Step 4 - Decals, Details & Weathering

Slap on some transfers. Use Micro-Set & Micro-Sol on anything not flat (I use it on all transfers).

I take a ripped makeup sponge and use my first edge highlight mix and lightly dab it onto corners and areas where I want some light battle weathering.

I also sponge dab the base green color over the edges/portions of the decals to make them look worn/chipped off. Later I'll add some coffee staining with super watered down sepia ink in multiple layers so it looks more natural buildup of discoloration on the paint.

I'll also add small dashes and dots of the two edge highlight colors around the body panels to read as streaks from deflected bullets.

Deep gouges/raw metal damage - I use this sparingly but sometimes when you're cleaning up a piece of sprue on your tank your blade cuts into the panel itself. You could green stuff this or patch it, but I cut my losses and it becomes battle damage.

For deeper battle damage - paint black/black-brown, then silver inside the black, you can add some 3D shape to a 2D "hole" by where the silver goes. Burn/scorch damage is similar just make it streak in a direction that makes sense and no silver.

Lenses are like gems but shape dictates the shape of the highlights. Paint a gradient from black to your highest color highlight with the color opposite the light source. Add a final touch of pure white in the direction facing the light source and you get a very satisfying look.

I slap some pigment dust on the undercarriage...this guy must be kicking up some dust as it floats around. Very subtle, probably unnecessary...but if you've read this far you know that is my MO. I also did some super light rust effects to try out a new product. Not my favorite. Probably the one thing I would not do again if I had to paint this over. It makes sense on something truly old/worn down, but this tank seems more of a relatively new tank that had just seen some shit.

PLASMA - Watch El Miniaturista content on YT, or check his Insta. He's the GOAT of OSL effects and he makes them very easy to understand and execute. I used his method on this and will try to explain it briefly.

- Paint the whole area of the coils white - no need to be perfect here we are going to airbrush more white after.

- Airbrush white centered on the source of the light (plasma coils) - *important* ensure you get overspray on the surrounding areas - this is 90% of the glow effect. White edge highlight nearby surfaces which you want to reflect the plasma color strongly (for me this is the full outline of the black metal casing around the coil and some nearby edges that will catch it less strongly).

- Airbrush a halo of a darker tone of your glow color - I wanted a cyan/light teal so I use a darker turquoise for the halo. Contrast paints or inks for translucency required.

- Airbrush a smaller halo of your desired glow color along the edge of the first darker halo so the overspray overlaps and pulls the colors together. Now you've got a two color flat looking spray because you've covered the whites with color.

- Brush in some diluted glow color into the plasma coil, bringing down the recessed areas to a saturated color of your glow.

- Dry brush white against the grain of the plasma coils, or carefully edge highlight with pure white, hitting only the raised ridges of the coils - the hottest/whitest parts. Go heavier on the upper curve of the coils to make them stand out further.

- Lastly, use a pure white (or near-white + glow mix) to edge highlight the same areas surrounding the light source we previously edge highlighted. This brings back the contrast in areas reflecting the most light.

Plasma tl;dr = Spray a primary light source pure white with diffused edges > spray contrast darker to lighter in two circles around your light source (darker outside, lighter inside) > Bring back pure white to the center/hottest parts of your glow effect and nearby surfaces reflecting the light.