Streaking or how I got on the bus first....
Some interest has been shown in how I obtain the streaking effect on my Centurion, Doher and Warrior and some earlier builds - so here we go...
Main components I use are...
This consists of clean water, fan brushes and soft 'mop' brushes. The medium used is one of the clay based washes from Flory Models, in this case 'Grime'. You can mix up your own colours from the various washes available from Flory both as single bottles or as a pack. The clear pot will be used for mixing the pigment mix used in the application of the pigments.
So here is our model, all 'building' completed and sprayed in the base colour of our choice, in this case Humbrol Matt #159, for no other reason than it is Green.
The model is left matt or can be sprayed with a matt varnish (AK183 Ultra Matte Varnish is my preferred choice), as I explained earlier it will look like orange peel, but as it dries that effect goes away and you end up with a totally matt surface.
I have only sprayed areas where I am going to demonstrate my process.
This is what the wash looks like when it comes straight from the bottle. You are advised to decant the amount you need to preserve the wash left in the bottle from contaminants. And really it is far easier to use it from the pot than keep dipping into the bottle. (ignore the 'white glue only' on the pot)
So with a soft 'mop' brush I first 'wash' all of the model with the 'Grime' above, and then allow it to dry for about an hour, keeping an eye on how quickly it is drying. In the heat we have been having of late an hour was about right...
If you can imagine the wash is now not fully dry but 'soft' where it can be removed to our satisfaction. So taking one of the 'fan' brushes I first dip it into clean water and then touch it to some flattened kitchen roll to remove the excess water. And then trying to keep the fan at about 90 degrees to the surface the fan is stroked lightly down to remove some of the wash, you only need the tip of the fan to touch the model, this is repeated untill you reach the effect you are looking for. Above shows the side...
And here is the top surface...
And here is the side once the streaking has been completed. I will leave this now for a couple of hours to dry thouroughly.
This is about the amount of pigment I will use for a whole vehicle, but the mix can be thickened or thinned as you desire. (VMS #02 Light Earth)
This is the amount of water used with the pigment mixed in it.
Now the 'mix' is applied to the whole model OR to parts of the model, the choice is yours, and left to dry. As soon as you see it is dry then you can start the next process. I would advise that untill you become used to doing this you do a section at a time.
These are the brushes I will be using on the mix to get the effect I need.
This is what I mean by 'dry', the 'mix' is now ready for working - just dry...
The half on the left has had one pass with the fan brush, again it is dipped in clean water, the excess taken of by touching to some kitchen roll, the same process as with the first wash.
EXCEPT! now after each pass with the fan, you wipe the fan on the kitchen roll to take off the pigment residue, then back into the water to clean and wet the fan, onto the kitchen roll to remove the excess water, and 'wipe' the model.
This is the flat surface wettened with the 'mix', and here you will use the mop soft brush to wet the dried area as below..
And wipe away the excess 'mix' untill you are happy with the effect.
And this is the finished item...
And that is it...
The effect you want will be up to you from a thoroughly dirty well worn vehicle to a dusty vehicle, you can use this method to achieve them and others.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Mike.