Hi I just built a m4 sherman from Tamia’s (early production kit) any tips on how to weather it?
Totten,
you stand a better chance at getting replies over in the armour forum. click here…
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=3
Welcome to the FSM Forums [#welcome]. Like Awood said, post your question on the Armor Forum where lots of nice guys will give you enough advice to get you totally confused[:)].
Regards, Rick
Welcome aboard!
Moved to Armor for the reasons already specified. [:)]
[#welcome] to the FSM forum.
Weathering huh? That’s a mouthful to answer. FIrst off, check some of the last issues of FSM as they contain a two part article on the basics of weathering, done on a 1/35 tiger model.
The most obvious, and first step is a wash and drybrush. This will bring out the little shadows and details of the kit.
THe tracks are also an important aspect of a tank, one I think must be weathered. I’m going to assume you don’t have an airburh, so here’s what you can do:
paint the metalic parts of the tank with some metalic colour, and the rubber portions a dark gray.
Drybrush the metallic parts with some rust coloured paint, and then when the tracks are dry, get some pastel chalks, and grind some powder. Apply this powder to the tracks and the lower parts of the vehicle. It’s a simple method, and a good begining for weathering a model.
Just did one myself. I painted mine MM olive green, then sprayed randomly green drab and then some lightend olive drab on it to break up the monotone (on the sides, I did this in a veritcal fashion to simulate the effects of water washing down the sides. On the tops it was more splotches). I gave everything a wash of burnt umber and black. Drybrush with lightened ovlive drab. When that all dried, I misted Tamiya buff on the lower parts and then brushed on some weathering powders. Here is a lnk to my work (the first 2 are the finished product)http://jasonwest7529.fotopic.net/c397514.html
Only in modeling do you get compliments on how dirty, dusty, oily, muddy or grimy your work is [:D][:p]
I put together a review of weathering techniques here:
http://www.geocities.com/peeg_dme/weathering/weathering.htm
Sorry about the geocities cookies and popups. Yes it is model railroading but the same techniques apply to any modeling.
Specifically for the Sherman. Keep this in mind. Where did the model your building/depicting do its service?
Africa - light sand, very dusty
Europe - Darker richer mud, splatters and sploches
Pacific - Something in between Europe and Africa weathering
Depends what your base colour is. 1st give it a wash with a dark thinned colour like burnt umber and then dry brush all the raised edges and corners etc. with a colour lighter than your base. If your base is dark green or olive drab use tan lightened with flat black (makes green)