Weathering

Written by Snord

What is weathering?

Weathering is like highlighting - an effect that's added to make your miniatures look more natural. In reality, any soldier or military vehicle quickly assumes a 'used and abused' appearance. Vehicles accumulate mud, dust rust and oil stains, weapons become worn, and armor becomes scratched and dirty. Military modelers almost invariably add weathering effects to their models. However, while highlighting is virtually the norm for wargaming models, weathering is more a matter of individual taste, because many people prefer their models to have a pristine appearance.

Why add weathering to a model?

Weathering puts the model in context, and adds drama to the subject. A pristine Space Marine is attractive, but a Marine with a few scratches and a little dirt on his feet suggests that the model has actually seen some combat. In the context of a science fantasy game, weathering can make otherwise unlikely looking models seem a little more real. It also adds a layer of interest to the models. It's important, however, to add weathering effects that are appropriate to the subject, and not to overdo them.

How do I weather a tank?

This tank has been given a weathered look.

Decide firstly how much you want to do. If your troops are relatively pristine, then you won't want your vehicles to look as though they've just driven through a mud bath, and you'll only want to use some of the techniques mentioned here. You'll need to master drybrushing before attempting any of this (more advanced modelers also do a lot of weathering using an airbrush).

The weathering begins after the basic painting is done (i.e. after you've primed it, basecoated it and done some basic highlighting) and after you've attached the decals. Give the model a thin wash of black. Then drybrush it with a slightly lighter version of the base colour. Some people won't want to go much further than this. Note that you should leave the tracks black at this stage.

Next, use either diluted bestial brown or chestnut ink and go back over the model adding rust to rivets and other fittings. Just add a dab to the rivet and it will pool around the side. Add some rust streaks down the side (make sure they start from a fitting, such as a hatch). The tracks require special attention - paint these bestial brown (rust) or an earthy colour (impacted mud). Heat rusts metal as well as moisture does, so the exhausts should be painted a rust color as well. Add some yellow to bestial brown for an orange shade.

Next, give the lower surfaces a heavy drybrush of a dark earthy colour (scorched brown or dark flesh). This represents mud or earth thrown up by the tank's tracks; it will be heavier around the rear of the model. Don't take this too far up the sides. Drybrush a lighter brown over the top - bubonic brown or snakebite leather are good. Take this further up the sides, but don't make it too heavy. The last step is to drybrush the whole model with bleached bone. If you only want a very lightly weathered look, then skip the other colours and just give it a drybrush of bleached bone.

Finally, drybrush some boltgun metal over the areas that would get a lot of wear - hatches, bulldozer blades, engine panels etc. Drybrush the tracks with boltgun metal, representing the rust/mud being worn off and exposing bare metal. You might want to add another wash of rust color over the tracks to bring out the worn metal effect.

In addition, an easy and fast way to create the 'chip paint' effect is to do simply that, manually chip it. In the above example, after I had airbrushed the mud around the tank I simply took a hobby knife and rubbed the model. Google tanks (or visit WW2 model forums) to see realistic areas that need attention. Usually, the simple way to determine areas is to simply visualize models interacting with the tank. Hatches opening/closing, handholds, side skirting rubbing against various terrain, etc.

How do I weather a skimmer?

Obviously, skimmers don't get as dirty as tanks. They would still get dusty and dirty flying around the battlefield - you'd be surprised how battered combat aircraft get. You can still use most of the techniques suggested for weathering tanks, but don't add the dirt effects. One effect you will notice on flying craft is fine horizontal streaks of rust and dirt - add these with a fine brush with almost no paint on it. They will start at an exhaust vent or other feature.

How do I weather a non-Marine miniature?

You can add a number of small weathering effects to a basic trooper from any army. Whether it's an Ork or a Guardsman, he'll have worn equipment and dirty boots. The most useful color for weathering is bleached bone. Use a small drybrush and gently drybrush the bone color across the tips of the boots, across the cuffs and knees, on the edges of the helmet, and on any equipment such as backpacks and pouches. This will make it look worn and dusty. Weapons can be aged by adding some rust (chestnut ink or diluted Bestial Brown) and drybrushing a little boltgun metal over the edges. Flamers can be made to look well-used by drybrushing black around the muzzle.

How do I weather a Marine miniature?

Marines and other models in armor are weathered in much the same way as vehicles. Once the basic painting is done, add a little rust around the bolt detail (this is optional - there's a reasonable argument that Marine armor wouldn't rust!). Drybrush boltgun metal across the knees and elbows, and any other areas where the paint would wear off. Add the dirt effects mentioned in the section of weathering vehicles, only make sure you limit this effect to the lower legs. A very light drybrush of bleached bone will make the Marine look as though it's been in action for a while.