Weathering – How to use oil paints

Oil paints are extremely helpful for the weathering stage. Diluted with turpentine (or similar), you can use them to make your own washes and filters. Just remember: no cheap stuff! High quality oil paints have finer pigments, and that is what you want….

AK Interactive, 502 Abteilung and Winsor & Newton are a good choice.

Newton oil paints and the following colors are a good start:

burnt umber — dark reddish brown
raw umber or Van Dyke brown — dark brown like above, but less reddish
burnt sienna — rust tone
oxide of chromium — “military green”
payne’s gray — close to Tamiya’s German Grey.
naples yellow — a light desert sand. When mixed with burnt umber and white, it makes great dirt colors
white — zinc white or titanium white
ivory black

Here is what you use oil paints for…

FILTERS
A filter is an extremely thin coat of paint applied to a large area or an entire model. The usual advice to mix your own filters is to use a ratio of 5% paint to 95% thinner.

DOT FILTERS
After applying a clear coat of gloss or satin varnish on the model, you will use a brush with round point to paint tiny dots of different colours on the model, which you then will blend using turpentine.

WASHES
The procedure for mixing the wash is the same as the filter, only you use twice the amount of paint.