Over the last few years, I have started to base more and more projects on period images of vehicles. With such a wealth of online material it is often possible to find multiple images which makes the task of replicating them accurately a real possibility.
The engine details and visible portions of the exhaust were brush painted with Vallejo acrylics.
Hairspray chipping
I have always found the best results can be obtained using acrylic paints mixed with water, but with a slightly different approach it can also be effective using lacquers. For this build I wasn't looking for a heavy chipped paint finish but rather tired looking paint with a worn patina, showing fine scratches and chips added to edges and damaged areas of bodywork. This I attempted by adding three layers of slightly different base coloured tones.
This effect works best by adding hairspray in-between light layers of paint. It then becomes a process of distressing each layer before adding the next. The proceeding paint layer will soften the chipped effect in the previous layer so adding the heaviest chips into the first layer work best. You can then fine-tune the process along the way. The last coat is always the lightest so as not to diminish the effects gained in the previous two layers.
