Model Building Model Shop Movies and Mad Ravings Miscellaneous Goodies

Dangerous Experiments: 
Color Change Auto Paints on The Hideous Sun Demon

Before we go any further, let me say that I actually like this movie, The Hideous Sun Demon.  Well, maybe I really just see it's potential and the monster is kinda cool.  The kit I am using for this article is being reissued in the future by the original maker, The Perimeter with a new head and base.  It was one of the most exciting kits at Wonderfest in 2005 and I greedily grabbed one with dreams of strange experiments.


Confused about a term used in this article?  Go to the model builder's dictionary.
   

You have probably seen a car or two that changes from green to gold or orange as it rolls through the sunlight.  These chroma-change colors are available in small cans at auto supply stores and places like Wal-Mart, and years ago I discovered something very interesting about auto paints on kits.  If you hit a metallic color paint with Dulcote, the paint flattens out to a rather unearthly looking hue.  Hard to explain, but it happens with some paints.  So, I thought, the sun demon would look pretty cool if he changed colors as a viewer moved in the light.
   

Thus begins this madness . . .

I won't really be talking about the buildup here, but rather explaining what I did to get these unique results.

There are three things you need to know if you are going to try this.  First of all, color change paints require a black primer coat.  They will not work without one, but you don't have to buy the overpriced black primer the company wants to sell you.  Simply paint the base coat black after a regular primer and you'll be ready to roll.  The picture on the right shows a regular primer before the black coat, of course.

   

Secondly, these paints will stink so spray outdoors.  You don't want this in your lungs.

Thirdly, auto paints won't look good on just any model and they go on thick if you are not careful.  Make sure you mask the areas that you don't want paint on because it will be hard to get it off.  That is what all that blue tape is for.

   

I used Plasti-cote's Kameleon Kolor (can anyone spell at that Kompany?)  It runs about $7-8 a can, but is the cheapest way I know to get this unique effect.  Remember, you don't have to buy their primer--just put a coat of black down first.

Once the coat of color change paint is applied, use Dulcote to seal it.  This will deaden it down some without changing the effect.  It will look more reptilian but not sparkling.  The effect is interesting, but it is utterly uniform and the real sense of what can be done with the color change paint is seen in the next stage, where transparent acrylics are airbrushed on.

   

Using Createx transparent airbrush paints, I sprayed on Deep Red over most of the body and a little Yellow-Orange here and there.  The belly, eyebrows and biceps, as well as the scales on the back indicated a different texture of skin, so I applied Lifetone Yellow Oxide transparent in these places.  On the fleshier inner arms, I put in a light coat of Cretex transparent Orange, but it looked terrible (crazy experiments, remember), so I followed it with transparent Fleshtone. 

This allows for the color change effect to show through, but it changes the belly to green and the chest to a purplish red.

   

Once I got to that point, I decided to just coat the fleshy parts with Deep Red and drybrushed a little on the Sun Demon--Cowards Yellow on the belly and brows, Apple Barrel Bright Red on the rest of the body, and that was all there was to it. 

Now having said that, it wasn't easy to get this effect and I think I ended up with too much Dulcote for my liking by the end of the build, because the color change is not at dramatic.  But the point of experiments is to find out what will happen and I think, in the end, the kit came out looking good (or at least radioactive)!   And if you notice the slight differences in the colors . . . that is the effect of different light angles on the same kit at the same time of day!

   

   

   

 

The Rules:

  • Actually PRACTICE your hobby.  Just do it because it makes you happy and don't worry about it.  Geeze . . .
  • But DON'T BUY RECASTS.  Artists need support to keep doing it and recasts are typically crappy anyway.
  • If you want to use some of our images, cool by me . . . just credit the source as www.creaturescape.com
  • If you want to link to us, knock yourself out.  Use our banner if you like and contact us so we can return the favor.
  • If you find an error, problem, bad link or foolish statement, let us know, but don't be a butthead.
  • Support our sponsors because that is how we stay afloat.
  • Support horror hosts at www.horrorhosts.com by buying their products
  • Support rockabilly radio at www.rockabillyradio.net by giving them money
  • Fight the power, wash behind your ears and for heaven sake, if you are surfing the web right now, take a minute to think about how cool monster models are and go immediately to our sale page and buy a kit!

©  2007 CreatureScape, All Rights Reserved Callahan