Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Web Enhancements (Customizing Star Wars Minis)
Not only did that 181st Imperial Pilot slacker show up in the wrong uniform, he lifted it from a hard-working colleague: the Elite AT-AT Driver. These hardened soldiers are specially selected for the demanding job of piloting the massive walkers in combat.
The reputation of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group is that of an elite unit of the best pilots in the Empire. However, that was not always the case. Before Captain Soontir Fel took over command the reputation of the 181st was not quite so stellar and in fact the unit had the nickname "One-Eighty-Worst."
Poor discipline was normal for most pilots of the unit before Captain Fel arrived and it seems that one of these slackers has made his appearance in the Imperial Entanglements miniatures set. Not only does he seem to lack discipline but he showed up wearing the wrong pilot uniform. Like Captain Fel, we are going to get him into shape and make him look like a proud member of the elite 181st by using some simple painting steps.
This repaint is not that difficult and can be done even if you haven't painted a miniature before. If you haven't painted a custom before be sure to check out the first three articles of this series for information on the tools, paints and techniques that will be used in this step by step. You will need white, black, red and silver paint for this project. Also before you begin the repaint, be sure to wash the miniature in hot, soapy water, rinse it clean and dry it completely.
By following the below steps you can covert an entire group of figs by painting them all at the same time. Simply complete each of the below steps for the entire batch of miniatures before moving on to the next step.
First, completely paint the the figure from the top of the helmet to the bottom of the boots with black. Be sure to get all the areas around the arms that are close to the torso, the folds in the legs as well as the small spaces behind the gloves. If needed, apply the paint in two thin coats instead of one heavy coat. Allow this layer of paint to completely dry before proceeding.
Next, paint the chest armor using a small brush and white paint. Start by covering the upper back torso, leaving an 1/8 of an inch gap between the bottom of the armor your are now painting and the belt on the waist of the miniature. Continue painting a small section over the shoulders where the hoses come around from the back. Be sure to paint just the section of hose that is on the shoulder and not the entire hose. Continue using white on the front, under the arms and the chest area but not the life support element. If you accidently paint part of the life support or any other part of the fig, let the paint dry and just retouch the area with black paint.
While the chest armor is drying you can continue using the white paint to create the belts of the uniform. You will be able to use the belts on the miniature as a guide for this part. Start by painting a medium line down from the center front of the chest armor to between his legs. Do not worry about painting the line completely around the fig, instead turn the fig around and starting at the bottom of the back armor make a second medium line straight down the back that continues to the bottom of the torso. Finally make a third line at belt level that completely encircles the waist but leave the buckle unpainted. Do not paint the belts that hang on the sides of his legs.
Using red paint and a small, thin brush, paint a pinstripe line along the back of an arm from the top of the glove to where the shoulder meets the chest armor. Repeat this step for the other arm. Next paint a pinstripe line on the outside of the leg from the top of the boot to just below the the white belt line at his waist. Be sure to have this line follow the bend at the knees. Repeat this step on the other leg. If your lines don't look like they follow the correct path or are too thick then just let the paint dry completely, cover with black paint, let that paint dry and then just repaint the pinstripes.
Using the black and white paint, mix up a small amount of a dark gray color that is a little lighter in color than black. Use this paint on the two hoses that go from the front of the life support element to the bottom front of the helmet being sure not to paint the helmet itself or the life support element. On the front of the helmet, where the hoses meet the mask, is a small section that can also be painted dark grey. Using the last bit of dark gray, and a very fine point brush, add a few dots of paint on the front of the life support element to create a few buttons.
To create the Imperial logo on the shoulders and helmet you will need black and silver paint. On the outside shoulder, about an 1/8 of an inch down from where the shoulder meets the chest armor, paint a small silver circle over the red pinstripe. Repeat this on the other shoulder. On the top, front part of the helmet paint two small, silver circles. When the circles are dry use a small, fine point brush and black paint to make a small "X" across each of the silver circles. Using black, make a small line through the middle of the "X"s. As with the pinstripes, if the logo doesn't look right, simply paint over the part with silver, let dry and retry the lines with black.
The pilot is nearly complete and there are only a few more details to add. Using white paint add a few dots to the front of the life support element to create a few more buttons. Next, use silver to add a couple more buttons and paint the circles located on each side of the life support element. While that dries, paint the front buckle with silver.
For one final added touch of detail, you can use an acrylic gloss finish on the helmet, gloves and boots to give it the shine that an elite pilot would have. Using an acrylic gloss finish, simply apply a coat to the entire helmet, both gloves and all of the boots. Apply the gloss in two or three thin coats instead of one heavy coat. Let each coat completely dry before applying the next one.
Now you have a fig that went from being in the "One-Eighty-Worst" to a member of the elite 181st Imperial Fighter Group!
