How do I model realistic burnt wood?

To achieve convincingly scorched, blackened textures on fire-damaged structures, the techniques involved can seem quite daunting. However, with some practice and the right materials, it's possible to recreate amazingly realistic burnt wood effects.

The process relies on carefully layering different weathering products like primer, powders, and washes to build up depth and variation. It's all about working from dark to light tones in multiple thin coats.

Start by airbrushing areas to be burnt with a few light coats of a grimy black surface primer like Vallejo's surface primer. This gives you a solid base for the charred look. Next, use dry brushing with stiff, flat brushes and finely ground weathering powders or chalks in (fifty!) shades of grey, brown and black. Concentrate the darker shades on areas that would burn most intensely, fading out to lighter tones. The chalky powders create excellent built-up, scorched textures.

Once you've dry brushed the main charring, it's time for brushed-on acrylic washes. Start with a dark burnt umber wash and work through progressively lighter tones like saddle brown and yellow ochre. Apply in thin layers, letting each dry completely. This crucial step really sells the varying levels of charring.

To add extra realism, you can follow with a speckled airbrushed coat of black soot around burnt edges and even drip some tinted PVA glue down the sides for a scorched, dripped paint effect. Tufts of burned grass or foliage can further sell the scene.

The most important thing is taking it one patient step at a time and not overdoing any one texture or shade. It's a process of slowly building up layers until you achieve utterly convincing burnt wood.