Coen's guide to AFV weathering and the processes involved...

[Lee]

A while ago I asked Mike (Coen) if he could write down his weathering process so that I could share it with everyone to help AFV noobies, like myself, get a head start to weathering. Arguably the hardest part of building an AFV. So, here you go, enjoy, I know I did.......

.....There is a PDF version of this weathering guide for you to download at the bottom of the post.....


This is a list of they layers, one after another, that I add to pretty much all of my AFV.
I'll vary it sometimes, depending on the effects that I want to achieve, but mostly this is it.

All weathering starts with paint...

1. Primer, this is usually a dark colour for most subjects, but it doesn't have to be. I use a dark colour because it aids in the preshading.

At this point the model is partly disassembled. The wheels are on cocktail sticks, the tracks are built, the turret (if there is one) is off and on a stick of some kind, and the main hull is also on a stick of some sort... for handling purposes. The AFV will stay this way until almost the end of the painting stage. All headlights, windows, and optics are prepainted and masked up before this.

2. Base coat, this is the main colour of the vehicle. I usually try to keep it accurate to the actual vehicle... if it was painted yellow at the factory, then that's what I'll do, if it's a dark grey... then I'll use that. I add the camo colours over that.

Some will take it one step further and add a artificial primer coat, or they will actually prime the model in red oxide colour. They do this because they plan on using some form of chipping fluid or masking agent for part of the weathering.

3. Camo colours, I add the camo colours... if there are any, including white wash camo.

4. Detail painting and chipping (non hairspray method). After all the base colours are on I'll paint all the tools, rubber on the tyres, fire extinguishers, vision blocks, base coat the exhaust system etc.

I'll also start the chipping with the larger chips added with a tiny brush... no chip is too small. I'll also add a few scratches here and there as well. I'll do more chipping later.

5. Gloss coat, I add this to seal everything in create a smooth surface for the decals and for some of the washes that need to go on next.

6. Decals, this one is self explanatory... add your decals.

7. Gloss over the decals to seal them, I always seal the decals with several coats of gloss. I want to get rid of the edge of the film completely so that it doesn't pick up any paint during the wash process. It also protects them from the washes, which can be harsh.

8. Pin wash and or sludge wash depending on the subject, some folks... like me, will do a pin wash after the decals are on. I'll go over all of the vehicle, a bit at a time, with a thinner dampened brush, then add a wash of about 7-10% oil paint to turpenoid mix with a wide brush first. Then after that has dried I'll go back and do a pin wash to all the recessed details and the base of all the raised detail that didn't catch any of the big brush wash. Some will do what is called a sludge wash instead.

Right after the decals are all sealed, they'll go over the entire model with a thinner dampened brush, then add a heavy wash (20-30% paint to thinner) to every surface of the vehicle. They'll wait a while, 20 minutes to an hour, then wipe most of it off with a cotton bud or paper towelette. This creates the same effect as the pin wash and the light overall wash but it is more intense and less easy to add subtlety. It's not my favourite, but if I'm in a hurry it will do.

9. Flat coat, after the washes are dry... 48 hours or more depending on the product and if you used Liquin in your oils... I add a coat or two of flat clear to seal in the oil paints.

This is also when I weather the tracks. They'll be primed, then base coated in flat black. Depending on the track type, I'll add a dry brushing of a low sheen metal paint to the metal parts. I'll paint any of the rubber parts either flat black or anthracite grey, same colour as the rubber on the wheels. Then I'll give all the metal parts a wash with a rust colour (some tracks are made from a magnesium alloy and don't rust at all.. Ie Valentines, Matilida's.. so check your resources).

After that I'll give the whole thing a light airbrushing of 5% buff to thinner or 5% tan to thinner and leave it until installation.

10. First filter, after the flat coat I'll add the first of many layers of filters, depending on how much blending needs to be done to the underlying paint scheme. Sometimes it's only one or two... other's it's 5-6 layers.... it's never one layer.

You need to wait one or two hours between layers for the paint to settle in a bit and dry. Filters are mostly thinner, so they dry fast. 2-5% paint to thinner is a good mix for a filter.

11. Dot filter, after the filters are dry... 24-48 hours depending on the paint type... I'll go over the metal surfaces of the vehicle (a section at a time) with small dots of oil paint.. white, brown, black, dark blue, dark green, yellow... then I'll take a thinner moistened brush and drag it down through the dots until the dots are gone but the stain is left behind.

12. More chipping (small chips), after the dot filter I'll do more chipping. I do it now so that the chips look layered... old and new. Old chips are trapped under the washes and filters, the new chips are more prominent and fresh looking. These I'll try to make as small as I can using my smallest brushes and a sponge. With chips... less is more... and no chip is too small. After this is all dry, I'll reassemble the model. Wheels on, tracks on

13. Oil/fuel/rust, after the chipping is finished I'll finish rusting out the exhaust system, I'll add a few fuel and oil stains to the engine deck and leaking from the wheel hubs and any moving parts like hinges and things.

14. Flat coat to seal, after all that I'll add another flat coat to bring everything back to the matt finish. The optics and head lights that were masked before the priming are then unmasked. Painting is complete.

15. Pigments or pastels in my case, now I'll add the pigments/pastels to the vehicle, adding this stuff is more of a work of art then anything else.

You use less on the upper surfaces of the vehicle then on the lower... darker ones at the bottom, lighter as you travel upward. Always... less is more. It's really easy to apply too much and obliterate your paintwork.... but this isn't always wrong. Some AFVs are so dirty you can't even tell that HAVE paint haha.

16. Mud/heavy dirt if diorama is ready, finally I'll add heavier coats of pigments/pastels if I'm planning to add the vehicle to a diorama.

You can just add mud because you like it too. You don't have to build a dio for every AFV. These you can vary wet and dry effects by adding gloss varnish to the stuff after you apply it.. it makes it look shiny and wet.

Pigments are a strange breed of weathering and there are so many products out there that I can't do a step by step for them. It's best to follow the instructions that come with the products on how they're used.
For my pastels I mix them with white glue and X20A then apply them where I think they should go, either with a brush or I'll spray it off my brush with blasts of air from my airbrush. After it's dry I'll add wet effects with gloss varnish.
........................................................................................

That's a pretty exhaustive list and should get any one new to AFV weathering up and running.


A massive thanks to Mike (Coen) for taking the time to share his weathering processes with us, it's extremely appreciated....

[Joker56]

Lee
Many thanks for posting mate

[pgermain]

Thanks to a truly generous man and fellow canuck

[bobbewieter]

Very nice Thanks a lot!!! This will be very helpfull for me as a noob.
Can't wait to get my first airbrush and try some of this stuff out.

Greets,
bob

[chief5437]

Awesome! Thanks for your time Coen & Lee, much appreciated!

[MikeyKb]

This is awesome!
Thanks, Coen!

[trekfanj]

Just what I needed at the moment!
Thanks for posting this, Lee!

[Schoof]

Wow. .... Now my printer got some work again. .... printing yet another piece of the Bible

[Paul]

My panther is being built following mikes method. I already know how to do all the techniques required but i tend to over complicate how I do things. So i thought I would follow someone else's process. Thanks again mike for sharing this and for answering all the questions I've been pestering you with

[chief5437]

From now on, Coen wins all AFV GBs by default!

[Coen]

Hahaha! You guys are nuts. Haha.
I'm glad that you guys think it's useful.

[Joesdad]

My God! Coen you really are the font of all knowledge. Not being an armour guy this is a fantastic guide to the dark arts! I remember Paul was thinking about doing a beginners guide to AFV's just like his 109 vids.... Now, he's going to have too much on plate soon, so this calls for an expert too step into the breech.... How about it Mike?

[Coen]

Unfortunately I won't be making videos anymore after the 23rd of this month my friend.
If I do it, it will be a written one. I don't know if that would be as good.
I did do something of a beginners guide to AFV with my shadow build. It's what I had in mind when I made it.
Here is a link to the playlist.
http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =63&t=6375

[Joesdad]

Unfortunately I won't be making videos anymore after the 23rd of this month my friend.
If I do it, it will be a written one. I don't know if that would be as good.
I did do something of a beginners guide to AFV with my shadow build. It's what I had in mind when I made it.
Here is a link to the playlist.
http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =63&t=6375

Yes Mike I did see that, a real loss but you have you're reasons and I totally respect that.
No doubt you'll be still hanging around in a "rapid response mentor" role?
In the meantime, I'll have ago at that build log/playlist
Much love

[Coen]

Hahahaa! Rapid response mentor hahahaha!
Nice
That got me Tim.
I won't be far... I'll still be on the forum, so no worries there.

[Yevgeny]

Coen, guys.
Am I reading it right? You apply washes before dot filter? Doesn't dot filter sort of covers washes a little? Or not?

Sorry for being thick...

[Coen]

No it doesn't Yev
The dot filter is very subtle and blends in with the washes. If you manage to cover the previous washes it's because you didn't take enough of the dots off.

[Yevgeny]

Thank you Coen

[Tiger213]

This "guide" is impressive, thank you for your effort

[burnie43]

Nice and orderly....
Cheers
Mark

[Damonkh]

Thanks a mil! Mike! This has really helped me out with the ratio's as in regards to filters. Filters are new to me so have been trying to figure them out. Your how-to really helps! You are an AWESOME modeler.

[Coen]

Thanks fellas, I'm glad that you found it useful.
I did a more comprehensive guide to building armour as well if it's at all helpful.
Here's a link to it... http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... 63&t=14906

[Vleugelmoer]

Nice and easy to follow guide, also love the work on the Sherman build..