# USS Lantree



## Landru (May 25, 2009)

You know after seeing all these Reliant builds around here recently, I thought I'd show this build I've been working on. This is the old AMT kit, I'm also painting all the details, aztecs etc, while decals look cool and all, I prefer paint :thumbsup:

Post shading, and major detail painting:

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3371.jpg

At this stage I sprayed a very light coat of the white up the centres of the sensor runways, just to break up the colour a little bit.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3379.jpg

Main aztec patterns:

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3385.jpg

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3386.jpg 

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3389.jpg

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3388.jpg


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

VERY nice work so far! I look forward to seeing this progress.


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## Kanaan (Jan 27, 2007)

Yeah, that rocks!


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## WarpCore Breach (Apr 27, 2005)

Man, that looks nice!!! :thumbsup:

What was your basecoat? Looks like a mid-range grey??


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words!

Breach, I'm glad you think that it's a grey colour (I did what I set out to do) The reason the base colour looks dulled toward a grey, is because I used a dark grey tamiya primer and when I put the base coat of white on I only went over the grid lines. 
This gives the effect of 'muted' panels and breaks up the whiteness of it all. I always go for a muted effect with my models, makes them seem more realistic than just spraying a choca coat of everything down. Uses less paint too... 

This is just after I added the base coat and some other details, but you can clearly see how I applied my flat white coat. Also, when you add the darker aztec details, it also has the effect of toning down the model.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3371.jpg

In fact every detail you add tones down the base coat afterwards, allways good to keep that in mind. I've seen many 'dark' Falcon kits because of this..

updates coming soon...


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## WarpCore Breach (Apr 27, 2005)

You know, I had never considered the method you did!!! "Conventional wisdom" always said to paint your ship white first; the problem with white is that at that scale, it does look like a toy! That looks like an awesome way to give the model more depth and yes - aztecing the ship WILL improve it's looks an awful lot!!!

This is a method I'm going to have to try myself! :wave:


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

IDK if these refs will be of any use to you, but here are two I found:


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## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

Very Sharp,well done!


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Bolian,

Thanks, I have been aware of Tracy's builds for some time. I only hope I managed to get the same subtle aztecing details as he did with that build.


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

primary hull and nacelle painting complete, just need to clean up the nacelles and add some details to the bottom then shes all ready for a clear coat!

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3399.jpg

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3401.jpg


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

Man that looks like a filming model!
Actually *BETTER* than that!:thumbsup:
-Jim


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Wow, thanks JGG!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

That looks truly awesome! :thumbsup:

Could we get a shot of the underside of the saucer? Particularly the aft portion?


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Here ya go Fozzie and thanks!,

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3415.jpg

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3420.jpg

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/USS Lantree/IMG_3418.jpg

One more painting session and shes done!


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

*"Landru, Landru, help me Landru..."*

Landru, this is one of the best I think I've ever seen! I am impressed, and I'm rather hard to impress.

I really like the blue/grey that you used topside and would like to ask what color and brand you used? If that's O.K.

Coincidently, tonight I was doing some web surfing for pics of the studio model of the *USS Saratoga*. I ran across pics of the studio model of the *USS Reliant *and was a little shocked, if that's the right word, at the rather ugly shade of blue they used.

I haven't popped in my DVD of *The Voyage Home *to see how it looked on screen. And as you know, take the *Enterprise TOS *for example, the colors they use for filming purposes translate different on screen. But man!, that blue they used on *Reliant* is UG-A-LEE! :drunk:

Any help here would be appreciated,

hal9001-


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

*"I am Landru, I am he!"*

Wow, thanks Hal, that was really nice to read. 

Well that blue took a few tries as the first batch I mixed up and applied looked far too 'baby blue' So I started again from scratch I think. 
If I can remember correctly (this was only a few days ago, sheesh....) it was only Tamiya blue with some white and a little light grey added. The light grey was to take the blue into the grey zone a little more, this blends the colour into the rest of the model better IMO. 

Since I can't remember exactly how I got it (sorry!) just try different mixes of Tamiya white, blue and a little grey, I think I added the grey last too. Start with some white, then add the blue in, then when you're happy with your colour, add the grey to blend the colour in a little. Always remember that the paint always looks a little different on the model than in your paint cup.

Hope this helps you out!!

Scott.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Yes Landru, that color does blend in very well with the over all look. Glad to hear you used Tamiya paints, I really like the way they go down.

This leads to another question actually. What do you thin your Tamiya piants with? I've read so many different things on the web I really don't know which is best. I've always use Isopropyle alcohol with great results.

I've read that some thin with lacquer thinner (I forget what you caps across the pond call it). I like that idea if it works well because of the "bit" lacqure creates on the plastic. Haven't gotten around to testing it yet to see if I may like it better than thinning with alcohol.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks again,
hal-


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## Tholian (Oct 3, 2004)

Looks Fantastic!


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Thanks Tholian!

Hal, thanks again for the kind words. I actually use the Tamiya (acrylic) brand thinner and have no experience with other types, as I've only been airbrushing for around a year and a half. 

..and yeah Tamiya paints rock!

Geeze, I didn't realise when I made this account that it would look weird as hell when people refer to me as 'Landru'!

Thanks again everyone, I'll keep all the updates coming


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## Diego Quijano (Apr 12, 2011)

Looks great.

Q


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

Nice work on this so far... I like that you painted the warp engines the proper black, instead of using the incorrect red/blue colors that we saw on the CGI Mirandas used on DS9.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

You may enjoy this Landru.:thumbsup:
http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/
-Jim


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Thanks for that JGG! That has to be one of the best bits of behind the scenes Trek footage EVER. Strange that it should be released as I'm finishing my own build of the Lantree!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

JGG1701 said:


> You may enjoy this Landru.:thumbsup:
> http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/
> -Jim


So the reason the Lantree didn't have a roll bar wasn't because they _intended_ to make it look different, but because the roll bar's light wouldn't work and they gave up trying to fix them? That's hysterical. :lol:


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## Edge (Sep 5, 2003)

Something about necessity being a mother *&%^%$ or something?


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

I also found that hilarious. I kept waiting for the guy to say "right now we're gonna take off the roll bar, because the art/design department wants it that way..." 

Looks good with it off, I think.


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