Want to take armor modeling to next level, any tips?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Ive been modeling consistently for a little over 3 years now and would like some pointers on how to break into some more advanced techniques. I am well aware of methods such as hairspray method and using pigments, however i feel im not using them to their full potential, i used pigments on the t-62 below and the pz,iv too.

the techniques i am aiming for are two of the kits below, I obviously understand that I wont be able to create these effects immediately but over time any suggestions? one thing that i would like to learn is how to properly do washes, since very cool finishes can be acomplished

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=features&file=view&artid=5189

and:

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=features&file=view&artid=5267

thanks for replies!

PS: this was posted in the Armor thread rather than the techniques one because, i am more focused on armor than planes or ships.

2

One of the things you can do that would immediately improve your result is to use both pin washes along all the seams and crevices to give depth and shadow to your model. Your T-62 suffers from lack of pinwashes–there are no shadows or dark spots on it–that’s not realistic. Use a fine brush to paint washes around every panel, in every crease, and around every detail.

Then, for highlights, use LIGHT drybrushing—as in,. “don’t overdo it”.

Drybrushing used to be the dominant technique in the 70s-80s when it was really popularized by Francois Verlinden and Shep Paine. As of late, some modelers have gotten away from it, claiming it to be passe’, but it still has its uses and still looks great when done lightly.

Be aware that you can drybrush with lighter colors, but also with dark colors, like metallic grays, or even browns to simulate chipped edges, which looks very realistic. Your Pz III could use that effect. And pinwashes with black.

As far as doing washes, most people will tell you to do them over a gloss finish so that the paint basically rolls off the shiny vertical surfaces and settles in the grooves and seams, but if you want to really “age” your paint coat, do it over flat surfaces.

You have to be brave with pigments. Don’t be afraid to literally slap 'em on and dab them on with an old brush. Mix them into thinned white glue for a sticking slurry, or just mix them with water so you can later brush most of them off to simulate dust. And you can always add spot washes with oils to the pigments themselves, to add tone and color. Dirt, after all, forms shadows and has highlights too.

Lastly, remember that when you see a convincing 1/35 model, what you are seeing is the result of someone who knows ow to trick your eye into seeing light and shadow in that scale as if it is a fill-sized vehicle. Light behaves differently on different-sized objects, It helps to study how modelers use light and shadow in painting techniques to do this.

3

thanks for the informative reply!

I have been seeing different colors of washes and was wondering if that gives a worthwhile difference to the final result of the model.

on another note i would prefer to not use 1/3 of my pigment supply on one model, so what is the ratio of pigment to white glue when mixing, or is it just guess as you go?am i right to assume paint would be added in the mix?

finally, the streaks on the t-55’s turret in the link i provided, am i correct to assume that is dot filtering, with multiple shades of green? or a specific type of wash?

4

On top of all that Karl recommended, if there is a chapter of AMPS, IPMS , or some othe model club nearby, join up and go to the meetings. Nothing can beat seeing other modeler a work in person and speaking with them about how they did something. If there is a hobby shop nearby, spend some time there talking with folks, for the same reasons. I have learned plenty on here, in the magazine, and reading from various online and printed sources. But I have learned more face to face with other modelers over the past 6 1/2 years since I joined the local IPMS Chapter, which in turn lead me to the local AMPS chapter. Our AMPS group associates with a few other non affiliated model clubs as well. All full of excellent builders and superb hobby knowledge of all sorts.

5

You’re welcome!

Use plaster or even real dirt to bulk up your pigments. When I say to use white glue, I mean like a small dollop of it greatly diluted–like 50% or more—to make a slurry of pigment and dirt or some kind of powder mixed in with the pigments. Plaster works well, but I also use real dirt. You have to get your dirt from somewhere where it’s been pounded flat and lifeless, like a dirt road that has baked in the sun or a construction site, in order not to get organic material in it.

That T55 has filters, washes and streaks of what looks like not only greens, but yellow and tans, even white. Basically whatever’s close on the color wheel can be used. I don’t really see Dot Weathering on i, but you never know–there’s a lot of layers there. White also appears in dust a lot, and adds the look of oxidation and mineral accumulation. Layering is the key to great weathering.And you must have he patience to let layers dry and then appraise them after a day or so. It takes time to weather well. Guys who are in a rush to get it done never quite get what they were desiring.

There are also micro-chips done with either a fine brush or a sponge on that model.

6

Hi,

If I can add my two cents…

Obviously, there are more experimented builders that I am, like the doog, disastermater, waynec, etc…etc… [:D[

I’m just about to hit a one year into the hobby in a serious way. I have already build a couple of tanks Im really proud of them, they might not win any award, besides my family and spouse with a “looks nice” [:^)] kind of compliment.

I think you should not try to copy someone else finieshed “look” or technique, buy some cheap kits and basically go crazy with them, add them a lot of pigments, washes, etc… so you can see what each one does.

Also, use top notch products, like in a food recipe, the greatest the ingredients the better it will come out. Some might say, buy cheap and they provide same results…it might be, but I want to know I will always have the same results = consistency on the behavior of the products.

Also, follow the suggestions and recommendations from the experienced guys, even if it took you a lot of time to achieve a look or finish. eg, my last build, I spent a well 3 to 4 hours trimming the “burned” tire then melting it, which I thought it was pretty cool, to be finally discarded, as it looked akward.

See this example… I went oil and pigment crazy, but I really liked how rusty and bandoned it looks like!

No one can say it is not that rusted or about to fall apart. I will take out the tires and rims and leave it the suspension on top of bricks…

What has also helped me a lot, has been to read a lot of books in building, magazines and also videos.

There are 1,000s of videos in you tube to achieve any look, weathering, techniques. Trust me, I learned a lot from them.

SO, go ahead, go crazy and just experiment, play…HAVE FUN!![:D]

7

I like to use pigments for the great tonal variation they provide. I know what you mean about not wanting to use half of your supply for one tank. I’ve found using pigments to supplement other techniques can extend the range of them.

Also, I mix my pigments with water at different ratios. For mud, less water to make a thicker solution. That’s when i’ll add white glue, craft paint, fake grass. But for dusty effects (like the t-55 you posted) I like a wetter more diluted solution. You can literally take a brush and slather a model with this stuff. Since the pigments are water soluble, once it all dries I like to use a wet paintbrush or q-tip to wipe away what I don’t need. It’s a great way to get nice looking dusty cracks and crevices. And echoing what the doog said, washes. They make all the crevices pop. A solid gloss coat with help them run over and into the creases of your model and helps to add streaking effects. You can even make the streaks with the pigments.

8

I am by no means trying to copy anyone’s work just trying do get a better understanding of concepts I haven’t used yet or don’t quite understand.

anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Filters? iv’e heard the term but don’t know what they are, some kind of wash is my guess. can someone correct me on this?

thanks for the replies!

9

A filter is kinda like a wash, only MUCH thinner. When you put a filter on, it barely changes the look of the paint. It’s meant purely as a “filter of light”–just like if you wold hold up a piece of transparent lighting gels like they put over lights at a concert. A filter is a very, very light application of paint over another coat what subtly shifts the color one way or another. It’s like 10% paint, 90% thinner.

When or why would you use it? Lets say you have a T-34 painted in overall monotone Dark Green. You could put a brighter green filter over the top panels of it to make a slight variation in the overall tone. The tank would now look a little brighter on top, but darker on the sides. The you could take a light green filter and apply that only in the center of the turret top panels. This would give a very subtle impression of light hitting the top of the turret, or of sun-bleaching. You could also then add maybe some filters of yellow to shift parts of the base coat to a more olive color, and maybe some blue filter to shift it more blue-green. You would add these in small pools or maybe a centimeter or so if you didn’t want to get too far away from the base coat, but in larger pools if you wanted an overall color shift.

All in all, they really enrich the overall look of the model.

10

thanks! that’s very informative.

say for example a German tank in a solid dunkelgleb scheme ,the filter color look best with light tan? or even yellow?

also should the filter be oil, enamel, etc? or does it not matter as long as it is very thin paint?

11

That’s right–you can use either or both of those colors. Gray is also a good color for making DY look old and faded. Try all three! EXPERIMENT!!!

You can use whatever medium you like. I always thought that oil paints had the smallest pigments, but surprisingly, acrylics do. You certainly have better working time with oils, but acrylics can also be used if you use a tiny bit of soap to cut the surface tension. Honestly, I use a small bar of soap from a hotel and just swab my paint brush across it lightly to get some on the bristles and then dip it in the paint mixture.

12

Modeler… you are in good hands with the Doog (Karl). He is the King of Finishing

Karl, as always you give back and prove how great the hobby and the forum are.

Rounds Complete!!

13

Mike, you’re so kind, thank you. [:)] I appreciate that. [B]

14

thanks for taking the time to reply, your insight has been a great help!

what do you mean by “breaking the surface tension” and why would it matter when applying the filter? does it have anything to do with how thin the paint is?

Edit: should a filter be applied on a flat or glossy finish?

15

If you don’t break the surface tension, when the filter dries, it will leave behind tide marks, a dirty residue ring.

Flat or glossy? It depends. Different looks are had with each. Like Doog said, it’s good to experiment. Make sure you have good lighting too.

With digital cameras, try a simple set up and take pictures of your models. Seeing them in 2 dimensions allows your eye to see things you’d not notice just staring at your model.

16

I’m happy to help—it’s part of my nature as a guitar teacher!

“Surface tension” is that tendency for water to act as if it has an elastic quality to it—if you’ve ever seen a water strider glide along the surface of a pond, it’s relying on the surface tension to support it. It acts that way because water molecules are rather strongly attracted to each other, as liquids go. This is why water “beads up”. Those little wet molecules are just huggin’ each other tight!

So when you try to drag an acrylic paint across the surface of a model, or make it “run” the way that thinner does, those molecules are holding onto each other like possessed lovers. They don’t want to let go----soap, or dishwashing liquid, makes them relax, and allows the water to spread out, or be drawn along by a paint brush.

17

i forgot to ask this earlier but what clear coat produces the best results?

it seems mine always fills every crease on the model

18

The two clear coats I prefer are 1) gloss: Future acrylic floor wax and 2) matt/flat: Vallejo acrylic.

Just mist on sparingly several coats to minimalize undue buildup.

19

I used future once, the results were terrible and never wanted to use it again. with that being said i did brush it on and did not thin it.

which brings me to my next question, can you thin future, and is it recommended?

secondly, I assume the proper way to apply it is through a airbrush am i correct?

thanks for replying!

20

I airbrush it at 20 psi straight out of the bottle. I am using the same bottle and it is over 10 years old and no issues. Spray several thin light coats and it won’t pool or run on you. What were your terrible results?

John