Hi guys,
im just curioues what colours you guys use when doing dot filters on olive drab? I was thinking yellow ochere, brown and white. I have also read that you can use blue too?
any sguuestions would be awesome
Jeremy
Hi guys,
im just curioues what colours you guys use when doing dot filters on olive drab? I was thinking yellow ochere, brown and white. I have also read that you can use blue too?
any sguuestions would be awesome
Jeremy
Yes,those are all good to use
Yes, I use dark brown, yellow and white. I have not tried blue yet, but sounds very interesting, and I will try it next time!
Also, and I apolgize if you already know this, apply a protective overcoat of your painted surfaces before you do the dot filter. Ideally, if you don’t like the results, you can remove and start over.
Sorry for the noob question – but what is a dot filter?
Boris
I think it’s easier for you to see a video than try to explain it with words:
Hope this helps.
EDIT: This is not the defacto video on Dot Filters. I just picked this one randomly, there are many on Youtube.
Latest weathering fad that gives an unrealistic, yet very artistic finish to your model.[:S]
Ahh… ok - that was very helpful thanks.
Boris
I like using it over solid colors like OD, Panzer Grey and German Yellow. It helps to break up the monotone solid color as with my Porsche Jagdtiger in German Yellow.

Or like my recently completed Yamato Turret.

I disagree that “gives an unrealistic” finish. Perhaps if overdone, but when done well, it’s as effective a technique as other techniques are to achieve their ends, like pre-shading panel lines.
Another recent, artistic fad. Have you ever seen a panel line on an actual aircraft or vehicle that is darker than the surrounding panel? I served for almost 24 years on actual military vehicles and helicopters and I never saw one that looked like the pre-shaded panel line technique. If you want to be artistic with your finishes, that is fine. Just don’t claim they are realistic at all.
Ok, here ya go.




Admittedlty overdone at times but yes, yes I have. I was around aircraft as well.
What’s next? Oil canning?
[dto:] It’s fine when done in a subtle way and not overdone as you said. We all have our techniques so use whatever works for you.
Looks great Steve.
I do sometimes. I use earth tones for olive drab- generally tan, brown, and a straight (non OD) green.
The results either look overdone or I thin it to the point I can’t even see the results. So I kinda moved away from doing it.
Actually current US navy aircraft do weather to a point where they take on a look like the preshading technique so popular today. And the dot filtering technique does add life to a monochrome finish.
But I agree that the current weathering styles are often overdone. A friend had an up-close look at an operational T-72 back in the 1990s, and commented that modelers frequently apply overdone or non-existent weathering.
That being said, I feel a balance between artistic and realistic is the way that appeals to me.
These are not what I am talking about. That is realistic panel weathering and dark lines where the joints are. Most of the time, pre-shading gives the panel unrealistic dark edges with a vastly lighter centers of each panel. To me, that is not realistic.
To each their own though.
That one is a gate guard and not an operational bird.
the one below is a computer image

I suspect that this is a computer image as well. Thunderbird aircraft are always pristine. And look at the aircraft number on the intake…

Well of course they are [8-)]. Can’t tell real from computer anymore (that’s scarry)! I do have some pics somewhere, ones that I took that show my point however, I believe Artty and I are actually on the same page.
Many modelers way overdo it. Black basing, which I use for shadows and motling, blacking the panel lines, which I don’t do unless they are control surfaces and dot filtering, which I do only when I need to add streaks, are valid methods of weathering. Just not all the time and the motto “if you think you need a little more, you have enough” works.