Acrylics Weathered/Sun bleached shield

[Helm]

Currently doing the Pilgrims Protector figure and decided to give him William Marshal's arms I've tried to give the shield a weathered used look, but I have mixed feelings about it so I thought I'd see what you folks think. All comments welcome. It still needs cleaning up and finishing but I am thinking about stripping and re-doing just can't make up my mind as I said

 

[Mike Stevens]

ok,

Having painted one of these recently I have following advice: After you have stripped the shield break it up into quarters. The two lower quaters will be be deepest shadows. The Two upper will be the hi's. Leave the stencil completely off until the shield is completed. Use glazes to create gradients in the quarters. Hi to low. You will gradually bring the the quaters together to form a sold gradient.

If this explanation doesn't work for you PM me and I'll send you some examples.

If you are using acrylics I woulde use thinner paint with more even coats. Three to four coats for solid coverage before you start the glazes.

 

[Helm]

Cheers mike I can see what you mean re the quartering. In fairness I usually do use thinner coats I was trying to achieve the effect of a shield that had been worked hard and re-painted but I don't think it came off as you said it just looks unevenly painted

Thanks
Steve

 

[Einion]

In fairness I usually do use thinner coats I was trying to achieve the effect of a shield that had been worked hard and re-painted but I don't think it came off as you said it just looks unevenly painted

Yep, it's really hard to paint something to try to make it look like it's supposed to be rough - a well-done recreation of something rough tends to end up just looking like it's not painted well. Armour modellers have the same issues with things like winter whitewash and generally neaten it up or avoid the issue completely and do an effect they like the look of, damn the references!

On your original idea of a weathered or bleached shield, this is a tricky area as shields were nearly disposable and may not have lasted long enough normally to accumulate much in the way of weathering. And given the pigments of the period I doubt you'd get one old enough to show fading - in contrast to the dyes of the time pigments were mostly very lightfast.

Einion

 

[Gary D]

How about using paint chips? Armour modellers use a technique called the "Hairspray Method". In your case you first paint the shield the colour you want to see underneath when the sheild is "chipped". You then apply hairspray and let it dry. Then your topcoat goes on (I use Tamiya paints) and after leaving it for about 45 minutes you dip an old brush in warm water and start scrubbing away in spots where you want chips and scrapes. This removes the topcoat and leaves the undercoat showing through. It works really well.
http://armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=184589
Gary

 

[Helm]

Thanks Einion I think I may need to re-think it on the grounds of that. Gary I'd not heard of that method cheers I'll bear it in mind

Ta
Steve

 

[Gary D]

I added some more details to my previous posting. Also use a toothpick for scratches.

Gary

 

[Helm]

I added some more details to my previous posting. Also use a toothpick for scratches.

Gary

Most interesting
Thanks
Steve

 

[Mike Stevens]

I've attached an example of the gradient that I was talking about at diffent stages. The design is not important but the feel of the gradient is. I hope this helps

 

[Helm]

That's great Mike
Thanks a lot
Steve

 

[housecarl]

Another way of doing it Steve, if you've got an airbrush, spray the highs and lows with that.
There's loads on the hairspray method here.
Drop me a line if you think I can help,
Carl.

 

[Helm]

Airbrush ? You're talking to a man who think acrylics are an up coming development mate

 

[MCPWilk]

My version of William Marshall:- http://www.militarymodelling.com/albums/member_photo.asp?a=13179&p=220606

He was more influential in his day than Churchill was in ours. His arms and armour would have been kept spotless by his squires. It is possible that 'hearth knights' would have had slightly rusty mail and battered shields, but princes, earls, dukes etc. would have appeared magnificent at the start of a battle, but perhaps not so at the end!

Mike

 

[Helm]

At the time of the his first crusade he was not the power he became, he was also in disgrace so it's entirely possible he may not have a squire at all merely a servant/groom if that. He was also famed for a tight purse so I think I can justify him not being in his best togs to watch over a hindering bunch of pilgrims
Steve

 

[MCPWilk]

Didn't he serve with the Templars during his first crusade, in order to atone for the sacking of the church whilst serving with the 'young' King Henry? Would he then have worn his own or a Templars arms?

For my version of the shield I used a Lion Rampant transfer (Andrea/Border Miniatures?) which I then painted over.

Mike

 

[Helm]

Not sure he was made a Templar on his death bed and certainly served alongside them while completing the vow on behalf of Henry the young king. Whether he actually served amongst their ranks I haven't got any knowledge one way or the other. He certainly "promised to end his days amongst them" hence the deathbed investment

 

[MCPWilk]

His tomb is in the Temple Church in the Inner/Middle Temples in London (http://www.templechurch.com/history-2/)

Mike

 

[Einion]

How about using paint chips? Armour modellers use a technique called the "Hairspray Method".

This is a great technique, but very easy to overdo (as they tend to in armour circles lately) because the effect is so attractive. I'm not sure a shield could really get old enough to build up the type of wear it simulates.

I've attached an example of the gradient that I was talking about at diffent stages. The design is not important but the feel of the gradient is. I hope this helps

Why the two-grad thing though Mike? Shouldn't the shading show a natural progression of shadowing down the whole face of the shield (where broadly speaking the bottom of the upper red quadrant should be the same colour as the top of the lower red quadrant)?

Einion

 

[chippy]

hi Steve for me the colours are way too strong if you are looking for a sunbleached effect . You have a little scratched area on the top right side , this should be your strongest colour in my opinion and the edges almost turning to white, the heraldry could almost be lost in places lost in areas with just the black outline still visible . All the colours were made from natural products that were not colour fast and thinned out very fast in both rain and sun .
chippy

 

[Helm]

You have an excellent point there Chippy