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SKIN & FACES
The cartoon `five o clock shadow is an excellent visualization of facial
weathering. Do this by painting a flesh and black mixture (make the shade
darkish grey) around the upper lip, jaw and chin. Lighten by adding more flesh
to the next highlight and a little white in a final touch to the highest spots. Avoid
using a pure black and white mixture as it looks too stark and the contrast is
extreme against the warmer flesh colours of the face.
An occasional scar on the upper cheek can be painted in using a 000 or 0000
brush. Make the colour of the scar deep red as a bright red will not contrast well
with the flesh.
If you are particularly fixated by making you miniatures appear `theatre specific
then paint tropical climate serving Americans and Northern Europeans in a flesh
tone one shade darker than you would normally to simulate the effect of the
sun. Equally you may paint `winter soldiers with slightly greyer or paler
complexions. The answer to the next question is YES, embarrassingly I have
done this in the past but I wont be making a habit of it.
CLOTHING
THE `DUSTY LOOK
On my figures this is the commonest and easiest to achieve weathering effect.
Finish painting the figure as you normally would. Take a fairly coarse or old
brush which is either flat or has definitely lost its point and the bristles are
somewhat splayed. Pick up some darkish base colour such as Flat Earth,
English Uniform or Olive Drab on the brush but wipe most of it off with a tissue.
Make sure the paint is reasonably thick and not runny, also ensure the paint is
absolutely 100% matt. The brush should not be wet when you do this. Pull this
brush across coat hems and lower areas of boots or trousers. This leaves
uneven patches of the paint in a random fashion. Next, use a shade such as
Vallejo Medium Flesh, Workshop Bronzed Flesh or similar. Drybrush lightly
across the same areas. The effect with be immediately apparent. If you wish,
add a little white to the mid colour and gently drybrush only the extreme relief
areas. Boots may need abalck or dark brown wash over the very tops or
bottoms to restore definition.
CLOTHING
THE `MUDSPATTERED LOOK
This method follows an almost identical process to the `DUSTY look. The
biggest difference is that it should be done in reverse. Fresh mud is always
darker than dried mud. Follow steps 1 & 2 for the `DUSTY process but instead
of a final highlight choose a deeper darker shade. A rich brown or red brown
can give a nice effect. On vehicles a slightly glossy shade could be applied to
simulate wetness. This technique is slightly trickier than the `DUSTY look and
may need a little practice. Be careful not to over do it and be patient.
CLOTHING
THE `FADED & PATCHED CAMPAIGN LOOK
On campaign it doesnt take long to find out which manufacturers cut corners.
Uniforms fade, rip and fall apart. Alternative clothing is found, scavenged or
looted. The most obvious painting technique is to vary the shades of the primary
colour of the unit. British Redcoats with shade variations running from brick red
or pink to deep or bright red are a good example. Leg wear in different colours
adds to the effect, so the same redcoats have trousers of light or dark grey,
white, crme, buff or even brown. Patches can be added by marking a regular
shape: circle, oval, square, oblong, triangle in a dark colour (try and avoid pure
Black). These patches should be positioned in the traditional places such as
elbows, knees, backside or less usual places. Paint just inside the limits of the
box leaving an inconspicuous but distinct dark line to mark the edges of the
patch. Inside the boundary chose a contrasting colour or even a pattern (red
and white striped ticking is a good choice).
Another trick is to deliberately paint the entire unit is a very subdued shade of
the ordinary uniform colour. Yet another is to make all aspects of the uniform
which are normally dark, light and vice versa. Brilliant white webbing and cross
belts should be changed to offwhite, pale yellow or buff or even speckled with
darker earth colours.
Equipment and packs can be finished in unusual colours and leather cartridge
pouches which are normally black can have the edges brushed in red brown or
pale brown to simulate wear.
Vary headgear by having some figures with hats and some bareheaded.
Bandage heads using small strips of paper. If working in a period where a
variety of headgear was issued and available (Napoleonic/WW2) mix it in one
unit. Make standards which have torn edges, pieces missing or are faded or
shot through.
Field signs like armbands, rags etc can be painted on or quickly made with thin
paper.
Some references on this site
Gallery Sections:
GNW: Swedish Army; close up shots of infantry and cavalry units
Wof LoA: Unit close ups;various
Crimea: Various units particularly Allied: French & Turkish
WW2 : Early, Middle & Late War German
