Color modulation for car models

[Doctor Cranky]

All right, someone asked me in another thread to do a how-to from start to finish, and I just finished working on this model for an article that I am finishing for a magazine in the States, but I will share it here . . . in hopes it gets a healthy discussion going.

WHAT IS COLOR MODULATION? If I had a nickle for every time that term has come up, I'd be rich. The way I have interpreted CM from watching our military bretheren (folks like Adam Wilder, Mike Rinaldi, and Mig Jimenez)is that it's a great technique to put down a foundation of highlights and shadows on your model. Such important foundational work will show through the final coats . . . of course, in my eyes, you can also combine it with other effective techniques like salting, hairspray chipping and mapping, etc . . .

My subject in this case is a Revell 41 Willys which I've wanted to "gunkify"--this is a term your good Dr. Cranky is enamored of . . .

I have bathed the model in warm soapy water after making whatever few modifications . . .

What you see in this next picture, is how I illustrate the effects of CM on a naked model . . .

Yellow = Highlights/Bright

Orange = Medium range, both highlights and intermediate shadow

Green = Shadow/Dark

 

[Doctor Cranky]

The color codes show you the basic spread of how the light falls on your model . . .

Doing this made me think of a couple of more things to do to the body like remove some of the trim here and there since this is going to be a junker . . . a driveable junker at best.

Primering the model in black also helps the builder visualize all the little rust-throughs, dents, and nicks . . . also it gives an instant foundation of dark/shadow color to build upon . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Here's a better angle:

While the primer dries, I went back to the bench and premixed my acrylics (Tamiya colors) to get a combination of five colors from Dark to Light . . .

D = Dark

DM = Dark Medium

M = Medium

ML = Medium Light

L = Light

 

[Doctor Cranky]

The next stage is to apply a coat of rust color, from dark to light . . . which is easy enough to do by simply mixing in more yellow/orange into your rust color . . . for my rust coats I like to use my own mixture of Floquil Brown and Floquil Rust. 50%-50% mix.

This is going to provide the foundation for the salting process . . .

When the rust coat is dried (I use hairdryer to speed up the process sometimes), I apply liquid mask with a toothpick to some of the rust-throughs and specific places . . . .

As you can see here, I've also added BMF to the trunk lid for a different effect later . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

After the liquid mask dries well, then squirt water all over the model and with your fingers and/or handy salt shaker (you can use your fingers to pinch the salt for more control) you add the salt. It is Dr. Cranky's favorite technique because it's so much fun and I love the results . . .

You can go crazy with it depending on how much texture (beat up!) you want to give your model . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

After all the salt dries on the body, you can begin to apply the paint, varying the tones as you go . . . choosing from you pre-mixed five colors . . ..

It is interesting to note that the salt along the way breaks down with the moisture of the paint and creates this "bleaching" effect that is random and most welcomed . . . .

In this next picture you can see both the salt and the lumpy liquid mask . . . which will all be scrubbed off soon enough to reveal lots of rusty spots . . .

In this next one you can see the subtle shifts in color tone from light to dark, although I have not put too much highlights on the paint yet.

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Allowing the coats to dry, eventually you get the right look, including a bit of highlight on the upper most surfaces of each panel . . .

I tend to let my painted body rest and dry overnight before removing the salt and the liquid mask . . . which end up looking like this . . .

Here you see some of those "bleached" patches I was talking about . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

The next stage is to start adding a bit of accented detail with the airbrush. A little bit of dirt and sand fogged here and there . . .

Also this is a good stage to start adding some of the integral body parts like the light bezels and the grill, etc . . .

A busted up rear windshield goes a long ways . . ..

 

[Doctor Cranky]

This view gives you a perfect example of all the subtle highlights and shadows on the model created with the paint . . .

Of course then the rest of the build from here on is to get all the other elements and sub-assemblies ready for final construction . . .

I use the same salting techniques on the chassis and tires but instead of using a lot of paint, I rely upon pigments . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Building ultra-weathered beauties like this one is a lot of fun, but you have to be patient and want to take the ride . . . which might take several weeks if not months to finish . . .

The interior in the Revell 41 Willys is straightforward and simple . . ..

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Here's what the model looks like from underneath . . . and there's still more weathering to be done with pigments, etc . . .

It all starts to come together and you have to keep bringing the airbrush back to add a little hint of dust and dirt here and there . . .

 

[Richy C]

Superb guide Virgil , pretty much along the lines of what the experienced armour and ww2 aircraft builders do , but A great step by step guide for eveyone new to this type of weathering including me although I have understood the theory for a long time I`ve never put it into practice yet its great to see a step by step guide , you`ve made me wan`t to make a right old rust bucket of a model next LOL

Richy

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Here's more . . .

I busted up one of the headlight lenses to give it more attitude . . .

The BMF I had applied earlier got wrinkled which I do not like, but I think it looks all right . . .

My aim was to create a bit of exposed metal . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Thanks, Richy.

I tell you it's a blast and I hope more people will do it . . . all you need to think about is setting up anywhere between 3-as many shades of a color you want. I find that 3-5 work best.

 

[Doctor Cranky]

A few rust streaks add a bit more realism . . . etc . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

At this point I have a confession to make, and I don't know if this happens to you, but when I start final assembly I often have to force myself to slow down because I get so excited and this is the stage where I tend to make lots of mistakes . . . so a word of caution . . . take it slow, enjoy the build as it comes together in its final stages . . .

 

[Doctor Cranky]

That's pretty much all there is to this simple and basic technique . . . next time you are weathering one of your models, I urge you to give it a try . . .

 

[Ian M]

Thanks for that Virgil, a great little car and it sure looks like its had a long hard life and is now ready for some fun.

A great step by step.

Ian M

 

[Richy C]

Again I Love it , must also add Virgil your photograghy is 1st class , yet another modelling area that I`ve got to improve on

Richy

 

[Doctor Cranky]

Thanks, Richy . . . it took me a couple of years to get the photos to look pretty good, but you know I had a lot of help from other builders and also from the fact that digital photography is so much easier, and cheaper in the long run. No more running to get film developed!