I can’t find a post on this…How do you guys weather a chrome or silver plane like a B-17? I can do the engine smoke stains but am not sure what to do with the rest of it? Any help (and pictures) would be appriciated. Thanks!
I use pastel chalks to weather the panel lines to show wear and tear from everyday use and abuse , a engineering pencil helps too if you want to trace existing panel lines to show depth , check out the pics of my B-24 j to see the finished results of weathering on a silver finish , good luck hope this info helps you !!
Regards,
Earl W.
This is something I want to learn too, at least some light weathering of NM finishes. This is a really dumb question, but what is an engineering pencil?
A engineering pencil is a special pencil used in blueprint drawings , it makes real fine
lines and can be used to trace panel lines on models , I bought mine from walmart I use them alot along with pastel artist chalks , you can find them where pen and pencils are sold in most department stores .
Thanks. I’ve tried everything for that purpose, including a good old no. 2 pencil, with nothing to my satisfaction. This will have to be the next one I try.
Cheers for the tip on this , i had trouble with this on my phantom
No problem glad to help , good luck with your builds .
Regards,
Earl W.
i always get the metallic color on the kit and cured really good. then, i spray a couple a thin coats of future on to seal the finish. when this is cured, i do an artist’s oil wash thinned with mineral spirits. i do a dark grey color by mixing in white with some black, load a small brush, and touch it to the panel lines. i leave the wash on for approx. 45 minutes then wipe the excess off with a scrap of T-shirt or similar cloth. for stubborn spots, i will dip the fabric in some thinner to deal with the stubborn spots. then, apply the stains and such. also, if there are any areas with painted surfaces, such as anti-glare panels, do a little chipping in a few places. variations in panel colors also adds a little punch to an otherwise monotone metallic beast. have fun whatever you decide. good luck, later.
PS here are a few examples, though i didn’t weather these very heavily at all, just a wash, a few gun stains, and some panel shading.
Hey there saltydog… I just checked out your finished build album and I must say that I am impressed!!! [bow]
You may have to find yourself a new hobby…you’ve got this one mastered!
By the way, what whirlwind kit was that? I’ve been looking for one myself…
Now, as far as the topic of this thread is conscerned, I usually use a dry pastel and tint random pannels with blues and grays… It helps break up the monotony of an all NM finish. I’ve also used a wet technique with a kid’s water-color paint set with good results… Just make sure your clear coat is nice a cured. But I must admit, I don’t get results of the caliber of saltydog - but it works well in smaller scales (1/72 and below).
[:D]
Chris, that is some stunning work on your site there. Very impressive.
Alright…Am I just dumb or what? How do you look at other people pictures?
Try the wash method that Chris posted, and I always mask off a few panels and spray them a lighter color or a darker color - or a combination of both. Either way, it adds “depth” and realism to a model.
Here’s where I have the problem. I often see the statement Chris made (and his work speaks for itself – the man knows what he’s talking about) about allowing the wash to run down the panel lines, and then a casual “then I wipe it off after 45 minutes.” Well, mine never wipes off. However, I haven’t tried oils. How do you simply wipe off the excess wash, either caused by your own miscues with the brush, or the excess that spills over the sides of the panel lines, when it wants to dry so quickly?
TOM
Tom,
A couple of tubes of artists oils will do you nicely (lamp black, titanium white, sienna, and burnt umber). enamels and acrylics dry very quickly. Oils will take a day or so to dry (hummidity and temp are a factor). When mixing a oil wash use distilled turps - it doesn’t dry as fast. I’ve been experimenting with the oils as of late and really like thier workability.
If you do a wash with acrylics, put a drop or 2 of dish soap in the water and use a slightly damp swab or cotton shirt to wipe away.
I’ll vouch for adding a few drops of liquid dish soap to acrylic washes…It makes it possible to lift up excess wash from the surface and clean up a snap!
Oh, and piflo1, to answer your question… saltydog has a link posted in his signature to where he has his photo’s posted. Not everybody has this, but some of the more experienced guys have links to their portfolios…if they do it’s a great idea to check out their work as they can be a nice source of inspiration… or if you like me, a bitter reminder of my inadequacy. [(-D]
-scott
hey, thanks for the warm comments guys!!
Tom, i’m with wibhi2, i use artist’s oils exclusively for washes. i don’t even try and do a neat job with the placement of my brush. i just kinda “slosh” it on and if it runs the panel lines so be it. i’ve never had trouble removing the wash, except maybe a few trouble spots here and there.
Big Ton, i bet you’re models look great friend, don’t be so critical of yourself.[tup] later.
I’ve got an ink pen I’ve used to weather NMF aircraft. Like for the gun smoke traces on a NMF wing I simply touch the ball point pen to the edge of the NMF leaving just a very small bead of ink. Then I just take my finger and streak it back. It leaves such a small amount that you’ll have to do it a few times to get a good streak, but it makes it easier not to screw up!
I also like to use graphite powder on the end of a Q-tip for exhaust stains. I even use that method for fading in the ink streaks on the guns. The graphite powder stuff works pretty good on flat finishes as well I think… theyre was a lot of lead in the av gas!! Hope this helps!
Has anyone tried using either tempuras or water-colors (the type for artists that come in small tubes) on NMFs?
It seems these would work, too.
Mark