Post-paintjob rust effect vs pre-paintjob rust effect

[Karnstein]

Okay, the title may look a bit odd, but it was the first thing that crossed my mind.

So what's my problem?

I have a bunch of cryx warjacks from PP and I want to paint them using my trusty H&S double action airbrush for basecoating and maybe either a quick zenithal highlighting or some scalemodel-style color modulation. Main color will be pale green with a lot of paint flaked off and rust showing through. Basically we are talking about weathering the model using a mixture of brown colors and rust pigments.

But I'm not sure if I want to/should

a) start with applying a red-brown primer, sponge on a mixture of brown acrylic colors and then use either the hairspray/hairspray+salt technique or some vallejo liquid mask before I airbrush the whole model with the basecoat green. So basically do most of the weathering before I apply the main color in earnest.

b) paint the whole model with the main color, then only add the rust/brown colors to the areas I really want to weather (the ones were flaking/tear is most likely), then use the hairspray/salt technique and put a new basecoat layer on top of these.

I tried version A running a quick test with some plastic spoons and the hairspray+salt technique, but I have some doubts if the salt comes off that nicely if I apply a 2-3 layer zenithal highlight or color modulation on top of it.

Youtube wasn't a big help for finding a decision so far, since I've seen the salt technique being used both as a pre and post-paintjob technique.

The guys from massive voodoo did a video-series incl. pre-weathering incl. rust, before applying the basecoat, the guy from the scalemodelmedic-channel applied the rust after painting the whole model with a color modulation, but he only weathered the muffler of a tank. And most of the tutorials on the vallejo blog itself went for a "sponge, then apply oil and pigments" approach without using the hairspray or their own liquid mask at all.

So I'm a bit confused which variant would be the best solution for a model that includes a lot of flaked off paint with rust underneath and only aims for being painted on a typical "tabletop-quality"-level. After all we are talking about a gaming model that will see a lot of use on the table and not something that spends his life in a showcase cabinet.

The tools I have at hand:

- Hairspray&Salt
- Vallejo Liquid Mask
- Vallejo black, white, grey and german red-brown airbrush primers
- matte/satin/gloss airbrush varnish from Vallejo to seal the models
- couple of brown and rust colors from the VMA, VMC and VGC lines
- 2 shades of brown oil colors + white spirits
- ~3 different shades of Vallejo weathering powder

- the already mentioned H&S Evolution 2:1 airbrush
- brushes in different sizes
- both model blister and cosmetic sponges

Cheers, Karnstein

 

[freakinacage]

well i just did those two. each one only about 3 hours work. just primed, basecoated. zenothal highlighted and then weathered. weathering was applied with a sponge (a mix of brown, vac rust and black). then pigments added. depends how far you want to go

 

[Einion]

I tried version A running a quick test with some plastic spoons and the hairspray+salt technique, but I have some doubts if the salt comes off that nicely if I apply a 2-3 layer zenithal highlight or color modulation on top of it.

At a guess I'd think it'll work fine. But if you're worried, try another test!

So I'm a bit confused which variant would be the best solution for a model that includes a lot of flaked off paint with rust underneath and only aims for being painted on a typical "tabletop-quality"-level. After all we are talking about a gaming model that will see a lot of use on the table and not something that spends his life in a showcase cabinet.

I think you might be hung up on there being a best, when it's probably only a matter of what you prefer. In theory two different techniques could produce near-identical results, so it's just about picking the method you'd like to use, perhaps based on what's fastest.

For speed I think some form of resist (salt, masking fluid) would be hard to beat, but with experience sponging/foaming can be done really quickly without it looking rushed.

well i just did those two.

Nice work, especially for the time! Like the green one especially.

Einion

 

[freakinacage]

Nice work, especially for the time! Like the green one especially.

Einion

thanks buddy!

 

[wixxer]

Salt technique works even if you have aurbrushed 5 layers. I tried it following an advice from a video I downloaded by Miniature Mentor, and he also sprayed four or five layers, rubbed the salt. I tried it with a Rhino: Black, Valljo Rust, some diltuted Charred Brown here and there, SALT just WITH WATER ONLY "NO" SPRAY!!! (deadly!!!), corners edges, downside of side armor etc, than Khaki afterwards again salt with water, than Green, than another mix of desert yellow and some color I don't remember again with salt, than a beige white color (best for rust, see above picture by freakincage, good Job man!).

At last, rub it off carefully... There you go... Especially if you use more than three layers salt technique is better because there is an altitude difference which gives a cool 3D feeling. Otherwise a sponge will do perfectly well

 

[Karnstein]

Do you mean Matthieu Fontaine? Found a nice tutorial on his site and some more on scratchmod.com. That should do the trick.

So thx a lot for all those replies and esp. to freakincage for the pictures. Gonna give it a try this week and since I managed to set up my DIY photo-box I should be back with some pictures this weekend.

Cheers