How to Build a Scale Model Course

1. Introduction and how to understand the types of scale models: How to build a scale model? Hi, I'm Dan and I am from the Prague in the Czech Republic. I'm 26 years old and I put together this video tutorial for beginner scale modelers. Are you interested in scale model building and would you like to learn: 1. how to choose a scale model; 2. what equipment to get; 3. how to assemble it in decent quality; and 4. how to make finishing touches to make the scale model look its best? All of that and more are you going to learn in my course devoted to the scale model building. The course is mainly focused on beginners but of course, the course is also suitable for those who already have some experience with scale model building and would like to see some new techniques or be inspired by possible modifications. I also address the issue of airbrush painting, as this is usually something that is difficult for beginners. However, it is a way to achieve a much higher quality final scale model. After you finish the course you will be able to: 1. build your scale model, paint it, make finishing touches and create the whole diorama; 2. use the airbrush and paint the whole scale model correctly; 3. make surface finishes to your scale model such as preshading, postshading, wash, filters, pigments, scratches and more. The course has a total of 11 chapters that should systematically guide every scale modeler through the entire scale model building process. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer anything. You can contact me anytime at my email. That's all for the introduction so we can get started. 2. Scale modelling equipment: 2. Scale modelling equipment What equipment will you need for scale modelling? There is a lot, but you can build a basic scale model with just some of the items listed below. Scale modelling mat A hard mat that is at least A3 size and cannot be easily cut with a sharp knife is ideal. It is possible to either use a variety of large hard mats, or special mat for scale modellers, which usually include some gauges and lines designed for straight cuts. Light This is an obvious item, but its importance is immense. Without the proper lighting the results will never be great because you can't attach parts, smoothen parts or paint parts properly. That's why I recommend getting at least two lamps or LED strips that will provide even lighting from more sides than just one. Scalpel A scalpel or deburring knife is essential for separating the parts and for smoothing them. The scalpel or deburring knife must be handled with extreme care. Pliers The small pliers are very handy because you don't have to cut all the parts with a knife, but you can separate them with the pliers and then clean them with a scale modeling knife. This way your knife or scalpel will stay sharp longer. But be careful with transparent parts (aircraft cockpits, car windows, etc.) - never use the pliers to separate them, as they may crack at the point of separation and the cracks could be transferred to the part itself. Sandpaper I recommend to buy sandpaper with a grit of 1500 or 2000 grit and use this sandpaper for the final smoothing of the parts. Remember that the part is well smoothen and ready for gluing only when you can't feel the transition with your finger and the part is beautifully smooth. Glue The glue for plastic is essential, which I will discuss further on. In addition, I recommend to get a dispersion glue, which is used for gluing transparent parts. The dispersion glue can be easily wiped off with a dampened stick before it dries, so there is no risk of unintentional damage to the transparent part. Moreover, it is transparent after drying. Tweezers Tweezers are of two kinds, namely those that close automatically and those that close with the fingers. I recommend getting at least one tweezer of each type, as each is suited to certain specific activities. Tweezers are often essential when working with small parts or applying decals to scale models. Thinners Often it is necessary to thin the paint and wash out the brushes. I will discuss the types of paints later, but in general, paints can be diluted into those that are dilutable with water, thinner and turpentine. So I recommend getting thinner for enamel (synthetic) paints and turpentine, which is used to thin oil paints. Scribing pen It is not an absolute necessity, but the scribing pen is a useful tool for highlighting joints between panels, whether of combat vehicles, cars or aircraft. Sometimes the joints are not deep enough, so after painting it is no longer possible to properly highlight them and visually separate the panels. Drills The mini drill set can be particularly useful for shipbuilding, when drilling out cabin windows. Otherwise, it is not an essential part of a model kit. Masking tape I definitely recommend getting scale modeling tape as well, which is sold either as regular tape or as flexible tape that allows you to create different camouflage patterns. They are sold in different widths. I recommend getting the flexible tape rather, as it allows you to cover up areas you don't want to paint faster. Paint mixing cups I recommend getting small cups to mix the paints, for example you can use plastic cups that are sold in many shops. Toothpicks for mixing colors Toothpicks are also often useful, both for mixing paints and for holding various parts before they dry. Pipettes Finally, I would like to mention the pipettes that are necessary for mixing the paints and bringing them into the spray gun during airbrush painting. They are usually sold in larger sets, and since their consumption and ability to be washed out is not quite ideal, I recommend getting more rather than less. Scale model saw Useful tool for slow and safe separation of small parts and especially transparent parts that could be damaged by the pliers. Stencils for painting combat equipment wheels If you would like to build combat equipment, I recommend to buy universal stencils for painting the running wheels of combat equipment. Thanks to them, you can spray the paint accurately and quickly in no time. They are sold in every model shop. 3. Paints and brushes: 3. Paints and brushes Colors are absolutely essential for scale model building. In general, scale model paints can be divided into the following types: Acrylic paints These are modern colors that were not very common before. Today they make the vast majority of scale model paints. Their advantages are that they can be diluted with water, and therefore you can also wash brushes or airbrush with water. Another advantage is that they dry very quickly, normally drying in a few minutes. Despite the fact that they can be thinned with water, special thinners for acrylic paints are being sold, e.g. Tamiya X-20A, which should have better properties than water, so I recommend thinning Tamiya paints with this thinner rather than water. Revell Acqua paints, for example, have a label that says you can thin them directly with water. Acrylic paints are also suitable for airbrush application. However, I would like to point out here that not all paints are the same in this respect. For example, paints from Tamiya are quite ideal for airbrush application, but on the other hand they are relatively difficult to apply with a brush. In contrast, Revell acrylic paints are the opposite - they apply well with a brush, but are not very suitable for airbrushing. So I recommend that before buying paints, you think about whether you will apply them with a brush or airbrush. The main manufacturers of acrylic paints are Tamiya (round bottles) and Revell (called Revell Acqua). Enamel (synthetic) colors These are rather older type of paints, which have the disadvantage that they take a long time to dry compared to acrylic paints. It can take several hours. Furthermore, they cannot be diluted or brushes washed with water, but with a special thinner. They are also not very suitable for use when airbrushing models, because the subsequent washing of the gun with thinner damages the seals in the airbrush itself. But enamel paints are very handy for minor work on scale models that are painted with acrylic paints. Why? Simply because, for example, when highlighting the joints between the panels of a car that is painted with acrylic paint, it is easy for the bodywork to be partially painted, not just the joint. However, it is not a problem to wipe the enamel paint off the bodywork with thinner after it has dried, because the thinner will not damage the acrylic paint. If we were to use acrylic paint thinner (the aforementioned Tamiya X20A) to wipe off the acrylic paint, we would also damage the undercoat. Classic manufacturers of enamel paints are Humbrol, Revell and Tamiya (square bottles). Oil paints Oil paints are the paints used mostly by artists. However, they also find use in scale model building as they have certain advantages over acrylic and enamel paints. The advantage is that they take a very long time to dry. That's why they are used, for example, for painting the eyes of figures, because we can flexibly wipe off the white paint that we have applied outside the eye. We don't have to wait for it to dry as with enamel paints, which have to be wiped off after they have dried. Furthermore, oil paints are used to brighten up uniform surfaces, because by applying a few dots of contrasting oil paint, for example, on a painted tank and spreading these dots to show traces of, for example, run-off oil, and in general, the surface is revived. Oil paints are diluted and brushes are washed with turpentine, so they are not diluted with water or synthetic paint thinner. Mixing colors In general, acrylic and enamel paints cannot be combined with each other. Always mix only acrylics with acrylics and enamels with enamels. Mixing paints should always be done in some exact proportion. To do this, I recommend using pipettes and always taking, for example, 1 ml of paint from each bottle (with different pipettes, of course, so as not to color the paint in one bottle) and mixing these 2 ml in a mixing container and then applying. Color thinning As a general rule of thumb, paints should have a milk-like consistency when applied. This means that they should be slightly thicker than water. It is best to mix the paint in your hand, open it up, dip a toothpick in and check how the paint flows. It's something that one gets a certain way with time. If the paint is too thick, it needs to be thinned. It is recommended to start thinning just a little and gradually test how the consistency of the paint changes. Acrylic paints are thinned with water or a special thinner such as Tamiya X-20A. Enamel paints are thinned with a special thinner such as Tamiya X-20. Painting In general, the paint should be thoroughly mixed before painting. You can mix the paint either by shaking it in your hand or, for example, with a toothpick after opening the paint. If you shake the paint in your hand, the paint may become foamy. This is undesirable as the bubbles would then be in the paint itself. Therefore, in this case, stir it with a toothpick, which should dissolve most of the bubbles. Some scale modelers degrease the model before painting. Personally, I don't do this and have not encountered any problems, but if you would rather degrease the model to make the paint stick better, I recommend using rubbing alcohol or soapy water. It is also advisable to apply a primer before the final coat in case of a color inconsistent surface. This means that if the model is made of, for example, orange plastic and you often used grey putty and golden metal parts during its construction, it is a good idea to unify the surface with surfacer before the final coat. These are special paints designed as primers. I always recommend letting the individual coats dry thoroughly and recoating after at least ten minutes in the case of acrylic paints and after 24 hours in the case of enamel paints. I also recommend not to apply varnish, either glossy or matt, with a brush but to use an airbrush for application. Applying the glossy or matt coat with a brush may damage the paint layer under. It is ideal to work in the least dusty environment as dust particles will stick to the surface of the scale model. Therefore, it is recommended to let the scale models dry in reverse so that dust does not stick to them. Furthermore, you will not avoid the need to use a parts holders when painting certain parts. Many things can serve as a part holder - for example, a bottle of paint and a stick-it rubber sticked to the cap and a part sticked to it. Note that it is not advisable to use plasticine, as plasticine is very greasy and you would have to degrease the scale model afterwards. However, office stick-it rubber is ideal for this use. How to open paint bottles when the paint is stuck in the thread? If you are unable to remove the cap of the bottle because the paint has stuck in the thread and it has hardened, you can of course use pliers, but before that try to put the bottle upside down and pipette thinner into the thread. After a while, the thinner should dissolve the paint in the thread and you can open the bottle with your hand. You can also try to lift the cap a little bit by sliding the screwdriver under it at multiple points and pulling up. Brushes Brushes generally come in different price levels and different qualities. For a beginner, it is important to get at least one very small brush, for example size 00, and at least one larger brush of at least size 3. You should take into account that if you are going to paint with enamel paints, the thinner for enamel paints is quite aggressive and will destroy the brushes much more than water when washing the brush after painting with acrylic paints. Color conversion charts For each kit, the instructions will state what shades of paint should be used and what manufacturer the paint should be from. This is of course related to the model manufacturer, as they will logically recommend colors of their own production. However, it is not a problem to use similar colous from another manufacturer. The question arises as to how to convert the numerical designation of one manufacturer's paint to the numerical designation of another manufacturer's paint. The easiest way to do this is to use so-called conversion tables, which allow you to find similar shades of colors from other manufacturers. These conversion charts can be found online, just type what manufacturer's paint conversion chart you are looking for into Google "e.g. "Revell paints conversion chart"). But I would like to stress the word similar, because the color of another manufacturer is not always exactly the same shade. If this is the case, there is no choice but to modify it by adding another color or accept that the model will not be completely faithful to the real car, tank or aircraft. 4. Separating and gluing parts: 4. Separating and gluing parts The beginning of the modelling process is the separation of the individual parts and their gradual gluing. Here it should be noted that it is good to paint certain parts before they are separated, because it is easier than painting them glued. Generally, there are several groups of scale modelers: some glue the whole model together and paint it afterwards, others (including me) paint certain parts not yet glued together and glue them painted afterwards. This way it is easier to paint the whole part and you don't have to worry about accidentally painting an adjacent part as well. It is generally a good idea to separate the parts with a pair of pliers. However, this does not apply to transparent parts (cockpits, car windows, etc.), as these could be damaged when separated with pliers. Therefore, always separate these parts carefully with a modeling saw or, if you don't have one, with a scale modeling knife. After separating the part, it is a good idea to cut it with a scale modeling knife and the last step is to sand the uneven part with sandpaper of 1500 to 2000 grit. Before gluing the part, it is a good idea to measure the part and if it does not fit exactly, try to find out why this is the case and correct this inaccuracy before gluing. If you are working with photo-etched parts, I recommend putting them in a transparent bag and separating them in that bag. This is because the parts are very small and there is a high risk of losing a part that flies off when separating it. If the part fit accurately, it is possible to brush the contact area with model glue and attach the part and let the glue dry. I personally use Tamiya model glue. Tamiya makes several types of glues that vary in bond strength and coating thickness. Typically, standard glue makes a very strong bond, but glue makes a slightly thicker layer, so it's not very good for gluing small parts. For these, Tamiya Extra Thin glue is suitable, as it doesn't create as strong a bond, but the glue is not visible after repainting. The glue dries completely within a few hours, but the joint is relatively strong after only a few tens of minutes. If the parts do not stick together by themselves, it is advisable to fix them before the glue dries, for example with masking tape, and then carefully separate them after the glue dries. This is often used when gluing car bodies. The glue must be handled with extreme care, as it will cause serious damage to the part if dripped on an already painted part. Transparent parts should not be glued with standard model glue, but it is better to glue them with dispersion glue, which is transparent after drying and can be wiped off with a damp cloth before drying. Please note that if you are gluing painted parts the bond will not be as strong as if you are gluing unpainted parts. 5. Putties: 5. Putties Models are not always perfect, especially older models require frequent fixing of inaccuracies. Putties are divided into solid and liquid. Solid putty resembles a paste, which is applied to the putty area with, for example, a toothpick, allowed to dry and then the putty is sanded with sandpaper. The drying time of the putty I use, Tamiya Putty, is several hours. In addition, there are also liquid putties that resemble a liquid that is poured onto the part to be corrected. The disadvantage of liquid putties is that they usually have to be applied several times before the desired surface leveling is achieved. Subsequent sanding with sandpaper should be such that no transition or unevenness is felt when running a finger over it. If the putty was applied in areas where the paneling is highlighted, the putty will cause the joints to be filled in and the resulting highlighting of the paneling would not look good there. Therefore, it should also be remembered to highlight the panelling with a scribing pen after applying putty. 6. Airbrush: 6. Airbrush What is an airbrush? Airbrush is essentially a spray gun and a compressor, thanks to which you won't have to paint all the parts with a brush, but especially large areas can be sprayed with paint. It may seem like it doesn't matter if you use brushes or airbrush, but it does. Spray paint has many advantages. First of all, the paint itself is much more uniform and looks better. Also, the paint consumption is less and the paint itself is thinner, so you get much more detailed looked that might be covered by the paint when painting with a brush. Above all, however, painting with a brush, for example, cannot be done very well, because painting with glossy or matter coat can damage the paint under. This is not a risk when using an airbrush. Painting is a crucial part of model building, so I think every scale modeler should get an airbrush if the situation allows it. The resulting scale models are significantly better than using a brush. Airbrush doesn't have to be too expensive. A basic airbrush gun and compressor set bought in a Chinese eshop can cost less than $50. Of course, professional compressors and spray guns can cost hundreds of dollars. But for the purpose of trying the airbrush, I think Chinese cheaper kits are also sufficient. In general, airbrush compressors differ in that some gradually pressurize and then deliver air for a certain period of time, and others pressurize the air constantly, so it still hums in a certain way. A cheaper solution is constant pressurization, which is not entirely suitable for very long spraying (for example tens of minutes), as the compressor can overheat. Furthermore, we can distinguish the airbrush themselves into single-action and double-action. With single-action guns, only the air supply is controlled with one button and not the intensity of the paint spray. With double-action airbrushes, a single button controls both the airflow and the intensity of the paint spray. The vast majority of model guns are double-action because this allows more precise work. How does airbrush work? The principle of operation of the airbrush itself is relatively straightforward. Here is an overview of the individual components of the airbrush and its functionality. The principle of operation of the airbrush is relatively straightforward. Air is sucked in and compressed by the compressor, which then enters the airbrush through a tube at the bottom of the airbrush. Since most airbrushes are double-action, one button controls both the air supply and the paint supply. Normally, the airbrush works by pressing a button to activate the air supply. So if we turn on the compressor and press the button, we can verify that the air supply is occurring with our hand placed in front of the airbrush. As soon as the button is pushed backwards, the paint will gradually flow. The paint is placed in the cup above the needle. Pushing the button backwards will move the needle backwards and the paint will flow into the front of the airbrush, mixing with the air and spraying the paint. To prevent the paint from getting into the back of the airbrush, there is a teflon seal in the back of the chamber where the paint is poured. Based on this description, you should be able to identify most of the defects that cause your airbrush to not work. This will either be due to insufficient air supply caused by either a clogged canal or a malfunctioning compressor, or insufficient paint supply caused by either poor paint consistency (too thick paint for example) or a clogged nozzle due to insufficient cleaning of the airbrush during past use. What do I need for airbrushing? Of course, you need a compressor, an airbrush, a connecting hose between the compressor and the airbrush and a needle that is inserted into the airbrush. I would like to discuss the needle at more detail because it is probably the most important part of the airbrush and needs to be handled very carefully. Any damage to the needle will cause the whole airbrush to malfunction. Needles are sold in different diameters. The smaller the diameter, the narrower the resulting paint stream will be and therefore more suitable for more detailed work. The vast majority of needles are between 0.2 and 0.5 mm in diameter. For general purpose work, a needle with a diameter of 0.3 mm is suitable for both detailed work and larger areas. When changing the needle, it is important to remember that it is not enough to just change the needle in the airbrush. The nozzle must always be replaced as well, otherwise the larger needle will not fit into the smaller nozzle. Nozzles are of course offered together with the needles, so it is necessary to buy the whole set. It's also a good idea to get a special airbrush cleaner, as it's absolutely essential to keep it clean. Finally, it's a good idea to make a place to spray so you don't get everything around you painted. How to improve the properties of the needle? The cheaper needles in particular are not perfectly made directly from the factory and therefore the results can be inconsistent. However, it is quite easy to improve the properties of such a needle (or to improve a used needle) at home. Just take a metal polish (such as Autosol) and carefully polish the needle until it is completely shiny. This is primarily the tip and front third of the needle. In this way, the needle can be maintained after each using to ensure perfect results every time. How to use airbrush? Using an airbrush may seem complicated at first, but once you try it, you'll find that it's actually no big deal. In general, you need to prepare the paint as you would paint with a brush (i.e. a milk-like consistency) and pipette it into the airbrush. Then cover the pouring container with a lid. This is important, otherwise you may have paint running out when you spray the paint. Then turn on the compressor and push the trigger backwards and down to start spraying the paint. You can also select the air pressure on the compressor, which affects the spray intensity. I leave that up to your preference, every modeler uses slightly different air pressure and you will gradually build a feel for that. I recommend spraying the model gradually in regular strokes. Count on doing at least 2 coats of paint even when spraying. It is also a good idea to hold the parts in gloves so you don't spray your hands, and use a cover to spray so you don't spray all over. Furthermore, the distance of the airbrush from the scale model should be approximately 15 to 20 centimeters. Starting and stopping spraying should always be done away from the model, as starting to spray may release a few larger droplets that may not look good on the scale model. How to clean the airbrush? Once you have finished spraying, it is essential to turn off the compressor. Next, I recommend pipetting the unused paint back into the paint bottle. For the actual cleaning, a cloth, cotton swabs, cleaner and a wrench to disassemble the gun are useful. The parts must be cleaned very thoroughly as any dirt will make future use of the airbrush impossible or very difficult. If your airbrush isn't working, I recommend taking a look at the airbrush overview I showed in this chapter. You can diagnose the airbrush accordingly and gradually find the problem. The problem could be an insufficient air supply from the compressor, a clogged air inlet within the airbrush, a clogged paint nozzle, or a damaged needle. If the paint is flowing out of the airbrush in the other direction with the needle inserted, the seal that holds the needle in the airbrush is damaged. 7. Decals and decal production: 7. Decals and decal production What are decals? Decals are a bit like stickers and thanks to them it is possible to add details to the scale model that would be very difficult to paint. For example, different logos or numerical markings. The decals are always attached to the scale models on paper, which is covered with another paper to avoid damaging the decals. How to apply decals? Applying decals is quite easy. It is generally advisable to apply the decals on a surface painted with a glossy coat. First you need to cut out the decal you want to apply. Then dip the decal into lukewarm water for about 15 seconds with tweezers. After removing the decal from the water, wait approximately one to two minutes. After one to two minutes have elapsed, I test with a cotton swab dipped in water to see if the decal can be moved around the decal sheet. If this is already possible, then it is possible to proceed with applying the decal. Clean the place where the decal will be applied with a cloth from dust and any other dirt. Next, I recommend dropping a few drops of Tamiya Mark Fit Strong on the area where the decal will be applied, which should help it adhere better to the surface. Once the surface is prepared, we can proceed to drag the decal with a cotton swab from the decal sheet onto the scale model and align the decal as we envision. If we need to adjust the position of the decal, but the decal can't be moved, I recommend placing few drops of Tamiya Mark Fit on it, which will wet the decal so it can be moved. Once the decal is positioned correctly, let it dry. After the decal dries, I recommend to repaint the whole model with the decals (glossy or matte coat depending on the model's final finish). ATTENTION! I recommend to always test the decal water (such as Tamiya Mark Fit Strong) on the hidden part of the model, because it may happen that the decal water from a certain manufacturer will damage the paint from another manufacturer, and its use could damage the final paint of the scale model. Is it possible to make decals at home? You may have wondered if it is possible to make decals at home. For example, you would build a scale model in a certain camouflage and with a certain marking that the manufacturer did not include with the kit. It is possible. Larger stationery stores also sell decal paper, which you can then print the decals on. However, it must be remembered that ordinary printers do not print white, because the paper itself is white. But decal paper is not white, so if you want to print decals where the color is white, you will probably have to find a special printing center, because regular printers does not have white ink. 8. Highlighting the paneling: 8. Highlighting the paneling There are also small gaps on the models, indicating gaps between panels on real aircraft, cars, etc. If we just painted the whole scale model and did not address these gaps between panels, the resulting scale model would not look very realistic. That's why it's a good idea to highlight these gaps, typically with black paint, because it makes the model look more like the real thing. What is the procedure for highlighting these gaps? Ideally, you should purchase Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color in black. This is actually a very diluted black enamel paint. The procedure is such that once the scale model is painted and varnished, this product is applied to the gaps and it will nicely spill along the entire length of the gap. If you apply a little color to the surrounding area, nothing happens. Just don't try to immediately clean the stained area in any way. Wait for the product to dry first. This takes approximately 24 hours. Then take a cotton swab dipped in Tamiya X-20 thinner and wipe the unwanted paint off the parts you didn't want to color. If you manage to wipe the accent color off the gaps, repeat the application of Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color. The great thing about using this product is that if you have painted the model with acrylic paint, wiping it off with Tamiya X-20 thinner will not damage the paint. Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color can also be used to completely repaint, for example, aluminum or metal parts of the model (such as brake discs of cars), which subsequently look more worn. 9. Surface finish of the scale model including polishing: 9. Surface finish of the scale model including polishing After painting, varnishing and applying decals, it's time for the final coat. Here it depends on what scale model you are building. For aircraft, Tamiya X-22 is the standard gloss finish, for combat vehicles you use matte finishes, and for cars you use Mr. Color GX100 Super Clear III, which is a special finish that produces a much glossier surface than Tamiya X-22. To achieve an even shinier surface, you can also use abrasive pastes that can polish the surface even more. These are Tamiya Polishing Compound Coarse, Fine and Finish. The pastes should be used in stages, i.e. first apply Coarse to an application cloth and polish, then do the same with Fine and finally Finish. The resulting gloss should be stunning. You need to be especially careful when working with clear parts such as cockpits or car windows, as these are easily scratched. If you've managed to scratch a part or had to sand it with sandpaper and it's now dull, I also recommend polishing it with Tamiya Polishing Compound Coarse, Fine and Finish. If you can't get these products, you can also use car polishing products like Meguiar's Ultimate Compound as an emergency. However, I don't recommend using this product to polish painted parts of the scale mode. 10. Final touches: 10. Final touches Finally you can make the scale model look more real if you show some wear. This is a process that will be used primarily by builders of land vehicles, ships and aircraft. Scale model car builders do not make much use of this, as they mainly build completely unworn scale models that look like new. In general, it's a good idea to go slow and add gradually in all procedures rather than do a lot of wear the first time. It is a good idea to combine the various wear methods to produce a more realistic scale model. Preshading Or shading before painting the scale model itself. The principle is that you paint certain parts of the scale model (typically the gaps between panels) before the final paint with black or generally a darker color. Then, when doing the final airbrush painting, you will apply thin layers so that there is some underneath color visible. This will break up the uniformity of the surface and highlight certain parts of the scale model. Postshading On the other hand, postshading means lightening individual areas. Generally, it is done by slightly thinning the paint used for spraying and spraying only the middle parts of the individual panels with this diluted paint, but leaving the panel gaps and various corners as they were. The idea is to mimic the lightening of the paint by the gradual influence of the sun. However, it is important to keep in mind that the transitions between the original and lighter color must be gentle, and it is better to proceed more slowly and continuously check the results so that the model is not completely unrealistically colored. Wash Generally, in order to remove and highlight the uniform areas (e.g. sides of combat equipment, sides of ships), you can make the surface look better with a technique called wash. The technique itself largely depends on the underlying surface, but if you have, for example, built a sand-colored model and you would like to make the side armor more interesting, you can just apply a few dots of oil paint (brown for example) irregularly on this armor and spread these dots by brush with turpentine to remove the uniformity of the surface. It is also possible to apply more than one color at the same time. Oil paints are not very distinctive after drying, so you don't have to worry about destroying your laboriously made camouflage. Similarly, for aircraft, it is possible to make dots on the wings and fuselage and then spread them in the direction of flight. You can also use a very diluted acrylic or enamel paint, but you don't spread it, you just use it to highlight certain parts of the model, such as gaps (as already mentioned Tamiya Accent Color). Filters Filters are made by spraying very dilute paint (for example, 95% thinner and 5% paint). Thanks to filters, for example, certain parts of the model can be lightened very subtly. Filters are usually applied in many layers and using different colors depending on what wear we want to show and on which parts of the model. Dry brush The dry brush method is used to highlight the wear on different edges of the scale model. It is typically used to show that the crew has removed the paint on the edges down to the base metal through frequent climbing and boarding. It also serves to highlight the protruding parts of the scale model (such as rivets) with a lighter color to make the scale model look more realistic. The procedure is basically simple - just choose a suitable paint (in case of metallic painting, a certain metallic paint, and in case of lightening the edges or protruding parts of the models, just add a little white paint to the base paint), wet the brush, rub the brush into the paper for a while, and when there is almost no paint left on the brush, then start to carefully paint over the edges or protruding parts of the scale model. You can repeat this for as long as you like, but I recommend checking the results continuously to avoid showing completely unrealistic wear. Wear down to the metal can also be illustrated by overpainting the edges with an ordinary pencil or by using a foam instead of a brush and applying foam dipped in paint. Scratches Combat equipment, ships and submarines may also be scratched. So how to represent scratches? Quite simply, just take as small a brush as possible and add tiny lines in the direction of the scratches. The color of the scratches depends on the depth of the scratches and the condition of the scratches. Thus, you can choose a steel color if the paint is completely rubbed off, a color slightly lighter than the base color to represent surface scratches, or a rust color to represent rust scratches. Scratches can also be made with an ordinary pencil. But the most ideal way to do the scratches is to paint the model with the paint we want the scratches to have, repaint that with hairspray and then paint the model with the final coat. After that, just peel off the top coat of paint carefully with a toothpick so that the base paint starts to show through. This is actually the same principle as how the actual scratches are made. The complete process is described in the next section. Peeling paint A popular scale modelling method is to represent peeling paint. Paint can peel off either because of worn winter camouflage or because of wear on certain parts of the scale model. If we want to show peeling winter camouflage, just paint the scale model normally, then repaint it all over with hairspray and repaint this layer of hairspray with white winter camouflage (only one layer). Then just take a clean brush, dip it gradually in clean water and run it over the parts where you want to indicate the peeling of the paint. The water will penetrate the top layer of paint all the way to the hairspray and gradually the top layer of paint will start to peel off. It should be kept in mind that the paint will not peel if a long time passes between the application of the hairspray, repainting and the attempt to peel the paint. All this should ideally take place within a few days at most. Likewise, peeling will be difficult if the top layer of paint is too thick. Pigments It is also possible to illustrate the dusting and soiling of the model by using pigments. Pigments are sold in different shades depending on what kind of dirt and dust we want to represent (European battlefield, desert, etc.). The pigments are applied quite simply by mixing them with water and painting over the scale model. In case of insufficient dusting, the procedure can be repeated. After the pigments have been applied and dried, it is a good idea to fix the model with a final coat. Rugs in cars It is not exactly a representation of wear and tear, but if you like to build scale model cars you will appreciate it. You can represent the texture of the rugs by painting the plastic with dispersion glue and then sprinkling it with glitter nail polish. After the glue has dried and the unglued glitter has been shaken off, you can paint the glitter with the color of the rugs and the result should resemble the rugs faithfully. Rust Rust can be represented by the rust color sold by each paint manufacturer. If we want to make the rust more pronounced, it is possible to paint the part with dispersion glue, sprinkle it with any powder and after the glue dries, paint over it with rust color. This will make the rust more pronounced, which can be complemented with a wash. 11. Diorama - grass, leaves, water, mud, asphalt: 11. Diorama - grass, leaves, water, mud, asphalt In particular, builders of combat equipment often set scale models in various dioramas depicting not only the scale model itself, but also the surrounding environment. In general, it is necessary to think about what all should be included in the diorama and try to avoid places where there will be no objects or characters. Such places can look boring and uninteresting. Next, you need to find a certain base on which to place the scale model and accessories. Personally, I have found particleboards to be a good choice, as it is easy to handle them. It is good to add natural products collected outdoors to dioramas. For example, small stones, twigs, etc. Well-grown twigs can also be used to represent trees without leaves. Trees with leaves are already sold as ready-made, as they would take a lot of time to make. If you would like to have some terrain irregularities in your diorama, I recommend to represent them with plaster. Now I would like to focus on the individual diorama accessories and where to get them or how to make them. Grass and leaves Making grass is quite difficult. It is not difficult to get the blades themselves, as they are sold already made in different lengths. Here I always recommend trying to convert the height of the blades using the scale model to the actual height of the blades to make the model look credible. It is relatively difficult to make the blades of grass stand. To do this, you can buy a special grass applicator that can be used to create standing grass. The alternative is not to worry about building up the blades, but to make the grass bare. This can actually be created quite easily by rubbing a dispersion adhesive on the pad and then throwing the grass on. Alternatively, by making soil or mud beforehand and then applying the grass afterwards. As for the leaves, these are also already sold in the appropriate scales, so there is no longer a need to buy leaves cutters and carefully create dozens of leaves. Water and ice (and glass) Epoxy resin is used to create scale model water, which when mixed with hardener becomes a faithful imitation of water. I always recommend getting epoxy resin intended for scale modelers, as epoxy resin intended for other uses may have a yellowish color, which is not desirable for modeling water in most cases. It should also be borne in mind that the color of the epoxy resin can be influenced. For example, it is possible to create a darker blue at greater depths when creating an ocean by mixing dark blue into the epoxy resin and hardener mixture. The epoxy resin is applied in layers no larger than 2 to 3 centimeters at a time. Then wait 24 hours and apply another coat. If, for example, a layer of 20 centimeters were poured immediately, air bubbles would remain in the resin, spoiling the final impression. The epoxy resin can still be worked with while it is curing to create, for example, waves on the water surface. But epoxy resin is also suitable for representing glass surfaces, such as the lenses of car lights. Soil and mud Soil and mud can be created by mixing coffee (or real soil), dispersion glue and possibly paint for a slightly different color. After mixing these ingredients, a little more water can be added and then the mixture can be applied to the mat. As the mixture sets, it is also possible to imprint, for example, vehicle tracks or footprints into the hardening mixture for greater plausibility. It is also advisable to apply to the underside of vehicles so it looks more natural. Asphalt Car models are often placed on imitation asphalt. But how to make imitation asphalt? It's quite simple, because the painted cork looks exactly like asphalt. So I recommend getting cork boards and then painting the cork with dark grey paint, dusting with pigments and possibly drawing traffic stripes and the result will be stunning. Snow The easiest way to make snow for dioramas is to mix baking soda, dispersion glue and white paint (either model white paint or oil paint). This mixture can then be applied similarly to mud.