Thursday 15 October 2015

AC130H - Weathering with oils

I recently started experimenting with oil paints, and I'm starting to really like them, for subtle (or not so subtle) touches. On the (completely white) Viper Mark II, I will try subtle dot-fading later, but on the much darker models of the AC130H and the Viper Mark VII, I'm currently going all out.

The idea is to slather the entire thing with a dirty (not completely black, but really dark) oil paint, then rub it back off (in the direction of airflow) with a cloth (cotton buds for the details and corners). Best done on a glossy finish, or else the oil will stick to the surface no matter what. The effect's subtlety is directly related to how glossy you made the clear coat.

I'm using Mig Abteilung 502 "Starship filth" which is kinda dark-grey/green.
The effect is threefold (and best seen with the naked eye, as it's hard to fully grab on camera) :

  • discoloration
  • panel line accentuation
  • streaking

The result is slightly shiny from the oil, which reduces in sheen over the next couple of days. Give it 5 days before you put on a matte coat. If you only work on your model once a week, this long drying time gives no disadvantage whatsoever. If you do happen to see a smear afterwards, it's easily removed with turpentine/white spirit up to 2-3 days later (maybe more, but don't push your luck).

If you worry about the thinner's smell, there are (as good as) odourless variants out there.




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