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Creating Realistic Scratches using Hairspray :

There are many ways to create a work look on the 'metal' surfaces of your scale models. You could hand paint them or sponge them on, both of which take a bit of time to do correctly. In this tutorial, I'll demonstrate the easiest way to create a realistic worn look using a technique that many Military and Aviation modelers have used for a long, long time.

What you will need :

  1. Can of Hairspray (one that is designed for 'Extra Hold' would be best).
  2. A stiff brush. In this case, I took an old paint brush and cut the bristles down short.
  3. Some luke warm water. Cold water will work but luke warm is easier to manage.
  4. The piece you wish to make look worn. In this case, a small piece of armour from the Ma.K A.F.S II kit.
What you will need

Step One :

Take the piece you want to look worn and paint with the colour you wish to show through. In this case, I have chosen brown but other colours like light grey will work too. Choose the colour based on the top colour. Please note that I am using Tamiya Acrylics here but it should work fine on other brand Acrylics.

Once that paint has cured (give it at least 24 hours to do so), give it a light coat of the hairspray. Make sure that it is evenly and fully covered.

Step 1

Step Two :

Now allow the hairspray to dry. At least half and hour works fine, but a few hours should be given to make sure.

Step 2

Step Three :

Now that the hairspray has dried, air brush on the top colour. In this case, I have chosen Tamiya 'Sky' (a light green colour) as the top layer.

Step 3

Step Four :

Take your brush and water and wet the brush. Remember to have the water luke warm in temperature to help with the next step.

Step 4

Step Five :

Brush the piece in random patterns and in areas you wish to look worn like the edges for example. If the paint does not come away, use a little force until it starts too.

Step 5
Step 5

Step 6 :

Brush away until you get the desired effect and then finish the piece up by sealing the paint with a Clear Coat. The Clear coat will prevent any handling of the piece from removing more paint.

Final step

And there you have it, a much simpler, quicker and more realistic way of making your models look like they have been well used.

You can also get different effects by sprinkling on salt or sand onto the piece while the hairspray is wet, so experiment and see what you can come up with.