Posted 06 August 2008 - 04:30 PM
Let me offer some advice. I'm no Professor Shagnasty, but I've made a good money from my two guns. If OS1 were here, he'd say the same thing.
PREP WORK! The key is prep work.
This gun was clearly not prepped. The glue and most noticeably the paintjob are well, at best very rudimentary. If you took some time, sanded the warnings and logos off, sprayed a smooth coat of primer, and planned out your design, it would be much better.
To me, it looks like you had no real plan of attack. You thought on a whim to make a "steampunk" gun and then did it in an hour. I plan my guns out. I draw an initial sketch. Then I go out and look for parts. When I have a selection of cosmetic add-ons, I draw the gun again, reflecting the parts that I have.
Second, you need to plan your paintjob. You need to decide on a color palette that works. I recommend 3 or 4 colors. Pick one to be the main color, one or two for the other parts, and one for the accents. This white or grey color is not really associated with steampunk. Try something gold, bronze, brass, copper, silver, gunmetal, or even wood. These are the kinds of colors that are what make something steampunk. Remember, steampunk is the alternative reality where modern technology is created through Victorian means. Think about what something from the Victorian era is made of. Some kind of metal or wood.
Lastly, if you're doing cosmetic mods, you need to think of aesthetics. Maybe the gun looks awesome to you, if so then you've succeeded. Personally, I find it very unbalanced. The barrels look small and offset in comparison to the body of the gun. You've taken away a lot on the front, while adding a lot to the back. This is what creates this unbalance. I suggest making the back smaller. You could shorten the grip, sand down the slide, making it a nite-mav would also work. The hose is a good touch. If you took the time to glue it more evenly, and with less glue, it would work fairly well. I would definitely lose the spring on top. It looks silly. I know what you were trying to go for, some type of wire coil, and you're right, that would look cool, but if you want a wire coil, make one. It's not hard, and would go a long way to improve looks. A spring just isn't really a good stand-in.
I would highly recommend practicing. Maybe not on guns though, that could be costly. I am able to paint guns well because I have a slew of warhammer miniatures that I've painted. Most of them suck, but you learn from experience. I don't want to come off as a know-it-all self-important asshole. I just want to offer you some advice to expedite your learning experience.
To sum things up:
Practice painting
Practice designing
Prepare properly