1:35 Paint Stain STENCIL

Vallejo 1:35 Paint Stain Stencil, a stencil for paint stains

This stencil from the Spanish brand Vallejo carries motifs of careless coats, overspray and dried drops of paint. It serves where a model is meant to look repaired and oversprayed in the field, not finished in a factory. It is an aid for diorama work. It is not a paint, it is not a weathering wash and it is not a kit: it is a mask through which you apply your own paints.

Use

• The base coat on the model must be fully cured, as otherwise the edge of the stencil will leave an imprint beneath it.
• Lay the stencil on and press the edge down; apply with an airbrush perpendicular to the surface and in thin coats.
• For the impression of a rough field coat choose a paint only slightly different from the base one.
• Clean the stencil at once, while the paint on the edges of the motif is still damp.

Work tips

Overspray makes sense only where somebody would really have done it: over an old marking, over repaired sheet metal, around a hatch that had to be taken off. Stains scattered at random over the whole surface look artificial. Keep the saturation low: the difference between the original and the new coat is barely perceptible in 1:35 scale, and exaggerated contrast flattens a model. An interesting effect comes about when you apply the same color as the base one through the stencil, only a shade lighter, as the area then gains depth without a stain being visible. Always make a test on card before working on the model.

Who the stencil is for

• For builders of vehicles in 1:35 who want a surface with a history of repairs and repainting.
• For modelers working with an airbrush who are looking for a repeatable and controlled effect.
• For makers of dioramas, where the same technique of dirt carries over from a vehicle to the surrounding equipment.

This is an aid for diorama work, not a kit or a paint. Paints and varnishes are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. Ventilate when spraying paints and use respiratory protection.