Making aged canvas

[MillenniumFalsehood]

How would one go about making aged-looking canvas? I've heard that you can soak a paper towel in tea or coffee. Is this correct? And are there any other methods to producing an aged, worn-out looking "sail"?

[DX-SFX]

Kitchen towels tend to be textured. Don't use toilet tissue. It's designed to disintegrate in water. Kleenex facial tissues are best. These are designed not to disintegrate easily when wet. Soaking them in diluted PVA is the usual method of working with them. You could either add a stain at that stage or paint them carefully later. It depends what scale you're working in.

[TER-OR]

The tea trick does work. Don't overdo it. Canvas shouldn't be dirty. It may have been patched, though. Also, sails had noticeable seams and strengthening panels.

[ModlrMike]

Go to your local discount store and buy a dress making pattern. The paper that these are printed on is already the right colour. Just wet it down with glue and it will stiffen up as it dries. You can then dry brush some highlights or low lights as needed.

[Ti Raven]

Coffee filters!

[MillenniumFalsehood]

Thanks for the replies.

The canvas I'm trying to model is on a victorian-era looking spacecraft, so I'm wanting these to be yellowed and worn, as if they've been exposed to the direct rays of the sun for years. The sails on these ships serve as a sort of 'shield' and will have blast marks from ED guns and cannons. I think I'll try coffee filters and facial towelettes.

[Lt. Z0mBe]

Coffee filters!

Brilliant!!

Kenny

[Ti Raven]

Thank you Sir! I do have my moments... unfortunately, they seem to be slowly becoming senior moments!

[all-thumbs]

Thanks for the replies.

The canvas I'm trying to model is on a victorian-era looking spacecraft, so I'm wanting these to be yellowed and worn, as if they've been exposed to the direct rays of the sun for years. The sails on these ships serve as a sort of 'shield' and will have blast marks from ED guns and cannons. I think I'll try coffee filters and facial towelettes.

a ship for Space 1899 perhaps?

[MillenniumFalsehood]

Something like that.

[Stubbs]

Thanks for the replies.

The canvas I'm trying to model is on a victorian-era looking spacecraft, so I'm wanting these to be yellowed and worn, as if they've been exposed to the direct rays of the sun for years. The sails on these ships serve as a sort of 'shield' and will have blast marks from ED guns and cannons. I think I'll try coffee filters and facial towelettes.

Where I live, I've got well water with iron content that is off the charts. I just run some of the water (pre-softner) into a pan and let the fabric sit in it for a couple of days, then let it air dry.

Aside from spacecraft, I build scale wooden ships. The sails dry to a nice, faint rusty tan color.

I've tried the same thing with watered down acrylic paint, and it works just as well, though the right mix of pigments can be a pain in the butt to hit just right.

[Whiteraven_2001]

I can recall reading about inexpensive handkerchiefs soaked in tea. IIRC, that was used in a FineScale Modeler article quite some time ago. The author soaked the handkerchiefs, laid them out over a plastic beach ball and when they'd dried, the author cut them to shape. They were automatically given a "belly" that way.

[Ti Raven]

Mix the tea with a bit of white glue. Try 1/4-cup glue, 2 cups boiling or hot h2o , and 1 used black tea-bag. You can tear the bag & sprinkle a bit of the loose stuff over the cloth for a really aged and decrepit look.