Federation Commander

I think we all have a preference for what we think looks cool, which means we end up with different colors for the same minis, and it reflects our personalities.

Since I started painting Starline minis a few months ago i have been searching for colors I will use. Early on I focused on a red for the Kzinti, using Skorne Red from Privateer Press Paints (P3). I also found a great color for the hulls of my Klingons- Battledress Green from P3.

But the Feds I have not been happy with. I first made a CS with Citadel Colours' Fortress Grey. Nice, but too grey. For the next Fed I made a CA and used Citadel's Space Wolves Grey. It looks nice, if a little powder blue (I tired white but the white just was too... white).

[Hey, we just had an Earthquake. Everythings ok.]

Finally, I am painting an HDW. I decided to mix two citadel paints for the base coat, Space Wolves Grey and Mithril Silver in a 2:1 ratio. All I can say is... I found my hull color. Sweet grey, just a hint of cool blue, with a metallic property to it.

Here is my question: I was going to use a spray coating on my minis to protect the paint. What will the coating do to my metallic sheen? Should I dull coat or gloss it?

Now I need to find my Gorn color. As it is now i have a metallic green basecoat with orange highlights. It look like an Orange Bowl float.

Thanks

I've not clear-coated over metal paint, except one time with Testors "buffable" metalizer paint, which comes with it's own sealant coat (which appears to be a gloss.

I've used both glosscote and dullcote over metallics. The effect you get with each is different:

Romulan KCN in chrome silver with a gloss topcoat:


Tholian NDN in copper with a dull topcoat:


Glosscoat seems to intensify the "shine" of metallic paint. My chrome Roms are extremely shiny...the photo doesn't do them justice. Dull coat, on the other hand, is, well...dull. Seriously, it takes a lot of the "shine" out of the paint, and gives it a more burnished look.

The one key I found with either is to keep the coats light. A heavy coat of clearcoat on a metal paint can turn cloudy.

mmmmmm, nice one wedge