This is my first try at vehicles. Since the project at hand is the converted Stompa I showcased in a previous post, I deceided to take the chest plate first to test out techniques and colors.

So, after many tries, this is the first result. I'm pleased with it and thought it would be a good idea to share this with the Miniwargaming community! So if you are getting started in painting vehicles, feel free to follow along...



Base colors: I put on a good base coat of Blackened Steal from reaper. GW Boltgun Metal with a bit of Chaos Black will give similar results. Than I stippled a bit of Scab Red over top for a rusty look. A Devlin Mud wash blends things in nicely.




Masking: I picked up a bottle of Vallejo liquid mask some months ago. I have been looking for an excuse to fool around with it and this was a great opportunity. It works great and I can highly recommend it. You have a few minutes to apply the liquid, I used a piece of sponge here. I didn't want to risk a brush (It should work fine) and the irregular look works better here.




More Base coating: Fiery Orange on the entire piece, except for the 2 areas I wanted to keep unpainted. Simply applied over the masking, be careful not to rub it off in the process. At the bottom part I applied a second coat of liquid masking and then a coat of Bubonic Brown on a small piece, as an experiment. A Scorched Brown stipple on the entire piece helps the weathering. Let everything dry before the next step!




The unmasking: Take a stiff brush (I used a toothbrush) and start rubbing over all the masked areas. Don't use too much force, the rubber like texture of the mask will catch the bristles. An unwanted side-effect was a shiny finish... if anyone has a tip on a brush that doesn't have this effect, please let me know!




Half Time Result: I was pretty impressed with this. I love the chipped and weathered look, and the colors I chose came out nicely. I even liked the little experimental piece which had various masked layers.




Matt Varnish: I coated the piece with matt varnish, because I will be using mineral spirits later on. If you choose to do the same, don't forget this step, or your paintjob will rub off! Also, the chipped paint will be a bit more resistant to handling. Nice side effect: The glossy finish is gone again.




Heavy wash: Devlin Mud, and plenty of it! Don't be afraid of brushstrokes, for me the end result looked like this for me:




Now, mineral spirits cleanup:



Simple rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. I used make-up removal swabs. They have foam like ends, and don't leave any cotton residue. Simply take away all the wash you find exessive, and leave the rest. It leaves the model nice and clean, even if you want it dirty!




Highlights: I only highlighted the unpainted metals, but you can take this as far as you like!

That's it! I put this here mainly because I would have liked to have a guide like this before getting frustrated about not achieving the effect I like. If you have any further tips, please share!