# TOS Enterprise Paint Guide WIP - Help me make it perfect. (Gary Kerr welcome :)



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Hi, everyone. I have gone through painstaking research while getting ready to paint up my 1/350th scale Enterprise. So by doing so, I have started to create a paint guide for myself, and one I will share with others. I want to make it as accurate to the 11 footer as possible. The box art is pretty good at explaining how to paint it, but because of the harsh lighting of the hull, some details are hard to make out.

So what I have done is create a CG model of the TOS Enterprise, where the lighting/shadow can be toggled on and off to see the colors as they are supposed to be. So far this is what I have...(CLICK IMAGE TO FULL VIEW SIZE)




Now, A couple of questions. On some ships, I've seen people say the nacelle grills should be silver. On mine I have them hull color. Which is correct? Similarly, I have the same honeycomb/grill detail on the intercoolers as hull colored. Are they supposed to be hull or silver? On mine I have also included the recently discovered dark/hull colors in the nacelle trench.

The other question, is on the very large dome right above the shuttlebay, there is a run around it's base. Should it be hull colored or darker as I have it depicted here.


----------



## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

The base color as you show it looks very green on my monitor. I realize that the color as seen on every monitor will look different. My monitor is professionally color-calibrated and should be fairly accurate, though.


----------



## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Paint it the colors you think are correct.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Proper2 said:


> The base color as you show it looks very green on my monitor. I realize that the color as seen on every monitor will look different. My monitor is professionally color-calibrated and should be fairly accurate, though.


Yep. That looks pretty accurate- the hull paint should be an olive gray tone like concrete. That's what I'm going for anyway. I airbrushed some of my custom mix last night on the saucer halves and it looks just like that.

One suggestion Pixel Magic and that would be to resize the images so they don't go off the page and require us to scroll right and left so much.


----------



## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

It's just a personal preference, I guess. I would prefer a less green-yellow, slightly cooler, more neutral grey; somewhere between the #632 Concrete and the #1964 Grey from the swatches below. But that's just me.


----------



## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Trekkriffic said:


> One suggestion Pixel Magic and that would be to resize the images so they don't go off the page and require us to scroll right and left so much.


Agreed. What is the average minimum monitor display width setting these days? 1024?


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

SteveR said:


> Agreed. What is the average minimum monitor display width setting these days? 1024?


Maybe if it's 2003. Anyway, I lowered the size of the picture. If you click the picture, it will enlarge to full size now.


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Maybe keep inline images to 1000px? Larger, post a link? Looks like a good project.


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

PixelMagic said:


> Maybe if it's 2003. Anyway, I lowered the size of the picture. If you click the picture, it will enlarge to full size now.


Better. :thumbsup:


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I wouldnt worry about the exact color as everyone can use colors they like. The most useful part of the artwork are the details.

I would make the ring around the base of the dome above the shuttle bay the same color as the rest of the ship.


----------



## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

PixelMagic said:


> Maybe if it's 2003.


Hee.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> I wouldnt worry about the exact color as everyone can use colors they like. The most useful part of the artwork are the details.
> 
> I would make the ring around the base of the dome above the shuttle bay the same color as the rest of the ship.


I agree, but I'd like to know the actual correct colors, and then from that point I can decide if I want to change something in a different way. Know the rules so you can break them kind of deal.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Well yeah I know what you mean about the actual colors, but you will never get an exact match on someone elses computer screen. Do the work for yourself and let others interpret it as they will.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> Well yeah I know what you mean about the actual colors, but you will never get an exact match on someone elses computer screen. Do the work for yourself and let others interpret it as they will.


Well, I'm not looking so much for exact colors, as the overall impression being right. Such as "the main hull color is a light-gray green" or "the intercoolers are hull colored in the middle ribbing, with light gray accents on the loops."


----------



## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

As I recall the nacelle grilles on the studio model are metal grilles. I personally feel straight silver will look too bright. 

A metalizer type paint might be more accurate looking!?

On my current AMT 18" Enterprise I'll most likely paint the nacelle grilles with Tamiya (acrylic) Gun Metal which is a darker looking silver but still looks silver, just not as bright.


----------



## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

I used silver on mine and thought it looked fine. I followed a suggestion I read to weather them a bit to dull it, but otherwise it is plain silver.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Opus Penguin said:


> I used silver on mine and thought it looked fine. I followed a suggestion I read to weather them a bit to dull it, but otherwise it is plain silver.


Awesome. This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for. Once I get all the info I can, I will update the CG model to reflect and hope to have a definitive and accurate paint guide for the original 11 foot model, as well as a separate one for the CG remastered Enterprise colors (which are neutral gray, not green).

Another question I had about accuracy, is the vent at the back of the nacelle supposed to be hull color or the darker accent color? See below to see what I mean...


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

PixelMagic said:


> Another question I had about accuracy, is the vent at the back of the nacelle supposed to be hull color or the darker accent color? See below to see what I mean...


I always thought it was a darker shade of grey than the hull.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Trekkriffic said:


> I always thought it was a darker shade of grey than the hull.


I've seen it depicted various ways from darker to hull colored, but I don't know which it was on the 11 footer.


----------



## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

PixelMagic said:


> I've seen it depicted various ways from darker to hull colored, but I don't know which it was on the 11 footer.


They appear darker. And even darker are the "rings" behind the bussards: http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/_...odels_filmed_at_Film_Effects_of_Hollywood.jpg


----------



## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

This too I used the darker grey, not hull color. The suggestions I used in painting the model were from Gary Kerr's study of the model and IIRC what he depicted as the original color. This vent is the same color as the back of the nacelle (except the ball which is hull color) from my readings. This is also the same color as the inside of the nacelle trench (except for the grill).


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Proper2 said:


> They appear darker. And even darker are the "rings" behind the bussards: http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/_...odels_filmed_at_Film_Effects_of_Hollywood.jpg



I am curious about this as well, because I read somewhere else that the rings behind the bussards were hull colored, but they were weathered more heavily, and thus appeared darker.


----------



## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

This picture from the restoration back in 1991 seems to show the rings behind the domes as hull colored as was described by Gary. I don't know if this was the original color of the model before the major restoration though.

http://www.modelermagic.com/wordpre...03/kg_star-trek_tos_1701_studio_model-064.jpg


----------



## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

PixelMagic said:


> I am curious about this as well, because I read somewhere else that the rings behind the bussards were hull colored, but they were weathered more heavily, and thus appeared darker.


Yeah, I heard that, as well. Looks like some pretty heavy weathering, though, because they almost look solid black. I mean at what point does extreme weathering become a different color, as in the case of the rings, when the base color hardly appears evident?


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Opus Penguin said:


> This picture from the restoration back in 1991 seems to show the rings behind the domes as hull colored as was described by Gary. I don't know if this was the original color of the model before the major restoration though.
> 
> http://www.modelermagic.com/wordpre...03/kg_star-trek_tos_1701_studio_model-064.jpg


Yes. I've always painted the bussard rings a darker shade but Gary said they are the same as the hull color just with weathering added in the recesses which gives the impression of them being darker.


----------



## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

The rings on the front of the engine are the color of the hull. They appear darker because of the shadows in the valleys between the peaks. It stands out more under the brighter studio lights than it does under normal lighting conditions. To simulate the darker look, I always paint the ring a dark gray and dry brush the hull color on the high points of the rings.


----------



## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

PixelMagic said:


> I am curious about this as well, because I read somewhere else that the rings behind the bussards were hull colored, but they were weathered more heavily, and thus appeared darker.


Yeah, I heard that, as well. Looks like some pretty heavy weathering, though, because they almost look solid black. I mean at what point does extreme weathering become a different color, as in the case of the rings, when the base color hardly appears evident?


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok, cool, so we figured out the deal with the bussard rings, so back to my original question...


----------



## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Again, anything that had ridges on it, if painted the hull color, will look darker than the surrounding smooth hull surface. With a model the size of the original filming miniature, the ridge detail will be far deeper than on a scale model and by default it will make that detail seem darker to the eye, so painting that area hull color will not give you the same effect on a 3 foot model as it does on an 11 foot model. This is where scaling of color and artificial shading comes in to replicate the effect seen on film.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I used Alclad dark aluminum on my 1/650 kit for all of the grill work. It seems some period photos from the show's filmings are a bit inconclusive in this area as the model was probably painted at least 3 times and all 3 versions appear on screen in various episodes.










The rings behind the bussard caps were painted flat black. and then I airbrushed the body color back over the raised part of the rings, at an extreme angle, to make them lighter. Almost like dry brushing.


----------



## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

Gary covers a lot of these questions in his articles for Sci-Fi Modeller. IIRC, the ring around the dome above the shuttle bay is silver for the series production version (I assume that's what you're going for). 

As others have mentioned, Gary did specifically state the bussard rings are hull coloured, possibly with some shading in the deep groves. To replicate this in 1/350 scale, though, I plan on slightly accentuating that shading.

I think you've got the nacelle trenches right. I think he said the screens are a dark metallic colour but I'll need to review his articles to be sure.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

RossW said:


> Gary covers a lot of these questions in his articles for Sci-Fi Modeller. IIRC, the ring around the dome above the shuttle bay is silver for the series production version (I assume that's what you're going for.


Interesting. I would have assumed it to be hull color. Where could I find this Sci-Fi Modeler article you are talking about? I am not familiar with that publication.


----------



## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller is a magazine published in England. Culttvman carries it, as do others. Gary wrote articles about his work on this project over 4 issues (I think the comment about the shuttle bay dome ring was in the last one, #29).


----------



## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

I've got the SF&FM issues in question, and will try to post the relevant paint scheme info here tomorrow.

Others are free to disagree, but AFAIC Gary's research constitutes the final word on the subject.


----------



## Gary K (Aug 26, 2002)

PixelMagic said:


> Now, A couple of questions. On some ships, I've seen people say the nacelle grills should be silver. On mine I have them hull color. Which is correct? Similarly, I have the same honeycomb/grill detail on the intercoolers as hull colored. Are they supposed to be hull or silver? On mine I have also included the recently discovered dark/hull colors in the nacelle trench.
> 
> The other question, is on the very large dome right above the shuttlebay, there is a run around it's base. Should it be hull colored or darker as I have it depicted here.


I've been trying to work on the Galileomodel, and I just saw this thread. Real quickly:

1. The inboard nacelle grill is metallic silver, with dark-colored (charcoal?) weatheriing irregularly sprayed over it to reduce glare.
2. The intercooler grills are hull color, but they sprayed streaks of dark-colored weathering onto both the intercoolers & grills.
3. The ring around the base of the dome over the shuttle bay is hull color. It's the metal bezels for the blinking lights on the sides of the bay that are metallic silver.

With all that soot on the nacelles, I think the Enterprise must have been coal-powered!

Gary


----------



## Gary K (Aug 26, 2002)

PixelMagic said:


> Another question I had about accuracy, is the vent at the back of the nacelle supposed to be hull color or the darker accent color?


The sides & ridges of the vents are hull color, but the valleys between ridges are a darker shade of gray.

Gary


----------



## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Gary K said:


> The sides & ridges of the vents are hull color, but the valleys between ridges are a darker shade of gray.
> 
> Gary


Yessss....nailed it!!


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Gary, thanks for dropping by for those clarifications. I will update my CG model to match that info.


----------



## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

Sorry, Pixel - I was trying to remember the painting tips Gary put in his last article for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller and somehow thought the ring around the shuttle bay dome was silver. I really shouldn't trust my memory anymore ...


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

When I built my 18 incher I painted the inboard nacellle grills silver but went back and rubbed some pencil lead into them with a q-tip. I liked the way they looked afterward.


----------



## Gary K (Aug 26, 2002)

RossW said:


> Sorry, Pixel - I was trying to remember the painting tips Gary put in his last article for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller and somehow thought the ring around the shuttle bay dome was silver. I really shouldn't trust my memory anymore ...


Don't worry - your memory is only going to get worse as you get older and older. But it's not all bad: now I can hide my own Easter eggs! 

Gary (at least that's the name sewn inside my clothes)


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Later tonight I'll try to post some revised orthographic renders of the CG model with Gary's info. Hopefully it will become the definitive guide anytime someone asks "Hey, what color should such and such piece be?"


----------



## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

Pixel - would you be able to do callouts which show the colour of the rods inside the shuttle bay dome, for example? And the windows - there's one reddish tinged window on the neck as well as one that has a metal screen behind it.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ross, right now I just have hull colors, and I have not modeled a shuttle bay for the interior. I think the TOS 1/350th model does have some nice color callouts for the shuttlebay right there on the box.

The windows however, yes, I will look into doing that. The renders I post tonight might not have the windows ready, but perhaps later this weekend I could have the windows ready.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

RossW said:


> Pixel - would you be able to do callouts which show the colour of the rods inside the shuttle bay dome, for example? And the windows - there's one reddish tinged window on the neck as well as one that has a metal screen behind it.


The colors of the beacon rods look to be red, yellow, and amber with the base of the dome a dark green. 
Here's a pic of it taken during the last restoration:


Hangar dome by trekriffic, on Flickr

I've always wondered why they were of different lengths.


----------



## MGagen (Dec 18, 2001)

Gary K said:


> The ring around the base of the dome over the shuttle bay is hull color. It's the metal bezels for the blinking lights on the sides of the bay that are metallic silver.


Gary,

Were the silver bezels present on the model during production? Somewhere I got the idea they appeared after a restoration...

M.


----------



## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

PixelMagic said:


> Ross, right now I just have hull colors, and I have not modeled a shuttle bay for the interior. I think the TOS 1/350th model does have some nice color callouts for the shuttlebay right there on the box.
> 
> The windows however, yes, I will look into doing that. The renders I post tonight might not have the windows ready, but perhaps later this weekend I could have the windows ready.


I was referring to the dome above the shuttle bay with the details provided by Trekkriffic.


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

RossW said:


> I was referring to the dome above the shuttle bay with the details provided by Trekkriffic.


Ohhh. My mistake. Yeah, I can probably add that. I had to work late last night, so I didn't get a chance to make the changes. Hopefully tonight.


----------



## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Re: the "concrete" base color for the hull, after trading emails with Gary Kerr, and doing some pretty extensive research of my own, I've come to the conclusion that Master Replicas came pretty close to the mark with the finish of their 1:350 Enterprise replica (it's not too dark for the scale, and there's a subtle blue-to-green shift that occurs depending on ambient lighting conditions).

I've got one of the MR replicas, and because I really like the finish I lugged it over to my trusty automotive finishing specialist, who painstakingly matched the EXACT shade in synthetic lacquer. 

Reason I mention it, I've got about 20 swatch chips of my custom-mix MR hull color that I'm happy to send out on a first-come-first-served basis to anyone who wants one. Just shoot me a PM, I'll reply with my address, you send me a self-addressed stamped envelope, and I'll forward the chip. It'll be a _small_ chip, but it'll be big enough for anyone looking to match the MR shade.

BTW, I make no claims that the MR shade is an identical match to the original studio miniature hull color, but based on the information and reference at hand, it's awfully darned close.


----------



## Gary K (Aug 26, 2002)

MGagen said:


> Gary,
> 
> Were the silver bezels present on the model during production? Somewhere I got the idea they appeared after a restoration...
> 
> M.


The metal bezel shows up clear as a bell in the hi-res "beauty shot" photos I have.

Gary


----------



## MGagen (Dec 18, 2001)

Thanks, Gary. Another little detail to add to my E...

M.


----------



## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

Carson Dyle said:


> Re: the "concrete" base color for the hull, after trading emails with Gary Kerr, and doing some pretty extensive research of my own, I've come to the conclusion that Master Replicas came pretty close to the mark with the finish of their 1:350 Enterprise replica (it's not too dark for the scale, and there's a subtle blue-to-green shift that occurs depending on ambient lighting conditions).
> 
> I've got one of the MR replicas, and because I really like the finish I lugged it over to my trusty automotive finishing specialist, who painstakingly matched the EXACT shade in synthetic lacquer.
> 
> ...


I agree. Something about the MR E color, it just looks right. (And the other thing I like about the MR is the ultra-smooth finish.)


----------



## The 4 Star (Feb 28, 2013)

I recently did two 1000 TOS builds and went with the concrete using Testor's Model Masters, using this recipe:

4 bottle insignia white
1 bottle flat gull grey
2.6 grams of sac bomber green


I weight measured them all, so a "bottle" = 14 grams exactly, which all sticks to the recipe of 24 parts white, 6 parts grey; 1 part green.

I'll post pictures later, but the color is VERY nice. It's extremely active, in that the tone and shade is very different depending on the lighting. I quite like it, even though at first blush it appears almost white.

BTW - if you're doing a 350, I'd reccommend at least doubling this recipe.


----------



## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

I'd love to see photos of your build up, The 4 Star. Your mix looks similar to what I'm planning with Tamiya acrylic paint (as they spray beautifully):

Flat White (XF2)
Sky Grey (XF19)
Japanese Navy Grey (XF12)


----------



## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

RossW said:


> I'd love to see photos of your build up, The 4 Star. Your mix looks similar to what I'm planning with Tamiya acrylic paint (as they spray beautifully):
> 
> Flat White (XF2)
> Sky Grey (XF19)
> Japanese Navy Grey (XF12)


What mixing ratio do you use? I assume the Sky Grey helps to tone down the green a bit?!


----------



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Guys, just an update, I'm working on the CG model to update the colors. I hope to have some new renders soon.


----------



## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

It occurs to me that we should try to pin down the best paint colors for the pennants and other markings, too, since some will be using the Aztec Dummy and/or Orbital Drydock masking sets to paint those details.


----------

