Alright, so I spent some time trying out this thing I heard about, the “Stephen Harper model Atlanta” style. Not the politician, mind you, just heard whispers about a model maker down in Atlanta, maybe named Stephen Harper, who had this really distinct, gritty look to his stuff. Decided I’d give it a shot myself, see if I could figure it out.
Getting Started
First thing, I dug through my stash and pulled out a simple kit. Just a basic 1/35 scale truck model I had lying around. Nothing too complicated, because I wanted to focus on the finish, not the build itself. Got my usual tools out: cutters, glue, sandpaper, the whole nine yards.
I didn’t have any actual photos of this supposed Harper guy’s work, just descriptions I’d picked up here and there. Stuff like “realistic weathering,” “looks like it actually drove through mud,” “subtle details.” So, it was kinda guesswork, trying to capture a vibe more than copy something specific.
The Build and Paint Process
Putting the truck together was easy enough. Standard assembly, followed the instructions mostly. Let the glue cure overnight.
Then came the painting. Laid down a basic primer coat, then the main color. I went with a faded olive drab. This is where I started thinking about that “Harper style.”
Here’s what I tried for weathering:
- First attempt: Mixed up a dark brown wash. Slathered it on pretty thick, hoping it would settle into the cracks and look like grime. Big mistake. It just looked dirty and messy, not realistic. Pooled weirdly in some spots.
- Second attempt: Wiped off as much of that wash as I could while it was still damp. Let it dry fully. Then I tried some dry brushing with a lighter khaki color to pick out raised edges. That started looking a bit better, giving it some definition.
- Third attempt: Focused on the lower parts and wheels. Used some textured paint, sort of stippled it on, to simulate dried mud. This worked okay, but getting the texture right took a few tries. Had to scrape some off and redo it.
- Final details: Added some rust effects using pigment powders around the exhaust and some panel lines. Tried to keep it subtle, not overdo it. Also added a tiny bit of chipping effect with a sponge and dark grey paint.
How It Turned Out
So, after all that messing around, I got the truck finished. Does it look exactly like this mythical “Stephen Harper model Atlanta” style? Probably not. Hard to say without a real reference. But it does look used and weathered, maybe more than I usually do.
It definitely forced me to try some techniques I don’t use often. The mud effect came out decent in the end, and the subtle rusting adds something. It’s not perfect, some spots are still a bit rough where I had to fix things. But as a practice piece, trying to achieve a specific feel based on word-of-mouth? It was interesting.
Learned that getting that specific “realistic grime” look is harder than it sounds. It’s easy to overdo it and just make it look dirty. Finding that balance is the trick. Anyway, that was my little experiment for the day. A good way to push myself a bit.
