Weathering powders, dry and mixed into washes

[James88]

Hi all, 

 

I've been hugely impressed by the feedback and tips that I've got in the under a week I've been on here.

 

Just a quick one that might already have been answered in the past. I am looking at uses weathering powders that I can mix into washes or apply dry to help make my models look more realistic, this will be of benefit to a 1/72 Chinook that I have on the go that I want to make it look like it has been out in Afghanistan. I have found photos online of a very dusty RAF Chinook that I am going to try and emulate. As I have never used the weather powders before, am I best to gloss the model post painting as if it were being readied for decals to apply the powders/wash or is it best to apply them pre-decal gloss? Hope that makes sense!

 

Thanks in advance, 

James

[Ray_W]

Short Answer

 

Complete painting and decals and clear coat. Apply washes after gloss coat. Apply weathering powders after finish flat coat. 

 

Slightly Longer Answer

 

For aircraft dust effects, I would, typically, create these with the airbrush and/or a wash. The wash will usually be applied over a clear gloss coat. The gloss coat allows easy wash application, getting it to flow (say panel line pin wash) and assists removal to get the desired effect. You can leave a thin coat of the wash to act as a filter altering the appearance of the base colour - like a dust effect. I use Tamiya/Gunze aqueous acrylics for base colours and, even though there are no issues with my preferred wash (enamel or artist's oils thinned with odourless thinners or naptha), I prefer a gloss coat to reduce the likelihood of mechanical damage to the colour coats and decals during the wash application and removal. If a weathering powder is to be applied, it will usually come after a flat coat. I tend to use powders/pigments near the end of the build for a targeted effect e.g. dusted tyres, possibly exhaust stains, although I do prefer the  airbrush for the latter. I can see a powder replicating a dust effect applying dry to the finished flat coat.

 

It is a different matter with AFV builds. Then I will be using enamel thinners and washes as binders for the powders/pigments typically recreating soil and dust effects. Sometimes onto a flat coat to get good binding or sometimes on gloss to manage removal and limit staining. Once dry the pigments can be removed or built on as needed. In AFV, pigments get heavy use.

 

I have used the words typically, usually, normally, sometimes, because there are whole suite of effects that can be created as to when you apply the wash and filters by changing these processes. The fun of discovery with these processes. Just ensure you have a good clear coat protecting your paint job and decals that does not react with your washes and errors are easily corrected.

 

Ray