Case Mod - In Progress Project: Airbrushed Beast Computer ( final fantasy )

just wow dude! awsome m8!

 

OMGWTFTW!!!!!111!!!!11eleven!

That is some INSANE airbrushing skillage dude! And I'm a big fan of Final Fantasy VII, so you can be sure I'll be burgling your workshop when I find out where it is

I can't wait to see more.

 

R B Customs really amazing and awesome painting job i love the flames

 

very very nice

Josh

 

First of all, very good job with the airbrush!
I really like well airbrushed PC's like these, they make me think of trying airbrushing aswell...

Second, I wanted to have my Shuttle case airbrushed aswell, unfortunatly the costs were to high (I think that the one I asked thought it was a large PC). So guys, learn a lesson, get friends with someone who makes airbrushes on paintings...

 

:O

This project is now in

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=158290

Mod Of The Month

I'm chuffed to bits!


I'll be putting together an update for tonight, which will detail the signs, and logo's that will be going on and the wolf head image. as well as the start of the small design on the top of the case.

Perhaps a 'Candy 101' lesson too lol

Thanks for the support once again fellas!
And don't forget, If anyone has any questions I'm more than happy to help
Rick

 

congrats on the MOTM very-very good paint!!

 

Five stars and a vote for MOTM from me Rick - amazing paint skills and looking forward to the next update

 

HI guys,

Sorry for the late update, but it's here...

So last time I left off saying that the next step was to do the sign and wolf work, this has to be the most time consuming part of the whole thing to be honest. stop - start all the way through.

I start with a sheet of masks, I've cut a few different sizes of the same thing in case one goes wrong, or one doesn't look the right size etc. Here you can see I have started 'weeding' the masks - removing the pieces that are not needed.

The masking material is a heavy frisket film, it has a thicker backing than usual (plotter friendly) it is tinted grey (artist friendly) and it is solvent proof (paint friendly) unfortunately it is not pocket friendly




I've also cut the wolf head design out, weeded and offered it up to the side panel to get the position right.


The mask is then stuck to a piece of transfer paper (12" low tack masking tape - not pocket friendly) and applied to the case. I use the back of the panel as a guide.



I'm going to be painting the design with a specially mixed candy/prismatic mixture. When sprayed it has the habit of landing everywhere, I have to mask everything off!
You can see the gaps in the masking film where i will be spraying through


I told my client that the wolf head would be 'ghosted' in. By this I mean it will be painted with a pearlescent / prismatic paint so it can only be seen at different angles. It wont affect the colour of the under lying flames much either.

The paint is a mixture of red pearl, which is a very pinky pearl tint, green-gold prismatic ('flip') paint and finally a dark red candy to kill off the green of the green-gold and give it an orange glow.
You are never going to see what this wolf head will look like until the clear coat goes on but here is the paint that was used:


and the final result



Next stop is the company logo's there will be 2 'beast computers' logo's and 2 'R B Customs' logo's
I use the same process as the wolf head, but this time I am spraying through the mask with pure black. then I dust some of the red pearl mixture I used before over the whole thing. It will give it a kick in certain lights, and just look plain black the rest of the time.





I'll have to cut this update short, I plan on putting up my guide to candy paints tonight as I am just about to leave for work.

next step - top mural and clear coat.

 

Very nice

 

Generally I'm not the one who posts just smileys, but in this case it's inevitable...



Congratulations for the fantastic skills!

 

okay, as promised:


CANDY 101

One of the most common questions I get asked is some how related to candy paint. It is a strange concept and none of my work would not be complete without the use of candy paint somewhere. I'm pretty much addicted to the results it gives.

I've already had a few emails from the various places this log has been posted by people asking about candies so here is my brief guide. If you know about how paints are made, specifically automotive paints you will spot some holes in my explanation, I've tried to make it as simple as possible.

what is a candy?

A candy is a paint with no pigment.
Pigment doesn't just mean colour, it also relates to opacity. A pigment is usually a powdered solid - talc, silica, titanium dioxide etc etc are all mixed into paints to give them an opaque appearance. in automotive paints, these normally take the name 'base coats'

the other component to paint is a binder, in the case of automotive paints Binder is a thick, clear yet cloudy unpigmented paint. it is comparable to 'clear varnish' if you like.

A candy is simply Binder and dye.

A dye is not the same as a pigment. Pigments contain opaque solids, dyes do not.


As mentioned before, the best way to describe a candy paint is to think of a stained glass window, or a boiled sweet... if that does not clear things up - this picture will:

As you can see, the black and white text remains visible, yet the white has simply been tinted by the candy paint. The black has not been made any lighter, it's colour value has not changed.
this is why i paint everything in black and white to begin with and add the colour afterwards. blacks stay black and the whites and greys will pick up the colour of the candy.


dark candy, light candy
I think I'm the only guy who uses this term but here's what I mean.

The appearance of candy paint when it is still in the pot is pretty dark. It almost looks black.

From left to right: Red, Dark Orange, Dark Yellow, Light Yellow

The red in this case is nearly empty, you can see a little bit in the bottom which looks black.

Here is what the same paints look like on a white surface:


As you can see where the candy is thicker it looks darker. where the candy is thinner it looks lighter.
Candy paints are notoriously difficult to use because of this. coats have to be exactly even when you are spraying things like cars and bikes. if one part of the candy coat lies thicker than another you will get a dark patch.
Thankfully using candy paints for artwork like this means I can be a little more relaxed about ho even the coats are, as you would never notice.

the 3 on the left are what I would call dark candies. the light yellow however is different. when sprayed it is almost exactly the same colour of the 'dark yellow' but no matter how much I put on it will never get any darker. this makes it fab for working with red/yellow/orange schemes, or even green/yellow schemes as I can lash it on in multiple layers and I know it will only alter tones that are lighter than it.

For example, probably the last thing I will do is use pure white for extreme highlights to the face and hair. I'll use the light yellow to turn these white highlights to yellow and the yellow candy cannot darken the image down or make it patchy. If i was to use the dark yellow it would likely ruin the whole thing.

Rick

 

Back to the art...

So this is the space I have on top of the case ( behind the blue line)


It's about 200x200mm

My client wanted the phrase 'one winged angel' on the case. No matter where I put the phrase int he concept design it never sat right. We decided to go a long with a faux scroll sitting on top of the case with the phrase burnt into it.


I will eventually paint a drop shadow under the scroll so first of all I need to give my self a lighter background than black. I use some bright orange, misted in random cloud like patterns, then a thick coat of dark orange candy.

I leave this over night to dry.

I've ran out of my magic masking film, So I've had to use an alternative, It's horrible to work with but I got there in the end.

I cut the mask out, but this time instead of picking the unwanted pieces out, I stick the whole thing to the case:

This way I can remove one section at a time to paint the correct shapes of the curled up ends.




I start with this section, I'm using a buff / sand coloured paint to tart suggesting some shape to the flat piece.



I remove some more of the mask, but leave the text where it is.

Like most things so far this one will look BAD before it looks good!
I tend to work in a 2 steps forward, one step back manor. I will over shade, and over highlight then come back in to reduce the effect. This is not a bad way of working.




I remove the masks covering the words, I wanted to make them look like they were burned / charred into the paper rather than drawn on. to do this i just airbrush in the middle of the line and let the over spray create a soft edge.



I've taken the outer mask off now, started to add some heavier shading and scarring to the paper. Some tears and holes too.




This is when the camera died... I've started to 'over highlight' some parts which i can go in later and reduce back. A lot of what you see here is just over spray that can simply be wiped away.

There's still some way to go on this little piece of the puzzle. As I said though - it looks bad before it looks better!

again, any questions JUST ASK !
Rick

 

OMFG this is awesome, amazing work you really are very tallented!!!!!!!!


Phil

 

Mate you have a real skill with the airbrush. If only I could do the amazing things you do lol. I will be airbrushing my next case so I probably should get practicing ey lol. Great work so far. I can't wait to see the 100% completed case.

Earlier you do mention that the case is pre modded (heavily) before you receive it. I was just wondering what sort of mods were done, if you can specify. If not it's ok.

 

cool, PM me the link when it goes under the brush!

the case is a beast 'para-flow' chassis, so the laser cut panels and modified chassis are the basis for the paint work. this is what it looks like inside:
http://www.cpu3d.com/review/6135-1/beast-aphros-reality-gaming-pc/introduction.html

seriously cool computer, this one is going to end up being the 'XS' model which has skulltrail etc I think

update to follow...

 

Hi guys,

I apologise for my bad typing in this update! It's late and it's been a long day.

This, unfortunately is going to be one of the last updates to the project as it is very very close to being finished.



Tonight I'm going to go through some of the last touches, and the clear coat process.

Final touches:

one of the last things I'm gonna paint is the bottom plate of the front door. this plate can only be seen when the door is swung open. It's quite a nice space and fits one of my logo's nicely.
I start by flatting the panel off with a grey scotch pad then clean the surface with panel wipe followed by a tack rag.

I prepare the mask, this time we are going for a negative mask (or is it positive :S I never learned the difference! lol) The letters will remain black, with the airbrushed effect around them.

I lay the mask down and use a bright orange, carefully painting over the mask. the over spray creates a nice glow effect.
I add some suggestion of shapes of flame licks and then go over the whole thing in dark orange candy.


I forgot what the size of the piece was when i filled the cup with paint... I ended up with excess which I had to get rid of, I thought this sentence ended quite ironically



I add some highlights, and go across the tops of the letters in bright yellow then remove the masks and cover the whole lot in dark yellow candy. I remove the masks because it prevents building too much of an edge up on the piece. and of course candy does not show up over black - which you should all know by now.







Clear coat:

This is always the most difficult part of a paint job, and is usually where amateurs will struggle.
I never used to do my own clear coats as it is a very skilled thing. but you will find that no body shop is willing to even touch panels with artwork on as they are notoriously hard to clear coat because of their uneven surface and extremely high risk factor. I've learned my lesson getting other people to do it for me, so now I do my own. Its a nasty job - but someone has to do it.

The paints used for clear coating are quite unique, and take a little while do get your head around. They are known as '2k' or 'two pack' paints. and they do not dry; they harden - and this is very important.

The clear coat is made up of a lacquer and a catylist / hardener / activator. The two components need to be mixed with a ratio of 2:1.

I'm using a medium slow activator, with a slow thinner and high solid clear coat in a cold room. despite the 'slow' title it does not take that long to harden compared to regular stuff but the 'slow' part of it is more toward the application end. When you apply a slow clearcoat, it has more time to level out. When it gets sprayed on it goes on like orange peel, infact you can actually see it wrinkling up. but then as if by magic the whole thing tightens up and hardens to a mirror finish.

I prepare the parts i intend to spray by wiping them down with panel wipe then giving them a rub with the tack cloth to remove any dust. I look for any defects at this point too and fill them in with the relevant colour.

Fresh masking paper lines my work surface to prevent any dust, dirt and other stuff from being blown up and onto the parts:



Pay close attention to this photograph:


As you can see it looks blotchy - some parts are glossy, some parts are matte. you can even see some lines where the original mask were but they have been painted over with black.
some parts are rough, some are smooth. the red's don't really look red and the blacks look s dull shade of grey or brown.

the clear coat goes on in 3 stages
1.tack coat - with these new high solid clears, some painters recommend not to use a tack coat but it is essential for anything with artwork.
A tack coat is pretty much just giving the whole thing a light coat aiming for about 100% coverage but it's and extremely light coat. It looks horrible!
I leave this for about 15 minutes to let it 'flash' - Flashing is when the solvents start to evaporate the paint and the finish ends up being tacky. When I can put my finger in it and pull it up so that it comes off like string then it is ready for the next coat.

2. wet coat
THe tack coat was to seal the artwork and not let any colours bleed. If i was to go with an initial wet coat then it would melt the underlying artwork and ruin it.
Once the tack coat is on and 'tacky' I can go with a wet coat. This is still a fairly light coat but it goes on so that you start to see a shiny finish.
Ilet this flash off for a little longer ( 20 minutes, or until it becomes stringy ) then I go with a 3rd wet coat.

I let this harden over night and begin the wet sanding.

The panels are int heir prime for sanding and polishing when they are still a little bit soft. This makes it quite hard to work with as they are very easily scratched and damaged! watches, rings bracelets and sleeves have to come off, and hands need to be wet.

I let some 2000 grit wet/dry soak for 20 minurtes and then begin sanding in straight lines to get rid of any spots of dust, defects or orange peel.
I use cold water rather than hot as it seems to harden the paint a little more and prevents it from scratching as easily. I try to keep a constant stream of water over the piece to prevent any grit getting between the paper and the panel.

Here's what it looks like sanded down:



now watch the magic:
you will notice it doesn't look a lot different from the pictures above. the colours are dull, the blacks don't look black etc etc. the only difference is that it is consistently smooth.
This is next picture will sow you the beauty of clear coat - just imagine what the flames will look like when cleared !

I run water over the dry piece to give an idea of how much difference the polish will make.


notice how much deeper the black is, and how much more vibrant and rich the colours are. the details in the scroll begin to pop out too.



That's it for now - next update will be the polished versions.

 

Stunning work so far. Looking forward to seeing the whole thing coated and together!
Do you solely work on case mods?

 

wow thats some work

 

These days I do yea,
I started off model making; large scale figures and dioramas etc. That is what got me into airbrushing nearly 9 years ago when i was about 12! then i started airbrushing artwork around about 2002 perhaps?( time flies and I can never really remember the years!)
I'm known as the man of a million hobbies to my friends and family lol. I am interested in just about every hobby going (except stamp collectiong - but I did have a go at that once upon a time too! lol)

I moved to auto stuff, car bonnets, bikes etc then I got heavily into computers during school, modding and so on. It was a pretty natural next step to start airbrushing PC's. My first one was pretty horrible; an old grey tower with a big (at the time) 80mm hole in the front. airbrushed pearl green with a ripped open side and some shot-gun shells painted on the side with 'intel pentium' stamped around the brass end" it was pretty shoddy to say the least, ans still remains un-clearcoated! That is how it started though.
I have to say it is my favourite thing to paint. Dream PC's like the beasts always have a 'wow' factor, but when combined with custom paint people hit the roof! It seems that *most* computer enthusiasts would not enter the same loop as the custom paint scene, so for some people it is a first to see.

Plus as you can already tell I like to show people what I can do and explain how I do it, rather than keeping things locked up never to see the light of day. Gives me something to talk about and gives the readers something different to look at.

The scale of a computer is pretty much perfect for most things. It works out a little smaller than a car bonnet and larger than a motorbike. it's a nice scale to paint at.



most of the part's are awaiting clear-coat now. I'm dropping the already polished bits off at beast this morning so the build can start.


Rick