how do you make the pants of the uniform look wet when figures are situated in water say up to the knee or so? thanks

Hey David, welcome to Armorama. Wet... well i would use a gloss clear coat, this would give it that wet look. You also can use a matt finnish, just add a drop or two of the gloss so that it's not as shinny. I only did this once with good results, mix and play till you get the shine your looking for. Good luck.

remember to make the wet parts of the uniform a slightly darker colour.

And for the gloss finish use Future floor finish.Can't go wrong and very forgiving when it is.......... :-)

Not to be contrary to others suggestions, but I wouldn't use gloss coat at all. Of course I say that assuming you are referring to cloth pants. If you are talking about rubber or vinyl type pants, then they would take on a shiney appearance. Cotton or wool pants however, would only look darker, not shinier.

I think the best way to achieve this would be to paint the pants darker where they are wet, and then put a couple small dark spots higher up on the leg to indicate that the water splashed up onto the pants. To get a good feel for how different things look wet and dry, just take a piece of cloth or a shirt and get a part of it wet. Sometimes it helps to see the real deal in order to know how to replicate it.

To see a great example, check out the TARAWA diorama by Sam Garcia. I think he nailed it.

http://miniaturesbygarcia.com/ADIORAMAS%203.html

John

I agree with John.....
Take a towel, or pair of pants, and dip them in some water, they get darker, but not glossy...... I didn't even get a shine when I shined a flashlight on them.
Saul did a great job..... Thanks for the link John.

I agree with John, cloth should not be shiny. If you are talking boots and, depending on what it's made of, other types of equipment (or vehicles) I would make it shiny! Think about it this way, things that absorb water should be darker and things where the water stays on the surface should be made shiny.

regards,
Steen

Would a darker wash work? what about for on camo patterns?

i tottaly agree with everyone, i am not sure what kind of pose your figure is going to have whether he is standing, waling, running, etc, but if you want to even further your wet look, you can also put water marks on the groud around the figure, as if he has been standing there for a while and has dripped. but again this all dpends on how wet the figure is, and how long he has been standing there

matt

http://miniaturesbygarcia.com/ADIORAMAS%203.html
check out the iwo jima dio and then the pic of the guy in water, some nice work.

id stick to to johns advice about makign it darker not shinier

Frank