Freighter
This freighter was built to compete in Starshipmodelers.com's The Other Guys contest and to be a part of the universe started by Big Blue, the huge 3-foot long cruiser I built 5 years ago. As a freighter I wanted it to be, well, bulky. The face on the front was a bonus. Eventually, it was painted, stripped of paint, repainted, and then turned completely around, the back end becoming the front.
The cargo module in front (later, the back) was a combination box and display unit for a wristwatch, flanked with giant triangular "candy corn" containers and AT-AT feet. I cut-out the interior of the wristwatch box and made it the middle module. The engine was a section of a plastic drinking glass. For engines (later, docking ports) I went with Ravenstar FE-04's, alas, no longer available. The dorsal fuel tubes tied it all together and added the first hint of a face at the front (back), a look I encouraged with eyebrow "shields", teeth-like cargoe hatches, a Ravenstar CM-16 chin, and ear-like sensor-tractors (engines).
Painting was a bit of a problem. I wanted a freighter-orange color, with Trekian panels of light green and yellow. Not so good, I'm thinking. Ok, off comes the paint, courtesy oven cleaner. Took the opportunity to remove the engine fins as they made the engine section look bigger than I wanted. On goes a coat of black, followed by dry-brushed green and brown. Looking better, but still not there. Perhaps an overall dry-brushing of tan helps. Ah, better. Now I need some stripes here and there, and some markings. Unfortunately, with such a textured surface, any markings (as well as the stripes) must either be dry-brushed or dry-transfers. How tedious. An overall dry-brushing of light tan to highlight the edges, and finished! Proudly displayed to friends and family, who unanimously agreed, "You've got it backwards!"
Swell. Ok, converted the engines into docking bays, and built engines by adding aircraft propeller nacelles and tubes to the ear-like structures flanking the face. Seriously, though, it's a problem I often have with spaceships. I feel it important to build them so that observers feel comfortable answering a few simple questions. Such as, does it look like it could be a spaceship, how big is it, which end is the front, and which way does it go. Failing to make obvious the answers to any of these questions frustrates the viewer, and in a paying environment, costs customers.
Nude nose - 44kB
Orange nose - 39kb
Orange side - 23kb
Brown & Green coats - 56kb
Tan overcoat - 28kb