Ben,

Interesting results you have there, as Karl said a second coat should look pretty good, assuming you're going for a fairly solid whitewash and not a mostly worn off one.

the doog

Ben, I don't know if you realize this or not, but you actually have the perfect platform for a second application of hair spray and whitewash, and a second pass at the technique will lend an excellent well-abused coat of whitewash. Don't give up now! Take what you've learned, use a wet BRUSH ONLY!--NOT a liberal coating of water this time--and try a second application.

"Professional level" weathering is best done in layers---I generally apply several layers to my worst-abused finishes. It lends depth and variety that is impossible in one pass. Get your stuff out again and go with another pass. Seriously--don't give up now!

Wow,

That's really interesting Karl! I'm looking at her sat in my cabinet now and she looks like a real old banged up rust-bucket! I'm actually starting to like this build.

I've taken a couple more photos:

It's really growing on me now - it looks very 'natural'?

I'll definately give this another shot with you on board Karl but how do I tone down this white without going OTT?

Cheers guys,

Ben

Ben,

If I may be so bold as to opine--ok, this may peeve some people off, but don't "settle" for what you've got here. You've admitted that it wasn't what you were going for, and that you made some mistakes, so take the time and have the energy to try to achieve what you initially were going for. You can learn a LOT by correcting a mistake--I've been there plenty of times, and if you settle for what you've got, you're missing a golden opportunity to really "rise up" here!

Remember that "white is white". It's going to look "white". However, you can tone it down with a light wash of dark umber, or even tint the next coat of whitewash with a TINY drop of buff or even brown. And I mean "TINY"!

Personally, I'd go for just doing it straight; then wash it lightly in raw/dark umber after it's done, and then you can still add in even further graduations of white with a brush using either oils or thinned acrylics.

GO FOR IT!!!

the doog

Ben,

If I may be so bold as to opine--ok, this may peeve some people off, but don't "settle" for what you've got here. You've admitted that it wasn't what you were going for, and that you made some mistakes, so take the time and have the energy to try to achieve what you initially were going for. You can learn a LOT by correcting a mistake--I've been there plenty of times, and if you settle for what you've got, you're missing a golden opportunity to really "rise up" here!

Remember that "white is white". It's going to look "white". However, you can tone it down with a light wash of dark umber, or even tint the next coat of whitewash with a TINY drop of buff or even brown. And I mean "TINY"!

Personally, I'd go for just doing it straight; then wash it lightly in raw/dark umber after it's done, and then you can still add in even further graduations of white with a brush using either oils or thinned acrylics.

GO FOR IT!!!

Hi Karl,

Like I said at the end of my post it had really grown on me (as initially I was really dissapointed) but yep, it wasn't what I was going for and it would be interesting to see how a second coat turns out.

I think that fresh unblemished coat of DY below the whitewash didn't help as it looked waaaay too 'DUNKY' and this natural, beat up weathered look underneath should really help.

I'll be doing it again and may do some more research first as yesterday I just sat there with a blob of white in my hands saying "erm, where the heck do I start - I don't know what I want I want it to look like". I should have had an image or a photo of the finished product as I'd wanted it.

That said, this Hetzer looks great and if I tried all week I could never get this same great looking beaten-up look that she currently has but I'll know where to start though! I'll be trying some new stuff in 2012.

Cheers buddy,

Ben

Sorry-double post!