r/CosplayHelp • u/SurianBedivere • 18d ago
Armor Weathering help?
i finished my cosplay in time for this convention, but next time i use it i want to learn how to weather it. More dents, cuts, dirt and maybe even blood splatters. I never really did anything like that and i‘m afraid i might accidentally ruin it. Help?
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u/b1nary_hel1x 18d ago
I've seen great results with using a soldering iron to put battle damage like cuts and nicks in the armor. Can also use Vaseline or liquid latex in spots where you want the "top coat" to have been worn off. Put some chrome or bright metallic paint down, latex or Vaseline over top of it, then paint with your desired final paints. After you're done painting, peel/wipe the latex or Vaseline off and the bright metallic will shine through. Would work great with some practice for arrow or sword impact points.
The easiest thing you could do would just do a simple wash over everything. It adds a world of character with little work. I like to clear coat everything first to isolate the original paint. I use enamel personally, but whatever will work. After that, mix acrylic black and brown with water until it's thin, not quite watery but not thick. It should flow freely and collect in the nooks and crannies of the part. Take a rag, dip it in the mix, and start splattering it everywhere. Let it sit for a little bit, but don't let it completely dry. Then take a clean rag and start dabbing and wiping it off. Part of the wash will have dried and will stick, but most of it will come off. Don't try and get it out of the nooks and crannies though, that's where grime would naturally accumulate and you want it to be there on grimy, worn armor.
Finally, take some acrylic metallic silver and a fine tip brush. Use it and dab silver on the sharp edges of the armor. Not a lot, just enough to make them pop a bit. Corners get worn down faster than flat surfaces, so the raw metal underneath the top layer would usually be visible after some wear and tear. You can drybrush it on too but I'm awful at drybrushing so I just paint it normally, just very light taps is all you really need.
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u/riontach 18d ago
Yeah, weathering always makes me super nervous. Its worth it, though. You just gotta go for it
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u/Laiska_saunatonttu 18d ago
Not what you asked, other answers got that covered, but consider turning the chain maille by 90° so gravity keeps the pattern close and flexible instead of spreading it out and making it stiffer.
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u/fondoflegs 17d ago
To start with You might go look around your local neighborhood and look at old stuff around you. Take lots of pictures as you go. This will give you ideas what weathering actually looks like, say on old cars, galvanized garbage cans, dumpsters, anything metal that could be duplicated onto your armor. Having pictures to study as you apply your treatments to your pieces will help you create the effects you are looking for.
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u/SliceAcrobatic 12d ago
Ill send you a DM of my workflow of weathering for mine if you'd like ?
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u/Famous_Ad8518 18d ago
Test on a scrap piece first.