How do you guys weather your figures?

I've only built one or two figures, so I can't say I'm expreienced. However, I'd recommend pastels for dust, and maybe colored celluclay for dirt on his boots. This is just an idea; I've only tried the pastels once, and it came out ok. Hope I helped some!

Pastels work for dusty appearances, 5 o'clock shadow, etc. Fading of uniforms can be done with drybrushing and feathering. Unless your figure is in a very muddy situation, I'd avoid any build up using Celluclay. People are very flexible and that doesn't led itself to long term build up of mud or snow.
Remember, when dirtying up your guys, work from the bottom up. Consider what boduy parts will be regularly in contact with the ground. These will be more worn (lighter) or dirtier.

Drybrushing always works very well for me!
But be very carefull with the ammount of paint on the brush, it is very easy to have way to much paint for a 1/35 figure.

the only one I went all out on, I gave him 5 o clock shadow, took a mud color and with very little celluclay on his boots, gave his boots a coating of mud, then I did the same wiht the celuclay to the bottom of his trench coat and jsut the color for most the rest of it, I put some celuclay on the elbows since he is an MG 42 operator, and did that mud colored. then I took flat white and with a big old old terrible bush, dryburshed and dabbed white on to the bottom of the trench coat and boots, on the collar, top of the pistol holster, alittle on the top of the helmet, some on the gun, but not very much. and I drybrushed the bipod of the gun mud colored, I made his face more of a skintone warm tint (redish tan), to try to simulate cold on bare skin. I am jsut about finished with him so I will be posting pics soon, I am SOOOO Happy with this figure!

o ya, I forgot, take a dremmel tool and an extremely extremely small dremel head and on a few various spots on the uniform, make like holes to simulate torn wool, I am getting ready to try this, so If it works I'll let u know.

QUOTE: Originally posted by @FrozzzenColorado88 o ya, I forgot, take a dremmel tool and an extremely extremely small dremel head and on a few various spots on the uniform, make like holes to simulate torn wool, I am getting ready to try this, so If it works I'll let u know.

You might be better simulatinr a tear with a piece of lead foil (or your favorite strap material) cut in a small square and folded over. Scribe a triange to match the folded over piece and attach with super glue. Paint the folded over section a darker shade of the base, since it hasn't been exposed to the sun as much and paint the scribed area a reasonable liner color.
That being said, I'm working on a kitbashed scarecrow who has drilled out Historex legs for pants and a big hole in his knee, ground out by a Dremel, the better to show of his straw stuffing. He's to be the setting for a couple Johnny Rebs.

I only dirty up my figures in the heat of combat and then again according to the terrain. Hitting the dirt under fire tend to add to the elbows, knees, chest and lower abdomen as you would go down face first, protecting the vital organs. Dust, gunsmoke and sweat can dirty up the face quite alot, especially if the figures are travelling in open vehicles or bikes. Sitting at the back of moving vehicles would have dust accumulating on the shoulders, back and headdress. In the jungle you would have sweat stains rather than dust marks as well as moisture on the parts that come in contact with the plants in a jungle. Deserts are quite dusty especially during sand storms. Rain produces mud so you would be wet and muddy. When the snow melts at the start of spring you would be muddy as well, but less likely to be soaked to the skin. Wet areas of the uniform would be darker than dry areas. Hope this helps. Oh and unless your figure is wounded, trapped or lying in an ambush, or marching in a snowstorm, snow won't stick to all the outcrops at once. The helmet brim and back of the neck and shoulders would carry more snow than any other part of the body. Can't wait for the pic's.

For a second I thought you were going to give him some bullet holes for good weathering effects. LOL

I meant using the dremel tool to put in bullet holes.

Just don't put "exhaust" stains on their behinds, ok?
Scott

I've used squardron white putty very lightly and controlled on the boots of infantry. I also have dry-brushed model-master dark tan on my Russian tank riders for simulating dried dirt and dust on their boots while walking before getting on the tank. Another thing I like to use is nuetral grey dry brushed on the dark black panzer uniforms of panzer commanders. It's all out there.

More highlight on areas like elbows, seat of the pants, knees and helmets. Dependent on the terrain and environmental conditions I'll try and keep some continuity but not over do it. Less is more in most cases and you should be careful to what extreme you go to. Too much and the effect is lost. Keep it in context.

Mike