In a bit of a bind here. Two questions....

Just finished building a Tamiya Abrams and will be painting with the recommended Tamiya primer, top coat, and the decals sandwiched between two coats of Tamiya clear.

After that I'd like to use the dot filter method, but can I use that on top of enamel paints? Won't the thinner eat at the paint?

Also, I accidentally purchased watercolor tube paints instead of oils (grrr) but I was thinking, maybe that will work better since it's over an enamel base layer? Can you do the dot filter method with watercolors, or oils only?

I'm sure others here can give you a better answer but here are some thoughts.

1. Make sure the base coat and clear coats are cured/dry. I usually wait at least 72hrs/3days before moving onto the next phase.

2. "Won't the thinner eat at the paint?"...the key here is not to overuse the thinner, use as little as possible. Dot-filtering requires applying a heavy coat of thinner which is why I don't use this method and lack of control also.

Check this intro article, this is the method I use to weather my projects. Oil Paint Rendering - an Introduction

3. I have never used tube watercolors so I'm not use how they will react. So definitely test them on a practice model.

I have used water mixable oils like the one below and they work just great...

[/url]

The below kit was a practice only kit that I used the water mixable oils on...
[/url]

Hope this helps and good luck

I generally use Turpenoid Light with dot filters-- it won't eat through Tamiya Acrylic lacquers or enamels. Other folks I know use Mona Lisa or other brands of Turpentine. Don't use enamel thinners or commercial thinners like Paint Thinner found in hardware stores, these will indeed eat through most paints. The water color paints you accidentally purchased will likely "pool" on the surface since the "tension" of the water at the molecular level will be repelled by the hard paint finish below-- which may cause unwanted water staining. Hope this helps.
VR, Russ

Thank you, this is very helpful. Sounds like I need to get oils and a less aggressive "thinner."

I usually seal everything with a coat of Future and then dot filter with oils and hardware store "Kleen Strip" brand mineral spirits. The mineral spirits are not as hot as paint thinner or lacquer thinner. In my experience, as long as you don't apply the brush too hard, the Future is quite resistant to the mineral spirits and the gloss surface facilitates the blending of the oils. I have also used this technique with Testors Acryl gloss clear and I found that it is also quite resistant to the mineral spirits. I have also used this technique for streaking effects. Basically, I have found that you can pretty much put acrylics over thinner based paints and thinner based paints over acrylics without adverse reaction. Just be sure to let everything dry properly between applications. Test it out first of course. What works for one guy might not work for the next.
As far as using watercolors for dot filtering, I think Russ is right. The water will most likely pool up on the surface, especially if it is applied over a gloss coat. Nothing says you can't experiment with it though. You never know, you might come up with the next most popular technique.
Happy modeling,
Andrew

Hi, Samuel!

I HATE AND DETEST OILS, and I NEVER use them. GRRRR!!! is RIGHT!!!

Personally, I HATE overall washes, too! I ONLY use "FUTURE" on my 1/48 aircraft models' canopies and "plexi-glass", and on my 1/24-1/25 Classic Cars' "glass" parts, in order to make them "clearer". Generally, I use the "dip-bath"-method... (It works!)

Other modelers on this site have complained that "FUTURE" has had negative effects on their modeling projects during their various painting processes. I just stay away from the stuff, excepting my own uses for it as I briefly mentioned above.

Overall washes can RUIN an otherwise perfectly-assembled, detailed and painted model in a BIG, FAT HURRY. Many modelers on this site, (and myself) have suffered the consequences of using overall washes because one or more of their paint mediums interacted in VERY ADVERSE ways... Again, "GRRRR!!!"

The ONLY washes that I will EVER use are "pin-washes" in the recesses of panel-lines and such. Period...

BOTH Eric and Russ have very valid, tried and tested methods of using their own processes- I may even TRY them myself...

My OWN process is to use TESTORS MODEL MASTER II Enamels and Thinners for nearly ALL of my painting needs. On the occasions that I use MM II "Metalizer" Lacquers, such as on my 1/48 aircraft in "Natural Aluminum" applications, (and sometimes, TAMIYA Spray Lacquers). Of course, I will ONLY use MM II Lacquer thinners with my MM II Lacquers, and TAMIYA Lacquer Thinners with my TAMIYA Lacquers. IMO, AUTOMOTIVE Lacquer thinners are too "hot" for styrene plastic and ANY kind of model paint, whether they are Acrylics, Enamels, or Lacquers. I just DON'T DO IT... Others may, and SOMETIMES, they live to regret it...

So, what do I do to achieve my "special effects"..? I use my airbrushes, using my own process of pre-and-post-shading", and my very wide array of Artists' Pastel Chalks, (NOT the waxy kind), which I will apply with Red Sable Brushes of varying, "00000"-to-0" sizes. The expensive brushes pay for themselves, as the "cheap" brushes wear out too quickly, ESPECIALLY when applying the "abrasive" pastel chalks, and when "dry-brushing".

Once I've airbrushed my base-coat of paint, I will "post-shade" with one of my airbrushes. (I keep four of them ready to use). Once my "post-shading" is done and has thoroughly dried, I will airbrush Clear Gloss ONLY on the area(s) that I will apply my decals- NEVER OVERALL. I apply my decals, and then, after the decals have thoroughly set and dried, I will seal the model OVERALL with TESTORS CLEAR Lusterless (Flat) 1960. Once THIS has dried, for 2-3 days (48-72 hrs) as my Friends Eric and Russ have suggested in their posts, ONLY THEN will I start my "weathering" processes...

The chalk pastels come in a much wider range of colors than "weathering powders", and they are made of the same composition as the "weathering powders, AND they are cheaper, to boot. These are available in, or from any reputable artists' supply shop. I can use the varying colors of these chalks for ANY application, i.e, my 1/35 Armor, AFVs and Soft-skins, Figures, (1/48-120mm), my 1/48 Aircraft, my 1/24-1/25 Classic Autos, and my "high-end" HO brass and multi-media "Steam-Era" Locomotives and Trains. Besides which, one has MUCH BETTER CONTROL of a brush lightly loaded with a dry pastel chalk, than one has with a messy "wash and dot-filter method". I like to "layer" my applications of these pastel chalks, starting with the dark "shadow-effects" in the recesses, areas that are always "in-shadow", such as underneath Main Gun barrels for example, Gun Mantlets, underneath or on the lower edges of stowage, etc. Place your subject under a lit table lamp, and see where the shadows fall- That's the best method that I've found in order to simulate NATURAL "shadow-effects". I will then move on to the "oil and fuel stains" and "rust-streaks", (If any- Be careful with rust; you'll want your vehicle to look used, not as if it were parked in the ocean for 20 years! ), and caked-on dirt, mud and dust. "DUST", I will apply with my airbrushes, ONLY...

I got my first airbrush, a "cheapie" BADGER "Beginners' Airbrush Set", back in 1967, when I was 14 years old. After a couple of years' experience with THAT toy, I graduated to my 3 PAASCHE H-5 airbrushes, and a bit later, I bought my BADGER 200 and my Badger 200G Gravity-Feed, with an Ultra-Fine Needle... I can do ANYTHING with my much cheaper and "old-fashioned", ANCIENT Single-Action airbrushes that the guys with those overly-expensive Duals can do, and THEN SOME... I've been called a "simpleton" in so many words, on this site by a certain "few" people because of my "somewhat archaic" methods... Well you know what?

EXPERIENCE is the great delineator, NOT how fancy or expensive any given airbrush, or modeling method may be...

Once I've applied my "weathering chalks", I will seal OVERALL once again with my TESTORS Lusterless Flat- Hold on, I'm not done yet!

The "trick" to sealing is really no "trick", at all!

The proper way to use ANY sealer which you may choose for your own uses, is to "DUST" the sealer on, NEVER using a sustained spray. "Clears", whether they are "FLAT", or "SEMI-GLOSS/FLAT/MATTE-whatever", OR "GLOSS", have more of a tendency to run than "regular paints" do; that's why you have to go "light" with them. Once this sealer has dried, I will inspect the model to see whether/where I need to do any "correcting" and/or re-application of the "lighter" colors of pastel chalks. If not, THAT'S when I STOP the "weathering". My MOST important rule in my style of "model-weathering" is:

"LESS IS MORE"...

That's what I learned from reading and carefully observing what the "Late, Great" Shepard Paine did in the modeling brochures he used to compile for MONOGRAM MODELS way back in the 1970s...

Through experience, I've learned that "under-doing it" is ALWAYS BETTER than "OVER-DOING IT"...

Even though you will in all likelihood decide not to try my style of "weathering" your model this time around, you MAY want to try it at a later time. Try it on a "junker", first. Let me know if you ever do try it, and I will be happy to help you out, should you have any questions...

Andrew likes using "FUTURE" in his process; MORE POWER TO HIM- I can't fault him for it. Rather, I'm HAPPY for him and I hope that he has good luck with it in all of his modeling efforts...

GOOD LUCK with ANY of the suggestions which the other modelers in this thread and myself have put forward for you!