T34 engine trouble #5

Preparing to get dirty

Every modeller has their own little peculiarities concerning certain details. Things that must be taken care of on their own models, and the first things you notice when looking at somebody else’s model. I’ve often seen beautifully weathered models, dirtied up nicely yet the wheel arches on wheeled vehicles or behind the running gear on tanks, sre untouched and still in the base colours. This can so easily let down all the effort taken with the model, yet it so easy to add some texture and make this more realistic.

I have used a textured paint from “Eberhard Faber GmBH” called “Granit Farbe”. It has small specks of granite dust mixed in with a grey-coloured acrylic paint. There are many similar options available today for textured paints and gels, so a visit to your local art or craft supply shop may be worthwhile.
As it is acrylic, it won’t paint directly onto the plastic, so I roughly brush the area intended, with Mr. Surfacer 500 first. Then I brush on the Granit Farbe randomly. The best thing with this method is that it is very controlled, and you can easily avoid areas with details. It dries quickly if not painted on too thickly, and more layers can be added if desired. As the specks look a little un-natural in this scale, I cover again with Mr. Surfacer 500. This has the added benefit of securing the granite specks in place as well.

Adding this texture to the underneath, or other areas where dirt builds up, also allows you to wash and dry brush, to bring it up the effect better. Some gloss can be added to give it a wet look, or brushed with pastels if a dried appearance is desired. Included here are some images from a DUKW, where this effect has also been used.