JS TZ Frenzy Canopy

[Doozer]

When I bought the Frenzy from Ernie, he sent me a ton of spare parts. Actually just about enough to build a second Frenzy. He also sent me another canopy. I started taping yesterday, and painting today. I'm waiting for the black to dry right now. I'm over the tiger stripes, but because I see yellow and orange a lot better than any other color, I'm sticking with those. Plus I have a ton of yellow and orange spray paint. I want to put fluorescent green flames or highlights on it using my airbrush. I'm not sure about the flames though. I need to watch the flames video a few more times. Then practice.

I'll throw up some pics when I'm finished. I didn't take as many this time. I took a few while taping, but not as many because I've already got a thread explaining that method.

[Doozer]

I watched an Ed Hubbs video on checkerboard flags and then went for it. I shadowed it a bit much... I could have been a little more subtle. This was my first try. I don't think it came out to awful considering I was a little hasty.



Here's a few links to the Ed Hubbs videos:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI0y_RGMb88
This is #1

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlHLWfGHTDc&feature=related
#2

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI0y_RGMb88&feature=related
#3

I try tears as soon as I get the right masking paper

[akent]

Wow, Doozer, that is looking great!

Humm, soon, folks will be asking you to paint stuff for them! Hey, that just might be ME!

Good stuff!
Kent

[Doozer]

Thanks Kent! Here's a little preview of the whole thing. I still have to clear it. I'm waiting on clear from TCP, but I might just go get a rattle can. Ton's of mistakes and what a lesson. The bottom came off more as cammo than a checkerboard. I'm going to flame it after I clear it.

Heres the vid:

[19000rpm]

Nice job. Very few flaws. I haven't done my canopy yet. Still working on some design ideas. Thanks for the links.

[Doozer]

Took it back to primer.





In the end, I was very happy with the way it came out, but unhappy with the scheme. Also, I used a satin black for the cockpit, and a poly/acrylic clear and it wrinkled. I could have sanded the wrinkles out, but my heart wasn't in the scheme. I'm going to wrap the checkers all the way around, make the cockpit smaller and give it some 3D effects.

[akent]

Isn't that awesome though that you can just erase the canvass and do it again!
Cool!

I look forward to seeing how it comes out!
Kent

[Doozer]

Take 3:


I feel really good about this one. I'm getting the hang of it. If you want to skip to the end result... it's at 6:10.

Lessons learned:
- Lay down clean paper towels when switching colors
- Wash/clean hands before handling the finished canopy
- Don't try to paint over black with yellow (it turns green)
- Orange K-tape sucks ass. You only have once or twice to try to reposition it before the sticky doesn't sticky. I switched from the blue... bad idea. Blue works the best.
- For big areas, more PSI less reducer. When using the Apple Barrel paints, I was reducing it 50/50. It was too wet. So I switched to a 2 to 1 ratio (Paint to Windex), and that worked out much better.
- When shadowing, turn the regulator way down. The shadowing is a little thicker than I wanted, but it turned out nice so I didn't scrap it. I played around with the PSI some and figured out that between 10 and 15 PSI was great for shadowing effects.
- Electric handheld sanders are your friend! My hand sanding blows.
- Createx paint is pretty darn good. I got mine at Michaels Crafts.
- You don't need a million dollar airbrush or compressor.
- Success comes from practice. I've been practicing flames and my strokes on paper all week.

I have some pics of Take 2 but I hated it after it was done. It was way too busy and I needed to sand it better. It had a bunch of pits and scarring from the 100 grit sandpaper. I sanded it by hand and did a crappy job

[Doozer]

Here are some stills after some minor detailing and clear coat:


Right Side. The green shadow near the fade where the canopy grommet goes is just a tree limb shadow. I wanted the sun behind me, unfortunately I also got a tree. It's amazing what the camera picks up! I detailed the swoosh. I wanted it to look like the color was creeping up.


Left side. Again just below the cockpit is a shadow from the same tree.


From the top


From the bottom. My kids say it looks like a shark mouth. I think it looks like the Spy vs. Spy guys from "Mad Magazine."

Even though this canopy wont get much use for now, I had fun painting it. I'm waiting on back ordered mixer arms for the Frenzy.

[shakey]

Your good man, very nice!!!!