAAezqe
FmJxMioaAAIm1LX
FmJxMilaYAAI-Tq


And that same application dry:

FmJx1rJaUAA0_Ow

FmJx5_AagAAO36Z

FmJx_FcaAAEYFqx
 

Robovski

Well-known member
I also decided to move ahead with the remaining two figures. Here is the Blackjack, which you might be familiar with from the 2018 HBS Battletech game or for being a long-range support/AA mech from tabletop that tends to plink at things until it pisses off the wrong thing and dies. I thought I would start this figure with the Army Painter Speedpaint Orc Skin onto the grey primer (again, neglected the primer only pictures, sorry).

Here it is wet:
FmJycQyaYAEpnmA

FmJycO2aMAAigp3
FmJycMqakAASV1F


And here is that same application dry:

FmJzBS7agAAtJnI

FmJzBRzaMAAMHeB

FmJzBR0acAAD4-0
 

Robovski

Well-known member
And finally the Wolfhound which I don't have a lot of direct experience with as it first appears in 3028 (thanks Sarna!) and is a laser boat with some combination of lasers as some kind of Lyran answer to the Panther. For this one I chose Army Painter Speedpaint Hive Dweller Purple.

Here that is wet:

FmJzdbEakAEGsFe
FmJzdZRakAEVmrF
FmJzdXpaUAANHF5


And here is that application dry:

FmJzqdbaMAA5wwg

FmJzqb1aAAI2xCA

FmJzqaLakAEx1Uh
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top