Flight Suit Weathering help

sith steve

Active Hunter
I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice on the best way to weather my flights suit. I have toyed with a lot of different ways to weather in the past on other costumes but I would love to hear how other people have had success in an attempt to potentially learn a better way. Thanks
Steve
 
There are several methods I have experimented with including real weathering like using oils, dirt, tea grounds and such. This was too much work for the results I though. Another was using dye in a spray bottle and very similar to that is using spray paint. I have had good luck with both of these methods. The last is using a weak bleach solution to age the weathering. I use the bleach after the paint or dye.

When I use the dye I prepare a spray bottle with the desired color dye mixed in it and lightly spray the suit, let it dry and repeat.

Hope my experience helps some......
 
I have used many methods. Have had great results using acrylic fabric paints doing a wet on wet approach. This works good for making natural soaked in look with smooth transitions. Using different mixes of color in layer helps create depth. Also have used an airbrush to mist over in areas. Sandpaper & scrub brush can give you the worn scuffed look as well. The best bet is to get some sample cloth similar to your suit & play around with different methods to see works for you. Hope this helps.
 
You can purchase sprays which are available from most theatrical suppliers or with acrylic paint and any Spritz bottle just remember to always sample before you apply.
 
I had a really bad experience with cloth dye and spray bottles to apply weathering. I used the powder RIT dye mixed with some water. What I got out of a brown dye pack was spots of black and red. :facepalm Just an FYI.
I would experiment with using wet-on-wet acrylic paint and/or spray bombs for cloth weathering. Along with the host of other suggestions (real dirt, tea, powdered pastels).
 
Yes if you use the spray bottle with dye mix VERY little dye into the bottle otherwise it will not dissolve. And use test cloth as much as you can to master the technique prior to using it on the actual suit.
 
I wiped my shop floor with my jump suit and vest while i was wearing to get a realistic worn stained look them took it off, hung on hanger then worked on the area i got while wearing. I later, much later airbrushed with VERY light acrylic paints grey , black , and tans... Misted is a better word.. I used strong brewed tea in a squirt bottle for the gloves .. I think there is no wrong way to do it. Just stay away from the temptation of getting out the spray paint can....Oppsie
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The one thing you have to worry about with using the spray cans is that the nozzle will clog & start spraying large dots of paint if you aren't careful. Have to mist indirectly & keep the nozzle clean if you do use spray cans. Air brush would be more recommended if you are wanting to do any spraying.

When using the dyes you need to experiment with the colors to make sure you get what you want, cause you will be surprised at how the dye color will not be what you think. Found this out prior to dying my soft parts. Did lots of experimenting with color recipes. I didn't try this method for weathering though.

Instead of using bleach to create lighter tones, I went used the acrylic paints & mixed up more of a yellow color & did a wet on wet & it creates an illusion of fading without using the caustic bleach. I too played around with the bleach & found that it tended to be harsh & not get the affect that I wanted. Plus you need to rinse that out of the clothing when you are done & it may not look how you want after rinsing.

The best thing is to try all the various methods & see what works for you to attain the results you want. There isn't a right or wrong way to do this.

Hope this helps.
 
I've been using ground up pastels on a wet jumpsuit and applying a little bit at a time with a make up brush. I'm using a wet brush after it's applied to help it soak in. It's a relatively slow process, as I've been adding light layers and waiting for it to dry to see how it looks. It's unlikely I'll suddenly find that I've applied way too much this way. I really like the look so far. It looks like ground-in-grim rather than something just topically applied. I'm going to needs something like acrylic paint or dye in a spray bottle to finish it off and add an extra dimension, but I like the direction it's going. I also like the idea of sandpaper. For some reason, the physical weathering of the fabric hadn't occurred to me until I read toolguy301's post.
 
I used Createx fabric paints on my suit. They're acrylics that come pre-thinned
and ready to airbrush. They come in various colors and I mixed up a couple of grayish
and muddy looking shades. I airbrushed them on lightly, allowing the color to build up slowly.
You have to iron your suit after using the paints to "seal" them.
 
I looked into the Createx brand but I didn't like the idea of having to iron afterwards. I have been using a brand called Tulip Soft Matte which doesn't require any ironing after they are used. They have minimal colors but if you have your primaries you can mix pretty much any color combination you want. They work well with the air brush & using a brush for a wet on wet. This is permanent after drying. They work well in my opinion cause there isn't any secondary operation to make them permanent.
 
I have been pretty impressed with them. Just found out they even work on faux leather/vinyl. Weathered my MOW ammo belt & used them on that. They seemed to soak right into it. Couldn't wipe them off at all after they dried.

They are a little thick & have to be thinned down to use in the air brush, but that is fine makes them go further.
 
i use krylon black primer to weather my jumpsuit, and it looks great. The sooty greyish black color really works for Fett. Flat black doesnt work , its TOO black, the black primer is the way to go.

I saw someone say "avoid the temptation of spray cans"...not true at all. Light mists in layers works excellent, and is what i used on my suit. Over time it does fade a bit. I did mine in 2009...i think i should add a little more again, but i think you can see what i mean here:
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I've used spray paints before as well and it works pretty good as long as you don't overdo it (as DVH mentioned). I've even used some gray ashes from my fireplace lol, it smears right into the fabric and looks pretty good
 
I have used Duplicolor vinyl & fabric spray paint for weathering fabrics. They have a limited assortment of colors. I have used flat black, charcoal gray, & medium gray. It works very well seeing how it is designed specifically for fabrics & vinyl. This can be bought at most out parts stores. It is marketed for customizing car interiors. It is almost what I would call a spray fabric/vinyl dye.
 
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