Back to the test pieces

Cellulose paint finish, PVA (top) and plaster (bottom)

Plaster, (left) and PVA (right)

After trialing these two coatings, I decided that plaster gives a generally more smooth finish when painted as the PVA shows all the imperfections in the foam's surface underneath.

Changing the fabrc pieces

Sections layn out in order of layering

Pieces fixed together with contact adhesive

Once I had reached the stage ready for assembly, my tutor suggested that I applied a different finish to the foam wings. He suggests mixing PVA with plaster for a smooth, hard finish which can be painted in metallic gold. I now need to remove all the fabric and salvage the foam and wire underneath.

Paint touching-up

Sanded back paint detail

Fine paint detailing requiring cleanup

These photos show areas that require attention due to smudging and rough edges. Whilst applying T-cut to the black paint, this also smudged onto the white. As a result, I decided to apply another coat of white paint, only for the spray can to start spluttering. I hope the areas where it has spluttered and run will be removable.

Touching up the headpiece

Despite my best efforts, the masking tape did leave some sticky residue on the white paint finish. Most of this was removable with Tcut and a cloth. As small areas of paint have run, I wish to apply one final coat of white to the main areas of the headpiece once the detailing has been fully painted.

Resulting shoulder finish

Once I was content with the green areas, I could then begin to mask off these large areas, leaving the raised detailing exposed for painting.

Masking the back detailing

Masking these lines proved tricky due to the design's intricate nature. Once sprayed, I found that these areas required touching up with a fine paintbrush as some of the paint bled through the tape.

Black is sprayed

The black cellulose paint is noticeably matt in contrast to the high gloss white on the rest of the model. I have decided to keep this texture to the front detail as it adds interest.