Sailing modeling. Three ways to simulate realistic effects How to age a car model and make it dirty
The scale is the same as previous ships. If the scales are different, then it won’t be interesting to look at all this. I calculated everything properly and determined that both of my ships are not in 50 scale, but in 1:55!
A true modeler must use every scrap of time for his favorite hobby! In 9 hours I have to leave for the championship, but I still managed to make the frame. All frames are glued tightly. Before this, they were installed absolutely precisely along the axis of symmetry. Additional stiffening ribs between the frames will level out my “herring”, so there is no need to worry. I am already convinced for the 3rd time that a precisely constructed 3D model and then precisely cut out parts allow us to get rid of a bunch of jambs during the construction process. The convergence of parts is perfect!
Finished the decks and leveled the hull. The jumpers between the frames added additional rigidity. A little more processing and you can sheathe it.
I began to gradually cover the sides with rough sheathing.
On cell phone I won’t shoot anymore due to severe distortion.
The body turns out to be very strong, and even with 1/3 of the side plating it is no longer possible to twist it around the longitudinal axis. Thin (2 mm) frames are, of course, good in the sense that there is almost no need to grind them down to lay the sheathing, but on the other hand, they are very inconvenient for driving in nails.
Why rulers and not plywood? You can’t easily cut plywood with a regular paper knife, but rulers can’t cut it easily.
Besides good plywood costs approximately 2 times more in terms of area and waste is inevitable, because There are always some stupid corners and trimmings left.
When making elements from rulers, I select the required length for each section of the part so that having built the entire skeleton in the photos above, in total there was less waste than 2 30-centimeter rulers!! Those. This is waste-free construction!
Almost finished the rough trim. It took 2 evenings so far to cover the slats. Unfortunately, the lines ran out again - that’s why I stopped.
This is already lens distortion!! And in the last photo it’s not clearly frontal at all, but the body is slightly turned out. At a length of 60 cm, the slips seem terrible even with minimal rotation of the body.
As soon as I sit down at the ship, I will pull the thread along the axis of symmetry to show evenness.
When assembling the frame, a problem arose that one ruler was slightly thinner or thicker than the other. But when building frames this does not create problems. The same goes for rough cladding. All the same, then the body will be heavily sanded and everything will be smooth. Where thickness is important, I first calibrate the rulers by thickness.
I'll start with the bad news: Mr. Scrafter ( Karopka.ru forum user. Note website
) turned out to be right. Having a diamond eye, he actually determined the roll of the hull. Having broken through laser level hull, I determined that the stern, starting from the third quarter of the hull, moved to the right by 4 mm from the axis. Still, I didn’t follow somewhere. It’s good that this won’t be visible (given the specifics of the model). Otherwise - into the fireplace and for refurbishment.
Now about the rest. Since the initial stages are similar in all my fairy tales, I skip them. The rough cladding, as always, is with rulers, the finishing, as always, is 0.5 mm ash veneer. The veneer has run out. So, I'm waiting for deliveries. I installed the velvets, but I also ran out of nails. So for now everything is halfway there. I made platbands around the ports of the upper gun deck. Cut from rulers, wall thickness 1.5 mm. This is on the verge of a foul: the frames simply broke under the instrument itself without pressure. I had to saturate the wood with cosmofen and after drying they were processed normally.
While waiting for the veneer and nails, I decided to work on the tank. I tore out part of the deck and installed beams. I cut out bird heads at the ends of the crane beams.
Rulers should never be soaked - chaotic warping of the wood begins, which is not restored after drying. I either cut the tree or bend it into living parts with micro-fractures. This is when the first fibers begin to crack, but the lath itself still retains its strength. Depending on the curvature of the arc, you just need to select the appropriate segment length and break the rail with such segments. After sanding, everything looks great.
The fruits of today's drinking simply amaze the imagination.
While waiting for the veneer, I decided to work on one of the bulkheads. I spent 3 hours sharpening this piece:
It seems that everything turned out very well, and after tinting and fouling it will look just right...
Only one jamb was discovered... This part is from the wrong deck!
Only one thing made me happy today - the veneer arrived. Out of grief, I’m going to continue sheathing the body. Today there is no strength to redo this part.
The hinges are photo-etched from the shipyard.
The arcs are cut out with this tool:
By the way, do you know that you can successfully seal incised wounds with Cosmofen? It really helps to get back on track quickly.
I gathered my willpower into a fist and cut out a new bulkhead, albeit smaller in size.
I use SA-12 Cosmofen glue. Nothing is soaked in cosmophen. I simply coated the piece of wood with glue, waited 2 minutes for it to dry, and it was ready to be processed. Due to the large liquid of the glue, it penetrates the wood along the fibers to a greater depth, strengthening it more from the inside than from the outside.
I placed the model on the stand. I partially covered the sides and made buttresses on the starboard side. Since the ship will be very overgrown with algae and has almost no clear corners (not overgrown), there is no need to seriously worry about the exact gapless connection of parts, which significantly saves time and nerves. The hull below the waterline was deliberately sheathed only in places. In these places the boards will be visible, in the rest everything will be “overgrown” and, accordingly, will not require plating.
I installed buttresses on the port side and partially covered 2 decks. I made decor around the bow guns. I started aging the body. All threads are made with a tapered diamond shank. How I made the muzzles: I glued 2 more layers of sheathing onto the bow frame skin and already cut out the muzzles in it. The aging of the body was done by drilling the shank into the body of the casing and breaking out all the entrails. After which everything is filled with cosmofen.
Modern trends sometimes require giving things and products a certain “aging” (“weathering”), which is expressed in the fact that the model does not look like it was newly acquired or assembled, but has all the characteristics of one that has already been in use.
Making a product “aging” is not at all a panacea for making up for inaccuracies during assembly and painting.
To impart a typical aging standard, a dark wash is successively applied to the product, which is then lightened with a dry brush, thereby emphasizing individual details of the product.
The result of such creativity is spectacular look models. The only question remains is how correct it looks after giving it such an effect, so that unnecessary questions do not arise: why does it become lighter when the part protrudes significantly from the surface of the armor? To make “aging” natural, you need to achieve maximum repetition of several actions that occur in real life and then the thing will turn out to be dirty with traces of use.
The main idea of “aging” (“weathering” - weather aging, DS) of the model is that it (the BTT model) does not look new, used, with traces of use. At the same time, “aging” as such is not, no matter how other modellers claim, a panacea for sloppy assembly and painting. The typical “aging” standard today is the sequential application of a dark wash followed by highlighting with a dry brush to “emphasize the details.” As a result, the model looks very impressive, but does it look right? And what kind of processes occur in nature such that the more a detail protrudes from the surface of real armor, the lighter the color on it becomes? In short, to obtain the effect of natural aging, contamination and traces of use, you need to consistently, as in life, repeat the same thing, only on a scale, on a model.
As usual, we need to start with research. Cars in the desert are unlikely to be smeared in mud to the same extent as those that crawled in literally"on the belly" Eastern Front. So, first of all, you should decide what kind of theater of war it was and what time of year it was, ideally, what kind of weather accompanied the events from which you “pulled” the historical prototype of your model. Most best source, from which you can glean information about what happens to real machines - the real machines themselves. As an option - heavy tracked skidding equipment, which in many ways resembles combat vehicles (and some are actually made using the chassis from old Shermans!). However, unwashed, “used” tracked vehicles can be seen at construction sites, industrial zones, etc. It is also useful to see how the paint fades on the bodies of old cars collecting dust and rusting in the back of garages.
Effect contrary to method
The so-called “standard” method of “aging” BTT models involves applying a dark wash and then dry brushing the surface with shades of paint lighter than the base coat. This method has become so firmly integrated with the entire practice of technical modeling that it has become the de facto standard for assessing the quality of painting at all kinds of competitions. As an example, several years ago the author heard the following dialogue from judges addressed to his “Jagdpanther”:
- looks like the real thing...
– yes, but practically not dry brushed, how about this? (and points his finger at the dark gray Pz. I, treated with white paint!)
So it is unlikely that a model painted with even a modicum of common sense will win a prize at SUCH competitions, which is why the author created and sponsors the “Correct Paint” category at the annual “VMMS Island Open show” competition.
Most of the problems that a modeler faces in reproducing realistic coloring on a model, and the only reason for the popularity of the "standard" method, is that there is some confusion between the desired effect and the technique to achieve it.
That is, a novice modeler sometimes stupidly rubs a dry brush on a model, because it seems to be the way to do it, without much understanding of the essence of the effect being produced. Therefore, instead of describing various techniques work. Such as “wash”, “dry brush”, etc. It would be more logical to take a closer look at the effects of weather, seasonality, and operational influences on the color of an armored vehicle, and how to achieve this at scale on a model.
Timeline of aging
By chronology we mean which of the events that influenced appearance of the prototype took place and in what sequence in relation to other influences. Was the prototype dirty before the fuel spilled while refueling, or dirty after, was it dusty before crawling through a swamp, etc. Before processing the model, you should estimate all this in advance and then reproduce all these effects sequentially. In principle, this article below lists an approximate order of sequentially obtaining the effects of aging paint. Shadows, base paint showing through the top coat, camouflage applied in the field or winter lime whitewash all form the basis of the primary color of the model. Effects acquired during operation, such as peeling paint coating or old dust, appear later. Following this are temporary effects such as rust or oil stains. And finally, dirt, snow and dust appear on top of everything else.
It should be noted that there is a possibility that the materials used to obtain a particular effect may damage the previous coating. Thus, a water-soluble acrylic remover in order to obtain a dusty surface can destroy the secondary camouflage previously applied with tempera. To prevent such misfortunes, you should use coatings based on paints on different bases, for example, alternating acrylic and oil.
Effects of aging
It is assumed that the modeler is quite familiar with concepts such as “wash” or “dry brush” (if not, you can look at the [Tips] page - similarly, DS). Of course, patience and practice are the only way to improve your skills. It is very useful to check certain effects on scrap, old models, it is only important to remember what kind of coating was on them previously.
Listed below are all the effects that can be reproduced on the model.
Damage to paint.
An often overlooked aspect of aging is normal operational damage. From minor dents on the mud flaps to completely torn off fenders - all this gives the impression of not new, used equipment. To do this as convincingly as on a full-scale object, it is necessary to recreate the nature of these damages on the model. It would be a mistake to simply heat and bend these parts; it is much better to bring their thickness to scale and then bend them with pliers. The result will be much more realistic. The most frequently damaged parts in the field are thin-walled parts of combat vehicles, such as wings, tool boxes, trunks, mudguards. Thinning the parts is not difficult, but does require some patience. Alternatively, you can fix sandpaper on a block of wood or plastic. The thickening technique is absolutely the same as when processing vacuum-formed models. Curvilinear areas are processed by hand with a piece of sandpaper folded a couple of times. The main thing is to take your time, ensuring uniform thickness and not overheating the plastic during intensive processing. It is convenient to control the thickness in the light until you get a “newspaper” result. Sometimes, however, it is easier to completely replace the part with a homemade one made from thin sheet plastic (0.0050″ or 0.12 mm) or tin, copper, brass, etc.
Now that the part matches the scale thickness, it can be deformed. It’s worth doing this wisely - to get dents, you can put something not very hard (an “unnecessary” cardboard book will do) and hit it with a hard, non-sharp object. To obtain curves, bend the part using pliers (round nose pliers, long-nose pliers). You can actually try the part “by the teeth” (seriously!) with a good result (if you don’t mind the teeth, DS). It is not recommended to heat the tool or the workpiece itself - the part will look melted, but not naturally deformed.
This is what concerned common approach to deformations, I am sure that in practice you yourself will enrich your experience with various effects. Now let's move on to the special effects.
Dents from shells.
Often, on heavily armored objects, shells do not penetrate the walls, leaving characteristic dent marks. Imitating this effect at scale is quite simple and fun. First of all, it follows reverse side“Armor sheet”, properly glue a piece of thick polystyrene and let it dry thoroughly. Using a drill with a ball head, select a hole-hole (however, you can also use a drill of a suitable diameter, the main thing is to punch the hole, LH), trying not to plow it too deep. After mixing a little “Milliput” (or any other epoxy or polyester putty, DS), fill the hole to the level with the surface of the “armor”. With a small, non-sharp object round section, you can use a thin brush on the back of the handle (or even a blunt nail, the main thing is to lubricate it with something so that the putty doesn’t stick, DS), poke it into the putty to form a “projectile” dent. In this case, a ring flange is formed. The advantage of the method is that it can be repeated many times until a satisfactory result is obtained. However, it is recommended to study photographs of real cars.
Shading
If not aging itself, creating high-quality shading on a model's paint job is quite a hassle in itself. Usually dark washes are used for this. It is known that washes are a rather capricious technique. As an option, we can recommend tinting with a similar shade - use dark brown for a dark yellow background, dark Olive Drab for green, etc. Next, use an airbrush to give some shading with a thin coating of the main background. Notice for yourself how the darker tone will gather in crevices, holes or holes. Again, only your personal practice will be the key to success.
Faded paint
Exposure for many hours paint coating exposure to air under the scorching sun leads to significant lightening. This is especially typical for the African theater of war or the steppes of southern Ukraine or Russia. These effects are typical, again for summer companies, so check historical references for the use of your prototype. For normal everyday highlighting, you can simply add 10% by volume of white paint to the base tone and gently blow on top of your model. To significantly lighten tanks/armored personnel carriers faded in the desert sun, it makes sense to rub in light pastel with a soft, short-haired brush (try not to “bring” it) small details from the surface). For those who use Tamiya paint, we can recommend adding 20% Flat Base and 10% Flat White diluted with 20% and carefully blow the model with this mixture. The result will be more than realistic.
Special cases of highlighting
Winter white color.
Typically, in snowy areas, BTTs are covered in white. For German technology, this was most often a water-based lime suspension (mixture) (whitewash was also widely used in the Red Army and among the allies, DSh). This temporary camouflage coating was applied with spray guns, brushes, rags, brooms, until it splashed out of a bucket (basin). It is most convenient to reproduce this on a model using artistic water-soluble paints (PVA, DSh tempera is suitable), diluting and applying with a brush, as on a real prototype.
Sometimes, however, spray guns were also used. To imitate such a coating, you need to dilute the paint thinner and apply thin layers to the model over the base paint, leaving small bald spots and denser spots.
Water-soluble paints are preferable because they greatly facilitate the simulation of subsequent aging of the coating. Areas with erased whitewash will be obtained if you partially pull off the paint layer with a slightly moistened Q-Tip (or electrical tape; moisture removes adhesion (stickiness, DS). To imitate scuffing, you can use a moistened toothpick (or a sharpened match, DS). It is recommended to practice and remember the feeling measures if you do not want to get a sloppy model.
Water soluble secondary camouflage
To imitate field-applied secondary camouflage (such as WWII Wehrmacht dark green/brown), it is often much more convenient to use water-soluble (not acrylic) ones. art paints. If you dissolve them and apply them with a brush, then, thanks to their inherent translucent effect, you will get a pale “faded” coating.
It is important to protect the resulting result with varnish, since if you use water-based or alcohol based, that is, there is a risk of damaging the previous coating. However, many enamels and varnishes can also “smear” the subtle effects that you have so carefully achieved before. So it's better to experiment in advance.
Damage to paint coating
Imitating abrasions in paint requires careful planning of the process, since if you peel off the paint, then bare metal and, in places, a layer of primer will appear. So, before covering the surface with the main layer, you must first imitate both the “metal” and the primer. Figure 1 shows a typical picture of a damaged coating - both clean metal and a layer of rust, a primer and an intact paint coating are visible (from the center).
To obtain a similar effect, you can do the following:
1. “metallize” the surface, after drying, cover with a mask (“Maskol”, “color stop”, etc.)
2. paint a layer of “rusty metal” and cover it again with a mask so that a “halo” of rust remains around the “metal”
3. repeat step 2 for “primer”
4. Finally, apply a base coat of base paint.
Most modellers, including the author, are impatient enough to do all this for every spot. Moreover, this is simply impractical for small “bullies”. In this case, it is easier to work with a dry brush, starting with the “primer”, continuing with the “rust” and ending with the “metal”. Remember - the main thing is not to overdo it!
Rust
The effect of light rust can be achieved with a dry brush with enamel paint; the author prefers Testors Rust for this as the most realistic. For old rust, you can first coat the surface with a layer of a mixture of diluted PVA and abrasive detergent(like “Komet” or “Ajax”, shorter than how they clean sinks in everyday life, DS). Having previously covered the dried crust with dark brown paint, use a dry brush to paint the surface with lighter shades of red.
Rust streaks can be imitated with pastels, but it is important to remember that only in very unusual situations (for example, rain that did not stop for weeks) did the equipment (if it was not lying around in a landfill) acquire such effects. In short, even though it “looks”, it’s better not to do it.
Dirty grease
Engines and other parts become coated with similar rubbish if they are generously lubricated. It is mainly a mixture of machine oil and dust. The easiest way to imitate it is with a thick wash of black, with the addition of gray and green paints. For really dirty surfaces, you can add a little dark brown pastel dust to the wash.
Dirt
Applying dirt to the model is a fairly delicate finishing touch; inaccuracy can negate all previous efforts. However, after some study of the pollution patterns of real cars and some practice, this process can become one of the most enjoyable. For example (proportions are approximately equal):
o Tamiya paint (acrylic), color - depending on specific conditions, for example - Flat Earth (earthy XF-52, LSh)
o Artistic water-soluble paint
o PVA
o Filler (any kind - sifted sand, tooth powder, or even ground coffee)
o Fibers – imitating grass (in the original – “Static Grass”, LH)
Dilute all this with water to the consistency of toothpaste.
After the mixture is ready, guided by photographs of natural objects, the mixture is applied to the model with a brush. Periodically, the brush should be moistened with water to facilitate the “dirtying” process. “Wet” dirt can be obtained by covering it with diluted PVA, “dry” dirt can be obtained by rubbing in crushed earthy pastel with a brush.
Snow
A mixture of soda and PVA imitates wet snow quite well. To obtain “dry snow”, the same mixture must be thoroughly sprinkled with the same soda on top. To imitate drizzle or frost, apply white paint with a dry brush. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to highlight the protruding details too much.
Dust
Dust is the most characteristic attribute of a used BTT. Dust can be simulated using one of three methods, depending on what effect you want to achieve.
Old dust
You can apply several layers of thinned paint in earthy tones. The paint is applied with a brush (in principle, the same wash, only in a lighter tone compared to the base color, DS). The method is diametrically opposed to the classical method of highlighting protruding parts with a dry brush and at the same time the most realistic, since in life dust collects in cracks and scuppers, and not on protruding parts. You can dry it with a hairdryer, the main thing is not to melt the model.
Dust
Use an airbrush to blow out the model, the main thing is not to rush, otherwise you will get a model painted with earthy paint instead of a dusty model.
Light dust
Crushed pastel crayons are applied with a soft wide brush. Try to get coverage in one pass. This method is universal for any model. Rain streaks can be obtained by spraying the model with water afterward.
Pastel
In principle, any artistic material (colored pastel crayons) of various earthy shades is suitable (It is most convenient to obtain pastel dust by rubbing the chalk on sandpaper, DS).
Fixing the coating with varnishes
Not recommended. Most often, by covering a model with varnish (enamel or acrylic, it doesn’t matter) over pastel, the entire effect is lost, and the model also becomes darker. The only way to avoid unintended fingerprints is to secure the model on the stand and only handle it. However, if “fingers” have already appeared, they can be hidden by applying a little more pastel with a brush.
Oil and fuel stains.
It is most convenient to apply using washes. The question of what color the fuel is is quite controversial; decide at your own discretion; adding a little green to the wash gives a good effect. The trick is that to obtain fuel stains, it is better not to paint them themselves, but to influence previously created effects. Thus, fuel stains most often complete the aging process of the model. It is most convenient to obtain oil stains using a dark brown wash (Natural Umber, DSh). This wash will tint the previously applied pastel dust. For old stains - they can be powdered (the brush will leave marks!) on top of the pastel, the pastel will sit on its own wet places.
While none of the coloring techniques mentioned above are new per se, I believe what is important is the concept itself, in which the effect achieved is more important than the technique used to achieve it. I hope this will be useful to readers when creating realistic models.
I bring to your attention 3 comparatively simple techniques, thanks to which my models come to life. I borrowed all these techniques from other modellers, reading forums and magazines. These methods allow you to create truly brilliant results. Of course, these are not the only options for processing models - only those that suit my modeling style and are more enjoyable for me.
These three techniques are:
1. Oil dots for applying smudges
2. Apply matte black with a dry brush
3. Applying chips and abrasions
When the model is already assembled and painted, then, regardless of whether just one color is applied to it or a whole camouflage scheme, you can turn it into a real “candy”. The following three techniques allow me to breathe life into cars and give them a special, unique look. You can use all the techniques together, or just one of them. It just depends on the goals you are trying to achieve.
Oil dots for applying smudges
I usually like to start this stage of effects immediately after painting and processing the model with filters and washes. “Immediately” in this case means after at least 48 hours to allow the paints and filters to dry completely. The oils I use in my work match the base color of the model (or camouflage colors). As a rule, I lighten and darken this color slightly, unless I am working on imitation rain or rust stains.
These are the paints I decided to use to apply the camouflage pattern. The base is dark yellow, and white and red with brown are used for the design.
Dots of oil paint are applied over the sections. I try to dry them first and also lighten the colors a little towards the top of the area, darkening them towards the bottom.
I then dipped a clean brush into oil paint thinners. In this case, I use MIG Productions thinner as a wash and lightly apply it over the selected section from top to bottom. Although this removes most of the paint, you can see that color streaks are still visible. If the look is still too dark or deep, I repeat this step. And if the desired effect is not sufficiently manifested, then I add a couple more points and repeat the procedure. In the second image it is noticeable that a light network of smudges has formed.
Now we move on to the monochromatic base coat of the model. The center panels are slightly faded due to the lightened base paint applied using an airbrush. To enhance the faded effect I also added a few dots of oil. The result was two effects at once: fading of the panels and adding smudges.
Here the same method is used to apply rust stains. This time I used only one paint when applying the dots - burnt sienna.
Here I add rust stains to the “skirts” of the armor (Schurzen), in those places where rust will appear on the chips using the appropriate acrylic paints. Dots of oil paint are applied to such chips.
This time, instead of using a clean brush with thinners, I just wet it. After that oil paint glass vertically down, simulating a real rusty smudge.
This step is repeated until a weak (or, conversely, strong - depending on the goals) effect is achieved. And in this case, the application of oil dots can be repeated again, if necessary.
The photo below shows a “skirt” with rust stains.
Applying matte black with a dry brush
Applying matte black with a dry brush is easy and quick way get realistic metallic effect. For this technique I use black matte enamel manufactured by Humbrols. After removing most of this paint using an old brush, I gently run it along the edges of the car. This effect requires very little paint. You can also very carefully go over the bolts and rivets, which will emphasize their presence. The whole procedure takes 5-10 minutes.
The photo below shows the machine without the metallic effect.
And here is the same thing, but after processing with a “dry” brush.
For a metallic silvery sheen, you can add a little graphite to the paint by crumbling a pencil lead into it.
Chips
It should be noted here that not all modelers like the effects of chipping or severe aging. There is ongoing debate on forums about how suitable such effects are for armored vehicle models, and whether they obscure the paintwork too much, etc. It's up to you to decide. In the end, it all depends on the goal and what exactly a certain model will represent.
I offer a description of my technique for simulating aging and chipping. The application of these effects depends on your own preferences. Some modellers are confident that combat vehicles are not so seriously susceptible to chipping. But I add aging and wear effects for aesthetic reasons. Again, this is just my taste.
Warning. If you still decide to apply chips to your model, then try to apply as few such effects as possible in one approach - this method can easily ruin the whole job. It's very easy to go overboard with chipping. My technique is just one proof that “more means less.”
I try to divide the chipping into 2 stages. The first of them is applying much darker shades from the inside to a light surface. When imitating chips and scratches, I exclusively use Vallejo Model Color acrylic - for me this product works better than others. Below is how I applied noticeably lighter paint to the side of the wing.
