1:35 Petrol Spills STENCIL

Vallejo 1:35 Petrol Spills Stencil, a stencil for spilled fuel and oil stains

A stencil with the outlines of spilled liquids cut into it, from the Spanish brand Vallejo. Through it a stain of fuel, oil or hydraulic fluid is transferred onto a base or onto the surface of a vehicle. The product belongs among the aids for diorama work: it is not a paint, it is not a varnish and it is not a kit. The medium with which you create the stain is your own choice.

Use

• Lay the stencil on the horizontal surface of the base and hold it firmly, so that the medium does not run under the edge.
• Apply the dark base with an airbrush or a brush and let it dry thoroughly.
• Add the gloss only at the end, with a coat of gloss varnish or of a thick gloss medium over the same motif.
• Clean the stencil immediately, as gloss media hold on the edges very stubbornly once dry.

Work tips

The difference between a convincing and an unconvincing stain lies in the gloss, not the color. Dried oil on soil is almost flat and only a shade darker than its surroundings, whereas freshly spilled fuel mirrors. Build the stain up from two layers, therefore: a subdued dark base and above it a polishing medium only at the center, not over the whole outline. A stain also has the logic of a slope: on an inclined surface it is drawn out downward, and in the rut of a road it stays in the track. On porous terrain apply it more sparingly, as the liquid would soak in and no sharp edge would form.

Who the stencil is for

• For builders of garage, workshop and field scenes in 1:35.
• For modelers who want a stain with a clean outline, which is hard to draw freehand.
• For makers of vignettes with vehicles, where a trace of a leak tells of the state of the machine.

This is an aid for diorama work, not a kit or a paint. Paints, varnishes and gloss media are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. Use solvent-based media only in a well-ventilated space.