painting tips?

champjb25

Member
hey i paint airsoft guns and such but i need some tips on making them more realistic. i know the technique with rubbing silver on edges but i want even more realism. tips?:confused
 
The technique is called dry-brushing. You can use other colors than silver as well.

I just find "i want even more realism" a bit vague.

If you look at a "standard" black gun there's wear (which you have done by dry-brushing), there's rust, scratches, chipped paint and different stains, like powder residue, gun oil and such.

Very much depends on what the gun is supposed to be made of. Nickel-plated gun ages completely differently.

So, what does "more realism" mean to you?
 
Not sure you want an airsoft gun to look like a "real" gun but mvmagic is right about dry-brushing creating a metallic look. Basically apply paint to brush, dab on tissue to remove most of paint then lightly drag over subject. Find a piece to practise on first, the technique is not difficult.
good luck
 
Have a look at some of these
prop makers
They may give you some ideas. Generally id say go matt black then stipple with some grate polish (Z-brite, graphite polish etc), allow that to dry and then buff it to a sheen. You can then get a dry brush and run it along the edges to bring them out. I like to mix up some burnt umber and raw sienna to add a bit of rusting.
Its nice sometimes to stray away from the obvious though. Why not try spraying it grey then white. get some wirewool and rub the hell out of it so you have different layers coming through. after that try airbrushing black ink all over it and then with fine wirewool rub it back again!
 
well i want it more realistic cause i make movies. i disable airsoft guns cause i only use them in movies. and i just need some tips for basically nickel and other things
 
This is how I blued a few props recently.

After prepping the surface, I applied a few coats of metal paint. Wetsanded with 6000, 8000 and 12000 grit micromesh pads between layers. The last coat I didnt sand. Mixed blue, purple and black ink and gently airbrushed very thin coats.

Never tried it, but you propably would get a decent result with blue washes over black.

Of course much depends on how much you will show the guns. A lingering extreme close-up would benefit from a real gun.
 
Mix paint or ink with water and future (Pledge floor care finish is what you buy at Walmart). It gives you a nice sheen, natural shading of flat areas and darkening of crevices, and helps blend the edges of the paint underneath it.

Here in micro form on the right are some of those things illustrated though I'm not even close to most of the modelers on here.

A wash is used for shading and to tie the various colors together more. Edges are highlighted with drybrushing

IMG_4891.jpg



Using a sponge in a drybrushing like manner is great for adding rust and such as well (of course does not apply to plated weapons)
 
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Water plus acrylic paint plus this

Dscf1746.jpg


equals a wash.


See the thing that says "With Future", that is the future part of the wash. That's where we get our future for cheap.
 
After watching the video (its great you have a passion for these things!) here's a few things you could do...

Fill the screw holes with some type of putty.

Sand the seams (putty if needed).

These things add a lot to the look.

Also, practise to drubrush with a brush. You'll be surprised how good it can look.
 
thanks. 1 more question for yall? i need to modify an airsoft 1911 and i dont know how to make plastic handles look like wood. or if its too hard should i just make some wood grips?
 
Its more work making the grips from wood. But if its for a movie do they really need to be realistic? You could just paint them brown and that will work. Unless there's close-ups.

Now I understand you're young and eager. I would advice you to slow down for a moment, take a deep breath and really think about it. If you're making a gun for a home-made movie, a little less will work. Dont run when you're not being chased! If its a display piece, then its another ballgame.

But all building, painting and weathering are good practise so keep at it! I am merely looking this from my perspective as an fx and props guy. After all you're seeing rubber guns in big budget movies all the time!
 
this movie is a ways off and theres tons of planning left to do i just need the weapons done. but the movies a ways off the only thing is that the movie is mostly close ups. the sci fi thing isnt for a movie at the moment. but ive been working on an m1903 springfield for quite some time. i finished the butt plate about 5 minutes ago. :) but theres still alot to be done. oh on a different topic: today i made a thing to hang my prop guns on in my room. its a big step up from having them piled on the floor!
 
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