Friday, April 15, 2011

Rhulic Rampage 6 - Devil in the Detailing

So here is the deal. My deadline for having my models done for my first WM event has made me speed up a bit and unfortunately my photo logging of the progress has sufferd a bit. So lets just say I will run through some of the basics now, Do more detailed product reviews soon and  (MOST IMPORTANTLY) will properly photo blog these techniques and products in fulll detail on the remaining heavy rhulic jack that I have left to paint (Wroughtram Rockhammer).  So some basics here and more detail to come.

Once the Green was done, chipped and sealed with more dullcote, I moved on to more detailed weathering techniques. Remember - EVERY technique I have used on this project so far has been completely new to me - a chance to stretch myself and try things out.

To recap the process thus far:
  1. Assembly with brass and additional Mr Surfacer 500 "cast" texturing
  2. Using Tamiya acrylics with Tamiya laquer thinner to spray all coloured paint layers
  3. Using AlcladII metallic paints to paint several zones on the models. (ok I had used this before but not the combo of paints I used this time. The "jet exhaust" was a wholly new thing)
  4. Used hairspray technique to chip away at layers and expose paint underneath (basecoat - seal, hairspray, rustcote - chip, hairspray, rustcote - chip, seal, hairspray, greencotes - chip, seal.
Next I reached for some new products from AK Interactive (USA). I grabbed the streaking grime and winter streaking grme first. These products were used to draw lines down the large body panels of the jacks and Gortons back armour plates. After they were allowed to set up for a minute I grabbed a brush and some
 clean thinner and used it to weaken the visual impact of these streaks. This allowed for some subtle runs and differences in colour which well represent the effects of the weather on the armour. (Just look at your own car and you may well see streaks of dirt and rain marks across the finish - unless of course you just washed it. In which case just admire your handiwork instead!)  

From here I reached to the AK Rust Streaks product and went about remphasizing the rust areas on my model and also adding some great additional rusting. I started out using this product mixes about 50% with thinner. I figured since this was something new I could always go back and add more if I felt like it but it would be much harder to take it away if I went overboard from the beginning. As I worked with this and gained more confidence, using it around bolts and on several of the Alclad metal areas I began to use some stronger concentrations. THis stuff is really neat. As with all of AK's enamel based products, If you make a mistake while working or need to add back subtlety you can go right back into your wet work with clear thinner and remove or reduce it. Really fun and freeing. I like the way the surface tension of it allows it to follow contours and also run if prompted to. I would actually go back again as my final weathering step to add just a little more rust in some spots. (sorry again about the cruddy pics at this stage!)

Following rust was dust. AK Interactive Dust Effects allows you to add thin layers of light coloured dust that bonds by way of the enamel carrier to the surface of your model. Because my models are to be set in a winter setting with reddish (iron laced) soil,  I decided to go easy on the light dust but am very pleased that I used it. What a great realistic look. I will definitely be using this more on future projects!

I then grabbed my powdered pigments and added yet another layer of rust. I chose mostly really reddish rust tones to create some additional contrast with my green scheme. I used mostly MIG and Forgeworld powders I also made sure to add layers of rust pigments to the gears etc on my bases and some Forgeworld brass etch barbed wire that I will be making use of soon. ( I wanted to jump ahead and start weathering this so that it would match in the end!) I also started using graphite and a blending stump with Forgeworld "dark iron" pigment on some of the metallic areas that I wanted to buff back out a bit. I even washed some pigments with alot of thinner into the rocky bases - again to emphasise the iron content of the groundwork.

A little touch up painting later and it was time to call these 'Jacks done! Gorton still needs a face and a few details, and everything requires more basework!

NEXT TIME : MORE NEW STUFF!
WILL I FINISH IN TIME FOR THE EVENT?!?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Dang! the models are looking so good James!