Something you may have heard us frequently talk about and might not be familiar with is the great weathering technique of using india ink and alcohol.  It is extremely  simple to create and use, just about everything I build is attacked with this wonderful concoction.

How to Mix

So how does one go about brewing this up?  Simple, mix rubbing alcohol with india ink!  The formula although depends on the amount of weathering you would like the achieve, but remember, it is wise to start lighter and work your way to the dark.  Rubbing alcohol can be purchased at any grocery or drug store and the ink can be found at art supply stores.  Now the first time I made up my mix I did about a 50/50 mix, then I tested it and well, that was a mistake.  All you really need is a few drops, depending on the size of the bottle you are using.  Use a dropper to add the ink, I don’t recommend pouring it in, cause if you get the ink on your fingers, it will be there for a few days not to mention your clothes.   I use a small paint mixing jar that I had on hand (about 30 ounces), some will make up a large batch in a larger jar such as a spaghetti sauce jar.  I like smaller containers because the risk of spillage goes down and if you do knock the jar over the amount of ink spilt is much much less.  If I modeled in a larger scale I could justify going to a larger jar.  Something I will be doing soon is mixing up various degrees of shades, I will start off with a light, medium and Dark.

Application

Applying the mix is as easy as mixing it,  I have a cheap brush that is dedicated for this mix only, then basically you slather it on.  If you apply it onto a surface upside down the ink will add a great shadowing effect.  You can apply it heavy or light, and until you get the hang of it I would always stick to the lighter spectrum.  A few things to be cautious of  are depending what kind of paint is on the model before you apply the mix, once the mix is down and you try to work it after it has set for a bit, you could strip the paint because of the alcohol.  Also you want to apply all layers of the mix before you spray your model with Dullcote, the alcohol and the Dullcote can react with each other and your black mix will go white.  You can use this as a weathering technique, and I have gotten some impressive results by playing with it.

By fiddling around with the stuff you can do amazing things, it works great with other forms of weathering such as drybrushing, pastel chalk, and air brushing.  Give it a try and I guarantee you will be sold by it once you try it.