FineScale Modeler January/February 2025

Weathering is one of my favorite parts of finishing a model. But it can also be one of the most heart-breaking. If something goes wrong at this stage, there’s not a lot of recourse to fix it. That said, I love the challenge of trying new things and experimenting to make the model look as much like its full-size counterpart as possible. When we were putting together this issue, the idea was to give you step-by-step guides to many of these techniques and hopefully remove some of the mystery and stress from the process. You’ll find those under the “Weathering 101” banner in the following pages. Before we head into the classroom, I should note that this is not an exhaustive list of techniques. There are many ways to weather…

Craft paint a decent choice When I started modeling over 50 years ago, all I could find was Testors paints in the small, square bottles. That worked for years until I discovered Model Master paints. I was in hog heaven! I also was able to find Humbrol at upscale model shops. But all good things come to an end. Now, I can buy 10ml bottles of Tamiya for $2.90, a little steep for a semi-retired person. But one day at Walmart, I came across Apple Barrel acrylics at $0.50 for 59ml. Many different colors in matt, semigloss, and gloss. I mainly brush paint them, but if you can figure out the correct thinning ratio, it also airbrushes nicely. I find Pavement is great for tires, and if you can’t find…

AIRCRAFT 1/32 SCALE Macchi MC.205 Veltro, No. 2519, $179.99 from Italeri. 1/35 SCALE AH-64A Apache (Early), No. 05114, $89.99 from Trumpeter. 1/48 SCALE Thunderbolt P-47D Bubbletop with base and accessories, No. 48018, $TBA from MiniArt. Junkers F 13 (Early Prod.), No. 48002, $75.99 from MiniArt. I-153 Luftwaffe with pilots and ground personnel, No. 48094, $41.99 from ICM.  AH-1G Cobra and M8A1 US landing mat, No. 48298, $TBA from ICM. 1/72 SCALE  IAR 81C - Great Air Battles of 1944, No. 72570, $36.99 from IBG Models.  IAR 80 - Early Gathering Storm 1941, No. 72564, $36.99 from IBG Models. ARMOR 1/35 SCALE M1097A2 Humvee Cargo Carrier, No. 35436, $70 from ICM. LVT-4 Water Buffalo (ETO), No. 6752, $59.99 from Italeri. SdKfz 234/4 Schwerer Panzerspahwagen 7.5cm. (Interior kit), No. 35427, $109.99 from MiniArt.…

In the real world, weathering can mean the wear and tear vehicles, structures, and even people are subjected to by the elements, be they rain, wind, dirt, sun, or ice. In scale modeling, the term has a slightly wider meaning covering those effects as well as many finishing techniques used to enhance a model’s appearance and give it life. Some techniques have been used on workbenches for decades, including washes, dry-brushing, and pastels. Others, such as preshading and color modulation, have become popular in the last 15-20 years. In that same period, we have watched as something of a renaissance in model finishing with companies dedicated to weathering products. While many of these new techniques were conceived by armor modelers, we have witnessed a cross germination of techniques between modelers…

Shading and related painting techniques affect the tone of the base color by adding related tones. Some mimic the way light plays across an object. There are several ways to do this including pre-shading, post-shading, and color modulation, all of which we’ll look at here. PRE-SHADING In order of weathering operations, pre-shading should be the first step in any painting or weathering. As the name implies, this technique involves applying contrasting shades under the base color. These can darken or lighten various areas on the model, break up camouflage and provide variety to a model’s final appearance that provides more visual interest. As you’ll see, dark colors, like black and dark gray, can be airbrushed along panel lines and in recesses that show through the upper layers for deeper shadows.…

While the wash is one of the first weathering techniques most modelers learn, it is also one of the most used and useful. Just to be clear for anyone unfamiliar with what I mean when I say “wash” in a modeling context, I am not talking about cleaning the parts with soap and water before painting, although that’s not a bad idea. Instead, a wash is heavily thinned paint — a better description might be dirty thinner — which, flowed onto the surface of a model, naturally collects in recesses and corners. This creates natural shadows and emphasizes detail as well as giving an impression of dirt or grime. SURFACE PREP MIXING AN OIL WASH OVERALL WASH PINWASH ACRYLIC SLUDGE WASH MIX YOU OWN VS. PRE-MIXED WASHES For decades modelers mixed…