If there’s one thing I could point to that makes the Star Wars aesthetic so unique is its gritty, lived-in quality. So, as a photographer of Star Wars toys, it should come as no surprise that I’ve started to experiment with achieving that look myself.

I’m certainly not the only photographer to weather my toys. So this isn’t anything new – just new to me. As a collector, a bit of a purist, and someone with a touch of anxiety and OCD, I used to shudder at the thought of scuffing up my action figures, especially permanently! Sure, it could help with a particular photo, but what if I don’t want that same look next time? Did I just “ruin” my figure?

I’ll admit that I haven’t conquered this anxiety completely, but I have finally started giving a choice few of my toys that gritty Star Wars look. My first test subjects: The fantastic line of Star Wars spaceships from Hotwheels that I recently wrote about.

While I think they’re a great way to achieve good starship photography, their major limitation is their lack of detail, despite a pretty good sculpt. Since I was attempting photorealism, I found it difficult to light and shoot them in a satisfactory way. 

Not quite the “hunk of junk” we’re used to…

I’d heard that shoe polish can be effective for weathering toys, and that it wasn’t as permanent as something like paint. Two birds, one stone.

Method 1: Shoe Polish Paste

  • Before
  • After

I tried two types of shoe polish, both found at the grocery store for less than $5 a piece. The first was a paste, which typically comes in a little round tin can. I found this a bit tiresome to use; it was a bit flaky and it left a thin residue, coating the ship rather than staining it. On the plus side, this actually helped it settle into the various crevices, bringing out the details.

Method 2: Liquid Shoe Polish

  • Before
  • After
  • Don’t forget the Astromech!

The second method I tried, and the one I preferred most, was liquid shoe polish. I used an old makeup brush to “paint” it onto the ship, then wiped away the excess. I then used a blue Sharpie to paint in the blue dome of an Astromech droid.

I tried paying special attention to certain areas, like around the engines and guns, and on the wings. The X-Wing was my first test subject, and I went a bit heavier than I intended, but I’m extremely happy with the result, especially once I got the ship in front of my lens!

In the end, I was so happy with the results that I weathered all of the ships currently in my collection. In addition to the X-Wing, my favorite result was the Millennium Falcon, which absolutely needs that gritty Star Wars look.

  • Before
  • The liquid polish comes with a sponge, making for easy application
  • I found the best results when applying liquid to the whole ship…
  • Then wiping away the excess with a paper towel
  • It was fun paying closer attention to specific areas, bringing out more of the details
“Punch it!”

All in all, I’m extremely happy with how this experiment went, and have already begun trying it out on other toys, like some of my Black Series Star Wars figures. I think I’ll still be anxious about doing permanent alterations, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Have you ever weathered your toys? What method did you use, and what were the results? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

-James

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Weathered and ready for action!