Steed Force painting guide

Tips for model painting.

Achievement

ACE ASSEMBLER
Assemble every model in Steed Force Hobby Studio.





Evidently it's any four models. I did the first one twice, then another two, and got the achievement. No painting required.

Edit: the achievement detail now says "assemble three models" so maybe that's what it was all along.

Overview

This mode (can't really call it a game) has no score or penalty for painting poorly or not at all, so who wants a guide? Maybe you're like me and can't help but notice every pixel that didn't come out right. What follows is a loosely-organized collection of thoughts I had while painting these models.

Getting Started

Spray paint is almost as much of a mess in this game as in real life. There's no save/restore (maybe if you back up the files?) and no undo, just like the real thing. You can't hope to accurately paint with it directly.

Tape placement (and patience) is everything.

Don't assemble the entire model and then start painting, although completing it will reveal how the parts fit together. It's usually easier to paint parts individually or in small sub-assemblies, and sometimes you'll get to use one color for an entire piece. Some pieces are partially hidden once assembled, so you don't need to worry about imperfections that will ultimately not be seen.

Masking Tape

There are two general approaches to using tape, and you can utilize these in any combination you want.

- Match the angle

Keep the tape slightly away from the line at first. Adjust the angle and length so the "stair" of the pixels aligns with the angle you're trying to match, then move it over and lock it into place. You can also move the part under the tape.

Sometimes this won't work: there isn't always a way to angle the tape as needed. It can also be difficult because diagonal tape can shift slightly when moved.

- Lots of small pieces

It might seem absurd, and will feel tedious as you do it, but repeatedly placing tape to block off a few pixels (or only one) can deliver the highest precision.

In either case, a few things can help.
- Lowering your mouse DPI - highly recommended if you can do this on the fly. I've never bothered to use it for FPS games but it's helped here several times.
- There's no zoom, so you'll have to get a closer look the old fashioned way: hold your face right up to the display.

Miscellaneous Tips

If you're trying to mask two parts at the same time, don't forget about the background grid. It may be easier to align them in relation to the grid vs. each other

When painting two or more colors on the same part, try going light to dark because it's easier to see the grooves/lines on the piece. The orange/yellow paint is an exception because the tape is almost exactly the same color.

Pinwash will darken some of the lines, and it can also smooth over some minor mistakes... try it before agonizing over the details.

The pieces have lines representing grooves or ridges that would appear on a real model. When this is a border between two colors, it can be hard to tell from the painting instructions which color goes on the line. Usually the darker one is better, but you may need to experiment to see how they look.

[AJ]

@rivou, most goated comment in this discussion, great fucking tip man

[bgatesvoodoodoll]

Gradient / blending one color into the next

I tried gradient blending, but either I'm bad at it, don't have the patience for it, or both. Other guys make gradient painting look good:

MikoSauce's LOCKE:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1511780/images/?p=1&browsefilter=toprated

disfunct's !! WARNING !! OCKHAM:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1511780/images/?p=1&browsefilter=mostrecent

Orgasm-O-tron's upgraded PASCAL:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1511780/images/?p=1&browsefilter=toprated

matjussen's Warhamer Deathskull Ork Mech:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3175622124

[bgatesvoodoodoll]

Decals
Decals look good in box. When exported to animated GIF, you see transparencies. Avoid decals close to the mech's edge. The white paint scheme from PASCAL with the decal on the shield looks like crap when exported to Animated GIF. For decals in animated GIFs, figure out where you can place them without showing up or learn to paint em. Just know there will be swearing and re-painting involved in painting on decals, especially for 2-color ones.

Decal fail PASCAL
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3458662370

Same mech in box
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3474079909

Stencils for painted decals:
Chaz painted custom decals
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2880149334


Stencils for other design elements:
Tiger camo SUPERPASCAL by DEN smiles
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1511780/images/

Flower Power Locke
https://preview.redd.it/usjuw1s6vdb91.gif?width=401&format=mp4&s=1732c452c112f6fdc4990603b94ae52211a956d4

[bgatesvoodoodoll]

Masking across assembled parts:

codyfun's Split paint jobs:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2831903388

FlyingCarp's Curved Camo:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2866905643

Null.zip's PASCAL:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2833011931

Rorey's naval camo LOCKE:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2896648127

From reddit, battle-scarred PASCAL:
https://www.reddit.com/r/videogames/comments/wsqgkh/last_call_bbs_steed_force_hobby_studio_pascal/#lightbox

From reddit, a PASCAL with chevrons:
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2F0cowr8joxs991.gif%3Fwidth%3D401%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc9ecb1abf95c8c7a4a502db8b2ec6d3e163556ad

[bgatesvoodoodoll]

The joys of grey paint

All four models have grey as a color.

To see parts I paint, first I paint them grey and apply pinwash to make lines stand out.
Even though this makes seeing the lines easier, apply light colors first, and navy blue/black last.

There is no undo. However, you can re-paint the whole part grey and pinwash it, then try again.

By washing everything grey and then assembling the entire model, I figure out where parts get covered, which is where I don't have to be as careful when I apply other colors. I also figure out where I want to leave grey with pinwash.

Locke primered:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3458843826

PASCAL Primered:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3458834287

Ockham Primered:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3458835337

SuperPASCAL Primered:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3458835796

[bgatesvoodoodoll]

Masking
Not smart enough to numb mouse sensitivity or use Windows zoom around the cursor, I learned how to mask to reduce mistakes.

When masking for speed without a mess, tape over curvey lines, then add a second line of tape on the side opposite I plan to paint. Reason: wide spray brush, so let's leverage that.

When masking for detail work, I use lots of tape. Surround a curve with long strips of tape and change angle by 15-30 degrees or so each strip.

To get the angle right, mask with a long piece so angle changes slowly. Then if still not right, right click to abort the strip, and tape back the other direction.

When hunting a hot/wrong-color pixel, use sort of the opposite technique. Tape an X RIGHT NEXT to the hot pixel, then if needed, make another across from the first X to bracket the hot pixel. And again, add a second piece of tape on the opposite side of where I plan to paint due to wide brush.

With these techniques, I'm not quite pixel perfect, but sometimes I am.

[Heinzy the Ketchup]

I don't get what's so hard about it that it would require a guide. The models all look best when they're just yellow and/or black, no details needed, just like in real life. Decals are unnecessary too. Protip for life: Don't make it harder than it has to be :)

[hivou]

if you are on a windows computer I found that enabling the magnifier accessibility feature (win. 10: settings>ease of access>pointer) as a lens that follows your cursor is a lifesaver for seeing better as you paint, in tandem with lowering your mouse DPI :)

[mondsemmel]

Tip: When placing masking tape, you can hold Shift to move the tape horizontally or vertically, while keeping its angle constant.

[SKCalmBar]

Did my first one today. When started putting decals found a lot of stray pixels.
My brain almost died that moment.