Oh, I forgot to mention the bit I was most proud of... learning to drybrush!

First I lay down a base coat as usual,

then used a slightly darker shade to give some relief around panels with the drybrush, followed with sparser highlights on upper surfaces.

Then worked back into the dark and light areas with the original base, again with the drybrush for a smooth blend.

Pretty subtle still, but the basic approach seems to work. and I like the slight pebblelike finish that picks up the light.

Not that special for you fancy flyers with the airbrushes, but very satisfying to accomplish with a brush!