Creating a denim effect/look

[almar]

Hi,
I have the Mary Jane comiquette from Sideshow. I'm really happy with this statue but I think it can look better. I think the pants look kinda dull so I would like to 'upgrade' these.
My idea is to give the pants a real denim look but I have no idea how to create this effect. So any ideas are welcome, or links to tutorials or whatever. Let me know.

[Leonard]

I got this effect (it was ages ago, about 1994) by airbrushing a base of light blue (acrylic), then brush painting over with navy blue (Humbrol enamel, but any should do). Thats for blue denim of course.

The trick was to let the navy paint settle (easier with glass bottles, you can see the paint base separate), stir the paint one revolution, then you dip your brush in & paint away. As the paint wasn't mixed, you are painting clear & color. But you don't want to overpaint the same area too much, as this will mix the paint.

I think doing it today I would try get a similar effect by dropping a drop of navy into something like testors dullcote, one stir, paint.

That's what I remember doing (cobwebs on the brain here!), so please try on a test surface first.

[almar]

Think I got it.
So you're using oil-based paint and water-based paint. I'm gonna give it a try first, get my colors right. Wanna create that stonewashed denim look.

[Leonard]

That's right - I use the water based paint as a base coat (let it dry first - should have said that in the beginning), mainly so the enamel won't react with the undercoat when brushing (& cause clumping or otehr strrange effects). But then again you could probably try the same thing with hand brushing water based paint over an airbrushed acrylic base, as airbrushed paint seems to dry "harder" & is more resilient than brushed. As I said it was years ago, but I managed to get the stonewashed look.

[JtotheP]

I had great results base coating the denim a specific blue, then wrapped the area to be denimized with micro screen and airbrushed a lighter mix of the same blue.

[Liquid]

And yet another thing to top it off if you have done all the blue steps listed above is add a off white around the knee areas and where the pants would get a lot of wearing in. It makes the jeans look a little older and worn in.

[avall15]

I agree with what liquid said too.....actually Delta makes a denim color that is pretty spot on. I would use that as a base and then go darker with shading...then for worn look you can you dry brush white in spots. Good luck! post pics when you are done

[almar]

Thanks for all the info guys. I finally found some time last weekend and went for it.
Here are some pics. I also painted the Spidey costume with a gloss varnish to give it a 'wet' look.









This was the look I was looking for and I think it turned out really well. Used my own jeans as an example, which would look so much better if MJ was wearing them btw. Finished it off with a matt clear coat.
Oh and I also painted the toe nails.

[Indy_Yoda]

That turned out great! Good work

['Nuff]

Out-effin-standing...