yeah, I am in the middle of turning my extra VP into A3, and only have to remove the nasty wing rivets before I start actually spraying, and I was thinking that since A3 is supposed to be such an old bot that he would look good with an aged paintjob. I recall seeing several people in this forum talking about how to I believe it was called "oil wash"? your TFs to make them look worn and beaten? I searched the Exhaustive Kitbasher's Resource up top but didn't see it mentioned in there. Could someone spell it out for me? I would like to attempt to use this technique, and then of course I'd paste the explanation with full credit into the Exhaustive Kitbasher's Resource  



Andy


PS Thanks in advance

 

Andy,
Sorry I don't have info on the "oil wash", but I do have a neat trick that I have been using to "age" some of my TF's. (currently using it on a Junkion character I am making.) I tear a piece of toilet paper randomly, and use the ragged edge as a "mask" with my air brush. I then spray rust color (for rust) and greys and blacks (for fluid leakage) around panel separations, and at edges. It gives a very realistic look, and the little bit that "sneaks" through the TP actually adds to the effect. When I hit my kit again I will take some pics and edit them in.
Hope this helps!
Shawn

 

I use three different methods for adding weathering and age to both my model kits and my TF kitbashes. Each of them has different degrees of usefulness.

Note - I work with the Ral Partha acrylics. I used to use the regular Testor's enamels but I found that A) I had more skill mixing and matching with acrylics and B) I'm lazy, so wash-up is easier. Your personal mileage may vary.

1. Dry-brush weathering: One can of matte black and one wide-bodied brush. Dab as much paint off of the brush as you can by "painting" a piece of newspaper with the excess paint. You want your brush to leave streaks of black (or just particles of it.) Test on spare parts until you've got the right effect. Matte Brown and Silver work as well, especially when combined; you get a nice "flaking paint, covered in dirt and grime" look.

2. Wet weathering: Honestly, I've found this works best with acrylic; I can't remember ever experimenting with enamels when I did this one. Dip your brush in water, then dip it right into the paint. Run it over the newspaper a few times until you've got a really runny residue of black paint. From there, you just go to town dousing the model kit/TF with the same mixture of water & paint on your brush. This fills in nooks and crannies REALLY fast, while leaving the outer shade of paint a bit darker. I love the end effect.

3. Similar to what sculpt-bot suggested, a quick tap of airbrush or spraypaint, from a good distance away, adds some interesting fade effects to a model kit. The best reference for this is any fan-made X-wing model kit.

Here are some end-result references for dry-brushing:
The head of this Y-wing:
http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery11/cv_022106_ywing.htm

The nose of this Y-wing has a lot of airbrush weathering:
http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery10/ts_xwing2.htm

The ISD Glory, which I built, combines all 3:
http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery10/as_021306_glory.htm

 

I think I might be the only one around here who uses oil washes. There's a proper technique to doing them, but that's not what I do.

I use a water soluable oil paint, and paint the area I'm weathering with it. After that, I wipe it back with a dry paper towel. If it's too dark, it can be taken back further, with a damp paper towel. If you like it, let it sit overnight, then seal it, with clear coat. If it's not dark enough, you can repeat the process over the clearcoat.

If you get the oil wash pulled back, and decide that it's a terrible horrible mistake, it can be washed off as long as you haven't clear coated it, yet. Paper towels, Q-tips, and little water will clean it right off. I use this directly over acrylic paints, and I've never damaged the underlieing paint.

The correct method for oil washing, involves regular oil paints, thinned with mineral spirits. It runs a good chance of destroying the paint, it's put on.

You can also do a good old fashioned ink wash, which is just your darker paint, thinned down to the cinsistency of ink or water, and allowed to pool in the recesses, and run off the high points. Oil washing is a lot messier, but I feel it has better control.

 

awesome.. thanks guys!   and OPs... you're on the ball   noticed you updated your guide so I didn't have to   I'm not sure which method I'm gonna use.. I may try oilwash it, then try to add some grey from a distance too. that destroyer looks hawt!


Andy