[Customs] When Factory Paint Alone isn't Enough

The metalflake black turned out great in the stock photo, but while I already had plans to lay dirt on another car, this one tagged along for the ride.







The lighting looks weird. I'm using bluish LEDs instead of the warmer lamp I usually opt for in dioramas.





A white Castrol livery being released had me thrilled. But as I looked at it more, it was missing details. Shiny wheels didn't look look right. 5SP wheels were already a good choice without a doubt, but I figured I may as well step it up and get premium wheels in the mix. For the sandy look, I tried my best not to go overboard with the dirt application by leaving the top surfaces relatively dirt-free. I did however feather the clean surfaces with a light coat just to cover the paint's gloss as it doesn't seem to make much sense for a car to be dusty all over while having a squeaky clean roof.













For those curious of the diorama setup, it looks like this:

[Customs] Redone Race Cars

Just can't get enough of revamping recoloured castings. Really, what is there to be proud of?
The smooth metalflake coat of paint and crisp tampos weren't done by me. Yet why is there
a sense of accomplishment? Is it the delusion that I "came up with this idea, which happens
to have all those cool tampos and that slick paintjob?" Maybe. I apologize for starting this post
by questioning my methodology and berating my skills, but let's be real, had that flawless metalflake
paint and high-resolution tampos been of my production, that ought to be what I can be proud of.

Moving on, I have an interest in the 333SP, but unluckily, half the releases in my collection look awful.
Typical recoloured casting, with the goofy colour swap, poor taste in wheels and irrelevant tampos. I did them in.



Yus. Black and yellow are a good colour combination, but not the way the stock tampos
put it. That's toy appeal. By eliminating all of it and leaving (literally) just a dot of it, the
yellow remains an accent colour keeping the entire car from being entirely monochromatic.
I've always believed in yellow being a top choice as an accent colour when used in small
proportions. Think a black Ferrari with the only yellow coming from the badge. That's badass.






The flame tampos were goofy. They had to go. End of discussion.
It looked bland when all that was taken out. The pearl white is pretty
and all, but it's a race car, so I got the race car dust and dirt all over.
The choice of 5-spokes were meant to match the real car.
Overall, I'm still not satisfied with how this turned out.







Some of you may remember I had an extra Speed Machines which I already swapped out its wheels.
In a fair attempt to give this new one its own distinguishable features, I had to avoid installing
a set of gold WSPs. They are brilliant for this blue beast, but tis a challenge I cannot brush aside.
Amongst the 3 other 333SPs the yellow wing could've went on, I felt this one would
look best with it. The #33 tampos were already that colour after all. So what about the wheels? Matchbox 5-spokes again? Again? Can't. That would be taking
the easy way out. Plus I didn't have another set of size 2 wheels that fit (without having to bust out
the axle tubing). Reluctantly, I put PR5s on. 5SPs seemed more period correct, but they had a blandness
to it that didn't match the rest of the car's agile look in my opinion. To draw less attention
to the fact I put generic sports car wheels on it, I hid the split-spoke design with black paint. It didn't sit well with me. It was lacking something. I debated whether I should give it a yellow
rim to give presence to the negative space where the tires go would be a worthwhile. Nah.
I dropped a line of yellow on a single spoke to give the impression of race car wheels that have logos
printed on the spokes. Still looks lacking, but I imagined I would end up taking it too far if I kept going,
so I stopped. The combination of colours, especially with a solid yellow wing just make the whole thing
look like a child's toy. I will make no further comment on that.








This one has the greatest potential, and I didn't make it happen.
The solid red with lace wheels is very traditional of Ferrari race cars
and the race dirt makes it all the more fitting. It only needed one thing.
One big Shell logo. That's it. Some identity of a recognizable livery and
this would easily steal the show. I may revisit this one if I ever get myself
a decent colour printer. The 90's inkjet I've got is no longer up to snuff.

[Customs] The Weathering Is So Delightful.

and there's no need to be frightful. And since the series has no place to go,
let it grow, let it grow, let it grow!

I had a GM Chevroleter I wanted to bathe in dirt. It like most WIPs of mine, they
will be found on my desk off to the side. With the semester over, I got to work right away.
Before showing that off, I took this opportunity to clear up two other muddy test mules that
haven't a place to be. So they received a clear of matte clear and now they're indexed:







I remember picking up random cars off The Toy Peddler to fill up a box, and this random
$1 Racing Champs was one of them. All the listing could identify it as was a Ford Stock Car.
Little did I realize it was a Galaxie until I actually began collecting the Hot Wheels casting.
The playwear was visible and it had a degree of grayness like it was collecting dust for years,
even though there was no actual dust on it. The stickers and decals weren't in perfect shape,
and this just gave off such a strong impression of a retired racecar.
It was decided what I'd do with it from then on.







This wasn't planned. I had a loose Impreza, and I had a ton of leftover paint when I completed the gravel
path diorama last summer. Not wanting to waste the paint and not caring a whole lot about the model,
the two mingled, and we have this dirty ride. Really, it was meant for me to test out the weathering kit,
practicing technique and discovering the limits, but then I just threw paint all over it like it meant nothing.






Had a layer of that light earth Tamiya weathering stick lathered on, but I wanted to give it a more grimier look,
like it just blazed through a coal yard to escape the shattering grounds of the earth.
That was done with oil paint mixed with a solvent to get it runny. Dry brushed for the
stains which surprisingly create the impression of oxidization!

It's practically covered up by the paint and dirt, but I had performed a step where I went back and forth on
scratching the factory paint with a blade and dousing it with acetone to soften up the wounds for easier scraping.
I did most of if on the front edge and the two "ribs" on the bonnet.


What I need to do eventually is make a diorama for dirty cars. A clean white backdrop is really not fitting!​