fake leather

I've found that if you start using a fake cow....LOL.. I use the hide of a young Naugah.
They are common in the Naugatuck Valley of Connecticut. They work well in naugatuck and roll patterns. Unfortunitly they are difficult to catch. Much like hunting snipes.
Sorry I had to add a little humor if not only funny to me.

My friend Steve Keck told me about a technique he developed to recreate scale SUEDE leather. He packs baking soda into the paint (usually tan or red) and puts that into his airbrush. The ratio is as much as the airbrush can take. I've seen the results and they're amazing. Hope this helps.

Now that I think of it, I saw a vinyl roof done by simply applying and then painting 3M masking tape. That might be a good way to get the grain you want. It will be thin, conform to curves, stay in place, and a slightly darker wash can then go on top of the base color to highlight that texture.

A long time ago, on the tv show Adventures in Scale Modeling, someone soaked tissue paper in a mixture of white glue and water, and then applied it like a veneer over the seat to simulate beat up leather on a Model T. After it dried stiff, he sprayed black over the whole thing. You could do something like that if the goal was a weathered look or a 'gathered' leather seat. Never tried it myself.

i might just have to try that...

I know this is going to sound strange, but I saw a model with worn leather seats that the modeler dry brushed some silver onto the areas that would get worn entering and leaving the seat. The look was extremely realistic.

lol, thats hilarious, but i probably wont do it, its to strange for me (and thats pretty hard to do) I agree its pretty ghetto, well, more than pretty ghetto. if i ever need to save money, ill do it!

LOL - pretty much what I was saying with the polishing compound, but that is a riot - never heard that before. I used Armor All on my Chevelle in the same way, and the shine was perfect, and it smelled appropriate as a bonus, but it's not nearly as much of a conversation piece.

Here's a real GHETTO way, that works OK and really cheap, found on the internet somewhere...
Use flat paint on seats ... when dry, wipe the crease of your nose against your cheek, then apply this bodily oil to the seats on usually well worn spots... laugh if you want, it works...
if you have a bigger scale to work on (1/16 or 1/12) avoid taking a bath for a day or two ;) seriously, it looks pretty good

thanks, that leather looked really good, but as i have a rather complicated van (i thought it was hilarious, so i HAD to buy it, it was pimped out, i normally dont like cars like this),
ill probably try that on my next model that doesnt have such a complicated interior.

Also, when you're using a wash, try rubbing alcohol and india ink as a good alternative to acrylic or tempera and water.

Dry brushing, getting an actual piece of leather or vinyl and pressing it into the surface while the paint is semi-dry...all decent.

There are many faux-suede aerosols on the market that are convincing and if the finish is too matte, it can be shined up gradually using a polishing compound and a q-tip.

Grain can also be simulated by stippling with an old brush, preferrably one that has not been well maintained and is a little stiff. I agree that using a wash just slightly darker than the seat color to get into the grain and make it stand out is a great idea.

Simulating brand new, modern leather (flat finish, usually pulled tight) is different from aged leather which has a definite shine and wear to it.

This is what I'm going to try on my 68 Vette, but it's a very advanced technique (be brave, Grasshopper):

http://www.briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/tutorial.asp?TutorialID=40&CurPage=1

Good luck and if possible, post a photo when you're done :o)

You've got it! You can also get satin and matt coats in bottles for brushing (thinned).
There is no set ratio for washes - depends how you want it. The base colour for a wash is dependant on what finish you want, again there are no set rules. It's useful to have the matt colours - like your tan - then you can make them how you want with matt, satin or clear lacquer coats (saves you buying extra paint all in the same colours)

Good luck - Martin.

and i have been thinking again(scary, isnt it?). dark wash is just watered down black paint that you put on with a brush (i think), but what is the ratio of paint to water?

i think i know what the satin is now!! its just something thats clear and shiny in a spraypaint container that protects the paint, right?

thanks crasher, i already had a matte tan color for the base(only 1 layer right now). btw, what is dark wash and where can you get it or do you make it? and what is satin? sorry for all the questions, but suddenly i have the obsession of making things look used or more detailed.

You can get a worn look just by using a dark wash and buffing up the highlights - it won't be roughened but if you use matt colour as the base for the wash and a satin finish to the seat itself it is quite realistic.

Martin

I once saw somebody that put a tutorial on the internet using ink of the wanted colour to obtain a weared leather look.
If I remember correctly he painted the seats in red and when that was dry he took a brush and put on some red ink over the whole thing. When the ink dried it kind of cracked giving an old leather look to the seat.
Just wish I knew where I saw this tip so I could point you in the right direction.

Good luck!
Niclas