Tutorial Request: How to Create Realistic Battle Damage to Transformers

[nOizYbOi]

Hi Everyone,

I regularly see how the Pro's use strategically placed battle damage to increase the realism of their customs. Sometimes with the use of rotary tools and sometimes just with paint.

I'm hoping someone could give me a more detailed description of this process and any professional tips? For example which rotary tools give what kind of effects?
I've seen effects like dents on the panels, charred slashes from lasers, bullet holes with the metal warped outwards etc. which I can't figure out how to recreate.

At what point should the battle damage be done? Before the priming stage or after?

What is scratch building?

How do you get the scratched/scraped off paint effect in customs like frenzyrumble's DOTM Sentinel Prime, where the paint looks like it's been scraped off by rubbing off on something and the underlying silvery metal is exposed?

I would really appreciate it if you could consider doing a video tutorial, or a series of video tutorial's on how to create the different types of battle damage and effects with paints. I think it would really help newcomers like me have more confidence to experiment.


Thanks guys!

[Hotwire]

TTT made one, but it's not posted here. Maybe we can sweet talk him into redoing it over here.

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/tutori...-tutorial.html

[Jimster]

If that's the one I'm thinking of, I love his shattered windscreen effect.

P.S. Scratch-building is the term used for building something new out of raw materials (i.e. clay or styrene) instead of using parts from another figure.

[SonOfNemesis]

Hi Everyone,

I regularly see how the Pro's use strategically placed battle damage to increase the realism of their customs. Sometimes with the use of rotary tools and sometimes just with paint.

I'm hoping someone could give me a more detailed description of this process and any professional tips? For example which rotary tools give what kind of effects?
I've seen effects like dents on the panels, charred slashes from lasers, bullet holes with the metal warped outwards etc. which I can't figure out how to recreate.

Learning anything new is about practice. No one ever told me jack about battle damage so I just took some plastic scraps and used a dremel and test out all the bits my set came with. Just mess around with the scrap plastic pieces with any bit you can and you'll see what you end up with. Then, it's just a matter of doing that again but on an actual figure. There is a point where battle damage in my opinion is too much though so take it easy at first.

At what point should the battle damage be done? Before the priming stage or after?

Before the priming stage is how I do it.

What is scratch building?

Building something totally on your own from material like styrene or other scrap plastic and/or parts and pieces where you are the designer and builder.


How do you get the scratched/scraped off paint effect in customs like frenzyrumble's DOTM Sentinel Prime, where the paint looks like it's been scraped off by rubbing off on something and the underlying silvery metal is exposed?

There's a couple different methods. You could spray lacquer silver base coat first, then apply an acrylic top coat and scrape the acrylic layer away lightly with a softer kind of brush or tool. OR just paint it that way.

I would really appreciate it if you could consider doing a video tutorial, or a series of video tutorial's on how to create the different types of battle damage and effects with paints. I think it would really help newcomers like me have more confidence to experiment.


Thanks guys!

Posted my replies in red...

[nOizYbOi]

TTT made one, but it's not posted here. Maybe we can sweet talk him into redoing it over here.

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/tutori...-tutorial.html

^^ Thanks A LOT for this Bro! Yup it would be really nice of TTT if he could redo it for PC.

[nOizYbOi]

If that's the one I'm thinking of, I love his shattered windscreen effect.

P.S. Scratch-building is the term used for building something new out of raw materials (i.e. clay or styrene) instead of using parts from another figure.

Woops! I thought scratch building was something to do with battle damage!

[nOizYbOi]

Posted my replies in red...

Thanks Zac!

I know there's no substitute for actual experience! I'll definitely experiment and practice on scraps of plastic before moving onto actual figures. I was mostly worried about just going nuts with the dremel on an actual figure and then finding out I've done too much/it looks unrealistic and not being able to reverse it.

Do you usually draw a diagram or something to plan it out, or just go with your instincts?

Thanks again for clearing up my doubt on battle damage application

That's so cool! I was wrecking my brains trying to think of how he could have done it! My guess is method A: Silver base coat, then acrylic layer on top, then brushed/scraped off

Am I right frenzy?


Btw I love what you did with your Leader Class Ironhide!

[Hotwire]

Thanks Zac!

I know there's no substitute for actual experience! I'll definitely experiment and practice on scraps of plastic before moving onto actual figures. I was mostly worried about just going nuts with the dremel on an actual figure and then finding out I've done too much/it looks unrealistic and not being able to reverse it.

Do you usually draw a diagram or something to plan it out, or just go with your instincts?

Thanks again for clearing up my doubt on battle damage application

That's so cool! I was wrecking my brains trying to think of how he could have done it! My guess is method A: Silver base coat, then acrylic layer on top, then brushed/scraped off

Am I right frenzy?


Btw I love what you did with your Leader Class Ironhide!

There is no real guide to battle damage but, my rule is, adding "just a bit more" equals, I've done too much.