writes:When I showed the unpainted tanks from Shapeways, I promised to also show what they looked like after I painted them up. So here they are:
I followed my usual painting technique, as I wanted the models to fit into an existing force, even though this technique might not have been best for the Shapeways product.
I primed the models with Krylon Ruddy Brown spray primer, which also served as the basecoat.
I then gave the models a brown ink wash, followed by drybrushing with a medium tan.
(As you can see above, the drybrushing sometimes brought out the defects, such as the horizontal striping on the rear hull from the printing process.)
I then painted a red stripe across the front hull, which is an identifier for the force these tanks are joining.
The machineguns were painted gunmetal; missiles and sensors got a touch of gold; I used a black wash to darken the missile tubes and main gun barrel. (One surprise: the "White, Strong and Flexible" material readily soaks up inks.) The tanks were then mounted on 1½"-square Litko 3mm wooden bases, with FlexSteel beneath for storage purposes.
As you can see, the graininess of the Shapeways "White, Strong and Flexible" material still shows up through the paintjob. One of the models was given a second primer coat, but that made no difference. In my sci-fi force, I'm going to use these as "antique tech" vehicles, lost for eons on some radiation-blasted world before being salvaged.