Armour builders....

[Lee]

Being an AFV n00b, I thought it would be nice if some of you "pro" armour builders could do me (and any other newcomer to AFV) a list of steps that you do weathering etc for armour.

I only ask as there seems to be many layers to weathering an AFV. There's really only one for aircraft. Weathering a tank is more autistic - I mean artistic - than an aircraft, IMO anyway.

I guess I'm asking when you do your wheels, filters, oil, streaking, powders, pigments, washes yada yada yada... If you know what I mean.

It would be great to get a generic list together that we can post, and sticky it, in the weathering section, what do you think?

Cheers

[Coen]

Sounds like a good idea Lee.... I'm still sorry about teasin ya about your wee panzer dude.
I feel shame.

I'll put together a step by step for how I do it... it's by no means cannon though.
It's up to the individual as to how they want to do it.
Mine is just how I do it.
This is the way that I've been doing it for years... there has been a change or two here and there, but mostly it's the same.
I've recently added the Ultimate line of washes to my method, but I'm still learning to perfect those.
This is what I've been doing up until the addition of Ultimate.

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.

So... that's about all the typing I'm going to do today.
I hope that's proper recompense to Lee for teasing him about his tank.
Shame on me.
I love ya Lee... please don't kill me in my sleep.

[Nige201980]

if someone could do this it would help me out also new to armour too and trying to come up with a plan for after ive done the decals.

[HamilkarBarkas]

Weathering a tank is quite simple, the hardest thing is to get the right amount of weathering. It looks weird if it is overdone.

I do it the following way:

1. Wash/pinwash (mainly with black oil paint)
2. drybrushing the edges (add some white to the base colour and drybrush the edges, do the same with some metal paint)
3. chipping (there are many ways to do this, i do it with a Q-tip stick dipped in dark metal paint, with a sponge or a thin brush)
4. rust effects (rust streaks, rust on the exhaust, use either pigments or oil paint for this)
5. dust and mud (brown colour applied with the airbrush, pigments or simply dirt from your garden will do the job effectively)
6. oil streaks (some spilled fuel or oil leaking on the running gear)

i think that sums it up, if you want to get more information about a certain step just feel free to ask

[Paul]

Nicely written coen dude.

I do pretty much as coen does although some in a slighty different order.

[Nige201980]

That great Mike just what i needed to know so thanks buddy didn't realise how much weathering actually goes into a tank lol

[Coen]

I like Hamilkar's method... a hell of a lot less typing.
Short... to the point.
Wish I thought of that before I spent an hour and a half typing all that out.
Sometimes it's annoying that I talk so much. Blah.

[Nige201980]

I like Hamilkar's method... a hell of a lot less typing.
Short... to the point.
Wish I thought of that before I spent an hour and a half typing all that out.
Sometimes it's annoying that I talk so much. Blah.

We love that you talk so much lol

[Coen]

My wife might argue that point haha.
But thanks Nigel.

[Foxley]

Some great replies already and none that I can really improve upon. It's a difficult answer to give considering, unlike aircraft, there is so many possibilities that exist with armour, especially if you go down the weathered/rusted avenue. One thing I would like to suggest is a book called TankArt, they're about £20 each and cover a number of models step by step, 1 being German Armour, 2 Allied and 3 is coming soon. If you want to go to town on the painting route then it's a fantastic book very much on par with Mig's FAQ which is £50.

[HamilkarBarkas]

I like Hamilkar's method... a hell of a lot less typing.
Short... to the point.
Wish I thought of that before I spent an hour and a half typing all that out.
Sometimes it's annoying that I talk so much. Blah.

I like it short and simple However, yours is most likely more helpful as it explains clearly what each step is about and how to do it. I just wrote the steps. When i wrote mine i wasn´t aware that you already delivered a convenient guide, but anyway, we profit and thats what matters

[Schoof]

whahahaha thanks you all ....... this is great stuff for all of us !

i just made a .txt file from the book Coen wrote and printed it i`m gonna hang it next to my bench

[Paul]

whahahaha thanks you all ....... this is great stuff for all of us !

i just made a .txt file from the book Coen wrote and printed it i`m gonna hang it next to my bench

I'm gonna print of a single copy of it and wallpaper our living room in it lol

[Lee]

Mike, do you mind if I edit that a little and add some bits and bobs to it and make it our armour modelling guide?

[Coen]

Go nuts Lee!!!
If you can make it better by all means my friend do so

[Schoof]

Next on Ultimate ....... "The Ultimate Modeling Guide of the Stars"

[alextheblue]

Coen, dude, that is awesome!

Just had my first bash at this weathering malarkey and it is a bit confusing what to do and when, but this lays it all out, so BIG thanks!

Have you considered doing your own version of a Tank Art book - your first one could be just on Tigers - I'd definitely buy it!

[Schoof]

Coen, dude, that is awesome!

Just had my first bash at this weathering malarkey and it is a bit confusing what to do and when, but this lays it all out, so BIG thanks!

Have you considered doing your own version of a Tank Art book - your first one could be just on Tigers - I'd definitely buy it!

Pre ordered mine already

[UKscalemodeller]

I feel more AFVs heading for my bench in the future.

[Coen]

You guys are full of old rope as my grandfather used to say. haha.
Nah.. I'm to lazy to write a book. I'm terrible at that sort of thing.
If I wrote a book then my hobby becomes work...
then what will I do for a hobby?

[Paul]

You guys are full of old rope as my grandfather used to say. haha.
Nah.. I'm to lazy to write a book. I'm terrible at that sort of thing.
If I wrote a book then my hobby becomes work...
then what will I do for a hobby?

Knitting?

[Coen]

Haha..... No

[Lego]

get this while you can

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c-5ZYUAk6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb-paMWatkc

I know the second one is all in ofsky but it uses alot of techniques mentioned above. I think video is the best way for people to learn anyway

[Rob]

Great thread, brilliant tips. Thanks.

[hooterville75]

Never took notes before by watching what the person was doing only haha. Im used to listening and writing at the same time lol. I think Paul should redo this video in english and post it again here on ISM HAHAHAHA. just kidding lol. Great video though Im only like six minutes into it and asking Coen a question haha. This poor guy is probably tired of seeing my messages haha. Thanks Coen your a great dude. Huge help and inspiration to me.

[Coen]

No worries Deron.
Glad to help buddy.
I'm pretty sure that Paul only speaks English.
He is English ya know haha.

[Paul]

No worries Deron.
Glad to help buddy.
I'm pretty sure that Paul only speaks English.
He is English ya know haha.

I barely speak English properly lol

[JohnP]

hmm.. Now considering that modern vehicles are well maintained, what steps would you keep to a minimum or exclude completely??

[Panzermeister36]

hmm.. Now considering that modern vehicles are well maintained, what steps would you keep to a minimum or exclude completely??

Rust, mud and chipping. Modern tanks are usually not rusty due to all the fancy compo armour and the superb maintenance. Mud should still be applied to the tracks and loser hull skirts and whatnot but nothing like what you see on a WWII T-34 during the winter. Again, most tanks are made of fancy stuff nowadays and are better maintained so chipping is a lot less common

Unless you're doing something like a T-55 in the '70 in use by rebels etc.

[Lego]

Depends who is driving the tank and where

[youtube]p05mf6rk18A[/youtube]

[Lego]

[youtube]lEiPyYeCzgQ[/youtube]

[chief5437]

hmm.. Now considering that modern vehicles are well maintained, what steps would you keep to a minimum or exclude completely??

Rust, mud and chipping. Modern tanks are usually not rusty due to all the fancy compo armour and the superb maintenance. Mud should still be applied to the tracks and loser hull skirts and whatnot but nothing like what you see on a WWII T-34 during the winter. Again, most tanks are made of fancy stuff nowadays and are better maintained so chipping is a lot less common

Unless you're doing something like a T-55 in the '70 in use by rebels etc.

I'd have to disagree a little. From personal experience, I know that afvs get Very muddy as soon as they're out of the tank park. Also rust can appear quite quickly in wetter climates. And you'd see a lot of chipping on vehicles that had the temporary desert paint applied over the usual green before deployment.
Saying that, as soon as they get back to camp for 'turn around' they'd be washed, cleaned and de-rusted. So it all depends on what you're modelling and what it's doing at the time.

[Panzermeister36]

hmm.. Now considering that modern vehicles are well maintained, what steps would you keep to a minimum or exclude completely??

Rust, mud and chipping. Modern tanks are usually not rusty due to all the fancy compo armour and the superb maintenance. Mud should still be applied to the tracks and loser hull skirts and whatnot but nothing like what you see on a WWII T-34 during the winter. Again, most tanks are made of fancy stuff nowadays and are better maintained so chipping is a lot less common

Unless you're doing something like a T-55 in the '70 in use by rebels etc.

I'd have to disagree a little. From personal experience, I know that afvs get Very muddy as soon as they're out of the tank park. Also rust can appear quite quickly in wetter climates. And you'd see a lot of chipping on vehicles that had the temporary desert paint applied over the usual green before deployment.
Saying that, as soon as they get back to camp for 'turn around' they'd be washed, cleaned and de-rusted. So it all depends on what you're modelling and what it's doing at the time.

Alrighty then, just saying what I've seen at model shows and stuff

[chief5437]

I'd have to disagree a little. From personal experience, I know that afvs get Very muddy as soon as they're out of the tank park. Also rust can appear quite quickly in wetter climates. And you'd see a lot of chipping on vehicles that had the temporary desert paint applied over the usual green before deployment.
Saying that, as soon as they get back to camp for 'turn around' they'd be washed, cleaned and de-rusted. So it all depends on what you're modelling and what it's doing at the time.[/quote]

Alrighty then, just saying what I've seen at model shows and stuff [/quote]


Lol! I'm not saying you're wrong, just that it depends on what the vehicle is doing at the time.

[Panzermeister36]

Lol! I'm not saying you're wrong, just that it depends on what the vehicle is doing at the time.

I meant that you wont see a Challenger 2 weathered up like this:

Img_9298.jpg

[chief5437]

Possibly not, but I've seen warriors in Bosnia (UN colours) that looked like that!

[HamilkarBarkas]

Armour can take a lot of punch

[Lee]

Can't stop watching that Michael!

[HamilkarBarkas]

I have plenty of weird stuff on my PC.


The Fast and the Furious Kabul drift.

Too bad its so small, i could not find it in larger resolution.

[chief5437]

I have plenty of weird stuff on my PC.


The Fast and the Furious Kabul drift.

Too bad its so small, i could not find it in larger resolution.

I dread to think what you have on your hard drive! Lol!

[HamilkarBarkas]

I have plenty of weird stuff on my PC.


The Fast and the Furious Kabul drift.

Too bad its so small, i could not find it in larger resolution.

I dread to think what you have on your hard drive! Lol!

Plenty of "tank porn" as one fellow form YT called one of his footage videos about the Tiger tank

[Panzerwolf]

Modern tanks...

[HamilkarBarkas]

Time for BBQ

[Thumboy]

It started over a year ago but I have just discovered this tread, I don't normally come over to the muddy side of ISM, I am more of an aircraft kind of guy but I am working on my fist tank and this will come in very handy indeed. Thanks to all who contributed.