Notts Hobbies Weathering Set — Wash your models!

In the miniature painting community, weathering is so hot right now. With new wargames aimed at more grimdark subjects (Trench Crusade, 1490 Doom, Idols of Torment), players are seeking ways to create dirty, rusty, weathered, grimey, oily textures on models.  Producers like Villany Inks have had a successful launch of weathering oils, AK & Dirty Down have rust products, kitbashing is having a sort of a renaissance on IG…so once again, as hobbyists, we’re faced with a plethora of products to choose from. Once again, Notts Hobbies has shown up with an affordable option that has some awesome results. Their Weathering Kit is pretty fantastic, and includes everything you need to get into a technique that is becoming more popular, sponge painting. Let’s dig in.The weathering kit comes with 3 different oil-based washes in Rust, Grime, and Verdigris colors. Furthermore, the set comes with a grabber tool and 2 different types of sponges, one textured, one melamine. 

In order to use this tool, you need to understand some basics about the Reductive Technique. In miniature painting, reductive painting involves covering a surface with a lot of paint, then wiping or removing much of that paint. Unlike traditional acrylics, oil paints have a very long drying time, which allows for easy removal or blending. Removal can just consist of wiping away with a clean brush, sponge, or other tool, or you can use mineral spirits or thinner, which can result in unique results, such as the ability to create lines of rust or grime. 

Notts Hobbies has simplified this by creating a line of Oil Washes, which are normally something a painter could make, but it generally means you have to buy oil paints, thinners, and ways to contain said mixtures…this set removes all of that hassle. Furthermore, using a sponge to apply texture to a model results in randomness, which can be viewed as more realistic, and is a lot more fun to use in your painting process.

The tools provided by Notts Hobbies makes this pretty effortless. All you do is grab a sponge with the tool, dip it into the wash (after giving the bottle a good shake), and dab or stipple away. When you feel good with your stippling, switch the sponge for a melamine sponge, and use it to wipe away/clean the model. 

For the paints, there’s an orange Rust color, which when it dries, it looks very realistic, much like a fresh rust. The Grime color is a dirty brown/green, and looks great when layered over leathers, shoved into dark recesses, and on terrain. The Verdigris is a teal, which when worked in moderation with Rust, results in an easily realistic weathered metal…especially over copper. 

I have no real complaints about this set, but if there were some things I would add to it, I would suggest a darker grime/oil color, and perhaps an instructional sheet so that folks who aren’t used to these methods could learn.  

The only other concern I have are the bottles which hold the oil paints. If not kept upright, they might leak…this shouldn’t be a real concern, but when I opened my package, some of the oil had seeped out and gotten everywhere. A quick wipe, and I was off to painting. Luckily, the tools and sponges are in sealed packages, so nothing was messed up.

At $21, this is a great deal for painters who want to get into this side of the hobby. 

Check out some of my work with these and feel free to purchase the set now through our affiliate link, and save yourself 10%!