CHIPPING TECHNIQUE (ROUND) BRUSH

AK Chipping Technique (ROUND) Brush, a round brush for chipping

AK Chipping Technique (ROUND) Brush from AK interactive is a synthetic brush designed for a single purpose: creating flaked and scuffed paint. It is not a brush for smooth areas or for fine lines; the fibers are deliberately harder and their ends irregular, so the mark never looks like a clean line. And that is exactly the point: real scuffs on a vehicle are random, of varying size and never regular. The round shape gives an even imprint spread in all directions, which works well on areas and in places where the wear is meant to be scattered.

How chipping works

Chipping imitates the places where paint has flaked off a surface and revealed the metal or the primer beneath. You pick up an absolute minimum of paint on the brush: wipe most of it off on a paper towel until the brush leaves almost nothing. Then you only lightly stipple, tap and press the surface, above all where a vehicle would really be scuffed: on edges, around hatches and handles, on step surfaces, at hinges and around the places where the crew climbed in and out. Proceed in layers, as chipping can always be added but is hard to take away.

Use

• Stippling and pressing paint onto edges, corners and step surfaces.
• Creating irregular scuffs and flaked paint on vehicles, aircraft and equipment in a diorama.
• Suggesting scuffed paint around hatches, handles, hinges and boarding points.
• Work with the dry-brush technique and light stippling of rust and abrasion stains.
• The round shape gives an imprint scattered in all directions, good for wear over an area.

Care of the brush and who it is for

It is intended for modelers who weather military vehicles, cars, aircraft and figures. Never let paint dry in the ferrule: wash the brush out immediately after work (acrylic with water, oil and lacquer paints with the matching thinner), do not dip it up to the ferrule and dry it lying down or fibers down. Chipping is hard on fibers, though, so even a well-cared-for brush wears out in time, and with this type that is normal.

Safety: thinners and cleaners tend to be flammable and irritant, so work with ventilation, protect your skin and eyes and follow the paint manufacturer's instructions. Keep out of the reach of children.