Zeus Silhouette Gold Metallic

Gold on the wings

The shade belongs to the weapons pack that the main machine of the film continuation carries on its back: the array of wings and rocket heads is gold and against the dark body it works as the crowning of the whole silhouette. In modeling, though, gold is not just a color, it is a lighting effect. Depending on the angle of view it passes from a saturated yellow to almost brown, and that is exactly why it is worked with differently from opaque tones.

How a metallic paint behaves

It carries fine metal flakes, which sink to the bottom of the bottle faster than ordinary pigment. It therefore has to be stirred longer and, above all, again during the work, otherwise the last part sprayed will come out more matte than the first. The flakes also set demands on the nozzle: too narrow a one clogs, so a metallic is sprayed with a wider pattern and a higher flow.

The base decides the sheen

The metallic effect comes about by the flakes lining up parallel with the surface. On a smooth dark base that succeeds and the gold sparkles; on a rough coat the flakes turn at random and the result is a dull beige. It therefore pays to lay a smooth gloss base under a metallic and to spray it lightly, not wet.

Clear-coat it, or leave it alone

A clear varnish over a metallic always takes a little of the sparkle away; a matte one kills it completely. If the model needs a protective coat because of decals, reach for the gloss version and apply it as thinly as possible. Reckon also on a metallic coat being hard to repair: going over a damaged spot without a visible transition succeeds only rarely, and that is why a metallic comes last in a build.