Another step ... but sorry .... not the last!!!!

Why not to try a new product? In this case, I used AK Interactive´s enamel Africa´s dust (AK22) instead Tamiya´s enamel because I felt that the yellowish dust of this product will suit perfectly to the Kitty. If you have not this product, you can also use Tamiya´s enamel paint to do it using buff, white and a little bit of desert yellow.

This technique is used by many modellers and the results are really awesome for me. But you must be strong and have faith on your hands, as the intermediate steps of this technique are . how to say this . difficult to assimilate if you have not clear the final look of the tank finished.

I directly airbrushed the product from the bottle without problems.

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Now, using AK´s thinner, I started to remove the applied dust to my taste. I just waited 15 minutes and then, using a brush, I cleaned the kit in the desired areas. Even next day I was able to do this because the enamel´s nature of the AK´s product. I must say that I´m happy this the product, easy to apply and easy to remove with a tasty colour for me. What else?

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Once the base dust colour shapes are OK for me, I applied a nice coat of matt varnish (Marabu) to seal the dust and to avoid any damage from further steps.

Once dry, a pair of days, be patience, I add some dirt details here and there using acrylic paints. I always use the same colours for this: black, dark mud and buff. Mixing them I got a nice dirt colour series. I added water a lot of water to the mix to ensure that the desired effects are subtle and if I want a more intense effect, I have just to pass with the brush more times, that ´s all!

So, using these colours, I made different contrast in the dust for a more attractive look. Important in this step. The dust on a kit makes it looks how to say diffuse, smashed potatoes . undefined . Excuse me for my lack of English!. The dust makes all the details to disappear. So, we have to help the kit with some washes here and there. For me, a kit without depth in the details is a fool! I made the washes using the darkest mixes of the acrylic paint.

So, finally, I think that I managed to return to a highly contrasted Kitty even with dust

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I PROMISE that the next post ... will be the last!!!!!

Thanks for looking!!!!

We want more posts like that !

Very instructing Jose Luis, tks

.... thank you for your kind words!!

Thanks for posting these, it's been a great tutorial and I hope to try some of the techniques you've shown.

The cat looks terrific

Cheers

Calum

My Blog http://mainly-modelling.blogspot.com.au
My web site http://a4-alley.x90x.net/

I´ll be very pleased if this SbS is useful for you!

Hi Jose Luis!

I always loved the way you apply dust to you models so this SBS is a gem for me!

I have to try your way mixing airbrused enamels with bruspainted acrylics!

And yes, you are rigth. I also agree that to apply dust is, perhaps, the most tricky wheatering step for many of us. Most probably because is the last stage on the wheatering.

One Q: Why did you apply a matt coat after the enamels? The finish is matt already and following layer of acrylics does not affect the previous enamel one. I´m afraid I´m missing something here.

Superb work!

Regards!
Alvaro

Thank you for your kind words Alvaro! I really encourage you to try enamels to make dust!

Why matt varnish? .... a complex reply!

I´m a very instinctive and visceral modeler. I exactly know (80-90%) the final look of my kits. But I usually do not know exactly the way to achieve that look. I´ve not a standard method for painting or weathering all my kits, I´m far from a methodic way of painting!. And your question is the example.

Once the AK ´s dust was on place, theoretically I´d add a mix of oils and enamel paints to get the desired depth and tones in the dust. So, the logical step was to protect the dust with varnish. And I did it. In this way, there´s no risk to remove accidentally the applied dust or spoil the shape of the dust.

But suddenly I tough can I do this with acrylics? An stupid, fast, illogical, visceral question. For vertical lines are more controllable than oils and highly thinned, they also work on horizontal plates. So, why not?, I changed the idea and used the acrylic colors. So, you´re right and the matt varnish was unnecessary.

Buuuuuutttt . As I´ll add some pigments here and there (to create a little bit texture) and I´ll fix them with thinner after all, that varnish coat will be useful to protect the dust!

And . also, once I add the dry mud on the wheels, probably I´ll feel that a little more of dust and dirt is necessary on the kit (fenders, engine grills) or not . so, that matt varnish will be useful in one way or another as I´ll probably use enamel paint or oils!

Regards!

Good explanations Jose!

I find myself in your words and couldn´t describe it any better:

"... I´m far from a methodic way of painting!"

Well said and I hope to see some more pics soon, as they are very educative!

Cheers

Gunnar

http://www.modellbaufreunde-siegen.de/index.html

No way! I need more! This thread is highly addictive.
What about a SBS about the building of the ambientation? Please...

You have used AK´s odourless thinner to remove the dust wash. Do you think that AK´s white spirit will also work for that? I don´t know the difference between them.

Un abrazo, JL.

Q

http://dqscaleworks.blogspot.com/

Many thanks for your support Mr Q!

Frankly speaking ... I´m a little bit exahusted and saturated with this SBS ..... ! My imagination dreams about making a little vignette, but my forces are decreasing day by day.....

Regarding your question .... ejem, ejem ... AK odourless thinner was the ONLY thinner from AK I had at home, I just said a little pray for it to work as Tamiya´s thinner (blue cap) works on enamel paints! No idea if White Spirit would be more or less useful for this task.... sorry!

Otro abrazo para ti, Mr Q

Jose, I would just like to offer a very sincere "Thank You" for sharing your work with us all. The SBS is quite an eye opener and it is obvious that you have put a tremendous amount of work, sweat and tear's into this whole project including making the SBS series. Dig for those extra reserves and finish mining this gem

Best regards

Paul

Thank you for your nice words Paul ... but, belive me ... hot and modelling are not good friends! Anyway, I hope to finish this one this week ...!

Regards

Thanks!! .... soon, the finished Kitty!