Mucky Mohan

Mohan needs dirt. Many model boats never get weathered, but I feel a working boat like this should be a bit grimy. 

That said, looking at photos of the real things, they don't appear to be that dirty. At least from a distance. Look closely and there are chips, dings and a build up for texture on the surface. Presumably, crews painted the bits they could get at regularly, but the hulls doo seem a bit crusty. 

I decided that there would be a good chance of rust where the ropes rubbed on the top of the bulwarks or ran through holes. A bit of Squires Tools Rusty-it splodges on with a sponge provided colour and texture. 

Next, in the spray booth, layers of earth, track colour and sooty black paint were shot over the model. I wanted a general dirt finish and to take the edge off the rust. Purely by accident, I also built up some nice texture in areas on the otherwise flat green bits. This was more luck than judgement, but I like the effect. 

Before the paint had hardened, I wiped the wheelhouse down with a damp (with turps) cloth, leaving dirt in the corners. The crew have only done a half-hearted job to this, but I like the effect, especially around the louvres.