A couple of years ago I posted a tutorial on Facebook showing how I repainted an Imperial VT-49 Decimator for X-Wing TMG. Rather than have it get lost forever to the depths of Facebook I’ve dug out the pictures and re-posted it here.

First up we clean the model. This one was a shop display model I picked up cheap so it was covered in dust and fingerprints. I used a big paint brush and some 99% alcohol to clean it up (which also gets rid of the worst of the wash from the factory) then ran it through an ultrasonic cleaner and finally some warm soapy water. Let it dry.

Spray black with Vallejo Black Polyurethane primer.

The first colour going on is Vallejo Model Air Medium Sea Grey. It’s got a slightly green/yellow tinge to it which works great on Imperial ships. This just goes all over the model as a base coat.

I want to accent the aggressive lines as well as the windows on top so I’m using Vallejo Model Air Pale Blue Grey to create a gradient starting at the pointy end and around the curve on the top.

This is a 4:3 mix of Vallejo Game Air Dead White and VMA Pale Blue Grey. This is just hitting the tips of the gradient to increase contrast.

Time to paint some shade. This is actually a wash that I apply with my airbrush. It’s a mix of 4:2:1 Nuln Oil, Drakenhoff Nightshade, and Athonian Camoshade. I try to get this into any nooks as well to create some shading.

Now we fix up the middle of the gradient and blend the two ends together with a 1:1 mix of Vallejo Model Air Medium Sea Grey and Vallejo Model Air Pale Blue Grey.

Lastly I hit up the highlights just to make them really pop with a 1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Air Dead White and Vallejo Model Air Pale Blue Grey. The model now gets a coat of gloss varnish and the next stage will be washes and detailing.

This is the top after an oil wash (I’ll post step by steps for this for the underside). I’d normally use a MIG Enamel wash here but it wasn’t sitting well in the large panel lines so instead I mixed up a 1:1 Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber oil wash using Winsor & Newton oil paints and some white spirit. Oil washes tend to be thicker than enamel so it sat better on this model.

How you’re supposed to apply an oil wash. load up a thin brush and carefully apply it to the panel lines letting capillary action draw the wash out of the brush.

This is how I apply an oil wash because I’m impatient and clumsy. I load up a big brush and slather it over the area I want oil washed.

Clean up! Take some cotton buds and dip them in white spirit. Now rub them gently over the wash to clean it up off the surfaces and leave it in the cracks.

Clean up finished. If you are lazy like me you can use a lint-free cloth to wipe off most of the oil paint and then use cotton buds to tidy up.

Splashing a bit of burnt umber on as well to dirty up the panels. I did this on the top as well just to add a little variation to the wash. Remember when painting something to look realistic variation is key!

Everything cleaned up. Not pictured was a very light wash of MIG Cold Grey Enamel wash. That was just to add a little more variation again but I figure you have the idea by now. Last stage is to dry it all off (with a hairdryer for the impatient) then give it another coat of gloss ready for weathering!

Time to apply some more broad dirt and grime. I’ve lightly sprayed some Seraphim Sepia and Athonian Camoshade through the airbrush and lightly tinted some areas where I felt either more contrast was needed or there would be a build up of dirt while in atmosphere.

As a troop transport the Decimator will spend long periods on planet surface often not in a nice dry hanger. While parked rust and grime would build up and run down the sloped hull. I’m using Burnt Sienna oil paint to simulate rusty spots.

Using a soft brush dipped in Turps I sump the oil paint pulling the paint in the direction of the slope creating rusty streaks.

I’ve applied some light grey with a sponge lightly to represent areas of cleanliness. I’ve then applied some darker grey the same way to represent damage. I then took a brush with some Rhinox Hide and filled in some of the larger chips and along the edges of prominent surfaces where there may be damage.

Edge highlighting is about light, reflections and accentuating shapes. I’m using pure white on the sharpest edges to make them pop. I’ve also done a light dry-brush with white from the front of the ship to the back to pick up some details.

Skipped a little here because I ended up redoing this stage. I painted the windows by masking them off and using an airbrush to create a black-blue gradient trying to obey where reflections would occur. I then painted the frames in Vallejo Model Air Pale Blue Grey.

Final stretch: Engine glow. Start with some Vallejo Model Air Orange and spray the engines. Over-spray is fine here but make sure it only goes where light would reflect. You don’t want to hit the turret or anything behind the engines. I just use my thumb to mask off what I don’t want to hit.

Spray a 4:1 mix of white and yellow into the middle of the engines. You need to be more careful here and only get it within the engine. If you over-spray you can use a glaze of orange to fix it.

Lastly pure white into the very middle of the engines. Remember with OSL it’s all about the light source being convincing. Engines are bright so don’t stop until you hit pure white.

Last step is a coat of Satin varnish to tone down the gloss that I’ve been applying to seal in my paints.