How can I get that faded paint look without an airbrush?

i do mine with an airbrush, but since your trying to do it without one, here is something that will work. take a rounded paint brush (flat ones tend to leave heavier lines at the edges)and use artists oils. when you use this method, sometimes it takes a while for the oil paint to dry. you may can use artists acrylics but ive never tried them. anyway, the artists oils blend onto the surface well and with plenty of light dry passes will feather it in nicely. to lighten green, use yellow ochre or lemon yellow. try not to lighten with just white too much or you'll get the frosted look. for other colors, youll probably have to mix until you get the desired results. this will take a little skill and patience but it can be done with a little practice. later.

Probably the easiest way would be to use Artists Pastels available from art supply stores. Another method would be to dry brush lighter shades in areas where you want to depict fading/weathering. Many modelers use these techniques even with aitbrushed finishes.

yes pastel chalk is the best way to go there was a article in FineScale Modeler a couple months back which shows how to do it

Ive been using pastels, but to fade, do you use darker or lighter shades then the original on the model?

For fading you would use lighter shades. Darker shades could be used to simulate staining.

Mikeym - It only seems like a couple months ago... It was the March 2004 issue. It had an article titled "No-hassle aircraft weathering (pg 50 ). I haven't tried the technique yet, but I did buy some pastel chalks to try it out.

Ace - with your second comment, I'm not completely sure I understand your question, but exposure to the sun would generally have a lightening effect on the paint. Some pigments though are actually changed in color. For example, I have heard that some of the sandy colors used on some WWII desert planes actually turned pink after exposure.

Hope this helps.

You know those great big fat make-up brushes the ladies use... they are GREAT for dry brushing weathering! (my wife and daughter are still looking for theirs!)

Frank

Yep, pastel chalk is the way to go. Grind 'em up on a piece of course sandpaper and dust away. Or, if you have enough time, you could put your model on the dashboard of your car for a few months. I'm not really serious about the dashboard; but, on second thought, it might work, if it didn't warp the plastic. Couldn't be anything more natural looking.

hey AceofSpades;
try this, on a very sunny day put the finished kit out directly in the sun and most model paints will fade, but don't put it out when it's really hot this my cause warping, also I used to weather by dry brushing, areas by the panel lines this will create a nice effect like most people use with pastel chalks but you don't have to put a heavy amount then cover the effects with a clear coat right away, what I use for weathering is Acrylics, but paint the kits in Enamals, I've had no complaints, and it's just as fun as pastels too, but you decide on which is better for you, and the most cost effective for your pocket book

Besides pastels, there is also artists dry oil base colors. They come pre-ground and in a million colors. They are pretty strong, so a little goes a long way and work just like pastels.
They are also easy to mix into a wash. Finally, the color won't fade or disappear when sealed