barebones
Member
Hey all! I was just lookin at the tutorials thread, and I didn't see many tutorials for weathering (only 1 I think). So I figured I would make a guide of weathering techniques and methods I've used and seen others use. The methods that this tutorial will cover are Anti-paint adhesion pre-weathering (Including latex, mustard, toothpaste, salt, and vaseline), dry-brushing, acrylic washes, oil ink (copic ink) weathering, physical weathering, sticker residue, dust/earth powder, mud weathering, airbrush shading, actual dirt, random weathering, coffee or tea, burnt paint, and I think that's it, but let me know if I missed any and I can add onto it! The most important part about any weathering (in my opinion), is that it should have purpose and balance (excluding the random damage). The armor has been through a battlefield most likely, so what has it experienced? Have the edges of the paint been rubbed off by them hitting other armor species, or did your Spartan take a tumble down a cliff? Are there tiny paint chips from a grenade's shrapnel or a blast mark from a plasma pistol? I strongly encourage you to make a story for your armor, and have some depth and lore! Anyway, let's get on with it.
Anti-Paint adhesion pre-weathering
I personally have used all of these methods. Okay, so there are many ways to accomplish the same thing here. Usually, a metallic undercoat is used to imitate metal, but you could really just use anything. Sorry for the mouthful of a title lol, it's the only way I could actually describe it accurately without being too specific. Essentially, we are just covering up parts that we don't want paint on. Latex, Mustard, Toothpaste, and vaseline are all very similar in application and results, but I'll highlight the differences below.
Latex: I use this. For this method, you want to apply this with a toothpick or other small, pointed object. Pour a small amount of liquid latex into a throwaway ramekin. You will not need a ton for this, depending on the size of your part, but the top will immediately start to solidify so you want to be relatively quick with this, you can always pour more in. Grab your toothpick or similar object and, as mentioned above, spread it on the parts that have been damaged, that you want the metallic to shine through. Most of the time, weathering is on sharp edges and corners, as that's what is going to come into contact with other parts most often. I've attached an image below of an example of what I did with my mkvii helmet. Before: If you zoom in a bit, you can see the clear dried liquid latex. Before->
<-After.
Example of process
You can see the places that the liquid latex was peeled off. Once it has dried, you're good to paint it, but make sure not to take it off until: 1. the paint is FULLY cured (at least 48 hours), and 2. You have all the colors you want on. After your paint has dried, you can peel the liquid latex off with your fingers, I usually pick it off, just be careful to not scratch the other parts of your paint. After this, you should have a result similar to this, depending on what you're doing. (IMAGE OF MKVII BICEP W/O BLACKWASH). And that's pretty much it for liquid latex.
Mustard, Toothpaste, and Vaseline: You should be able to find these at a local grocery store. All 3 of these methods are the same application as latex, except for vaseline which will not dry, so be careful with that, as it will rub off/spread if you touch it. Next, same as the latex, paint it once dried for a bit, and after drying, unlike latex, you will want to just use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the substance underwater, then dry the part. And that's about it for these methods.
Salt: Last but not least, the salt method. This method is very good for creating simulations of blasts and shrapnel, as it creates many small dots and I think is a cool effect. For this method, I suggest covering your workstation with a newspaper for quick cleanup. You will need a spray bottle filled with warm water, sea salt of varying sizes (for variation), and a hair dryer or heat gun. Firstly, you want to spray your model with a medium coat of warm water. Now take your salt and sprinkle it in a fairly even coat, however concentrated you want, depending on the amount of weathering. The more salt you use, the more weathering you'll have. The irregular size and shape of the crystals will create a worn and weathered effect that looks natural. As the salt crystals start to dissolve in the warm water, use a hair dryer or heat gun, set to the lowest setting to dry the salt crystals (Be careful! You don't want to melt your model, especially if it's 3D printed). Once this dries, you're good to paint! After your paint is fully cured, you should be able to scratch off these salt crystals with your fingers, and there you go! I'll insert a picture of when I do it later, once I get to painting the legs of my MKVII, as the legs are going to have the most weathering, and I think It'll look good there, but feel free to put it wherever you please. (PICTURE). That's it for salt weathering and paint resisters. This is one of the first weathering methods I use in anything I do, and I will usually follow up with a small dry brush and then acrylic wash, but again, that's just me.
Dry-Brushing
Brush and paint: Also referred to as 'edge weathering,' this method uses a dry brush and some paint that is lightly brushed on the edges. Although most people use metallic, again, you can use anything, up to your creativity! This is a pretty straightforward method, and while I don't use it too often, is an awesome addition to any paint-resistant weathering you currently have or even looks amazing by itself. For this method, you will need a small dry paintbrush, flathead screwdriver style, preferably not new to keep a used and weathered look when you apply the paint. You'll also need some silver metallic paint as well as a paint thinner. Let's get started. Firstly, you're going to want to prepare the paintbrush. You want a rough edge, so if your paintbrush is new, take some scissors to it and roughen up the tip quite a bit. Next, you're going to dip the brush VERY LIGHTLY in your silver paint, then wipe most off on the edge of the bottle, then dry it on a paper towel, but make sure some paint stays on there, though a very small amount. Now apply your paint flathead side down on the edges of your prop, and you should get a very faint silver edge, which is exactly what we're going for. You can also brush down a small amount to simulate scratches and wear. And that's it. You can add multiple layers for a heavier look if you'd like as well.
Paint markers: I've found a lot of success in using these. Similar to dry brushing, this method will simulate wear on the edges and corners. It will, however, have a heavier effect, as there's not really a way to control the flow, other than the amount of pressure and surface area of the pen that you apply. There's not really much to say on this one, Same method as dry brushing, except with a marker.
Acrylic Washes
Acrylic washes: Okay. There's a ton of grey area in this one and sooooo much room for you to make it how you want it, so I will try to cover the basic steps, with a normal weathering wash. The materials you will need are some acrylic paints (I love this brand), I usually use a mixture of black, grey, and a different mixture of browns, depending on what I'm working on and what its story is. You'll also need a beat-up paintbrush, usually a bigger one unless you're trying to get into some hard-to-reach corners. The last thing you'll need is a cup to hold your paint in as well as some paper towels/microfiber cloth, and a small fine sponge. It's up to you to determine the shade and balance and even ratio of water to acrylic, as the more acrylic you use will mean that your paint is going to be darker, and will dry faster. In my last project I did, my MKVII helmet, I used about a tablespoon of black with a few drops of brown with about a half cup of water. This is a pretty concentrated wash, but if you work fast then it turns out pretty good. I apply it by taking your brush, dipping it fully in your mixed paint wash, dabbing it on the paper towel, then just almost jabbing the brush like you would jab a knife, so the bristles make a circle, and doing that all over the part you want weathered. Let it set for 15-30 seconds, then press the paper towel/micro onto the part to soak up the excess wash, and if there are corners, then it will stay in there to create a semi-realistic grunge in the corners. After that dries, give it a good wipe with a dry micro then you're good to do your clear coat or additional weathering.
Oil Weathering (Copic Inks)
Airbrushing: Disclaimer: I haven't tried any of these methods. This method uses an airbrush so skip to the next alcohol method if you do not have one. Materials-wise, you're going to be looking at the Copic ink refills, 70% alcohol, an airbrush, and a spray bottle. First, you want to start by mixing your inks with your desired color. Whatever color you've mixed is clearly going to be darker than the end result, so just keep that in mind. After this, put your 70% alcohol into a spray bottle. Next, put it in your airbrush and spray a light coat on it. Now you have to hurry. spray the spray bottle with the alcohol in it in a different direction than your prop, and then move the prop so that the alcohol mist settles on the airbrushed spot. It will separate and very small bubbles will appear. If you don't like the end result, you can always wipe it off with alcohol and restart. Once this dries, you're good to clear or add more weathering.
Beauty sponge: THIS IS A THEORETICAL METHOD. I had the idea that, instead of an airbrush, since makeup sponges soak up the least amount possible, you could use that instead of the airbrush, and just follow the rest of the steps and maybe have similar results? As I said, it has not been tested yet but I will test it soon and may come back and delete this if it doesn't work.
Physical Weathering
Dents, cracks, and holes: So, you can add physical imperfections either using a soldering iron, a knife, etc. Really easy method that you can customize to your needs, just remember to think about how that damage got there, just so it makes sense, and also don't add too much unless that's the look you're going for I guess. You can also use a heat gun or blow dryer to soften the surface of the plastic so that you can push it in to simulate dents. Something to keep in mind is to not add too much weathering to the point where it decreases the stability/durability of the part. I've found that a combination of physical damage and some surface-level damage make it look a lot more authentic. This type of weathering is very hard to remove/repair so use it in moderation.
Sticker residue
Stickers!: This method definitely does not apply to everything. I saw it in an Adam Savage video forever ago and thought I would just include it. There's not much to it, you put a sticker on, and then you rip it off and you leave the residue it leaves on. It will leave an uneven surface, and it will attract grunge and dirt and dust, but that's what we're going for, right? Kind of. I personally would not put this on Spartan armor but maybe a customized carrying case for the armor. So yeah, that's it, pretty simple and straightforward, not much to it. If you'd like to remove it, you can use rubbing alcohol, but be careful, as this can eventually wear down your paint as well.
Dust/Earth powders
Powders: The powders that I think of when I think of earth powders are fullers earth powders, which are special fx powders meant for movie explosions and realistic dust, but I know a lot of prop makers that use them for props. You might be able to somehow grind some dirt up somehow (I have no clue how you would) and use this instead. First, you want to scuff up your painted surface a bit with 800-1000 grit sandpaper, just to leave very faint scratches that the powder can settle into. Next, you want to, as you probably guessed, grab a bit of earth powder and just rub it in. This will sit in the crevices and leave a slight dirt color. That's it for this one.
Mud weathering
Pastels: This method uses pastels that can be found on Amazon or probably at your local crafts store. What you want to do is pick out your desired colors, usually the earth or black colors, and smash up the pastels until they are powders. Then you want to get a small cup of water for each color you have and pour a little bit of your pastel dust into the cups. For the first color, you're going to want a thinner, more liquid mixture, and for the second, you're going to want a thicker, more actual mud-like coating. Apply the first coat with a worn, large, rough paintbrush, making sure it gets all over. Now dab that off with a paper towel and now you are ready for your second coat. Apply the second coat the same way, except in more specific areas where you want to keep the weathering more. Do not take this off with a paper towel. Instead, wait for this to dry then you're done! You can also quicken up the drying process with a heat gun/hair dryer just be wary of the plastic/foam melting.
Mod Podge: For this method, you will need Mod Podge, either actual dirt or earth powders. Be careful, this is a PERMANENT weathering method, as Mod Podge is essentially glue. Combine 1/3 part Mod Podge to 2/3 part dirt. Next, paint on your prop with a brush that you won't ever use again because you won't be able to. Once it's on where you want it, that's it! It's permanent! You might be able to get it off with some acetone or something, but good luck. Also, feel free to adjust the ratio to your liking, I've just found that this works the best for me.
Airbrush shading
Airbrush: This method uses an airbrush to dispense dark paint to exaggerate shadows and add weathering effects. It just consists of the standard operation of an airbrush, just prepare your airbrush as you would if you were painting and put your desired color mixture in corners and on edges to mimic shadows and grime even. Some people airbrush details like scratches onto the helmet as well. Not personally my style, but I know a lot of people who have had lots of success with this method.
Dirt weathering
Actual Dirt: This is definitely one of my preferred methods, especially for mud weathering, mostly because mud and dirt details are always changing, and this method shows this accurately. One of the downsides is that this is a very messy method, as it might make a mess at cons if it falls off. That being said, this method is very forgivable because you can just wash it off and have clean armor once again. It also has a straightforward method, consisting of rubbing mud/dirt on your object until you are satisfied with the amount of dirt.
Random weathering
Random: This method stays pretty close to its name as well. Basically, you just randomly damage it, and this can be achieved by throwing the prop around, throwing rocks or something hard at your prop, that type of thing. I personally do not use this method at all (unless it's on accident lol); mostly because it tends to break your part and it doesn't have any meaning, and it usually shows.
Coffee/Tea/Soy sauce
Liquids: Coffee and tea have been used to dye materials for centuries, and I have recently discovered that soy sauce also has a similar effect. For this method, you’re just going to soak your preferred piece in one of these 3 liquids, and the longer you leave the piece in the liquid, the darker it will turn out. Darkness also depends on the concentration of the coffee/tea. The more concentrated the liquid, the darker the part will be. These can usually be removed with rubbing alcohol if you need to.
Burnt Paint/Scorch Marks
Blowtorch: I have used this method before, and it's just when you scorch your part with a blowtorch to give it the blackened effect. Theoretically, you can use a lighter, but it won’t be as fast. You have to be careful though, as a blowtorch will melt anything less than petg almost instantaneously, and I don't recommend doing it with thin walls, have at least 1.5mm walls. I have never used this on foam, so use at your own risk !
Weathering theory
Okay, now it gets kinda deep. I touched on this in the beginning, but I thought I would explain it a little bit better down here. Weathering. If you do weathering with a purpose and a reason, then its bound to turn out great, regardless of any of the methods used. When you can tell a story about your weathering, it just adds a layer of depth and a sense of authenticity that you don't get from throwing armor around on the floor. As for theory, lets start with the why and how. Why did that happen to the armor, and how did it happen ? What kind of terrain/battlefeild is the armor in or where did it just come from ? This is important because you don't want to have a paice of your amor come from a sandy, dusty environment, while the other piece came from an industrial zone where there would be more dark dirt and grime, unless that's the look you are going for. A set of armor will rarely be grimy all over, in an even coating. Be careful as to not do too much weathering, because that will also decrease the authenticity. If the armor is a certain color, you want that color to be the main attraction, not the overdone weathering. Less weathering will also make your weathering look 10x better in general. Lets talk about where on the armor as well as why on that specific spot. For example, the central groove of my mkvii helmet has a lot more dirt and grime than chips and paint flecks, because its protected, so while it may not be as damaged, its going to collect dirt and dust in its grooves. It'll still have a few small ones, but not nearly as much as the outside. Corners on helmets will also tend to collect more dirt for the same reason. Same thing with detail species, like a tacpad. Now we want to think about what the object is, and how it sits (for armor) and how its used. The legs of a spartan will collect a lot more grime than say, the chestpeice. The legs are closer to the ground and that's where all the grime, dirt, and whatever else is. A spartan is constantly running, so that also determines how far mud splatters get up on the armor, and from reference pictures, its usually up to the thighs, and maybe a little on the belt. Also, think about where grenades explode most of the time. Where does that shrapnel go first ? Thats right, the legs. So expect to put a lot more small chips on the legs then say, large sratches or large dents from bullets. Speaking of the chest paice, when playing the game, where do you aim ? 90% of the time for me id say that I go for the head, and if I miss the head, it will go down, to the chest, which will have a lot less grime and a lot more long scratches from deflecting bullets or even from jabs from the enemy spartans (metal) gloves, which will scratch both, depending on the material. That brings me to my next point, which is think of the material that you're using. An example is that a plastic piece won't have silver on it because its plastic, not metal. Also something to think about is stuff that has been sitting for a bit. This doesn't nessasarily apply to spatan armor unless you're doing an abandoned or flood/haunted build, but metal rusts. and occasionally, if the rust hits the right chemicals, it will drip and leave rust trails from the rusty piece. Scratchmarks should continue from surface to surface, but maybe not hitting grooves that the object scratching it wouldn't be able to reach, especially considering the speed and velocity of the object that scratched the weathered part. Talking more about scratch marks, a thing that the human hand tends to do it to do is 45° cuts and slashes, as you don't want to go perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal, so you end up going with the halfway point; and these look awesome, just make sure as to not do ALL 45° slashes, as it can end up looking fake, like something you would get off of amazon. All in all, just think, think about how the specific part was damaged and where it is and why.
Anyways, that pretty much wraps it up for this tutorial, I'll come back and add pictures as I use these methods and do my armor, but thats it ! As always, feel free to ask for more info or additions of more methods. Hope this is helpful to all !
References/credits:
OddViking
OffEarth3d
Anti-Paint adhesion pre-weathering
I personally have used all of these methods. Okay, so there are many ways to accomplish the same thing here. Usually, a metallic undercoat is used to imitate metal, but you could really just use anything. Sorry for the mouthful of a title lol, it's the only way I could actually describe it accurately without being too specific. Essentially, we are just covering up parts that we don't want paint on. Latex, Mustard, Toothpaste, and vaseline are all very similar in application and results, but I'll highlight the differences below.
Latex: I use this. For this method, you want to apply this with a toothpick or other small, pointed object. Pour a small amount of liquid latex into a throwaway ramekin. You will not need a ton for this, depending on the size of your part, but the top will immediately start to solidify so you want to be relatively quick with this, you can always pour more in. Grab your toothpick or similar object and, as mentioned above, spread it on the parts that have been damaged, that you want the metallic to shine through. Most of the time, weathering is on sharp edges and corners, as that's what is going to come into contact with other parts most often. I've attached an image below of an example of what I did with my mkvii helmet. Before: If you zoom in a bit, you can see the clear dried liquid latex. Before->
Example of process
You can see the places that the liquid latex was peeled off. Once it has dried, you're good to paint it, but make sure not to take it off until: 1. the paint is FULLY cured (at least 48 hours), and 2. You have all the colors you want on. After your paint has dried, you can peel the liquid latex off with your fingers, I usually pick it off, just be careful to not scratch the other parts of your paint. After this, you should have a result similar to this, depending on what you're doing. (IMAGE OF MKVII BICEP W/O BLACKWASH). And that's pretty much it for liquid latex.
Mustard, Toothpaste, and Vaseline: You should be able to find these at a local grocery store. All 3 of these methods are the same application as latex, except for vaseline which will not dry, so be careful with that, as it will rub off/spread if you touch it. Next, same as the latex, paint it once dried for a bit, and after drying, unlike latex, you will want to just use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the substance underwater, then dry the part. And that's about it for these methods.
Salt: Last but not least, the salt method. This method is very good for creating simulations of blasts and shrapnel, as it creates many small dots and I think is a cool effect. For this method, I suggest covering your workstation with a newspaper for quick cleanup. You will need a spray bottle filled with warm water, sea salt of varying sizes (for variation), and a hair dryer or heat gun. Firstly, you want to spray your model with a medium coat of warm water. Now take your salt and sprinkle it in a fairly even coat, however concentrated you want, depending on the amount of weathering. The more salt you use, the more weathering you'll have. The irregular size and shape of the crystals will create a worn and weathered effect that looks natural. As the salt crystals start to dissolve in the warm water, use a hair dryer or heat gun, set to the lowest setting to dry the salt crystals (Be careful! You don't want to melt your model, especially if it's 3D printed). Once this dries, you're good to paint! After your paint is fully cured, you should be able to scratch off these salt crystals with your fingers, and there you go! I'll insert a picture of when I do it later, once I get to painting the legs of my MKVII, as the legs are going to have the most weathering, and I think It'll look good there, but feel free to put it wherever you please. (PICTURE). That's it for salt weathering and paint resisters. This is one of the first weathering methods I use in anything I do, and I will usually follow up with a small dry brush and then acrylic wash, but again, that's just me.
Dry-Brushing
Brush and paint: Also referred to as 'edge weathering,' this method uses a dry brush and some paint that is lightly brushed on the edges. Although most people use metallic, again, you can use anything, up to your creativity! This is a pretty straightforward method, and while I don't use it too often, is an awesome addition to any paint-resistant weathering you currently have or even looks amazing by itself. For this method, you will need a small dry paintbrush, flathead screwdriver style, preferably not new to keep a used and weathered look when you apply the paint. You'll also need some silver metallic paint as well as a paint thinner. Let's get started. Firstly, you're going to want to prepare the paintbrush. You want a rough edge, so if your paintbrush is new, take some scissors to it and roughen up the tip quite a bit. Next, you're going to dip the brush VERY LIGHTLY in your silver paint, then wipe most off on the edge of the bottle, then dry it on a paper towel, but make sure some paint stays on there, though a very small amount. Now apply your paint flathead side down on the edges of your prop, and you should get a very faint silver edge, which is exactly what we're going for. You can also brush down a small amount to simulate scratches and wear. And that's it. You can add multiple layers for a heavier look if you'd like as well.
Paint markers: I've found a lot of success in using these. Similar to dry brushing, this method will simulate wear on the edges and corners. It will, however, have a heavier effect, as there's not really a way to control the flow, other than the amount of pressure and surface area of the pen that you apply. There's not really much to say on this one, Same method as dry brushing, except with a marker.
Acrylic Washes
Acrylic washes: Okay. There's a ton of grey area in this one and sooooo much room for you to make it how you want it, so I will try to cover the basic steps, with a normal weathering wash. The materials you will need are some acrylic paints (I love this brand), I usually use a mixture of black, grey, and a different mixture of browns, depending on what I'm working on and what its story is. You'll also need a beat-up paintbrush, usually a bigger one unless you're trying to get into some hard-to-reach corners. The last thing you'll need is a cup to hold your paint in as well as some paper towels/microfiber cloth, and a small fine sponge. It's up to you to determine the shade and balance and even ratio of water to acrylic, as the more acrylic you use will mean that your paint is going to be darker, and will dry faster. In my last project I did, my MKVII helmet, I used about a tablespoon of black with a few drops of brown with about a half cup of water. This is a pretty concentrated wash, but if you work fast then it turns out pretty good. I apply it by taking your brush, dipping it fully in your mixed paint wash, dabbing it on the paper towel, then just almost jabbing the brush like you would jab a knife, so the bristles make a circle, and doing that all over the part you want weathered. Let it set for 15-30 seconds, then press the paper towel/micro onto the part to soak up the excess wash, and if there are corners, then it will stay in there to create a semi-realistic grunge in the corners. After that dries, give it a good wipe with a dry micro then you're good to do your clear coat or additional weathering.
Oil Weathering (Copic Inks)
Airbrushing: Disclaimer: I haven't tried any of these methods. This method uses an airbrush so skip to the next alcohol method if you do not have one. Materials-wise, you're going to be looking at the Copic ink refills, 70% alcohol, an airbrush, and a spray bottle. First, you want to start by mixing your inks with your desired color. Whatever color you've mixed is clearly going to be darker than the end result, so just keep that in mind. After this, put your 70% alcohol into a spray bottle. Next, put it in your airbrush and spray a light coat on it. Now you have to hurry. spray the spray bottle with the alcohol in it in a different direction than your prop, and then move the prop so that the alcohol mist settles on the airbrushed spot. It will separate and very small bubbles will appear. If you don't like the end result, you can always wipe it off with alcohol and restart. Once this dries, you're good to clear or add more weathering.
Beauty sponge: THIS IS A THEORETICAL METHOD. I had the idea that, instead of an airbrush, since makeup sponges soak up the least amount possible, you could use that instead of the airbrush, and just follow the rest of the steps and maybe have similar results? As I said, it has not been tested yet but I will test it soon and may come back and delete this if it doesn't work.
Physical Weathering
Dents, cracks, and holes: So, you can add physical imperfections either using a soldering iron, a knife, etc. Really easy method that you can customize to your needs, just remember to think about how that damage got there, just so it makes sense, and also don't add too much unless that's the look you're going for I guess. You can also use a heat gun or blow dryer to soften the surface of the plastic so that you can push it in to simulate dents. Something to keep in mind is to not add too much weathering to the point where it decreases the stability/durability of the part. I've found that a combination of physical damage and some surface-level damage make it look a lot more authentic. This type of weathering is very hard to remove/repair so use it in moderation.
Sticker residue
Stickers!: This method definitely does not apply to everything. I saw it in an Adam Savage video forever ago and thought I would just include it. There's not much to it, you put a sticker on, and then you rip it off and you leave the residue it leaves on. It will leave an uneven surface, and it will attract grunge and dirt and dust, but that's what we're going for, right? Kind of. I personally would not put this on Spartan armor but maybe a customized carrying case for the armor. So yeah, that's it, pretty simple and straightforward, not much to it. If you'd like to remove it, you can use rubbing alcohol, but be careful, as this can eventually wear down your paint as well.
Dust/Earth powders
Powders: The powders that I think of when I think of earth powders are fullers earth powders, which are special fx powders meant for movie explosions and realistic dust, but I know a lot of prop makers that use them for props. You might be able to somehow grind some dirt up somehow (I have no clue how you would) and use this instead. First, you want to scuff up your painted surface a bit with 800-1000 grit sandpaper, just to leave very faint scratches that the powder can settle into. Next, you want to, as you probably guessed, grab a bit of earth powder and just rub it in. This will sit in the crevices and leave a slight dirt color. That's it for this one.
Mud weathering
Pastels: This method uses pastels that can be found on Amazon or probably at your local crafts store. What you want to do is pick out your desired colors, usually the earth or black colors, and smash up the pastels until they are powders. Then you want to get a small cup of water for each color you have and pour a little bit of your pastel dust into the cups. For the first color, you're going to want a thinner, more liquid mixture, and for the second, you're going to want a thicker, more actual mud-like coating. Apply the first coat with a worn, large, rough paintbrush, making sure it gets all over. Now dab that off with a paper towel and now you are ready for your second coat. Apply the second coat the same way, except in more specific areas where you want to keep the weathering more. Do not take this off with a paper towel. Instead, wait for this to dry then you're done! You can also quicken up the drying process with a heat gun/hair dryer just be wary of the plastic/foam melting.
Mod Podge: For this method, you will need Mod Podge, either actual dirt or earth powders. Be careful, this is a PERMANENT weathering method, as Mod Podge is essentially glue. Combine 1/3 part Mod Podge to 2/3 part dirt. Next, paint on your prop with a brush that you won't ever use again because you won't be able to. Once it's on where you want it, that's it! It's permanent! You might be able to get it off with some acetone or something, but good luck. Also, feel free to adjust the ratio to your liking, I've just found that this works the best for me.
Airbrush shading
Airbrush: This method uses an airbrush to dispense dark paint to exaggerate shadows and add weathering effects. It just consists of the standard operation of an airbrush, just prepare your airbrush as you would if you were painting and put your desired color mixture in corners and on edges to mimic shadows and grime even. Some people airbrush details like scratches onto the helmet as well. Not personally my style, but I know a lot of people who have had lots of success with this method.
Dirt weathering
Actual Dirt: This is definitely one of my preferred methods, especially for mud weathering, mostly because mud and dirt details are always changing, and this method shows this accurately. One of the downsides is that this is a very messy method, as it might make a mess at cons if it falls off. That being said, this method is very forgivable because you can just wash it off and have clean armor once again. It also has a straightforward method, consisting of rubbing mud/dirt on your object until you are satisfied with the amount of dirt.
Random weathering
Random: This method stays pretty close to its name as well. Basically, you just randomly damage it, and this can be achieved by throwing the prop around, throwing rocks or something hard at your prop, that type of thing. I personally do not use this method at all (unless it's on accident lol); mostly because it tends to break your part and it doesn't have any meaning, and it usually shows.
Coffee/Tea/Soy sauce
Liquids: Coffee and tea have been used to dye materials for centuries, and I have recently discovered that soy sauce also has a similar effect. For this method, you’re just going to soak your preferred piece in one of these 3 liquids, and the longer you leave the piece in the liquid, the darker it will turn out. Darkness also depends on the concentration of the coffee/tea. The more concentrated the liquid, the darker the part will be. These can usually be removed with rubbing alcohol if you need to.
Burnt Paint/Scorch Marks
Blowtorch: I have used this method before, and it's just when you scorch your part with a blowtorch to give it the blackened effect. Theoretically, you can use a lighter, but it won’t be as fast. You have to be careful though, as a blowtorch will melt anything less than petg almost instantaneously, and I don't recommend doing it with thin walls, have at least 1.5mm walls. I have never used this on foam, so use at your own risk !
Weathering theory
Okay, now it gets kinda deep. I touched on this in the beginning, but I thought I would explain it a little bit better down here. Weathering. If you do weathering with a purpose and a reason, then its bound to turn out great, regardless of any of the methods used. When you can tell a story about your weathering, it just adds a layer of depth and a sense of authenticity that you don't get from throwing armor around on the floor. As for theory, lets start with the why and how. Why did that happen to the armor, and how did it happen ? What kind of terrain/battlefeild is the armor in or where did it just come from ? This is important because you don't want to have a paice of your amor come from a sandy, dusty environment, while the other piece came from an industrial zone where there would be more dark dirt and grime, unless that's the look you are going for. A set of armor will rarely be grimy all over, in an even coating. Be careful as to not do too much weathering, because that will also decrease the authenticity. If the armor is a certain color, you want that color to be the main attraction, not the overdone weathering. Less weathering will also make your weathering look 10x better in general. Lets talk about where on the armor as well as why on that specific spot. For example, the central groove of my mkvii helmet has a lot more dirt and grime than chips and paint flecks, because its protected, so while it may not be as damaged, its going to collect dirt and dust in its grooves. It'll still have a few small ones, but not nearly as much as the outside. Corners on helmets will also tend to collect more dirt for the same reason. Same thing with detail species, like a tacpad. Now we want to think about what the object is, and how it sits (for armor) and how its used. The legs of a spartan will collect a lot more grime than say, the chestpeice. The legs are closer to the ground and that's where all the grime, dirt, and whatever else is. A spartan is constantly running, so that also determines how far mud splatters get up on the armor, and from reference pictures, its usually up to the thighs, and maybe a little on the belt. Also, think about where grenades explode most of the time. Where does that shrapnel go first ? Thats right, the legs. So expect to put a lot more small chips on the legs then say, large sratches or large dents from bullets. Speaking of the chest paice, when playing the game, where do you aim ? 90% of the time for me id say that I go for the head, and if I miss the head, it will go down, to the chest, which will have a lot less grime and a lot more long scratches from deflecting bullets or even from jabs from the enemy spartans (metal) gloves, which will scratch both, depending on the material. That brings me to my next point, which is think of the material that you're using. An example is that a plastic piece won't have silver on it because its plastic, not metal. Also something to think about is stuff that has been sitting for a bit. This doesn't nessasarily apply to spatan armor unless you're doing an abandoned or flood/haunted build, but metal rusts. and occasionally, if the rust hits the right chemicals, it will drip and leave rust trails from the rusty piece. Scratchmarks should continue from surface to surface, but maybe not hitting grooves that the object scratching it wouldn't be able to reach, especially considering the speed and velocity of the object that scratched the weathered part. Talking more about scratch marks, a thing that the human hand tends to do it to do is 45° cuts and slashes, as you don't want to go perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal, so you end up going with the halfway point; and these look awesome, just make sure as to not do ALL 45° slashes, as it can end up looking fake, like something you would get off of amazon. All in all, just think, think about how the specific part was damaged and where it is and why.
Anyways, that pretty much wraps it up for this tutorial, I'll come back and add pictures as I use these methods and do my armor, but thats it ! As always, feel free to ask for more info or additions of more methods. Hope this is helpful to all !
References/credits:
OddViking
OffEarth3d
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