I am somewhat new to modeling Armor. I have done cars before but have never delved into weathering. Are there any good area/articles that someone could recommend for a true beginner. I looked on the web and see a lot of stuff... just figured I would ask the group.

Thanks

Google "basic weathering". There are several good articles. A complimentary option is to search for "weathering" on Youtube.

Mig Jiminez has a blog, You Tube videos and magazines. Besides Jiminez, theres tons of material out there on weathering. Good luck.
Terry

There was a DVD called Weathering in one hour from AK Interactive that was quite useful for beginners (reviewed here)

Adam Wilder's videos may be aimed for a more experienced modeller but they are definitively worth to see as well on youtube

Thanks Guys. Another one for you all. Do you do both a wash and dry brush? If so would you do wash first then dry brush? Also read that before doing a wash using acrylic paints to do a coat of Future over it first. Seems like this would make it too shiny but maybe the weathering and wash will fix this?

any thoughts?

Thanks

The clear coat used is usually the opposite type of what you are going to weather with. For example if weathering with oil/enamel based products you should use an acrylic clear coat such as future. The idea is to protect the paint the underlying paint from being effected(destroyed/marred) by the weathering process. You also need the clear coat to help with the decals as they adhere best to a smooth surface. This also helps with silvering i.e. makes the decal film less visible. The decals should be applied after the clear gloss and before the weathering process. Once the decals are dry you should clear gloss coat again to seal them. Once the clear coat is dry then you can begin the weathering process. You should wait a minimum of 24hrs to allow each coat to dry thoroughly if you are using an acrylic. If using an enamel wait at least 48hrs between each coat before proceeding to the next step. Rule of thumb for enamels is if you can still smell it, it probably is not dry.

Dry brushing has fallen out of favor among many with the advent of washes, filters, and various color modulation techniques. I still dry brush but very selectively and very lightly. Bottom line I guess is that its a personal choice and depends on ones on style and techniques. Hope this helps and anxious to see your work.

This is great stuff. So if I am washing with Vallejo acrylic washes I should not use Future? If so what would be the best thing for a clear coat/gloss?

You need to use some type of oil/enamel/lacquer based clear coat. Testors clear lacquer comes to mind. It comes in a rattle can and also bottle. Bottle stuff needs to be thinned for airbrush use as it is a bit thick if I recall. Use Testors lacquer thinner to cut it. I usually weather with enamel/oil based products and use an acrylic clear. There are probably others who could suggest something other than the Testors clear lacquer.

So many different approaches! Overwhelming for a beginner. I painted with Tamiya Olive Drab. Read a bunch of info saying as long as future is fully cured acrylic washes are fine... also see that acrylic on acrylic is not the way to go. Maybe for this one I'll try the Testors clear.

Thanks again

I also paint with Tamiya. If others use future with acrylic weathering then I would go with them. Just be sure the Future is cured not just dry. To be sure I would wait at least 48hrs. As a beginner you should try several different styles and techniques and then choose the one with which you feel the most comfortable. So much of what we do is based on personal preference. There are no secret formulas or only one technique that will produce great results every time. Experiment and learn.

It all depends on what you want to achieve and what time period and theater you are trying to depict. Here are a few items for suggested reading:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/140764&page=1

http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/other/awpaint/awpaint.htm

https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/4526

http://armorama.com/forums/134458

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2003/01/stuff_eng_tech_afv_weathering.htm

You should also check out the works of MIG Jimenez, Adam Wilder, Michael Rinaldi and of course Shep Paine, his book Modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles is still used by most of us.

This is my first work of armor. Just looking to do a basic wash for my first time. Just don't want to mess it up too bad so am concerned about what clear coat to use with acrylic wash.

Sounds like most say oil over acrylic, so maybe I will start there. I have a snap together car kit that I bought for testing so I'll tinker with that for both approaches (oil on acrylic and acrylic on acrylic).

Thanks

Jim,

Best weathering video out there is this one....follow it and you will achieve near expert results right off the bat!

Best of luck,

Bill

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=0c-5ZYUAk6A

Thanks Bill!

I wanted to throw out another question to you folks,

I was talking to my buddy you is a big auto modeler and I mentioned using future or a gloss coat on armor and he mentioned would I want to do that on armor because it might get too shiney??

Is this the rout I should go? Is there a semi gloss or something that would be a better fit?

Thanks again guys for all your help!

Future or any gloss coat is used to prepare the model for decaling and weathering. Once that process is complete, the final step is to apply a matt finish so not to worry.

If you plan to use Vallejo acrilic wash, you can use it without fear over fully dried acrilic paint or acrilic clear coat. For me, satin clear coat works best. It is glossy enough to let washes get in all the places it needs to get and has enough grip to allow smearing effects.
However, if you are in process of learning, I would suggest that you start your wash learning process with oil based washes. They are drying slower, giving you more time to clean errors. And if not happy with results, you just clean it with white spirit and start over.

First, what's your subject and where is it ?

Desert? Russia in the dead of winter? Pacific island?

All of these climates impart a different look to the vehicles used there.

What are you weathering? Tanks, trucks, planes? All will look different because of their respective tasks.

Research will go a long way. A Panzer III G in 1941 Libya will look vastly different from a Panzer III N in 1943 Tunisia. Both are in "North Africa" but the climates and the time period differ greatly.

A USMC, M4A3 on Iwo Jima in 1945 will not resemble a US Army, M4A3 in Germany, in 1945, at all.

I guess I am just looking to do my first tank and make it look somewhat realistic, not to spec. Just didn't know if future was going to be to glossy for Armor.