6/29/2015

Matte's Forge - Weathering Old Metal

No, I do not mean Axl Rose. (image from Imgur)


Welcome to the first installment of Matte's Forge, a series in which I share some techniques for assembling, converting, and/or painting. There may be other topics, but this is where I'll start.

Today I'm going to go over creating an "old" look to your steel objects and how to give them a bit of rust. The Old Steel is a technique I picked up from Kris Belleau, who does several painting segments for MiniWarGaming. Here is my list of supplies:

  • Games & Gears Size 2 sable brush
  • A junk brush, probably around a size 0 or 00.
  • Citadel Small Drybrush (Blue Cap)
  • Blister pack foam or equivalent
  • Vallejo Black Surface Primer (74.602)
  • Vallejo Model Air Steel (71.065)
  • Citadel Leadbelcher
  • Citadel Abaddon Black
  • Citadel Runefang Steel
  • Citadel Typhus Corrosion
  • Citadel Ryza Rust
I am aware of that stray fuzz. Oh dear god that stray fuzz. You'll see what I am talking about.
 
 
Primed with black primer and base coated with VJ Air Steel


Fig. 1: Leadbelcher applied to create a better starting point for the Old Metal look.
 



In Fig. 1, I decided that I wasn't going to go with my original plan, which was painting certain sections in blue and weathering the paint. I heavily thinned Leadbelcher and applied a coat all over the rocket pack. You can see the difference between the body of the rocket and the wings.


Fig. 2: The start of stippling the metal


In Fig. 2, I heavily thinned Leadbelcher and added a touch of black (likely a 5:1 ratio of Leadbelcher:Abaddon Black). I glazed the Leadbelcher up to about 4/5 of the way up (I later glazed the cone of the pack, too). Before the Leadbelcher had a chance to dry, I used some foam from a blister pack (you know the ones) to remove some of the Leadbelcher I had just painted, creating a stippled effect. This was done multiple times, slowly building up the layers until the transition and color was to my liking. The color ended up being darker toward the bottom and brighter toward the top. You'll be able to see the transition in the following images. I forgot to document it between layers.


Fig. 3: Edged with Runefang Steel


Fig. 4: The other side, not edged.
 
In Fig. 3, we can see where I started applying a light edge highlight with Runefang Steel. If you overdo this step, you run the risk of losing the Old Metal effect. I chose to highlight the edges that caught the light, as well as the inside of the piston. Fig. 4 shows the other side without Runefang Steel.

Fig. 5: Shadows and spotting
 
Fig. 5 shows the shadowing and spotting that was done with a 1:1 mixture of Leadbelcher and Abaddon black. The spotting was done with a torn piece of blister foam, the same blister foam used to create the stippling in Fig. 2. Notice the rocket's body. This step can be done before or after the highlights. Just be sure to re-establish whatever highlights you spotted over, if you so wish.


Fig. 6: Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust


Fig. 7: Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust, opposite.
 
Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show the completed rocket pack. Using an old, junk brush, I applied Typhus Corrosion into the recesses near the pistons and along the wings as I saw fit. I followed this with a heavy dry-brushing of Ryza Rust to complete the effect.

Notes:
  1. Don't apply the Runefang Steel evenly, everywhere. Pick and choose. We don't want to change the effect with over highlighting.
  2. If you choose to shadow after the highlight, it's not exactly necessary to re-establish that highlight. A little chaos might help with the effect we are going for.
  3. If you want your model to have more of a worn, rather than rusted, look, skip the Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust.
Reference Images:
From us.123rf.com

From SuperStainless.net


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