WAVE Gans Hand Brushed Splinter Snow Camouflage
Color Coats – Part 2, Splinter Camo
Some quick guidelines with tape to get the basics of the white camo outlined and 2 thin coats to sketch it into place. Not aiming for coverage nor for a finish, just the outline and basic shapes. After reviewing the photos, will sketch on them for reference to balance it up by eye. Had left a number of areas to fill in for a 2nd round to finish off the pattern, the under-slung missile tubes, under the Neu Spotter Head and so on but plan is firming up now.
Technique note – there’s some paint under the tape and some ridges formed and these are all good and par for the course and can be used in the ageing and weathering steps and will try to show this. For the second sketch of white I was using a soft round sable and this often leaves bubbles on the surface, again this is fine and normal and can be used a number of ways in following steps to improve the finish.
Fill in and tidy up Camo
After checking the photos to get a better sense of where I want the splinters, filled in the remaining white sections.
Smoothing and Distressing the White Camo
Using a medium abrasive, here I have used 3M’s Fine Softback Sanding Sponge (which says it’s #400 equivalent but I think it feels a little softer, around #600) I’ve carefully worked the edges where the a ridge has formed against the tape and on obvious edges and places of wear and tear. Carefully thinning and smoothing the white paint to produce a much more realistic surface. Care and control is important here as you can easily go straight through to the plastic but another advantage of this technique is that recovery is straightforward. Repaint either your camo color and/or base color again as required. In some cases this can contribute to the overall effect as it produces inconsistencies and randomization that you wouldn’t usually plan and as you are using a physical abrasive, it’s almost always abrading sections of the model that are most likely to actually be abraded, edges, protruding details and so on.
