Realistic Rust Effects:

Here's a tutorial on painting, or more correctly, "using" realistic-looking rust effects in applying weathering to a miniature. For the sake of efficiency, I'll be using WIP shots of a Privateer Press Cryx Deathripper, which I was intending from the outset to weather and corrode but who marks my first attempt at these kinds of effects on a wholesale level. What follows here, then, is me feeling my way blindly along and the final end result - which I think turned out having the desired effect of a very corroded, oxidized appearance.

Now for the materials:
Ye Olde Bottle o' Rust Rust in a watercolor palette well

On the left is Ye Olde Bottle o' Rust Mixture and on the right is an example of the rust mixture, some PVA glue, my general thinner mixture (including dry time extender!) - with several coats of the stuff left to stew for a day or so.

Call me crazy (or suddenly inspired) but the essential heart of this "natural" weathering technique is the Rust Mixture itself. This was a recipe I learned many, many, many years ago in chemistry class - it does involve some harmful chemicals, an ongoing chemical reaction, and possible adverse affects to skin, clothing, and any oxidixable metal. Consider yourself warned! The Mixture is as follows:

1 part liquid bleach
3 parts household strength white vinegar
1 suitably-sized clean chunk of extra-fine (#0000) grade steel wool

I used a standard empty Vallejo dropper paint bottle with the steel wool placed inside prior to pouring the mixture of the two chemicals in. While not an intense chemical reaction, it does produce a somewhat significant amount of gas as a by-product over time. I found out the hard way about leaving the screw-top off the dropper bottle until the reaction subsided completely (roughly 2-3 days, perhaps more) as when I first opened it, I was spattered with overflowing Rust Mixture. Being made up of actual oxidized metal, the Rust Mixture has a tendency to settle - prior to using it as a paint make sure the bottle is well-shaken. Another word of warning - although I couldn't swear to it, I believe the vinegar/bleach/oxidized metal caused a slight chemical burn on my thumb during an accidental overflow. While I am by no means a chemistry major, I believe the bleach and vinegar as potential caustic agents would cease to be a problem once all their bonding reactions were completed on the steel wool. Likewise, given that vinegar is a mild acid and (I believe) bleach is a mild base, things should eventually subside once all chemical reactions between them and the steel wool have taken their course (again roughly 2-3 days, perhaps more.) While I can't say this is the ideal mixture for painting, as it takes some getting used to, I can safely say it's likely the most authentic rust mixture I've seen used on any miniature figures thus far, given that it is genuine rust in a bottle!

Here is the test subject - one gently used Cryx Deathripper figure. A coat of Testor's Dull Cote was applied shortly after this picture was taken, and the subsequent pictures have a noticeably more subdued appearance to the metals and armor plates - all rusting aside, of course!

This picture shows the dried results after several thinned-down washes of the Rust Mixture at 1:10 Mixture/thinner consistency were applied to the crevices and underside areas of the figure where corrosion would realistically collect, and have been allowed to flow and pool naturally through gravity and surface tension. One thing of interest I found is that my Rust Mixture reacts negatively with Liquitex Slow-Dri Blending Fluid Medium and becomes somewhat "chunky" on the palette. Of course, this also worked in favor of the figure, as it gave the appearance of significant collected rust ingrained into the upper crevices.

This picture shows the dried results after several thinned-down 1:1 washes of the Rust Mixture and GW Bestial Brown at 1:10 paint/thinner consistency were applied again allowed to flow and pool naturally through gravity and surface tension. While obviously realistic, the standalone dried Rust Mixture had more of a "yellowy" tint to it, and I felt that the overall appearance of the corrosion needed a hint more of orange and brown shades to it.

This final picture shows the results after careful lining-in with 1:8 GW Brown Ink/thinner. I felt that the deepest shading in the crevices between the trim and ceramic armor, and between adjoining metal sections (like the rivets/studs on the legs) needed slightly more definition. I also applied some general washes of Tamiya Smoke in certain areas, such as the holes/venting in the cowl over the skull and the "vent holes" on the metal plating of the Deathripper's legs.

Pictures of the finished figure with attached base can be found here.

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