Tech Tips
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A filter is always done with a heavily
diluted paint (like a maximum of 5% paint to 95% of thinner). A
filter can be applied by brush or airbrush. The application should
be uniform over the entire model and "wet" to avoid any
brush marks.
I used a large round brush to apply a single filter to the entire model. This filter consisted of a heavily thinned mix of Burnt Sienna and Titanium White oil colour. |
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After everything was thoroughly dry I was pleased to see that the surface of the model had taken on more life and variation than before. Compare this with the previous photo!
Now is the time to add wear and tear. Painted object exposed to handling, walking etc. will inevitably develop large and small scratches and scuff marks which, in time and greater numbers, will alter the overall appearance of the surface from "uniform" to "worn".
There are a few different techniques to simulate scratches. I found that a simple but very effective technique is to use artist's coloured pencils.
To simulate scratches and scuff marks I use a selection of Derwent coloured pencils. For this model the colours used ranged from light grey to a few greens and a brown. The exact choice of colours is not very important as long as they follow the general colour scheme of the model. |
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Using the pencils I went over the entire model, drawing and scratching. At this stage the effect of the pencils may look a bit harsh in places. Don't worry, everything will blend in nicely once the weathering continues.
Another effect of heavy handling on a real tank is that paint will be chipped off on and around exposed edges and protrusions. I find that the easiest way to simulate areas of chipped paint is to use paint and a small pointed brush. I used a mix of Vallejo Acrylic for the task since they work great for brush painting. The colours used was a mix of 039 Hull Red and 057 Black and the chips were concentrated around hatches, foot steps and handles as well as other protruding details that would be subject to heavier wear and tear.
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Time for some dust - the final effect that will blend everything together. Dust is an ever-present companion of military vehicles. Like in real life, the dust comes last on my model. Just how much dust to apply is a matter of personal preference, but don't be afraid, real tanks carry much more dust and dried mud than you can possibly imagine!
Unlike the filter described in step 2, dust calls for a dry painting technique for greater realism. You can use powder from dry pastel chalks or dry pigment powder. Both can be readily obtained from well-stocked artists' stores.
To simulate dust I use a mix of Yellow Ochre and Titanium White pigment powder with Humbrol Thinner as the medium. Here's how to do it:
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The powder is mixed with the thinner and applied with a brush. | The final effect of the pigment can not be observed until the thinner has evaporated. Sometimes another layer of powder is needed to achieve the desired effect. |
After the mix is completely dry on the surface, the powder can be rubbed off using a finger or a dry, stiff brush to create desired patterns such as streaks of dust seen along the sides of the vehicle. See below.
Wheels and suspension would usually be the most weathered areas of a (dusty) vehicle because of their direct contact with the ground. When weathering wheels' it is appropriate to increase the amount of weathering applied by a factor of two!
The wheels of my LAV-AT have been first painted in rubber color (some grey shade), and then treated with my dusting mixture as follows:
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The pigment powder is mixed with Humbrol Thinner and applied to the entire wheel. | The wheel is totally covered in the pigment powder and set aside to dry. Multiple applications may be necessary before moving on to the final step. | Finally the pigment powder is rubbed off from tread pattern and side walls. |
By now you should have arrived on a model that is pretty well weathered. However, the impression of realism of the model can be further improved by enhancing the effects of light and shadow. A most effective technique for this is to apply a dark wash, which will add depth to the areas which normally remain in shadow. Another useful technique is highlighting, which adds lighter tones and gloss to the edges which will normally remain in full light.
A "wash" is an application of highly thinned paint (or other pigment) intended to deposit colour in the nooks and crannies of a model. Washes are usually dark colours.
One typical use for washes is to darken the "holes" in a moulded grill or screen, like on the picture below. I also applied wash to various door and hatch hinge lines.
I restricted the highligts to simply "metalizing" edges of selected details with lead pencil.
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A wash of black oil colour was applied to the air intake grills as well as the various door and hatch hinge lines to emphasize their pattern. | To simulate light reflections on exposed metal the most worn areas were treated with a soft lead pencil. |
Six different steps may sound like a lot of work, but once you have tried the described techniques, you will notice that most of them are both quick and easy to apply. Once again, have a look at the difference - the final photo above is a composite showing the finished model with overimposed rear hull as it looked without weathering applied. I think you will agree that the final effect is worth every bit of effort!
This was how I made the weathering on my LAV-AT. Now, the really fun part of modelling armour is that there are almost as many techniqes and approaches to weathering out there as there are modellers. What are your weathering techniques?
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