Raider Colors/Markings?

[Cylon-Knight]

Now that I have a Raider model and want to make it "right" I've been researching how to paint it. I've found various color and markings from several places... interesting how it is all over the place.

Body color:
It is gray with black accents, for sure.
However... what do you all think about painting the model in a mosaic of different gray tones and black. I read an article recently from the designer of the "reboot" Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise - he commented how he was inspired by Star Trek the Motion Picture during the starting when Kirk is shuttling to the revamped NCC-1701 - you could see the mosaic coloring - it felt more like a real ship with many parts and panels - not a toy. I think that is so true and I am leaning toward painting my raider mosaic style.

I watched Classic BSG: The Hand of God last night - from what I see when Adama has his BaseStar model during his tactical briefings it is a mosaic of many grays.


Markings:

From the show (Episode Hand Of God):
The stripe of color is only black. It is high on the wing, above green Cylon logo.



1978 toy:
The stripe of color is bright yellow with black edges. It is high on the wing, above green Cylon logo. The Cylon logo has black inbetween the green sections... so... I'm guessing the black on the stripe is just a way to use the same color ink when it was printed? Easier to just use black than try and match the gray color the toy is cast in.



1978 Monogram model:
The stripe of color is black with bright red edges. It is at/near the wing's tips. It is below green Cylon logo.
Also, I've noticed the 'other raider' on the box cover - it has no red edge to the stripe and it is up high on the wing. Seems to not have the Cylon logo - probably just due to it being more of a background element of the box art. The 'other raider' is much closer to the image above from The Hand of God?!

[Swhite228]

The original ship grays were made with silver paint being mixed with the base color.

The silver added a level of shine that allowed the panels to show up under the bright studio lights.

[SiR-ROUND]

Movie accuracy is always good, but keep in mind that smaller models than studio scale need a different approach in order for it to look as good.

Smaller models benefit from a more exaggerated paint job. So highlighting of scribe lines and shadow parts.

Can't wait to see you tackle this build though!

[Cylon-Knight]

Thanks for the tips SIR-ROUND... very good advice!

Well... this Sunday I was off to a local hobby store to get some glue, putty and paint for my raider. Looked around at that stuff AND the models. What did Cylon-Knight find... but another raider kit

I bought a 30th Anniversary version of the raider. The shop has a 30th anniv. Basestar too, but I didn't get that crazy . I plan to do a photo essay of the two (1978 & 2007) kits in the coming days. There are some new parts on the 2007 kit - says so right on the side of the box!

...I still have no paint (couldn't decide) or putty (they were out till Thursday). Hope I can resist the Basestar when I go back

One quick note on the markings of the 2007 kit - the box art is DEAD ON like the capture from The Hand of God (above post).

[Starbuck]

I have noticed that in all the models I have seen, the greatest inacuracy seems to be in portraying the "mouth" of the raider. It appears in the show to be a pyramid or "rooftop" shaped cut in the hull with a satelite shaped dish shaped cut running through the upper half of the pyramid with a sphere under that with 2 lines spreading out toward the bottom.
I have never seen any model that reproduced that.

I assume that when the deal was struck and licenses were given to various companies to sell a model, that the models had to be a certain percentage "off' of the original screen used models.
I would LOVE to see some pics of somones' screen used model (if anyone actually has one) in good shape.

[Red Eye]

I have noticed that in all the models I have seen, the greatest inacuracy seems to be in portraying the "mouth" of the raider. It appears in the show to be a pyramid or "rooftop" shaped cut in the hull with a satelite shaped dish shaped cut running through the upper half of the pyramid with a sphere under that with 2 lines spreading out toward the bottom.
I have never seen any model that reproduced that.

I assume that when the deal was struck and licenses were given to various companies to sell a model, that the models had to be a certain percentage "off' of the original screen used models.
I would LOVE to see some pics of somones' screen used model (if anyone actually has one) in good shape.

Here's what I've found after a quick search on Google:

http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/Cylon/Cylon.htm

http://www.battlebuck.com/Galactica/Raider/Raider.html

Hope it helps...

[Cylon-Knight]

Very nice, the one on Battle Buck seems to be a filming raider? It has a threaded mounting on the bottom... something I doubt any consumer kit would include.

[Swhite228]

Movie accuracy is always good, but keep in mind that smaller models than studio scale need a different approach in order for it to look as good.

Smaller models benefit from a more exaggerated paint job. So highlighting of scribe lines and shadow parts.

Can't wait to see you tackle this build though!

The silver paint mix also works with the small model! Untill you've seen it don't knock it. Just change the ratio of silver to the base color .

[Cylon-Knight]

"What if" there was a Ship of Lights Raider? ALL WHITE! ??? heehee

[Tinman]

OK.... Here's what to do.

1. If you are planning on building the 1978 Vesion of the kit by Monogram - DON'T. Put it on the shelf as a collectors item and go on "Evil-Bay" and get one of the REVELL versions. It has much better looking engine parts and doesn't have the cheap rubber band powed missile shooters to cover up.

2. I am kinda with the poster above about the metalized colors -to a certain point. On smaller models it wasy to go overboard with that approach and you get something that looks like a toy (most combat vehicles don't have a shinny factory like paint sheme) and a blend of greys just looks a lot better IMHO.

3. Testors Model Masters has a line of paint that has ALL KINDS of Military Paints - and a bunch of shades of Grays - both US types and Foreign spec paints. Go to the Hobby Shop and just check them out and buy a handful to try out on a different surface.

4. About the pattern on the ship, this is ALWAYS a good idea to do as it makes a model look like it was built out of different pieces rather than molded out of one piece. You can see how this sets off the USS Enterprise with the "Aztec" (Official Name) on the ship of TMP era over the "White Whale" look of TOS Enterprise.
Though the idea is the same you will have to scale it down as the Aztec pattern is too large to use on a ship as small as a Raider (made for Capital ships) you can still do specific panels and shapes on the Radier's fusealage and wings to get the same effect. You can see this on the pic below. While I don't like a lot of how this guy painted his raider I do like how he set the shapes for the coloring though I would have used light and dark greys to get the effect and a gunmetal like color for the weapons. Another trik you can do is to spray a cot of Testors Dullcoat on it once it is finished to dull the colors and blend them together.

Good luck on the model.



<S>!

[Cylon-Knight]

WOW that is a NICE model. But I would not have painted the top of the "last" part of the engines dark... nor put any black edges on the edges of the wings. I love the gold accents! And, yep, and Aztec pattern is always awesome. I read they based the new Star Trek (2009) Enterprise on TMP era 1701/1701-A due to the fact it was the one Enterprise that seemed to be most "real" with the Aztec panels, etc.

[dbhs]

Hey guys, good thread on the colors/markings.

I got some of the green Chartpak tape that was used on the original studio models to put on mine. I actually found a roll of vintage tape in the office where I work that is exactly the same stuff. Unfortunately age has petrified the glue on the tape and it was completely unusable. I was able to save the first few inches so I have a color sample. The green tape they make now is the same color and still available so I'll be using that instead. If anyone is interested I can post a link to the product for puchase of the new tape. I got it in an art store but it's available on line too.

[Cylon-Knight]

Sure man! Please post the link... is that what they did the logo with???

[dbhs]

It's in this pack. Unfortunately this is the only way i could find the green tape in the same color and width being sold. It used to be sold in single rolls.

http://www.amazon.com/Chartpak-DEC001-B ... 941&sr=8-2

Here you can see a close up of the tape and where some has peeled off.

[Red Eye]

Nice find!

Please post some photos of your logo once you've finished it.