Good day folks! So lets just jump in shall we? I am going to show you a few techniques to try on objects to create a aged, antique or rusted look. Now while you don't have to think about total destruction or apocalypse, maybe just a dab of rush on a watering can, bike, bucket or maybe you will go so far as to create a tin shed for your spring potting! I have created this very basic wheel barrow pattern for you to use as you wish, add to combine with other things: You can use the pattern in card stock or use it as a trace pattern for wood or cereal box cardboard as I did. I have given you a doubled pattern if you want to just use the card stock. Obviously you can use a pre-purchased assembled object and do the same painting technique if you wish. :Right click open in a new window: Save this pattern or you can print it at full page: If you are going to use the pattern as a trace make sure to mark your fold lines with a bit of a line: After you cut and fold you can assemble this with glue. You might have to trim the sides a bit since I did not spend a lot of time rounding corners. As you see I put on the legs first and then put the handle bars between the legs as support. You can go directly to putting on a base coat with paint if you like. I happen to use this textured spray-paint lightly on the surface as it added a little more dimension to it and firmed up the board. I then coated the surface with a steel metallic paint. You can use whatever metallic color you like but the point of metallic paint is the sheen. Then the rust will be a mat or textured mat color. If you choose a classic color then do a gloss paint, I did the other side as a red gloss just as a example. The mix for your rust is going to be all mat colors: reddish brown paint, maybe a tad bit of dark orange. You can add sand to one part, you can add some cinnamon to another and also keep a dab of dry cinnamon to test out. Take a look at rusted objects online. Your going to want to do tiny dry stippled patterns of rust along the lines of your object. Underneath where it would touch or rub surfaces. Along the edges. As you can see I added different dabs of my sand mixed paint, my dry cinnamon powder and mat paint, with the texture....well you can see what you can do with..just paper and paint here! Notice the sheen or shiny parts and the mat rust spots..yes..that is just cardboard! again the classic coat color is the same..shiny spots and mat So have fun with the pattern try different things with it yourself maybe add some flowers inside ;P. I wanted to show you that..of course you can purchase miniatures.. I also encourage you to try using that mini eye and paint techniques to really create something unique and ..dare I say use them scraps!! Here is a little shot of the project I am working on.. The techniques I showed you can make things as simple as cereal boxes and corrugated cardboard turn from paper to metal and weathered siding: Yes...cereal boxes..and cardboard..paint..glue...sand Try it out for yourself!! _________________________________________________ Ps..I have to show you this!! This is a real shot of a strawberry I got the other day...I don't think I have ever seen one this big before. Any questions on the painting, feel free to ask and I will elaborate or explain further ;) ~J