Dirty little things...

It's been a while since I've done any weathering, so I wondered if it was like riding a bike...

I guess the answer is, no, you never forget, as I broke out the enamels and powders and it all came flooding back. A mix of dry brushing, washes and using Matt 98 (Chocolate), Met 53 (Gunmetal) and Matt 33 (Black) I'm pretty pleased with the results. In fact, I really like the worn edges on the footsteps, and the subtle dirt build up on the buffer beams.

I also touched in the window seals on the cab side windows, and painted the cab interior. These two low light angle side shots show some of the tonal variation a bit better - these were based on photos I found of Viking on the internet - as usual, I always think it pays to copy the prototype and paint what you see, not what you think you see. A badly executed but well observed weathering job is infinitely more believable than a beautifully executed but badly observed 'all over airbrush' job.

That's not to say that Viking won't be airbrushed! Oh no, a combination of finishing techniques combine well together. Next up is some matt varnish, and then I can airbrush on some frame dirt and exhaust staining. Whilst I had the bits out I also added a very light chassis weathering to Wasp as well.