Buildings weathering technics mini tutorial

[valkyriepm]

Hello guys! Since some has asked about the weathering of buildings, here I made a little tutorial using a small warehouse from Walthers Cornerstone. I tried to make it clear and easy to follow, but as it is my first, maybe could be unclear or missed some steps. Please feel free to make any questions/observations.

About the materials: I used some oil paints and odourless thinner. There are on these days many weathering effects from various brands, but choosed to use oils so anyone can find them easy.

About to prepare the model for this type of weathering: I use to apply a primer coat (wich can be done via airbrush or spray can), paint it with basic colors (I use acrylic paints) and finally apply some coats of Future so it can protect the paint and make a semi-shinny surface to work with oils. The Future works as an ACRYLIC barnish (this is very important, as any other type of varnish will be affected by the thinner used for the oil paints). You can also use acrylic spary varnish semi-mate or gloss. So to the tutorial 🙂

 

 

CONTINUE NEXT POST....

[valkyriepm]

...CONTINUED

 

Of course, after you finish it you can add as many small details as you want. The more, the better. 🙂

 

I hope it can be useful!

 

Martin

[Martijn Meerts]

 Nice!

 

I’m still trying to figure out what Future is called in the Netherlands, since it seems like it’s good stuff to use.

 

Also, do you always apply the decals / stickers after weathering? I’d think in some cases the decals should be weathered along with the rest of the building. 

[cteno4]

Acrylic floor shine! It lost the future name here recently when bought by I think pledge.

 

I think it’s just a dilute matte medium/satin/semigloss basically. I’ve used it and nice this is it goes on very thin coats. Nice as artist matte mediums are thicker even when thinned and they go on a bit thicker. Seems to dry very fast as well. Made to go on floors fast and thin I guess.

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

We have a version here, also by Pledge, which a lot of people claim is the same as Future, but it's not actually clear at all..

 

 

 

[valkyriepm]

Yes, I forgott it's Pledge now. Here in Argentina it's called Blem and has a milky color, but goes great anyway. 

 

6 hours ago, Martijn Meerts said:

Also, do you always apply the decals / stickers after weathering? I’d think in some cases the decals should be weathered along with the rest of the building. 

Depends on the case. As on buildings are mostly lettering and sign, I tend to put them in the end, but before the final matt coat. If they are waterslide decals then yes, a coat of pledge, decals, another coat of pledge to seal them and then to weathering.

Worth to mention that the stickers that mostly comes with the building kits tend to be paper or plastic sticker, wich makes them hard to adapt to surfaces and delicate to weather. But then again, depends on every case. On the warehouse, I only added some chipping and scratches to the black/yellow bands with the brush.

 

Martin

[Martijn Meerts]

The Pledge stuff here is a bit murky and dries up slightly beige, so on light models you get a very noticeable change in colour.

 

Regular stickers are definitely annoying to work with when weathering. Water slide ones are much better, especially with those softening and setting solutions you have now for water slide decals for irregular surfaces. I haven't gotten to the point where I need to start weathering yet, but it's definitely interesting to see the various techniques that people have come up with.

 

I do also have a bunch of card stock / laser board / chip board kits, those are probably going to be challenging to weather right, and some of them need to be painted first as well, since they're just white card stock 🙂

 

[cteno4]

I suspect over time the futura/pledge formula has migrated some with changing times, flooring material, health and safety restrictions, etc. it’s use started a very long time ago so results may vary now and modeling is not it’s primary purpose! I’ve not used the new pledge yet, I got a bottle a few months ago. My old bottle of futura started turning dark and I had not used it for many years so I chucked it. I’ve usually gone to good old modge podge matte medium (craft acrylic medium), but the futura seemed to go on in a thinner coat, and I’ve always assumed there was some agent in the futura to make it spread out thin and even to coat a floor well that acrylic medium doesn’t have.

 

jeff

[valkyriepm]

1 hour ago, Martijn Meerts said:

I do also have a bunch of card stock / laser board / chip board kits

The first I built for the Niigata Kotsu micro layout was an extra from the old Greenmax kits. Had to cover all side walls with colored card stock with a little weathering to make it look OK. Not the best, tho. Also have some Sankei kits, one of them built but waiting for weathering. Some time back we discussed on another topic on the possibility of a clear coat prior to weathering effects. But honestly I'm considering on try out with chalk pastel pencils or watercolor pencils. I'll try to make some test and may be resulting on a new tutorial if comes out right.

 

Martin

[maihama eki]

In the world of aircraft or car modeling, folks use the Future/Pledge product on their clear plastic canopy/window pieces to smooth out small scratches and improve the look of these pieces.  They usually just dunk the pieces in the Future/Pledge stuff and then set them aside to dry.

[valkyriepm]

1 hour ago, maihama eki said:

In the world of aircraft or car modeling, folks use the Future/Pledge product on their clear plastic canopy/window pieces to smooth out small scratches and improve the look of these pieces.  They usually just dunk the pieces in the Future/Pledge stuff and then set them aside to dry.

Right! It is used also as a general varnish for the middle steps (as seal before decals, seal before weathering..) as it needs no dilution to be applied with the airbrush and very easy to clean.

The version in my country is not suitable for the clear pieces as it's on the US or other countries. But as a clear coat goes great.

 

Martin

[Kiha66]

12 hours ago, Martijn Meerts said:

We have a version here, also by Pledge, which a lot of people claim is the same as Future, but it's not actually clear at all..

 

If I recall correctly, some European countries banned clear floor coverings in the fear children would mistake them for water and drink them.  I know some modelers import the clear versions from the US but the shipping would be fairly pricey. 

[Martijn Meerts]

Yeah, I read about someone important a bottle of the clear Pledge.. Bottle was 11 USD, shipping was 30 USD .. 

 

[cteno4]

Yeah but a lifetime supply for 10 people!

 

jeff