Here in the UK we have a specialist shop called Pound Shops, simple reason all items cost a Pound, other countries have similar shops but they trade under their own currency. It is up to you to search out one or the equivalent type of shop.

The item you need is a set of Multicoloured fibre tip pens, we in the UK can buy 50 for a Pound.

You need to separate them into two equal parts by colour. One set of these colours I leave as they come. With the other identical set of colours I cut the tip to a very tiny point. I keep the two sets in different containers to avoid confusion.

I use the following colours but you will have to experiment and find your own formula to suit your particular section or needs within the hobby.  

My selection is starting with the darkest and working to the lightest, I use Black, dark Grey, light Grey, dark Brown, light Brown, Orange, deep Red, light Red, dark blue, medium Blue, dark Green, light green, Yellow and a Buff.

TIP SECTION 

Firstly the model must have been painted to your satisfaction and weathered how you like, I do not use any washes or future so if you have used these it may not work. Since I do not use pastels but replace them with the fibre tip pens to give the final weathering. Second all the paint must be hard and ideally left for at least a week before you start to use the pens. It is hard to put into words but what you are trying to simulate is the stains water and weather have on paint, so less is more in this case.

RUST STAINS 

Start with the dark brown unaltered tip to streak the first very tiny lines in the direction the water would have run, do this in a very small area, and lay over the other colours one at a time repeating the tiny streaks till you achieve the desired effect. Then use the pointed tip to add even tinnier streaks to the edges to feather the stain of rust. You should be aiming for layers of colour on top of each other and alongside to compliment the colours next to each other.

FUEL STAINS 

Use the black and blues with the hint of dark green, this time try to simulate water that has washed or flowed over, it has to have irregular wavy edges to it, with a few tiny runs

RIFLE and MACHINE GUNS 

I used the fibre tip straight on top of light grey primer. So for the blued metal parts use the black first and after an hour go over with the dark blue, any tiny crevasses can be filled in with the pointed tip. Leave to dry and try not to handle for at least 24 hours for the colour to harden. For some reason the dye used reacts with the primer and turns into a metallic blue/green colour.

WOODEN STOCKS

You can use the range of reds, browns and yellow and buff to simulate the wooden stocks on rifles, but note you do need good colour references, as all countries use different woods for the stocks. Not all are brown, esp. if you want the modern resins on automatics and light machine guns, then this it is minefield and needs be studied very carefully country by country

WOODEN FLOORS OR UNPAINTED AMMO CASES

These are just a case of streaks in the same direction using the lighter colours of yellow, buff and grey, with the odd knot a represented by a tiny circle of light brown and very tiny dot of dark brown in the centre.

CAR TYRES 

To weather these is very hard but if you use the buff in between the treads and then use the darkest grey on the outer edges.

TANK TRACKS 

Again are hard but not impossible to do due to the crevasses, I use the full range of colours again starting with the darkest first, and it does takes time and practice.

EXTRA TIP 

Since writing this up I have developed an other use for the fibre tip pens. If you put a tiny dot of the ink on and then with your finger tip pull the ink down or sideways, it gives the tinniest lines, these represent scratch marks made by bushes or tree branches etc. Also if you put several dots close together then smudge with your finger tip , you have a true stain or smudge which is next to impossible with paint as it too thick , but the ink is micro thin .

Since this is mainly aimed at Armour I was wondering what the aircraft types will be able to achieve with panel lines, exhaust stains and those funny afterburner flaps.

The rust and weathering section will be of help to the ship modellers and esp. in those tiny scales, by using the very tiny tip they could achieve the runs of rust on the hulls effectively.

I have yet to try it on figures but you can be certain someone will try it and maybe they can give us a tip or two….. Ever ongoing. 

See the examples of my weathering on the LVT photos section.

Ian Sadler © October 2003