Old Ben -- Weathering a costume

[Captain Carter]

I went to an estate sale this morning and went to purchase this flag -- the owners were so worried about why it looked how it did that they gave me the flag for free. I believe has been tea dyed or a tea dye commercial product. I have been working on a Ben Kenobi costume wanted to weather it. I'm the type that cringes at weathered stormtrooper armor I get nervous about weathering a completed costume. (I just like the clean.) I have weathered a Qui Gon poncho and also had to fabric paint the stripe around the edge as well with fabric paint, but the last time I needed an Old Ben costume weathered someone else did it for me with spray paint. I don't like the smell it caused of the costume, and it also just didn't seem right -- little dots of paint as opposed to real life looking dirt... I guess now would be a good time to learn a better way and also how to do it myself.

I'm wondering though if commercial tea dying is really what would be the best. I read in one of the Insider Magazines that Alec Guinness actually went out and rolled around in dirt before they started filming. As much as I like the people I work on projects for I don't think I want to do that.

So I'm attaching a pic of the flag that I purchased and am digging around for good reference pics from ANH.

I also found some links about tea dying. Has anyone tried this or any other kind of weathering a costume?

http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/teadye.htm : for using actual tea bags on small projects

http://www.createforless.com/products/prod...ProductID=14721 : for the commercial tea dying that I read was recommended for large projects

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

I too tried spray paint and didn't like it when weathering....

What I did try and like was using a watered down water based paint in an airbrush. It fills in nicely and really looks good upon close inspection. It has the look and feel of real life weathering. Although for a fully time weathered look on an ANH OB1 it wouldn't work for an all over job, just areas. The tea weathering might be perfect for the OB1 your working on :thumbsup

Steve

 

[Captain Carter]

Thank you. I may give that a try first. I agree, I feel like I'd have more control over specific areas of it.