Steel and snow

[RoyB]

Hi all​

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I am looking for advice. I am about to start a curassier (resin). What do fellow members recommend for his breast plate? I am inclined to Humrol Metalcote. Any suggestions as to getting a really steel finish.​

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Also I will be doing a WW1 German Sniper and I want a sprinkling of snow. Baking powder? Any suggestions?​

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Happy Christmas to all members.​

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RoyB​

 

[Ferris]

Humbrol Metalcoat can be nice, if airbrushed.
You can liven it up with thin coats of Tamiya smoke, or black oil paint washes. Actually, I'm not sure if metalcoat can stand oil washes, so better test that first.
Finish of with sparing highligths at some edges using pure metal.

For a thin snow sprinkling of you could use any inert white powder. If I recall correctly, baking powder may turn yellow-ish over time. Microballoons or marble dust should stay white.
Wet the surface with water with a bit of white glue mixed in and sprinkle on. Let dry, blow off excess and repeat if you need more.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[Red Five]

Hello

After Colonel Douglas I'm going to have a bash at the 200mm Pegaso Pretorian. For the cuirass (which in the time of the early Empire were often silver or tin plated) I'm going to be airbrushing it with Alclad paints which give a very realistic metallic finish. In this case chrome with some metallic blue shadows.

Alclads are expensive but in my opinion the best. Unfortunately airbrush gives the best results.

Andre

 

[Tecumsea]

It is possible to use Alclad with a brush as long as you keep shaking the bottle and taking the paint from the top, this enables you to get some colour before the paint separates.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the Pretorian Andrew

Keith

 

[Ybrossculpts]

I have limited experience on this but my thoughts would be Humbrol metal coate and then once dried buffed with a cotton tip. Highlights with a graphite pencil and finally you may want to do a gloss varnish?
Cheers
Chris.

 

[Ybrossculpts]

With snow, depending on what is being covered in a light sprinkling of snow, like the others have suggested on the ground a commercial snow sprayed with a mix of 1 part matte mod podge and 3 parts water then dipped into the snow for ground work. If it's for the figure I would actually just do a spray of white with an airbrush to give that almost frosted feel to the helmet, shoulders and back.
Regards
Chris.

 

[Gary D]

I would prime it first, paint it black, then airbrush Alclad Steel over the metal parts. Follow up with ALC-600 Aqua Gloss Clear to protect it. Finally a Tamiya Smoke over spray. Pigments would work too. For the snow, I'd suggest Microballoons as well. Remember to use a face mask as these little buggers can easily get into your lungs. I use Vallejo matt varnish for the binder to hold the Microballoons. Just brush it on the area where you want snow. Take the bottle and hold it in one hand horizontally while tapping it on the bottom with the other hand to release small quantities onto the varnish.

Gary D

 

[DaddyO]

Humbrol Metalcoat can be nice, if airbrushed.
If I recall correctly, baking powder may turn yellow-ish over time
Cheers,
Adrian

You are correct indeed Adrian - I did a conversion of a Poste Militaire figure on the set amid snow on the Retreat from Moscow hugging a blanket to his shoulders and bent into the oncoming wind. After a couple of years the baking powder had yellowed enough to take him off the shelf and box him up

Paul

 

[Gary D]

I think anything organic will discolour. I may be mistaken though.

Gary D