Moss and Lichen

Moss and Lichen — a Vallejo weathering effect

The product belongs to the Vallejo range of weathering effects, that is, to the preparations used only on a model that is already painted and varnished. It serves to reproduce moss and lichen, the growth that in nature holds on to damp and shaded places: the lower areas of a hull, the corners between the running gear, wood, stone and long-parked vehicles. The effect is water-thinnable and stays flat once dry, so it does not compete with the sheen of the surrounding finish. The volume of the bottle and the shade are given on the label.

Use

• Apply only onto a cured finish, ideally over a flat or satin clear coat, not onto bare plastic.
• Work in coats and in small areas. Moss never covers a whole surface evenly; it holds to shadows, seams and places the rain does not reach directly.
• Besides a brush, a piece of foam or a toothpick works well. Stippling gives an irregular texture, whereas a brush stroke creates an unnatural band.
• Once dry, the shade can be blended into its surroundings with a light touch of pigment or of very thinned paint.
• Wash brushes and tools in water at once; a dried effect is much harder to remove.

Who it is for

For modelers of military vehicles who build abandoned or long-parked machines, for builders of dioramas with a damp setting, stone walls and wooden structures, and for railway and civilian scenery. For a beginner we recommend trying the procedure on a sprue offcut first, because a growth only reads convincingly when there is little of it and it is in the right place.

The product is water-based. Keep out of the reach of children, close the bottle well after work and ventilate the workplace. It is not part of any kit.