Scuffed paint techniques?

[Mikester]

What are you guys doing to simulate scuffed paint?

[Dave J]

Depends what you are wanting to do Mikey... sometimes I drybrush, use the chipping fuild or a light sand with some 2000

[Mikester]

Dave, just kind of looking to simulate the discoloration in high traffic areas before the paint starts chipping, you know how flat paint kind of gets lighter in those areas?

[Wumm]

My technique as follows Mike...

 

Prep and undercoat as required. Apply the paint coat that you want to show through, in this example it's Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver spray can laquer. If your base coat is going to be acrylic, then spray a clear coat of enamel or laquer to seal.

 

Next step is the acrylic top colour... I prepare the desired colour of Gunze or Tamiya from the bottle onto a small Artist's palette, and add to it an amount of pigment mixed from Artist's water-colour pencil eyeballed to match the bottle colour. The amount added depends on how hard you want the top colour to be; my example here is a simple experiment, half-half Tamiya black and pencil pigment wicked from the pencil tip with a broad brush. More added pigment = easier to wear away.

 

Add the top colour, I use a heavily loaded brush but airbrushed on would work just as well I'm guessing. The drop tank I've used makes it easy to do in sections, which breaks the task up somewhat. While the paint is still wet, use a toothpick to add hard chips in the desired areas. After the paint has dried, the porous nature of the water-colour pencil component lets you easily wear away the top colour with a just water-damp Q-tip - no solvent required. Finally, when you're happy with the result and after the top coat has dried completely, seal with clear enamel or laquer.

 

Might not be everyone's cup of Tea, but there you go!

 

 

S

[krow113]

With the airbrush pressure down low , practising first of course , a reasonable looking wear/scuffing can be adhieved. Here with a silver to start then toned down with a light grey:

Works well for cockpit floor scuffing as well.

[mywifehatesmodels]

I like George's method, above and I can see where it would work really well if using acrylics.

 

Also, since I work mostly with enamels and a few lacquers, I've found that I can thin the paint back by applying some oil paint (or even just the oil base that usually comes out along with the pigment). Just take a drop of it on a Q-tip or a sponge with a fine point and gradually work it into the area you want to thin out. If you're not too aggressive with it, the paint will start to thin out and come off without leaving hard,  "chipped" edges and the undercoat (assuming it will be a metallic color like aluminum) will start to show through.

 

John