BB-8 and R2-D2 Models

A few weeks ago, I bought this BB-8 and R2-D2 model set made by Bandai from Amazon. These models are 1/12 scale and pretty detailed for their size. The set is only about $27, and is fairly easy to put together. Each droid takes about an hour to assemble, and even if you didn't want to finish them, I still think they look pretty good.

I decided not to apply any of the decals. I've learned very recently that I really hate applying them. But I did decide to weather them. For R2 I used some black and brown acrylic paint and just applied it to all of R2's cracks and crevices. Wiping most of it off leaves the paint in the low areas where it would accumulate naturally. R2 has been in some really rough areas like the sandy deserts of Tatooine and the swamps of Dagobah, so I think he should be plenty dirty. I did the same to BB-8, and the process ended up highlighting the line detail that Bandai put into the model. Here they are watching the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-Ray with me. :) Plus you can see their size compared to a Blu-Ray case.

After watching the movie, I realized BB-8 is dirtier than I thought. Plus his antennae needed painting. So I used the same black and brown acrylic paint and just went to town on the little droid. Then using a wet paper towel, I blotted the paint off leaving a dirty texture on the white parts. I think he looks way better now.

The weathering process only took about another hour so if you wanted to do this, you could seriously finish it in just an afternoon. So if you're looking for a little project and you love Star Wars, I'd recommend doing this very highly.