paint cars seats to look like leather

[steveo3002]

any tips to make model car seats look like leather

some guys seem to have the knack of getting the right sheen

[kenny Chim 4]

Steve, without a doubt your best bet is to use artist oil paint after applying a Humbrol base.

Whether you want a black or brown leather finish, first coat the seats with a well mixed Humbrol matt black (33). Allow this to thoroughly dry (24 hours)before doing the following which is based upon Windsor & Newton oil tubes.

For a brown leather finish, use a toothpick to apply a blob of Raw Umber, add to that a similar amount of Burnt Sienna and then mix them together on a piece of card or stiff paper(this will absorb any excess oil).

Apply this mix to the dry black coat as thickly as necessary and leave for 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, use another toothpick to add a blob of Cadmium Yellow to a separate part of the card pallate.

Now (without using ANY turpentine or white spirit) use kitchen paper followed by a flat brush to remove most of the first mix applied to the seats.

This will leave a sheen (with darker areas in creases etc.).

Take a dry brush and apply small dots of the Cadmium Yellow to the highlighted areas. Allow that application to set and then use a different dry brush to gently spread and fan this over the appropriate areas.

For fairly new looking black leather again apply Humbrol 33. Await 24 hours but then use a coat of Ivory Black. Remove the bulk as above but use Burnt Sienna as the highlight colour.

You'll find that these processes result in very realistic leather in miniature but it may be worth experimenting on waste material before applying it to a cherished kit