How big of a difference does weathering armor make? [QUESTION]

[Phauxelate]

For instance, I have a suit that I've made and I feel like it could use some weathering to give it some life. I myself have not weathered armor, and I can figure that out.

My question is how big of a difference does weathering armor do in terms of looks, compared to unweathered armor? I have yet to find two comparison pictures showing the armor weathered and unweathered word side by side so I can't see how much it changes it. Does it just make it look worn down, or does it really "bring it to life" so to speak?

 

[Schankerz]

Oh yeah weathering bring a lot to your armour in terms of making it livelier and seem as though it's seen some action. You can still make it look awesome without it to be sure as many people have done but if you can do it I would suggest it. I believe mblackwell1002 had a pretty easy tutorial around here somewhere exploring some of his techniques if you can find it.

 

[Phauxelate]

I would suggest it. I believe mblackwell1002 had a pretty easy tutorial around here somewhere exploring some of his techniques if you can find it.

I'll be sure to check that out when I have the time! I just finished remaking some of the pieces for armor, and I'm waiting until one of my buddies has time to help me take some new photos this Friday night. Once those new photos are taken, I'll post them here and ask how much weathering will improve it.

Does that good?

 

[Tegan]

weathering definitely can bring not just a set of armor, but any prop "to life". and it can "hide the crimes" so to speak which is also nice and quite helpful in certain cases.

 

[Phauxelate]

For those too lazy to find the mblackwell1002's weathering tutorial, here it is:
mblackwell's fast, cheap, and informal guide to weathering props

 

[TurboCharizard]

I started painting through working on miniatures so my process has always been base coat, colour coat, exaggerated highlights, wash, highlight then drybrush edge detail. It lets you get away with a lot of things and hide a bunch of crimes such as using satin finish paint when you wanted matte.

 

[PaiganBoi]

My basic process is base colours with masking fluid to give the effect of paint chips. Dry brush to add scratches and then a black wash to dirty it up.

 

[PerniciousDuke]

Here's an example of before and after weathering an action figure.

The ideas are the same. Use the paint to create dirt, damage, shadow, details. If you made something too flat you can even do tricks to make it look more round. All of it makes the suit pop.

Edit: Here's the in depth video on that action figure transformation.

Edit2: I would not recommend shoe polish to do the black wash, just stick to the traditional dollar acrylic black paint watered down. The effect is the same, but I would worry that it would be harder to seal the shoe polish and might rub off if people brush against you.

 

[Elcorio]

On the two sets I made for my kids, almost every time someone approached to look at their armor, they were first amazed that it was foam, then always commented how they liked the way it looked dirty, worn, and battle damaged.

 

[Phauxelate]

Here's an example of before and after weathering an action figure.

Thank you for the comparison picture! This gave me more of a cause to weather my armor, as I see that the different is quite a bit.

I'll try to find some junk to weather so I don't ruin my suit from inexperience. Maybe some foam scraps to practice on?

Also, I ran into an issue where I was crunched on time and I used a heat gun to try and seal the foam. It worked kinda, but I can feel the texture of the foam underneath where I wouldn't had I sealed it with modpodge or plastidip. I've recently made some new parts where I did use modpodge, but I'm thinking about re-painting the rest properly, by sealing it with modpodge and re-applying the acrylic paint job (I'm in dorm, so spraypaint is not an option).

If I were to coat the armor in that cheap black and water mixture to add dimension, would it not work out so well from me not being able to wipe it off with a wet sponge? I'm thinking that the black coat would get absorbed into the foam, and I don't want to ruin it.

It definitely could use a new paint job anyways though, so it may just be worth it to wait to weather it until I find the time repaint it.

Thoughts?

 

[PerniciousDuke]

You could weather your suit in one day for under $5. I'd say just go for it.

About the unsealed foam.. the black wash goes on top of the paint that is already there. So if your base paint didnt get absorbed then your weathering paint will be fine. If you're worried about it you can always splurge and grab 2 cans of clear coat to spray first like he does in the video. (Make friends with someone who lives off campus. Just remember to be safe and drink responsibly. ) definitely clear coat it when you're done.

Edit: My only advice for the weathering itself is don't be afraid of it. If you do too little or too consistant then it will look intentionally done. If you kinda go a bit random with it then it will be more realistic. Try to keep reality in mind. Your legs and arms will be more "dirty" than your head and torso. Upper body will have plenty of paint scratches as people try to shoot you. Leg scratches will more likely be horizontal than vertical since you're running. Just try to become the character while you're weathering. Try to think, oh right here he got scorched from plasma burns and then sand it off because he was in a desert planet for awhile.