Washing?

Washing: A wash is usually a thinned mixture of dark paints used to simulate darkened portions of objects supposedly due to accumulation of dirt, grease etc.on recessed areas, folds and corners. Usually we use dark paints thinned on approximately 10%:90% ratio or thinner. After painting your model, you apply a coat of clear gloss paint to it prior to applying the wash (or you may opt not to, like me). Apply a the thinned solution on your model concentrating on the recessed portions or areas likely to accumulate dirt, grease, etc. Allow the wash to settle on these areas while you can remove the excess on the other portions by wiping it off with a clean cloth or cotton swabs. Let dry and apply another wash if necessary. A wash is already considered one way of weathering.

Drybrushing: After you apply the wash some areas where the wash has been applied would appear to have no details or have a monotone color. To highlight the details especially the protruding portions, you can do drybrushing. It is a method of applying a very thin and almost dry coat of paint (with color a step lighter than the original color of the model) to the protruding parts to highlight them. Get a paint a step lighter than that of the model. Get a stiff brush. Dip the brush on the paint and brush it against a piece of cloth or paper to a point when almost very minimal paint remains on the brush. Now brush it on the protruding portions of the model you want to highlight. Repeat as necessary.

A lot of threads on weathering wash and drybrushing can be found here. Just do a little checking.

Good luck.

thanks dwight, lastly bout washing, so you mean to say that in "washing" 10% of the paint and 90 % thinner? am I right? Will I use the same paint that I use on the model or any dark paints like black or brown etc? example is the skin on face I use a #51 Mr. color (flesh) on the face, how will I simulate a dirty face? or a dirty desert camo uniform? thanks again

Paint: 10% Thinner (could be water + alcohol): 90%
Use dirty colors (black, brown, earth, etc.).

For skin use a dark redish brown wash - burnt umber or raw sienna. Avoid adding black to it for this dulls the tone. For lighter coloured uniforms use a lighter coloured wash as well. For desert camou especially stay away from black as a wash like that would turn the uniform a green shade.

thanks guys, what color (for washing) do you recommend for the desert camo? I already built my first diorama but without the figures yet. Is plaster of paris ok for a base or are there any other materials I can use? I notice that the grass doesn't stick much on a plaster of paris even after spraying them with an adhesive spray. Or the best way to put grass, dirt or mud is while the plaster of paris is still wet?

hi , i just use white glue (wood gleu) thin it down with water and aply it with a brush to your diorama and prinkle you grass from above on to the gleu , let it dry and remove than the eccess ( i use a hover to suck the rest of ) hope this will help you

thanks maffen for the advice i'll try it, so what do u model?

Let the plaster dry first. Then apply the diluted glue.

Good luck.

i just want to ask if my figure scale model is 1/35 does it mean my armor vehicle should be 1/35 also or a little bit bigger 1/42? tnx

If you have figures in 1:35 and want to place some vehicles in the same dio you should use the same scale for those (1:35).
If you place a 1:48 scale tank with a 1:35 figure it would imply that the figure in real life is a giant.

Make sure you paint the dried plaster before adding the diluted glue to the dry plaster. If you dount you will have grass on what appears to be white dirt/rock.

jedi-mike

jedi-mike:

1/42 figures (if any) are smaller than 1/35 figures. The lower the denominator is the bigger the scale becomes like 1/16 is bigger than 1/35.

If you want to make a dio use figures and vehicles of the same scale unless you want to project some illusions like some are at a distance from the main figures or vehicles of the dio.

Good luck.

thanks guys for the advice, im already looking for armored vehicles and i'm thinking of buying an M1A1 for the desert scene. How bout damaged houses is foamboard ok? or it is the same as styrofoam? any other materials i can use?

dwight, i look at your website u got good dio's there! what base did you in your first dio and what are the materials u use on the damaged house in your 2nd dio? lastly what color do I use in painting let's say oildrums and bricks? how bout the house, what color did u apply? tnx again

1st Dio: Base - Plain Styrofoam (but now I have mounted it on a wooden plaque)
2nd Dio: Base, House Structure - Compressed Foam Board
Debris-combination of foamboard. smashed flower pot, chopsticks
Paint - Bricks-oils and acrylics - redbrown and yellow + brown wash
House-oils and acrylics- yellow ocre and brown + black wash

tnx, wer can i buy this colors and what brand? are they available at national bookstores or art supply shops? How bout the compressed foam board wer can i buy it? U mean to say the base of your 1st dio is pure styrofoam (not plaster of paris on top of a styrofoam) are the paints doesn't sip thru the styro?

Colors: Tamiya Acrylics (Lil's) / Any brand of Oil Paint (Arts Supply Store)
Compressed Foam Board: (National Bookstore/Arts Supply Store)
Good quality paint can stick on stryo surface.

tnx again, by the way your dio's are 1/35 scale?

Yes, 1:35 scale.