Tuesday 15 March 2011

Projects - Industry 2

Weathering is a nerve wracking part of painting.  After spending hours building up shade, painting over it means any mistakes can't be easily hidden.  Practicing the technique first to get the look your after before going straight onto the model is essential.

Rusty metal is ubiquitous with old and abandoned industry.  There are loads of different ways to achieve the effect but stippling (cutting a brush short and stabbing the paint onto the model in light short jabs, building up colour by concentrating on an area) gives a great patchy finish.

Practicing on off cuts using the same pallet of Scorched (dark) brown, Bestial (tan) brown and Tau Sept ochre (burnt yellow).  The left patch started with the lightest colour adding heavier colours more sparingly on top.  Compared to highlighting up from the heavier base on the right (essentially the same colours applied darkest first).
Choosing the areas of the model likely to have been exposed to liquid the base coat of Tau Sept ochre was stippled on fairly thickly.  Bent pipes, cracks and places water could accumulate.  A random smattering generally looks better than an attempt to coordinate and control, just plan first roughly what percentage of the model your thinking of covering otherwise its all too easy to get carried away.
Model complete but why stop there?  Terrain is most effectively employed in groups and a small number of techniques can produce a wide range of models.  The techniques give a sense of unity between the models but also a chance to practice on a large and less dynamic model than a standard miniature.  First stage of the project is complete and loads of ideas for more pieces in this vein (prompted by a trip to the guttering section of B&Q).  Until then, battlefields need battles.

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