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Satellite Dish

This dish is largely made from 'found' materials, so it will be impossible to copy exactly. It should, however, give you a few ideas.
The two figures are female space marines, from one of the original WH40K ranges. The Chapter is 'Sisters of Purity' (a chapter name I pinched from an old gaming magazine scenario). Their colours are my own invention: half blue, half light grey, with a ram's skull on a black left shoulder pad and a white unicorn head on the right. The backpacks have been trimmed with Tamiya copper. (The only Tamiya colour I use).

Materials

The dish is half a container of mini-Smarties. I had been hoarding it for literally years before I got round to making this because of its obvious potential. The other half was actually an even better shape, but I used the wrong half by accident.

The main base is part of a broken spotlight fitting.

  • Card
  • Plastic disposable razor bits.
  • Calculator buttons
  • A segment from a mini Rubik cube
  • Sprue
  • Nuts and bolts

Construction

Stick the bits on with epoxy resin or superglue. PVA will not bond strongly enough to the smooth non-absorbent surfaces.

Painting

Green colour

Start with a base coat of light olive drab. (Humbrol Acrylic)

Wash with dark brown acrylic ink. This can be quite blotchy, as it is partly to build up a scruffy weathered effect.

Dry brush with the light olive drab again.The brush should be fairly moist and contain plenty of paint to cover a reasonably large proportion of the surface.

Add some white and dry brush again. Use a bit less paint and pressure.

Add some more white and dry brush again. Use even less paint and pressure.

Finish with a very gentle drybrush that is almost white, but not quite.

Metal details
Pick out a few areas by drybrushing dark silver (eg GW 'Chainmail') over a black basecoat. Ink wash these areas with dark brown ink at the weathering stage.

Patterning
Now paint on a few markings in white, red and yellow. Edge the markings with black to get crisp edges. You could also print out some symbols and stick them on.

Weathering

Add some more areas of dark brown ink. Water it down, blob some on, and then smear it with your finger tip. You can also paint some small vertical lines underneath to represent water stains.

Use a little chestnut ink for.some rusty patches. If it's looking too orange then mix in some dark brown.




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©2003. All rights reserved.
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