Disney Green Weathering How-To Building Nautilus Models View previous topic :: View next topic Author MannyCAM Message Posted: 01 Feb 2007 09:45 am How-To Post subject: Disney Green Weathering Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 167 Location: Tampa, Florida Hi fellow leaguers, As mentioned in my previous thread the following is a way of weathering your Nautilus. Although there are many approaches to this subject matter. I am documenting the steps I took in weathering the Nautilus. The first thing of course is a base coat of choice. It's good practice to prime coat before applying the base but I simply made sure the model was clean and that most of the sanding was done with care and attention. The very first thing is to mix up a much diluted batch of titanium white acrylic paint. These I bought at my local Walmart. Being an artist I use only the primaries in most cases to mix the various colors. However this set had the sienna brown I used for rusting. For blacks I used the brown and dark blue the set brought. So mix the white in a very much diluted state using a rag to soak up any excess from the brush. You don't want it dripping from the brush simply watered down to start applying the layer to the base coat. Apply in lightly in circular patterns, get jiggy with it, this will take you back to your childhood..lol. Keep the pattern within the immediate hull plate you're working on. Leave a small margin between the rivets and the pattern your applying. In other words don't take the white right up to the rivets. At first it may seem a bit time consuming but trust me as you paint a few of the plates you will begin to feel comfortable applying this step. Don't be afraid to make tiny squiggling in the white this adds character to your Nautilus, kinda like an artist's signature, these little things are usually either overlooked when someone is trying to duplicate an artist's style or simply can not be achieved exactly the same. One of if not the best Fantasy artist of our time was Frank Frazetta, a style that was copied but never duplicated exactly. So let things happen when weathering your Nautilus, it may not look right at first but it will come together as you apply the next few steps. You may need to either reapply a layer over your white or simply tone it down as you are applying it. Always have a rag handy to do this. Acrylics dry very fast, so make plenty of white to last in an airtight container so you won't have to keep mixing it up. About a 1/4" bead of paint to about a 3/4 small cup full of water, as the one pictured here. Put the water in first then squeeze the paint into the small cup. You can either mix it with a brush or shake it for a few seconds. Make sure you cover it first of course. These I bought at a local art supply. The small lids snap shut. Even after shaking as time passes the paint will slowly fall to the bottom so remember the next you dip your brush in the mixture or you will end up with a big blob on your hull. The secret to this process is mixing with the brush, rotating the brush slowly as if you were sharpening the head or tip of the brush against the bottom of the small container, then with the rag soaking up any excess of the brush before applying. Even if you run out of the wet solution while applying it the surface, don't forget that dry brushing is also used in this painting method. And here you see the plates that are finished and the ones still needing this process. After applying the white to each panel, the next step is the black application. This step adds dimension to each panel and makes them appear like separate plates fastened to the hull. Again using these 2 colors you can achieve the black needed for this phase of weathering. Mix in equal parts but test the color first. Remember extremely watered down more or less like the white we mixed earlier. An inky consistency very transparent. Apply it over the rivet heads shading each plate a bit. Remember using your finger when needed to blend it slightly. Apply the same black in the water outlets as well. You want for the black to fall into all of the tiny crevices and edges to give the model depth. Just use common sense for adding this mix to your model. Think of it as a photograph any dark area in your photo will get this black treatment. Now you don't want straight black from a tube. In the art world we make our own blacks according to the colors we're using. So again, this black was made from blue and brown. For a brown colored model you would only use a dark blue for the black areas. Now for the rust. We continue with the application of the rust in a watered down form. Apply the layer to the top edges of the panels following with a light layer over the black which was applied earlier. You can also streak the panels slightly, working in a downward motion, very lightly, as if it was dripping from the top deck down. Work some of the mixture into the water outlets, applying it slightly heavier in this region. Follow the contours around the outlets as well. Sea water is constantly exiting through this area, so consequently this would be a heavily rusted area. Next is the heavier rust application with much less water. But not too thick, you want it the consistency of ink, to be able to draw tiny streaks down the panels at the very edge working downward again. Also the vent openings around the edges once again. Rust is fun to add but don't be overly confident since you can easily add too much. Once the brush appears to have no paint left, continue brushing in a dry brush style over all of the panels as if you were adding a glaze over some baked ham. DO NOT COMPLETELY COVER THE BLEACHED AREAS with to much rust, only enhance each panel with some color. Run some rust along the deck edge as well. Remember your finger can help in softening areas which are applied to heavy but do it quick since these paints do dry rather quickly. Sit back and scrutinize your work looking for areas that may need some balance. Gold is the final step but be forewarned this can be very very tricky, it only takes a small amount to add the metallic look we're looking for. So use it sparingly. Apply it ever so lightly to the very edge of the deck running the full length. Here You should use your finger to tone it down as soon as you apply it. This step again is to be done very sparingly. You only want a slight shimmer when it catches the light. It will not be totally apparent until the light hits it so use plenty of ambient light to really see the effect. You can also add some to the rivets on some of the panels. How many you do is up to you. But I've noticed that just a few give off the illusion that all of them are done. The last thing to do is a less watered down white for some streaking of the finished panels, very thing tiny streaks will do the job. You should have some great effects after following this series. The last thing to do is a less watered down white for some streaking of the finished panels, very thin tiny streaks will do the job. Again downward strokes. You should have some great effects after following this series. I've really enjoyed being able to share these tips with my fellow leaguers and since we are small community in the world wide sense we should stick together. All right shipmates? Regards, Manny _________________ "We don't stop playing, because we grow old...we grow old, because we stop playing" Manuel delaPena jr "MannyCAM" Back to top Building Nautilus Models Watch this topic for replies You can moderate this forum Jump to: Building Nautilus Models Go to Administration Panel Go