Heer Winter Suit Weathering

After trying my other experiments with weathering a Heer smock to get an overall distressed and discoloured look to my uniforms. I have given a new Dragon Kurz Heer winter uniform, a complete brush over with the same water and chalk pastels (not oil pastels).

Update: Pastel Chalk Colours

As an update, a very good point was raised by a fellow modeller, about the colours of the pastel chalks I am using to do the wash on the clothing. And I have added the following, hoping that it will help.

If I use the paint chips on the right as an comparison example.

From the left X-9 is about the thick mix colour that I have on the sanding pad, for the smock and winter suit that I have mentioned earlier. And by adding more water to the mix, the colour is then changed through to the lighter brown colours. Until it gets down to virtually clear if you then add the pastel mix to the water instead.

The same works by adding clear water onto the pastel mix on the smock at about XF-52, so that the water spreads the colour about to get a lighter effect. Then with the tissue pressed onto the smock, to remove the excess water and pastel, the colour can then be altered down to a lower shade by adding more clean water. Or darkened in patches, by adding more of the X-9 colour. I found that you can vary the effect you want, such as heavy dirt on elbows by using a slightly thicker mix of water and pastel chalk. Or as I did a lighter overall colour, by rubbing the pastel chalk on a sanding pad. Adding water to it, the more water the lighter the effect.

Jacket

I have applied the same pastel wash to this uniform, by grinding up some Brown pastel chalks on my sanding pad. Then after applying some water to the pad, I applied the pastel/water mix to the smock with a large brush. Varying the mixture between some slightly thicker pastel mix into the stitching, collar, elbows, cuffs and bottom edge, and a sort of thin pastel/water mix for the main part of the uniform.

1. 2. 3.

Picture 1. is the jacket as I got it loose in it's new condition, Picture 2. is after I have started the pastel wash on the left, with the right side untouched to show a comparison between the two. As I applied the wash, I pressed down on the smock with a tissue to remove some of the water and pastel chalk, as I found that the colour was getting too dark in places. I also found that if I used clean water on the smock, it helped to remove some of the chalk. Picture 3. shows how I have put the pastel wash on the white parts inside the jacket, but as shown it is a bit too much when compared to the untouched inner hood.

4. 5.

So after the photo was taken I washed these parts under the tap to remove a lot of it, picture 4. shows the result of this. For the inside of the jacket and the white parts, I used a lot of water with the Brown pastel chalk, so that it just discoloured the inside of the sleeves and the inner hood. Note: The only problem with putting parts of the jacket under the running water, it removed some of the pastel chalks from the outside, so I had to go back over it again with the slightly thicker pastel/water mix. Picture 5. above is of the finished jacket, sitting on top of the new trousers to show just how much the colour has been changed.

Trousers

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With the trousers in this set I have given them exactly the same treatment as the jacket. The new one's are in Picture 6. with the same pair in Picture 7. after a pastel wash on the left side to compare with the un-treated right side.

Picture 8. shows the trousers after I have finished with the pastel wash. The bottom of the trouser legs were given the same wash as the ends of the sleeves.

The wash was of a slightly thicker water/pastel mix, to discolour the white insides. I then used a brush to apply some plain water over this to remove some of the colour, so that I ended up with the result as shown.

The picture on the right shows the finished uniform after it has dried, with the discoloured white inner hood. I also found that if I make a slightly thicker water/pastel mix and brush it onto the ends of the cuff, trouser leg bottoms and the edges of the hood, it leaves a very nice dirty effect. That can be thinned down to the desired effect with clean water, and by pressing down on the area with a tissue.

SS Uniform Pastel Wash

Pastel Wash

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With the uniform here and the pastel method as described above, I am now using a Toys City SS adapted tunic and a pair of Dragon SS pea dot uniform trousers, both came from my Ruins kitbash. Picture 9. is the new Toys City SS tunic, Picture 10. is after I have given the right hand side of the tunic a pastel wash. I also did the same with the new Dragon pea dot trousers. In the picture on the right, one leg of the trousers has been pastel washed on the left hand side, to show the comparison of the altered against the new pair in Picture 11.

Although the items are of a similar type of pea dot camouflage, the benefit of both items is that they are made by different manufacturers. So that the trousers are of a lighter colour to the tunic, and that even after the pastel wash. I will still get the difference in colours that I am always looking for between both items, rather than one overall matched and even colour for the uniform. Once I had done the pastel wash I then put the uniform back onto the figure while it was still wet, so that it could dry and shape it to the body of the figure.

Weathering Powders

With the pastel chalks it adds a darker effect and colour to the basic uniform (Lowlights), so to add a lighter effect to bring out the edges of the materials (Highlights). I have used some Tamiya Light Sand weathering powders, drybrushed over the posed uniform

As shown in the pictures above the darker pastel chalked uniform is in Picture 10. And as a comparison in the picture on the right, I have given half the uniform on the right hand side a drybrush of the powders. The difference is only slight, as all I am trying to do is add a faint dusty highlight to the uniform edges.

Soldier Story Boots & Gaiters on a DiD Body

I bought some Soldier Story German boots loose as an experiment as I liked the look of them, and I have found that they are well made and nicely detailed. I also found that the 'pleather' material is a lot softer than some other boots I have, which makes the lacing up of them a lot easier. As shown below they can fit with some effort onto the feet of an early DiD figure.

12. 13. 14.  

To get them on the feet I have in Picture 12. loosened the laces quite a way, so that there is space to fit the DiD foot. I then placed the foot into the boot, and with a lot of effort I finally got it fully into the boot. Note: The DiD foot fills the boot completely, which makes the fitting of the boot difficult, but as shown in Picture 13. it can be done if you are careful. In Picture 14. I have the pair of boots on the figure, and I am most impressed because once the laces have been tightened up, they have a very nice tight in scale look to them around the foot and ankle. Note: When tightening the laces take your time, as well as pinch in on each side of the eyelets at the same time, to get the tight look that I have.

Soldier Story Gaiters

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