It's been a few weeks since I completed a 1:32 scale Yellow VW Beetle. The problem was that the replica came out too perfect and shiny, so I decided to take it to the next level and gave it an authentic look, inspired by this excellent video on YouTube.

Step 1: Planning, Materials and Tools

The scene I was after was an old abandoned VW Beetle in the middle of a greenish forest.

Materials:

1:32 Scale Yellow VW Beetle Replica
Circle Shaped Polystyrene Foam
Amsterdam's Lamp Black Acrylic Paint
Amsterdam's Zinc White Acrylic Paint
Jo Sonja's Fawn Acrylic Paint
Jo Sonja's Burnt Umber Acrylic Paint
Rayher's Raysin 100 Basic White Casting Powder
Mod Podge Matte Glue
Palmolive Liquid Washing Detergent
Sand and Small Stones from My Garden
Silver Dried Sand by 4D Model Making Materials
Noch's Grass Glue
Noch's Light Green Wild Grass
Noch's Herbs Sauvages Wild Grass
Green Blended Turf by Woodland Scenics
Scenic Rust Kit by Deluxe Materials
Vallejo's Natural Sienna Pigment
Vallejo's Rust Pigment
Vallejo's Dark Yellow Ochre Pigment
Green Plants by Robotime DIY Miniature Dollhouse Kit
Revell's VW Beetle Decal Pack
0.5mm Wooden Coffee Stirrer by Superkit
2mm 3M 300LSE Ultra Thin Double-Sided Tape

Tools:

A4 Cutting Mat
Paper Towels
Sand Paper
Tamiya's 18mm Masking Tape Refill
Wooden Spatula
Various Types of Paint Brushes
Boulders Rock Mold by Woodland Scenics
Noch's Gras Master 2.0
Tweezers
Toothpick
Stainless Steel Ruler
Ergonomic Hobby Knife

Step 2: Base

The base I was using is a circle shaped polystyrene foam. You can easily find it in many hobby stores in your area. The finish on the edges wasn't quite perfect. To tidy it up I lightly sanded them until they were smooth enough. I also painted the edges with standard black acrylic paint to give it a modern look.

Step 3: Plaster Rocks

I decided to add a few rocks by using Woodland Scenics boulders rock mold for extra detail. This mold was very easy to work with as it is flexible and reusable. I roughly mixed a 3 to 1 ratio of white casting powder and water to create a thin mixture and poured it into the mold. After about 30 minutes the rocks were ready.

Step 4: Raising the Surface

Before raising the surface of the foam a little with Sculptamold, I used a mask on the edges of the base to avoid harming the paint. Sculptamold is quite easy to work with. It has a consistency of cottage cheese before applying it. It feels like adding icing to a cake and I gradually built it up until I had the contouring I was after. Before the surface was dried, I placed the plaster rocks and blended them with the wet Sculptamold to fix them in position. As the Sculptamold began to set, I continued to smooth the surface with a spatula. Once established, I used my finger and a few drops of water to get a smoother finish.

Step 5: Painting the Rocks

As I wanted the rocks to look like giant stones in the forest, I decided to use the acrylic wash technique to paint them realistically and let the colors run together naturally. The first layer was a light yellowish tan color. It followed by burnt umber and a standard black. Once dried, I added a light dry brushing of white to highlight the edges of the stones.

Step 6: Painting the Base

I covered the base with a fawn acrylic paint for an earthy look.

Step 7: Adding Dirt

I poured some ordinary dirt from my garden into a shaker with a small strainer. It was much too dark, so I added some silver dried sand and mixed them together until I got the desired color. I diluted one part Mod Podge matte glue with 3 parts water and a few drops of liquid washing detergent. I applied the glue mixture with a paintbrush and covered all the areas with dirt. Once dried, I randomly added a natural sienna pigment with a paintbrush.

Step 8: Adding Static Grass, Blended Turf and a Few Small Stones

For the major transformation, I used the Noch Gras Master 2.0 along with some grass glue and a mixture of two shades of grass fibers. Once the grass was thoroughly mixed, I randomly applied some glue, followed by the grass. I removed the excess grass by turning the diorama upside down and tapped on the base. I teased the grass with a toothpick to give it an uneven wild grass look. Additional blended turf was added as well and I also attached a few small stones I found in my garden for extra detail. To seal all the changes I made, I sprayed my glue mixture about everywhere.

Step 9: Weathering and Trashing the VW Beetle

There are many weathering techniques to age a model. I decided to start by adding some rust with the Deluxe Materials Scenic Rust. The kit contains a binder, rust powder and rust developer with a mixing cup, pipette and a spatula. I mixed the rust powder and the binder until I had a brushable paste. I randomly painted the Beetle with rust in all kinds of spots by using a paintbrush. I left the mixture to dry and after about 30 minutes I applied the scenic rust developer all over the areas where the paste has been used. It took about 8 hours for the rust to develop and dry thoroughly. I also randomly applied 2 shades of Vallejo Pigments. Then I grabbed a pair of tweezers and started to trash the VW Beetle. First I got rid of the windshield, followed by the driver's seat window. I also broke one of the back seat windows and added scratches all over the VW Beetle.

Step 10: Extras

I used a decal sheet I had from a different VW Beetle model kit to add a rusty license plate laying on the grass. I taped it to a wooden coffee stirrer with double-sided tape and applied the rust mixture as well. I also added some extra greenery I had from an old DIY dollhouse kit. When I was finally done, I removed the masking tape and re-painted the edges of the base with standard black acrylic paint.