Start to finish! Pens taken apart and sanded down then superglued to stir sticks that had been wire brushed for texture. The sanding made the glue and the black primer stick better. I tried three different colours for the wood, and then hit all of them with a green wash later for that “preserved wood” effect (and to help hide some accidental metallics). The pipes started out with a drybrush of Vallejo gunmetal grey and a drybrush of Vallejo silver on the ends. I decided they looked too dark and more like ABS than steel, so I took the same silver and applied it with a sponge, aiming for a “rough metal” effect. I think I got it. These could use more work, maybe some rust or staining, but they’re not meant to be a set piece and they read as “yep that’s believable.” That’s pretty much my metric for background pieces these days. Knowing I could take them higher is a good feeling, but I have a long list of stuff I want to try and being willing to call something done at 80% instead of doubling my time and effort is how I get through to-do lists and a rather large pile of shame.
So yeah. Pipes!
