Did these with earthtone pastel chalks. Sealed with Floquil Flat Finish. It was hard to get good lighting, so I hope the photos show well. Don’t be afraid to tell me if you think they are no good, but please tell me why you think so. It was fun, if messy.
Also, this is my first post with a new web browser, so my fingers are crossed!
Over their service life, cars accumulate quite a lot of dust, dirt, grime and, of course, rust, wherever the paint job is damaged. Rain washes all of this into niches and crevices, with streaks, where the water is running down. Paint fades in the sunshine. Hardly a car ever gets a wash, sometimes a re-paint after an overhaul.
With that in mind, take a close look at your cars. Is your weathering where it naturally would appear? I am afraid, a few strokes with powdered pastels do not give you the effects of a car being exposed to our weather for years.
But don´t get discouraged. Weathering is an art, which can be learned. It takes time and effort, and the ability to cope with setbacks. Look at some tutorials and maybe buy a book.
Not bad for a first try. Less is always best when first starting out. There are several “pro’s” who used to post on this forum. Not sure if they are here any more since its mostly a noobie site. But I would copy from them. Look at their work. Actually Robbie is probably the best weatherer who still regularly posts here. Perhaps he could chime in and show you his work.
Here is one of mine, but I’m not that good and still learning…
This was done with A.I.M. chalks and burnt sienna “gouche” which is the most important ingredient for a truly weathered car showing rust.
Dang, I gotta remember that one—could you use that on wheelsets as well? Or would you use something else?
What is “gouche”??
Not bad for your first try. I don’t model that era, so I can’t help to much. I would add some more dirt/grime near the door on the C&O. Maybe even try to get rid of the “shine” on the wheels. But…Overall not to bad.
Good Question… Gouche ya!
Rick
Hey!!!.. not bad for your first shot at it. I’d say good job.
The key to weathering is always ‘LESS is MORE’ - just remember that as you progress and you’ll have some fine looking cars.
Too many modelers ‘over do it’, not because they didn’t have good intentions to acheive a great result… it’s just very easy to get carried away. I’d practice on a few older shells or models that are ‘expendable’ so that if you make a mistake, a good car isn’t ruined unnecessarily.
Another key to successful weathering is to remember that what we interpret with the naked eye from a viewing perspective is very easy to over-exaggerate in scale. Always start with very light layers - you can always add more to acheive a desired effect.
What you see on your layout from a normal viewing distance with a model should give a hint of the rust or grime but not to the point to where I can see that detail from 8-10’ away…if you do, then it’s probably way to much. When you look at a real freight train, look at the cars that are 4-5 cars back from your viewing position - you can make out enough discoloring to suggest the car is weathered or faded but you don’t see every crack or rust spot on every rivet. that is about the same perspective you would view your model.
I’ll see if I can find some pics of some of my cars to use as examples and gett’em posted for you.
It is important to note that weathering - like many other aspects of the hobby - are subjective, so what you see may be inturpreted completely different by another person.
Good luck…
HeritageFleet1
Ok, here’s an old thread I wrote in August of 2009 on how to weather your first boxcar…it should help.
The starting model was a Walthers $8.75 50’ BN Waffle Box car. I’m going to list the weathering items I used and how I did it, and the steps involved in this process. The most important thing to remember is that ANYONE can do this. This isn’t rocket science. There is only one step involved that requires some artistic license, but again, given time anyone can do it.
I did this in 2 days, only because I had to wait for the boxcar to dry overnight. Ok here we go…
Use a REAL photo of the item you wish to weather and study it. That way you can’t overdo the weathering.
Fade the Boxcar. I used 60% water to 40% Pollyscale white paint. Using an airbrush spray “lightly” using multiple sweeps. DONT OVERDO IT. LESS IS MORE!
Weather the roof, inside wheel sets and a few rust spots present on the boxcar itself. I used “Sophisticated Finishes” purchased at Michaels craft store. Its a two part process. Spread a thin even coat of “iron metallic surfacer” on the parts, let dry overnight then apply the “Rust antiquing solution” next over the iron metallic surface. Let dry overnight. You can apply more than one coat for a lighter rust effect. Your choice.
Dull down the shine of the boxcar using a brush and a 10% solution of “India Ink” and alcohol. You may apply several coats to get the effect you want.
Add other darker rust spots to the boxcar using “winsor & newton” “Designers Gouache” Burnt Sienna. Its an Oil paint you apply with a small brush to make the rust spots. Immediately after applying the gouache sprinkle some “A.I.M.” rust/brown chalk on the oil paint and blow remaining chalk off.
Ok, here’s where the artistic license comes in. Using your plethora of A.I.M. chalk or Bragdon powders, weather the boxcar LIGHTLY to look like the photo. I used blacks…brown
Nice Drillline.
The weathering in the BN boxcar looks great. I’m not a fan of fading (for the most part) as it doesn’t portray the grime and dirt on the real box car. If you look at the top of the contours of the body panels of the prototype you see dark, not light like the model. This is where dirt and grime settles. Paint fades yes, but I think a higher ratio for the India ink wash, or no fading at all would have created a better effect.
Don’t get me wrong, this level of weathering and detail is above me right now, but something about the white fading on the top of panel contours is breaking the illusion for me.
Thanks for the advice on the door.
if I want to run it on our club layout (and i do, on “American railroad” nights to add some eastern flavor), I can’t weather the wheels. And they don’t look nearly as shiny in person.
No kidding - even when I look at them a day later I see them differently.
As far as “less is more”, I definitely ended up with more than I wanted on the reefer, and I think it is partly due to lighting problems on my “workbench”. I really want to invest in quality lighting.
The hardest part is over. You took the plunge and tried it out. Most never take the first step and have all new out of box looking equipment until dust starts collecting.
Looks Great to me for your first try, you’ve got the idea what has to be done. All that really matters is that you are happy with the results in the end. I am far from being a pro as I too am just starting out with weathering. I like the rusty well used abused never washed look,…
First post BTW
Rob :wave