How can I make....

I'm not sure what most modelers use, I'd think something like metallic grey or steel.

I use gun metal + dark grey applied with a fine brush to simulate chipped paint.

There is also a method known as the "salt technique" where you paint your model with a base coat of metallic grey or gun metal. Using Q tips, dampen or wet some areas where you want the chipped paint effect. Add rock salt to the wet areas and let dry. When the area dries up the salt particles will be stuck acting as masks. Apply an overcoat of the tank color. After the over coat has dried, start picking off the salt granules and particles. This will expose the underlaying paint of gun metal or metallic grey making it look like it has chipped off or something.

That salt method looks cool, I've seen it done on Japanese aircraft and am looking forward to trying it on mine.

Apply a liquid mask with pieces of a Scotchbrite pad. Make sure that you have a base coat applied prior to this.

The salt tecnique is great. If you want a peeled look more than a chipped one then start taking the salt off while the paint is still a bit tacky. It will pull up a little bit onthe edges and look like it is peeling.

This is how it looked on my Marder.

Hey lizard nice job on your tank and thanks to all for the tips. I'm going to do the salt technique, just one question, can I do it with regular salt (fine)? or it has to be rock tipe?

Gabriel salazar

Rock type is more suitable for this purpose.

Good luck.

Chipped and flaking paint is a difficult technique to master, as it's a strong indication of 'less-is-more'. There are several methods, and I'm sure that wherever you ask, you will get a different answer. As lizardqing allready noted, the salt method is very effective. Base-coat your model the colour you want to show through. WHen fully cured, wet some salt and place randomly onto the model, where the paint will most naturally flake. Airbrush over the salt. WHen dry, you can remove the salt and display the initial colour underneath.
One other, simpler method is to just paint on the chips. You can use a normal pencil (something I haven't tried yet), drybrush with some metallic paint, or paint chips and scratches using a fine detail brush.

I used regular table salt on the Marder. I just put it on a bit heavy and prior to painting knocked off any excess that I thought did not to be there. It was all basically an experiment with it that turned out good. Have not tried rock salt , all though I may try to that way as well.

I found that MM jet exhaust looks very realistic. its got that greyish, dirty metally kinda look to it. cant rememebr the number, ill have to find that out for ya...

For a good article on the salt technique, go to http://www.swannysmodels.com/Salting.html

Thanks guys for the tips and jockey thank you for the link it really help me alot I'm gonna bring some salt from my work.....I'm a cook..LOL..

Gabriel...

greetings Gabriel don't know if it was mentioned? but when you wet your saltcristals add a little dishwashing liquid to break up the watertension (else you will get like drops of water were the salt will float like and it will be more easy to apply ) nowadays i'm using liquid masking fluid (i'm take the white one from revell because it's nicely thick but smells nasty ) just put small blobs of fluid were you want some chipping (on top of your basecoat) when dry spray or paint your camo or whatever (with the salttechnique it's more diffiquilt to paint it with a brush it you don't have a airbrush as you more likely remove your salt when brushing) and if your top paintcoat is dry just rub the dryed maskingliquid again of with your finger or peel it of with tweezers .