Building The Death Star - PRODUCTION

[vaderdarth]

Sweet! Been awaiting the dish forever. Looking Grand Rob!

 

[Jedifyfe]

Here's a fun comp:

And here is an even better one :

 

[vaderdarth]

Is it real or is it memorex?

 

[BrianM]

And here is an even better one :

That is stunning!

 

[PHArchivist]

And here is an even better one :

Holy **** Brad that made me do a double take!

 

[Pauleysolo]

Ummmmm... wow.....

 

[MonsieurTox]

Jaw dropping !! :eek

 

[Guy Cowen]

Those aint no moons

 

[SurfingDoc]

Your attention to detail is crazy... but I think you forgot one of the windows (kidding)

 

[PHArchivist]

Next step moving forward will be the hash marks in the equatorial band. Recall I have those done on the left side of the dish, but need to do so on the right. I have pretty good reference on that now, and it should go quick.

I finished about half of the band yesterday. But it was the faster, easier half that - on the original - there are no markings. So I did not have to be a slave to reference material.

But again - I have good ref pics for the remaining band, and have the pics on the iPad, so the full res images are right at my fingertips; literally.

 

[PHArchivist]

Somewhat random thought...

In this pic (that I posted earlier), you can see close up the darker areas on the lower dome, and the same area on the original.

Again, from a few feet away, it all looks about the same, but close up, mine is still decidedly different, even after refining it best I can.

So I am thinking about going back to the toothbrush.

I have a grey that is inbetween the black, and the light grey base. My thought is that if I apply it with a very fine mist from the brush, that the darker grey may fill in where the light grey base is, AND cover up some of the black, hopefully evening out the overall finish (and likely lightening it up just a bit).

Thoughts?

 

[Scott Graham]

Sounds like that would do it!

 

[EvilRocketeer]

You are taking a chance for it to possibly smear with the light mist then it will definitely make you unhappy and you would start over the whole section...

But then again, if this bugs you now...then it will keep bugging you, so I say go for it

 

[PHArchivist]

You are taking a chance for it to possibly smear with the light mist then it will definitely make you unhappy and you would start over the whole section...

But then again, if this bugs you now...then it will keep bugging you, so I say go for it

Yup... Always taking a chance when modifying what's already there.

I am going to do a test today. I will darken a strip (half an inch wide by 6 inches long) that is all the way in the back, using the same technique I've been using on the lower dome (painting out the largest dots and adding back in the finest dots I can with the pen), then hit it with the darker grey.

The overall test should take less than an hour.

If the new technique does give me what I want, it won't take too much more time. I am darkening the first row wth the pen anyway, and masking off that area and speckling it with the dark grey would only take an hour or two more.

And keep in mind I am only talking about this boxed area, These are the cityscapes that I will be darkening; that I read on the original as being a bit darker than the others...

 

[MooCriket]

You do realize that 30yrs from now, you'll still have dreams about the work you are doing on this. Seriously, impressive. I am amazed by the level of detail. Your like the Star Wars Rain Manthumbsup

 

[PHArchivist]

Did my test last night.

Darkend the area as I have been doing, then hit it with the grey.

Close - but is a bit "muddy". and the contrast is too high. Maybe if I had finer dots and had not darkened it first.

But I'll stick with the current plan.

 

[PHArchivist]

Plugging away...

 

[PHArchivist]

Last post was giving me trouble...

 

[PHArchivist]

By the way I nearly finished the belt line yesterday - all but the last 10%.

THAT means I WILL be starting on the dish this weekend.

 

[Vader2378]

By the way I nearly finished the belt line yesterday - all but the last 10%.

THAT means I WILL be starting on the dish this weekend.

I'd like to commend your dedication and faithfulness (is that a word?) to the original model. This project is one of the reasons I check RPF EVERY day

Glad to see your awesome images and can't wait to see the finished Death Star