How to make plastic look like wood?

[SpencerC]

This guy did a great job on his cutty sark, I understand it was probably done with several washes but what would the colors be and how would you make a wood grain?

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/image/4960-img-1634/

[NenadM]

Long ago on some cheap plastic model I use gold color as base, and when it dry, with half-dry paintbrush light slightly and gently touch it , leaving little lines of darknes. It was small model ( 25 cm) and it looks well

 

In large models I am not sure, try this on plastic scratch 

[SpencerC]

What color did u do with the paintbrush just brown?

[wefalck]

You may want to have a look at my thread: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/68-zuiderzee-botter-by-wefalck-artitec-resin/page-3.

 

wefalck

[Ulises Victoria]

Hello. I just posted some photos of my Santa Maria in other thread. Is something like this what you are looking for?

This is Heller's 1/75 SM kit.

[riverboat]

Beautiful! job Ulises....... very realistic looking... I'm sure Spencer will want to know how you did that ...... me too!!!

Frank

[SpencerC]

Wow ulises outstanding yes how did you accomplish this?

[amateur]

Yes, please, tell......

 

Jan

[Ulises Victoria]

OK a few more examples.

First remember that wood wears to clear.

If I remember correctly, On the Santa María I first applied a coat of light wood color, then over it, a coat of acrylic darker color. Then using a cotton swab, very lightly moisten in alcohol, rubbed the darker color off. On the decks, a very light coat of clearer brown color using the dry brush technique, where traffic or rubbing of things was evident.

Using the dry brush technique with different shades of colors gives the appearance of uneven wear and dirt, which is what you are looking for.Use clear where you want wear, and darker where you want dirt. For the rust in the anchors, Micro-Mark sells several kits to simulate this.

 

In the pistols I used a more orange-ish color as the base. Then dry brush darker colors where you want to see dirt or clearer colors where you want to see wear. Brown india ink is great to simulate streaks, just brush it until it starts to dry, using a toothbrush or thick bristles brush. Even things out with a swab very lightly moisten in alcohol.

 

I spent many years trying to imitate wood on plastic. When a friend of mine, which I consider a Guru in plastic modeling, asked me if what he was seeing was wood or plastic, that's when I decided that my mission was accomplished, and started building actual wood models.

 

Thank you all for your interest. I just give you above a few guidelines. It's impossible to tell exactly all the process as every thing is different. Experiment! You will see results. 

Edited October 22, 2013 by Ulises Victoria

[amateur]

I often come across teh term 'dry brush'.

Can you elaborate a little bit?

 

Jan

[NenadM]

And dont forget there are to bye weathering colors to make thing older

[Ulises Victoria]

I often come across teh term 'dry brush'.

Can you elaborate a little bit?

 

Jan

Dry brush is a technique where you dip the brush in paint, and then pass it over and over on a paper towel until you see that the brush leaves no more paint on the paper. You then start passing that "dry Brush" over the area you want to enhance. At first you see nothing happening, but as you keep doing it, you will start seeing a very thin layer of paint to appear. This is useful especially when trying to enhance raised details. The most common mistake people make when applying weathering with the dry brush, is that they start seeing some results, and think that by doing it more it will improve. WRONG!!! The secret is to stop when you start seeing results. Here less is better. Weathering applied with dry brush has to be "perceived" not seen, although exceptions exist, obviously. The "metal" in the revolver above, is accomplished by painting with flat black and then dry brush lightly with silver or aluminum paint, putting a little bit more on edges and raised details.

Hope this helps.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Ulises Victoria

[Spaceman Spiff]

^What he said. There are many methods one can use to weather models. I also build plastic model airplanes and weather all of my models because I like to portray them in use and not factory fresh. I use an Iwata airbrush for painting and most weathering. For example, let's say I am building a P-47: I weather faded paint by first painting the base layer - in this case, I will be using olive drab as the base coat. After allowing the paint to dry for a day, I will mix in some yellow to "fade" the OD. I spray the center of the panels up to the edges blending, so that it is darker around the edges and lighter as it goes in. I also use washes and powders, too. I do a good bit of dry brushing as someone else said, but that really is just to make raised detailes pop. Of course, if you use a sealant (either flat or gloss) the look of the painted parts will change in appearance - so take that into account, also.

[Thanasis]

In previous MSW.com, a member with the name “Zarko” painter and modeller, (he might watching us here as well…) had presented an interesting method.

According to him, he used to apply over the model, a thin coat of “asphalt”, a product for car chassis protection. It is provided as a thick liquid, which after it has been dried, it's wiped and what remains gives the sense of wood surface.

I haven't tried it, I just post his method for further experimenting…

Thanks

 

 

[wefalck]

Actually, 'weathering' or whatever one may call this is quite simple. A basecoat of some creamy-yellowish colour (depending on how dark the 'wood' should be) applied by airbrush:

 

 

Over this apply washes of diluted acrylics 'burnt umbra':

 

 

This was the 'wood' part. To give the 'wood' a 'weathered' or worn look, white (for bleached areas and areas with salt stains) and black (general grime) pastels are applied with a bristle brush or a cotton stick ('Q-tip').

 

If you want to show areas where 'patina' has been worn off, e.g. at edges of heavily used parts, you may want to apply the dry brushing technique mentioned above. I use it with restraint, as it may make the look rather manieristic and exaggerated (which seems to be a certain style among plastic modellers).

 

wefalck

[AndyMech]

I'll ask the novice question then:  Can you give a description of how to apply a wash?  The previous description of dry-brushing was terrific, but how would one apply a wash to get the effect in those pictures?

 

Andy.

[wefalck]

A wash means, as the word indicates, a layer of diluted paint that does not fully cover the underlying layer of paint. Essentially it is a technique already used by the the Old Masters to create a feeling of depth in their oil paintings. It can by used in painting with acrylics too. You basically dilute the paint with water until it contains only a little pigment. How much dilution is difficult to describe, one has to experiment with. I sometimes use acrylics that are maint for airbrushing and apply these just with a brush. Normally paint to be applied with a brush has to be thicker, so the airbrush paints have a good consistency for 'washing'. An effect of 'washing' is also that the pigment accumulates in surface depressions (such as engraved lines) or in corners, which is or can be an intended effect: these areas are less worn and, therefore, accumulate more patina or dirt, so that they appear darker (assuming that one used a darker colour for the wash).

 

The 'washing' procedure can be repeated, once a previous layer is dry, which happens quite fast with acrylics. If you don't wait until the previous layer is dry, you may just wipe it off, when you go over the area again.

 

'Washing' does not work, when the solvent in the paint easily dissolves underlying layers of paint. So one has to be cautious when using organic solvent-based paints, such as enamels.

 

Many people use (artists) oil-paint washes over acrylics. Because their pigment is very finely ground, they make good washes. When using oil-paints, one has to wait until they have dried, before applying the next layer of wash, which can be a long-winded process. Though, oil-paints are based on using organic solvents, the drying process in reality is an oxidation process, so that they are not easily re-dissolved by applying the next wash.

 

I am also using inks (which by definition usually do not contain pigments, but dyes, i.e. organic coloured compounds), but if these inks are not 'permanent', i.e. water proof after drying, each wash needs to be protected by light layer of varnish, applied either by airbrush or with a spray can. Sepia ink makes for a good wash.

 

I hope this explained the procedure a bit.

 

wefalck

Edited October 23, 2013 by wefalck

[riverboat]

 To all of the above..... very, very, nice!!.... Thank You

Frank

[Hyposphagma]

I kindly refer to my Santa Maria here in the forum. 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/886-santa-maria-by-hyposphagma-revell-plastic-scale-196/?hl=%2Bsanta+%2Bmaria

 

Or maybe this site helps more. :-)

 

http://www.uschivdr.com

[rwiederrich]

I tend to use light washes to depict highly sun bleached areas and I use India Inks diluted in Isypropal alcohol as my general wash.  Either painted on or sprayed on(for larger coverage)..I then Use powders...namely cerium oxide..to highlight and to create the bleached weathered look you get from water exposure.  It is easily applied and usually dry-brushed on.  You can then spray on dull coat to seal if wanted.

 

Using black, brown, red India ink singularly or in mixed quanitities.....does the trick.  Always use pure isypropal alcohol...not denatured.  Once evaporated you're left with a super detailed weathering.  Reapply if necessary.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Here are all three techniques being used.  India ink wash, dry-brushing, and dusting.

[rwiederrich]

Comparing the model to the actual ship(In picture) lets you know the extent of the weathering needed)

[amateur]

I also llike your water!

 

Jan

[WackoWolf]

rwiederrich,

 

   I like very much you way of doing it and the comparing it to the picture to see how much more you need to do. The water came out excellent. Thank you very much for showing this to all of us.

[rwiederrich]

Thanks everyone.  Picking a model that needs heavy weathering is tricky...cuz you can go over board in a hurry.  As far as the water...that was done by first cutting out a piece of plexi glass to fit the hull into...then damming up the edges and pouring in colored epoxy..which was teased as it set...tom create the uneven surface.  Then a wash of color was added to the underneath to bring out the backwater look and to mimic a sludge laden surface.  Many backwater ports have lots of sea growth and marine life inhabiting the calm water....Then the sea bottom was modeled and current artifacts added along with junk dumped over board.   Lots of stuff to model to bring the entirety of the scene alive.

[wefalck]

Hhmm, mixing Plexiglas with epoxi resin is calling for trouble in the longer term. The curing resin will induce corrossion cracks in the Plexiglas due heat released. These cracks may develop around the cut-out ship-form in a few years probably. It is better to use same acrylic monomer from which the Plexiglas was made, or artists' acrylic gels.

 

wefalck

[rwiederrich]

I didn't use exothermic epoxy..I used an epoxy that creates little heat.....and ample release or stress release areas were created between the hull and plexy and outer framing of the water and the plexy...these areas were then filled with polysulfide to act like shock absorbers.  It was finished over 6 months ago and no cracks or separation has occurred.

 

Thanks for noticing...

 

Rob

Edited October 28, 2013 by rwiederrich

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

I have found this link very helpful.

 

The technic they show for simulating wood is simple and effective

 

http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/hintsandtips

[ronald305]

fine looking photos but what is the techinque for getting a wood grain deck for example the USS Connstitution

    I head about scoring the deck after the paint is applied but are other ways to get a wood grain effect with out

     using real wood planks thank you

                                Ronald

[Ray1981]

A wash means, as the word indicates, a layer of diluted paint that does not fully cover the underlying layer of paint. Essentially it is a technique already used by the the Old Masters to create a feeling of depth in their oil paintings. It can by used in painting with acrylics too. You basically dilute the paint with water until it contains only a little pigment. How much dilution is difficult to describe, one has to experiment with. I sometimes use acrylics that are maint for airbrushing and apply these just with a brush. Normally paint to be applied with a brush has to be thicker, so the airbrush paints have a good consistency for 'washing'. An effect of 'washing' is also that the pigment accumulates in surface depressions (such as engraved lines) or in corners, which is or can be an intended effect: these areas are less worn and, therefore, accumulate more patina or dirt, so that they appear darker (assuming that one used a darker colour for the wash).

 

The 'washing' procedure can be repeated, once a previous layer is dry, which happens quite fast with acrylics. If you don't wait until the previous layer is dry, you may just wipe it off, when you go over the area again.

 

'Washing' does not work, when the solvent in the paint easily dissolves underlying layers of paint. So one has to be cautious when using organic solvent-based paints, such as enamels.

 

Many people use (artists) oil-paint washes over acrylics. Because their pigment is very finely ground, they make good washes. When using oil-paints, one has to wait until they have dried, before applying the next layer of wash, which can be a long-winded process. Though, oil-paints are based on using organic solvents, the drying process in reality is an oxidation process, so that they are not easily re-dissolved by applying the next wash.

 

I am also using inks (which by definition usually do not contain pigments, but dyes, i.e. organic coloured compounds), but if these inks are not 'permanent', i.e. water proof after drying, each wash needs to be protected by light layer of varnish, applied either by airbrush or with a spray can. Sepia ink makes for a good wash.

 

I hope this explained the procedure a bit.

 

wefalck

 

 

Hello all,

 

These are some gret posts but im a bit overwhelmed with all these techniques. I will start soon with painting the deck of my HMS Bount from Revell. Theye wrote I should use the colour Sand Matt nr 16 (maybe the gurus know this colour by head). But when I look on pictures this is not the real effect im looking for. I think im looking more for the efect as Welfack shows on his pictures. Ok I understand im new and will not be able to make it as Welfack has done but I like to make an attempt.

 

Im using enamel paint from Revell as mentioned before I beleive/hope that with this paint this is possible as well. I looked also a bit further and saw some colours from Testors and I think Testors no 1120 would be a good first layer and than apply this dry brush technique with color with 1141 (light wood) this together with some white. But as I said im really new to this and im affraid to start with it and destroy my kit right away. Could anybody tell me if this is a good starting point or does it makes no sense what I described before.

 

I hope someone can help me a bit.

 

Are different brands of paint interchangeble?

 

And what about those weathering powders that are on the market are those helping?

 

Sorry for all those rookie questions 

 

thanks inadvance 

Ray