1/35 Stryker Command Vehicle - WIP - How to Apply Paint Chipping

HobbyOwYeah is back! After the success of my new Spray booth, I immediately took off and bought myself some new set of acrylic paints. I got interested in Vallejo acrylics. Thanks to the expert recommendation from a master - DC23. Packed with a few samples, I immediately setup to paint my long overdue "Stryker". Today, I'm going to show you my newly acquired techniques.

First off, this is the Surface Primer from Vallejo. Nothing to do here except for a few points I found:
- It is more fluid, more finer than MR Surfacer (the one I previously used)
- nose-friendly (no wierd/toxic smell)
- primer was not needed
- I forgot the rest...

Enough talk. Let the pictures do the talking.

I sprayed a very thin coat of Vallejo Primer over the Stryker. At first I thought the primer won't dry fast enough like Mr Surfacer.

Moments later, I found the texture very amusing. I sprayed another coat to cover everything I missed on my first attempt.

The result was very satisfying. It was self-levelling indeed. You only have to wait a couple of minutes (approx. 30 minutes) before the first coat dries and settles. After that, a second layer can be applied.

The primer was so fine that the details were still sharp after applying two coats.

I waited for a full 24 hours before applying the base coat. The primer must be fully cured before applying any colours. Speaking of colours, I decided to use two coats of Vallejo Rust as my base paint. The objective was to create a realistic "paint-chipping" effect which will be shown later.

Next, I applied a little pre-shadowing (dark areas) using Vallejo Black.

This is what I learned from DC23 and "The Ghost of Zeon" - Using a hair spray to create the chipped-paint effect.

Twenty four hours later, after the base coat of rust has completely dried, I applied a coat of hair spray. Based on my observation, It will protect the underlying paint from further damage or scratches.

I waited for approximately one hour letting the hairspray dry. Then I started applying Vallejo Field Green over the Stryker. Two coats and half an hour later, I began the chipped-paint effect. I will show you how.

Using a semi-hard brush and a lukewarm water, lightly "scratch" the surface you wished the paint be chipped.

And...

That's it.

Seriously. It's that simple.
Just be careful not to break any parts while scratching your model.

Gloss coat were applied afterwards using Vallejo Gloss varnish.

Time for decals.

This is an example of a water slide decal. I'm not sure but I think the Blue sheet of paper is a "standard" in creating/determining a water slide decal.

How to use:
1. Using a hobby knife, cut the decal you wish to use.

2. Dip it in lukewarm water for approx 30 seconds or until the paper is completely wet.

3. Carefully slide the design into your model. Wipe off the excess water and let it dry.

4. Apply a thin coat of Decal Softener to "melt" the decal in place.

Done. Next stop will be panel washes and some finishing touches.

Thanks for dropping by.