Aztecing Methods for Star Trek Models

Article by: Brent Bristow

For the past 49 years, many modelers have had a love/hate relationship with Star Trek models. For Trekkies, building the ships they enjoyed watching in the series and films has been a labor of love due to old molds, poor tooling, and ill-fitting kits.  In the 1980s, the problems were multiplied when ship designs began including complex aztecing patterns on their hulls. Some modelers gave up on this genre in the 1990s because of the time commitment needed to produce a screen accurate piece with all of these markings. Fortunately, as technology and internet access improved, so have our options for reproducing these designs.

For a bit of history, when Star Trek began airing in 1966, the ships appeared to be uniformly gray or white on low resolution 1960s and ‘70s televisions. (The correct color of the Enterprise is a hotly debated topic that will not be discussed here!) The original series went off of the air in 1969, but was revised in the movie series in 1979. After the influence of the Star Wars films, and other series, such as Space: 1999 and Battlestar Galactica, producers decided to revamp the Enterprise to include aztecing patterns to simulate the hull plating under the paint, but mostly to give the ship more detail for the big screen. This has been standard procedure on the films and TV series for the next 35 years, with more and more complex patterns being added to new ships.

Dedicated to the memory of Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015.

The aztecing pattern on the hull of the Enterprise can be seen on this movie poster.

So, what are the options for duplicating these patterns? And what are their advantages and disadvantages? Currently, there are 4 options:

1.       Decals: In the early 2000s, as modelers began printing their own decals, many individuals started designing their own aztecing decals, and eventually started selling them. Aftermarket decals for several ships can be ordered at Starship Modeler and Cult TV Man. Round 2, who owns most of the rights to produce Trek kits, has also been including aztecing decals with many of their kits in the past few years, particularly the smaller scale ships (1/2500, 1/1000). Round 2 also offers a few aftermarket sets for some of its kits, such as the U.S.S. Reliant.

Pros: These are very detailed and very accurate (or pretty darn close, anyway). They will provide the greatest amount of detail of any of the options, and with the least amount of work. Most of these decal sets are usually fairly easy to obtain. Also, no research is needed.

Cons: While some may feel that using decals is not a challenge, we all know that decals don’t always cooperate, and this is a pretty extensive job. You also have little to no control over the colors used. Some sets have multiple color options, but this is very limited. Some of them can be a little too dark to blend with your base coat. Be aware that aftermarket decals can sometimes be pricey. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that your ships may end up looking like everyone else’s. If are going for screen accuracy, that may not be a problem.

2.       Pre-made painting masks: A few companies, such as Aztec Dummies, offer precut aztec painting masks that can used to mask your ship for painting. These are usually on adhesive vinyl and are very durable. There are also a few available made of photo etch-type material, as well.

Pros: You can control the colors and contrast for better blending. You can have an accurately marked ship but still have some individual artistry. If done properly, it can look very realistic. Again, no extensive research is needed.

Cons: Applying the masks can be almost as time consuming as applying the decals, and then you still have to paint. Also, as these are only available as an aftermarket product, it can be expensive. There won’t be quite as much detail as the decals. These are difficult to find for smaller scale ships.

3.       Make your own masks: This is going back to the pre-internet, pre-custom decals era. You can cut you own masks out of tape, frisket paper, or even styrene, and use it paint your design. Fortunately, you can now do a quick internet search to find a free template to follow for some ships.

Pros: This is very cost effect and allows you to customize your pattern a bit more. This is for those that have way more time than money.

Cons: This is the most time consuming of the methods, and will require a lot of research. (Of course, that just means watching more Trek!) If you are using a free template you find, you may want to verify its accuracy. Cutting and placing the tape be tricky, and frustrating.  Smaller scale ships can be exceedingly difficult.

4.       Create your own freely drawn patterns: With this method, you simply cut large templates of the approximate shape of the area you working with and put various random openings of geometric designs in them, mostly squares and rectangles. Use this to apply different shades of paint to the hull for greater depth. Or, simply cut tape into the geometric designs and apply them over the hull. Either way, it creates a nice effect and adds detail to your piece.
Pros: This is perhaps the least time consuming method, depending on how involved you want to get with it. It also allows for much greater artistic freedom and may (no guarantees!) make your ship stand out. This method can be used for many other non-Trek model vehicles as well.
Cons: Your ship will NOT be an accurate representation of the one used on screen. You also have to be careful to not overdo it. Getting too heavy handed can cause it to look messy. This will also not work for ships with specific distinctive patterns, such as the Enterprise-E.

A word about contest: As with all models and contests, there is never a guarantee that a particular method will win awards. With all 4 methods, skill level and artistry do make a difference. It should also be noted that judges have their preferences as well, and you never know what they are looking for. In the end, you must decide which method will be most fun for you, and what will look best on your shelf at home.

If you haven’t picked up a Trek model in a while because you are afraid to deal with aztecing, maybe now is the time to give it another chance. You have several options to try to achieve the effect you want, and you may remember what you loved these ships in the first place. So, until next time, live long and prosper!