How did you paint your Millennium Falcon? A model maker's survey

In January 2018 I solicited survey answers from model makers, asking them how they'd painted their Millennium Falcon models. The questions were posted to the RPF, to various Star Wars and Millennium Falcon model Facebook groups, and to the ModelSpace forum. 

I received 131 responses over the course of a week, and these are the raw answers. Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Some results differ from the pie charts by a percentage point or two, since the pies don't take into account blank responses and errors. There were 6 blank responses and 1 prankster Star Trek fan response.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Which model do you have?

29%    De Agostini 1:43 studio scale - The Empire Strikes Back

21%    Bandai 1:72 "Perfect Grade" - A New Hope

16%    Bandai 1:144 - The Force Awakens/The Last Jedi

8%    AMT/Ertl/MPC/Airfix - A New Hope

7%    Hasbro Hero - The Empire Strikes Back

7%    Fine Molds/Revell Master Series 1:72 - The Empire Strikes Back

2%    Fine Molds/Revell Master Series 1:144 - The Empire Strikes Back

2%    Master Replicas 1:43 studio scale - The Empire Strikes Back

2%    Revell Snap-Tite variants

2%    Scratchbuilt

1%    Bandai 1:350 - A New Hope

1%    Garage kit

1%    “Almost all of them”

Which shooting miniature was the basis of your model?

41%    Five foot Falcon

36%    32" Falcon

10%    Don't know

8%    TFA/TLJ CGI model

5%    Other version

Did you use primer?

43%    Grey primer

22%    Black primer

20%    No primer

13%    White primer

1%    2 shades of brown

1%    Matt varnish

What's your general preferred paint type?

72%    Acrylic

14%    Enamel

5%    Lacquer

5%    Don't know

1%    Dupli color automotive

1%    Car primer

1%    Oil

What did you use for the main body colour?

21%    Tamiya lacquer: AS-20 Insignia White rattlecan

13%    Tamiya acrylic: XF-2 white mixed with XF-55 Deck Tan

9%    DOA Millennium Falcon Base Colour (apparently discontinued)

8%    White primer

8%    Bare plastic

5%    Archive-X Reefer White

5%    Vallejo Air White Grey

3%    Vallejo USAF Light Grey

2%    Floquil Reefer White

2%    Grey primer

2%    Halfords “Fiat” white

2%    Createx Opaque White

2%    Archive-X Grime

2%    Archive-X Rogue Studio MF Hull Grey

2%    Custom mix

The following had single respondents:

Humbrol Grey

Humbrol White

Model Masters Basic White

Mr. Paint MRP Insignia White

A few drops of USAF light grey

Liquitex

Badger Reefer White and Polly Scale Grime

Testors camouflage grey

Off-white pigment powder

1980s Pactra flat white spray paint

Testers Light aircraft gray rattle can

Plasticote Antique White

Gull Grey USN Light

Combination AS-20, Tamiya White& deck tan, Vallejo white Grey (not air), Vallejo Air Insignia White

Boyd White Primer + Floquil Grime

Cappucino ( makes the model pretty yellowish at first but after different weathering techniques it becomes pretty whitish with my preferred touch of beige )

Model Master Sand

Windsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Lamp Black Oil Paint

Citadel Corax White Model Paint

Archive-X GrimeLT

What did you use for detailing and weathering?

25%    Hand brushed acrylics

21%    Airbrushed acrylics

17%    Hand brushed oils

15%    Pastel powders

5%    All of the above

2%    All of the above, plus some watercolour pencils

2%    Hand brushed enamels

2%    Acrylic washes and colored pencil

The following had single respondents:

Airbrush And Pastel powders

All of the above except oils

Pastels and watercolor pencils

Tamiya weathering sets

Archive-X enamels

Tamiya weathering master

A combination of airbrushed and hand brushed acrylics, and pastel powders

Black wash

Airbrushed acrylics and oils

Archive-X enamels, airbrushed and paint brushed

Oil & acrylics & pigments

Airbrushed acrylics/hand brushed oils

Airburshed and hand brushed acrylics. And pastel powders, and sharpies

AK Interactive Enamel

A mix of pastel sticks, cut down to spreadable powder, as well as Acrylics and rubs

A mix of oils acrylics and enamels plus some powders

Airbrushed and hand brushed enamels

A few breakdowns

Of the De Agostini 1:43 studio scale model makers:

50% primed in grey

18% didn't prime

5% primed in black

34% used Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White

26% used DOA Millennium Falcon Base Colour

11% left the plastic bare

Of the Bandai "Perfect Grade" 1:72 model makers:

43% primed in grey

32% primed in black

7% primed in white

18% used Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White

14% used ArchiveX Reefer White

14% used Tamiya XF-2 white mixed with XF-55 Deck Tan

14% used Vallejo Air White Grey

Of the modellers making Falcons based on the five foot shooting miniature:

43% primed in grey

31% primed in black

15% didn't prime

9% primed in white

17% used Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White

13% used Tamiya XF-2 white mixed with XF-55 Deck Tan

9% used ArchiveX Reefer White

9% used DOA Millennium Falcon Base Colour

7% left the plastic bare

6% used Floquil Reefer White

6% used Vallejo Air White Grey

Of the modellers making Falcons based on the 32" shooting miniature:

50% primed in grey

24% didn't prime

17% primed in white

10% primed in black

37% used Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White

15% used DOA Millennium Falcon Base Colour

10% used Tamiya XF-2 white mixed with XF-55 Deck Tan

5% used ArchiveX Grime