what paint shall I use on sandtrooper?

[bondyboo2000]

Hi

I have just recieved my gentle giant sandtrooper with dewback and I have noticed that a grey patch of paint is missing under his left eye (see pictures) and I was wondering what kind of paint should I use, ie. gloss, matte, satin. Any advice would be appreciated.

[RickDTM]

I would say a matte color, and if you need to gloss it up you can alway give it a light spray w/ Krylon Crystal Clear.

[bondyboo2000]

Thanks Rik
I haven't done any model painting since my teenage years so what would you suggest how I go about painting such a small area without making a mess of it.

[RickDTM]

A fine tip brush and a steady hand is about all you can do in that small an area. Go slowly and don't glob on the paint all at once. A couple of light coats should suffice.

[Curt Chiarelli]

Hi:

I wouldn't touch a thing. It's a manufacturing defect. Return it for a replacement. (Of course, if you've already tried fixing the paint job, you've probably forfeited your rights to do so. Let's hope that such is not the case.)

If you're thinking that option may be a little too much of a hassle compared to just touching the thing up yourself, consider this: Without getting too technical, unless you know the exact brand of paint they used, it may be harder than you think to match something as common as the white on that Sandtrooper helmet. The colour white is not formulated by all manufacturers uniformly. Some mix in fluorescent dyes to give the titanium pigment added brilliance. Then there are the issues surrounding the pigment's finish: gloss, semi-gloss and matte or satin, which, once again, have no uniform standards in the industry. These paints are not only idiosyncratically formulated by their manufacturer, but inconsistencies exist in each lot and batch too.

Taking these factors into consideration, your chances of matching that colour aren't necessarily very good, unless you're rather experienced in color mixing and matching. Also, touching that item up yourself will lower its collector value if you attempt to re-sell it at a later date. Better to just get a replacement from the manufacturer.

I hope this helps.

Best Wishes,

Curt

[bondyboo2000]

I can't really send it back because I got it off ebay and as they are so rare now I would rather keep it. I am only toying with the idea of painting the grey patch under his left eye at the moment because it is not so obvious that it has not been painted and I have no intention of selling it on in the future, so I will take my time on this whether to paint or just leave it as it is.
Thanks for your replies.

[Curt Chiarelli]

Hi There:

You're quite welcome. It's a nice piece and I just didn't want to see you get burned, is all.

Best Wishes,

Curt

[FengShuiStein]

Rick's right - fine tip brush, and a steady hand (no coffee beforehand!).

You could always just paint both sides the same color - that way they'd for sure match.

-Phil