Painting & Weathering
Your paint colors/scheme/design/etc. has the largest visual impact on your kit. We suggest taking as much inspiration from canon Star Wars Mandalorians as possible.
HERE is a wonderful guide to get you started on the aesthetic of Star Wars Mandos.
Here is a great video from Lonewolf Customs on doing a paint wash (aka black wash, acrylic wash, etc). A great form of topical weathering!
Painting Part 1: General painting info
Note on weathering: There are two ways to do weathering. 1- layered, which you will need to do as you paint, or 2- topical which you apply after you are finished painting.
If you are adding lines, sections, etc., you will need to apply masking tape to mask off those areas. Be sure to apply the tape flat on the helmet so you get crisp lines and do not have blowouts or bleeding.
What paint to use? You can use many kinds, our favorite are good ‘ol spray paint rattle cans. It’s best practice to use the same brand for your paint that you used for your primer for best adhesion and to avoid any bad or fussy potential chemical reactions. Spray paint rattle cans are readily available at hobby stores, hardware stores, Walmart, etc. One of our favorite brands is Rustoleum 2X Coverage. They are available in a wide variety of colors and finishes.
You can use airbrush, but this requires more specialized tools/equipment and practice but it can certainly come out looking great.
You can also use acrylic, however the application method for this is typically to brush it on and it is not easy to get rid of brush strokes and or other application lines and can make the surface look textured, blotchy, and uneven. Therefore it is not recommended to hand brush on acrylic or model paints. If you are using acrylic, we recommend using an airbrush.
Matte, satin or gloss? This is your choice.
We typically prefer matte or satin is as it is more along the lines of what we see in the movies where they are typically not super glossy. Matte or satin paints are going to usually cure/dry faster and due to the nature of the duller surface they typically take weathering such as paint washes faster and easier. The duller finish will also hide surface imperfections easier than a gloss will. Gloss paint can sometimes take a lot longer to cure. It also tends to highlight pinholes or fisheye or other potential errors, and gloss paints may require a few more passes of weathering as it doesn’t always stick as well to a glossy surface. In canon Star Wars movies, we see mandos with a non glossy finish (The Mandalorian being the one exception, however his armor is more of a reflective finish rather than a gloss paint.) We typically see gloss finishes more on Vader and Stormtroopers.
Layered weathering- if you are using this method, it is best practice to start with the lighter color and work your way out to darker colors. Also think ahead to what areas might be easier to mask off than others.
Photo: StarWars.com
Painting Part 2: Applying paint
After you are all prepped, masked off, etc., you are ready to apply paint! We will be giving tips from here on out assuming you are using spray paint/rattle cans.
-Where: Always paint in a well ventilated area- outdoors preferably, spray booth, etc. Have a clean, dry area to paint on. If painting something like a helmet, it is good to have it propped up somehow so you can paint it from all angles at once. Remember to paint the edges of your armor, the undersides of props, etc.! (And always wear proper safety gear.)
-Temperature: Painting works best in a warmer but non humid environment. Humidity will affect the cure/dry time and surface quality and can make moisture beads on your pieces. The warmer it is, the faster your paint will dry. Your paint can should say the optimal temperature range to paint in.
Spray paint: Be sure to shake the can well, and continue to shake it periodically as you use it, you want to make sure the paint is well mixed.
Holding the can about 6”-12” away from your piece, spray in short bursts rather than one continuous stream. This will give you a more even application, better control, and you will use less paint. Go side to side or top to bottom, start off the piece and end off the piece maintaining an even distance from the surface. It’s better to do a few light coats of paint rather than fewer heavier coats. Heavier coats are more likely to create paint beads/drips, pools of paint, etc. Heavier coats take longer to dry, are uneven, and are areas that are more likely to rip off when removing masking tape.
If there are a lot of corners, nooks and crannies, etc. it’s good to hit those first in light bursts before painting the flatter surfaces.
Troubleshooting:
Spray paint can is causing splattering: If you find you’re getting splatters, you may need to clean or replace the nozzle, you can also try warming the can up if it’s too cold, shaking it up more, etc.
Paint drips. If you get paint drips- you will need to let it dry completely, sand it down with a very fine grit sand paper, and repaint.
“Orange peeling”: This is more likely to occur with a gloss paint, but there can be a variety of factors such as temperature, chemical reactions in paint, etc. To fix this, very lightly wet sand the surface with a super fine grit sand paper, let dry, clean, and repaint.
Paint cracking; This can occur if you are spraying in either too cold, too hot, or too humid weather, surface contamination, or using too heavy of a coat on top of another coat of paint. To fix, carefully sand it back down smooth (using a fine grit sandpaper), clean it, and re-prime it to give it a fresh start, and start over. Be sure to use many light coats of paint and not thick coats.
Removing your masking tape: You want the paint to be dry to the touch but not necessarily fully dry when you remove the tape. If the paint is fully dry there is a small risk the tape can rip up some of the paint (especially if you have thick layers of paint). Most spray paints are dry to the touch in about 15-20 minutes, read the instructions on your paint can, it should specify.
When can I apply another coat? Best practice is to let coats fully dry between layers for best adhesion. 1-2 days between coats is ideal; you certainly can work faster if need be, but it’s best to give it full drying time as specified on the can. This is especially important when doing weathered layering.
Here Lonewolf Customs shows how to paint a good solid layer. (Spraying the can upside down like he does at the end is to clean the nozzle so it doesn’t get clogged between uses.)
Painting Part 3: Layered weathering
Layered weathering builds in weathering as you paint your various layers of color on your pieces. One of the benefits of this is you get the physical depth of your layers of paint as if it had actually been chipped and scratched off. It’s more subtle but it adds a great amount of depth.
There are a few options for this. Masking tape, masking fluid, toothpaste (paste, not gel), or even mustard, and potentially Vaseline. All of these work in a similar way, it is up to you which to use.
The key to good weathering is to try to have a variety of sizes and shapes focusing on areas that would be more likely to get naturally weathered such as edges and corners, high points, areas that will be more likely to get bumped, etc. You want to keep the areas smaller for a more realistic look.
To apply masking materials, use a variety of tools such as q-tips, toothpicks, brushes, etc.
The process is masking, painting, masking, painting, etc. until you have all the layers you want. Each time you add more masking to an area you will cover up a layer of paint so when you remove the masking at the end you will see layers of paint. It’s worth looking at close ups of Boba Fett and real life examples of scratched and dented metal for examples.
1-You will start by painting your piece a metal color (usually silver)
2- Then mask of areas you want to show the silver
3- Paint your piece a color.
4- Next, paint a secondary color, stripes, accents, sigils, etc.
5- Add a little more masking around that
6- Repeat this for as many colors and layers as you’d like
7- Remove the masking material once you have all the layers you want and all the paint is fully dry
You can combine layered weathering and topical weathering, which we will cover next week!
(Photos are from an OM in Haaranovor Clan (Alabama) who did not wish to be credited.)
Part 4: Topical weathering
You can pre-plan for areas of physical weathering at the start (areas where your tools may have slipped, you dropped it, etc. which cutting our and or prepping your pieces are a great way to add 3D/physical weathering. (A great way to make an oopsie look awesome.)
Topical weathering is weathering you add at the end, after you are finished painting and have a fully finished paint job. Topical weathering is faster than doing a layered weathering but, in our opinion, topical weathering is best when combined with layered weathering.
Some of the many materials for topical weathering: spray paint, acrylic paint (via a “black wash”), paint pen, graphite powder, silver Sharpies, Rub n Buff, etc.
It is recommended to weather all of your pieces at the same time so that your weathering is consistent.
Spray paint: Hold your spray paint (typically black is recommended for medium to lighter colored pieces, and grays or tans for a medium to darker colored pieces). Hold it far away from your piece, about 12”-24” and give it a quick short burst to add a very light dusting.
Acrylic paint (via a “black wash”): As with spray paint, the color you choose for your weathering will depend on the color of your pieces. Take your acrylic paint, add copious amounts of water to it so you have a tinted water, apply with a wet rag, sponge, brush, etc. to your piece, let sit a VERY short period of time (about 10-30 seconds)then wipe or dab off with a wet towel or sponge. The idea is to let the ‘black wash” settle into the nooks, crannies, corners, edges, etc. to add realistic grit. In doing a paint wash, you really are slathering it paint and wiping almost all of it off. As you do multiple passes, it builds up a great realistic layer of “grime”. You can absolutely change your colors up, one in black, one in brown etc. for extra dimension.
Paint pen/metallic Sharpie: Good for adding a little bright pop of silver into some of your chips or scratches. It adds a bit of extra “wear” on an edge or corner. Rub n Buff and dry brushing can achieve the same look.
“Sealing it”: You do not have to seal your piece with a final clear coat, however you may want to depending on what techniques and materials you use. If you use something that easily rubs off like graphite powder or chalk, you will want to seal it in with a clear coat. If using a clear coat, we recommend using a matte or dull paint.
Photo credit: Gatorlorian