Now that the rivets have been added, you can concentrate on the painting of the metallic color. You can use a copper or brass spray paint, or even a pewter color. I like ones that are of the antiqued variety. I used spray because it’s easier and less saturating than liquid. I also use oil based enamel spray paint instead of a water based liquid paint because even though it’s more toxic, it causes less absorption buckling of paper, papier mache and cardboard, (which can ruin your project).
You can see that before painting, I also added a recycled foam edge to the fins so that it looks like a metal, girder-like structure…again adding to the gritty, steampunk look.
Brass painted airship fin
Brass painted fin detail
Next step in the process is adding the patina that will make the airship look aged and rusty. Shiny brass looks cool, but also doesn’t look very realistic. A bit of green patina makes the airship sculpture look much more believable and battle-scarred. Stay tuned!
