How to make a costume look worn

mackle89

Well-Known Member
Hello all! I'm going to be starting a new build soon, which I will surely start a thread for once I have gathered all the necessary items. I was just curious about what kind of tips/tricks people had for making costumes look worn, aged, or dirty, etc. Like fabric or armor. Thanks!
 
For some of my stuff I spray lightly spray paint assorted browns, greys and blacks then before it dries throw it in the shower and scrub it down with a scotch brite pad (those green things you used for cleaning dishes)
 
I read somewhere that when they wanted the pirates costumes to look old and worn, they literally tied them to the back of a car and dragged them around the movie studio's car park a few times.
 
This site has a few links that have useful info. But in short: sandpaper, tea and coffee, dyes, bleaching, fullers earth, steel wool, wire brushes, fabric paints etc. work good on clothing. On armor dry brushing and paint washes. Hope some of this helps. If you had a specific item you'd be looking to distress, then this would be easier.:)
 
To make very realistic results, you should think where clothes naturally get worn and how it shows. Find clothes you have used alot and learn from them.
 
It does depend on what it is you want to weather, and what material it's made from.

For fabric, I've used spray paints, lightly misted - white (to look worn/faded), browns, black (don't be too heavy handed with the black though). I've also used ink (diluted) in a spritzer. I then like to rub some dirt, or brown powders over the seams and other areas that your ref pics indicate your costume looks dirty - you will need to fix the dirt though, or it'll rub/wash off. If you need to have raggedy frayed edges, make small cuts with a blade and then rub a wire brush over it. You can use the dremel with the sanding drum on for heavier fabrics, but be careful not to get too close to the edge or you're likely to catch the fabric around the thing. Even rubbing your costume over concrete will make it look pretty rough.

For leather, I fatigue it by bending it in the high stress areas (eg look at where your belts wear), and then I sand it along the edges etc.

For armour, it's all in the painting technique. Dry brushing, using a wash, or Rub n Buff are useful ways to weather.

Remember that vinyl/faux leather can't be sanded and weathered the same way as leather. You'll just put holes in it and it'll fall apart. You can, however, paint vinyl.

Hope that helps :)
 
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