Thank go I used Acrylic paint :), I stripped off all the paint and weathering, and dry brushed on a thick layer of rust, then removed most of it and repeated the process several times. I’m happy with this coat much more. I’ll post pics when it dries.
Thanks Guys
Tjsingle
To expand on what Dave V said;
You have a good head on your shoulders, and an open mind for both praise and criticism. Both are qualities that many people (including myself) struggle with.
(Hopefully) I’ll be back at work tomorrow, and I’ll try to get you some photos of a few gons that we received a short time ago for scrap metal haulage that are VERY beat up.
I’ve been chasing trains for 30 years, and I’ve never seen slap dash reporting marks like that. I know you’re working on a budget… been there, done that… But what you’ve got there isn’t going to look good in the eyes of many beholders.
I think you can do better, and that should be the goal of any hobby… to improve your skills. Take advantage of the many resources out there for prototype images to use as a guide.
The guys that offer empty praise aren’t helping you. Sorry, but it’s the truth. You posted the image, I assume, to seek guidance, not meaningless approval.
Your enthusiasm is great, and your willingness to share your work is commendable. But don’t accept “That Looks Great” when you know in your heart that you’ve got more work to do.
Go back and re-read Dave’s weathering thread. Study the images. Go to Fallen Flags, or any other proto reference site. Go to the decal rack at your LHS, and see what you can find that’ll help, even if it’s just a set of white alphabets.
The good news is you can clean off that first attempt with some rubbing alcohol and start over.
Lee
I saw a prototype photo either on the Trains.com forums, or another forum, just a day or two ago, showing something just about like that. The reporting marks appeared to be painted with a spray can, free hand. No stencils.
If I see it again, I’ll post it here.
Rotor
Hit it with a hair dryer for about ten minutes and then dump 20 pounds of rust in it, it might come out close to this, but the patch and all that other gunk on the sides would have to go first.
Now that is a non compliant car if anything is!
No safety appliances for climbing or riding the car (not that I’d ride that one anyways. I’d cripple it)
Car body has shifted outwards.
Lading in the car can shift and end up out of the car.
Lading is above top of car with no cover or protection.
That looks like it would be right at home in a scrap yard.
Do you mean this ?
Posted By Wikious on WPF 9-05-08
I totally understand, and Lets just say that the black wash was completely removed down to the red, and then painted in a nice coat of rust.
Yep…that’s it!
Rotor
I have seen quite a few hand painted reporting marks (road initials and car number only) an have pictures but they are all slides (no digital yet). Often when graffiti or other damage makes the initials/number illegible, and it isn’t feasible to get to the paint shop, lettering will be applied freehand. Usually when a freehand patch has to be painted, in order to have good contrasting colors, the patch will be in the shape of a rectangle not an irregular shaped large oval. If you have trouble painting a reasonable looking rectangle shape, cut out the shape you need from some masking tape. If you find that you don’t have enough patch to get all the number in, move the mask over and paint more patch. Your replacement hand painted reporting marks should be legible too.
UPDATE
I have taken off the paint and went to all rust like this
im going to add more rust
Looking better. For the inside of most my gondolas, I give the interior an overall coat of roof brown followed by streaks and patches of rust colors. I don’t know if a RR ever repainted the inside of a gon.
Better!
One thing about rust… it darkens as it gets older. New rust is bright orange like that, but older rust is more of a reddish-brown.
Still, that’s looking much better. You’re on your way!
put some more reddish rust on…
Oooo… Now that’s too much. You can’t really read the lettering anymore.
The best way to do rust is to start with the darker, older rust and then go lighter from there.
We know the process is reversable… are you will to start again? If not, you’re still in a much better place than the first time.
I use brown (i.e., Burnt Umber) for old rust, sometimes with a little black mixed in. New rust gets a more orangy-brown (i.e., Burnt Sienna), but I never use that so-called Rust color you get from PolyScale anymore.
Hey Dave,
Is this Better? The paint is still wet so i could remove most of it, Its getting where I’m looking it to be so I’m not going to strip to the orginal paint, just remove layers of wet paint when I Need too. I’m going to darken the rust VERY carefully now.
Tjsingle
Yes, that’s better… It still looks very “fresh” to me, but that may be an artifact of the flash you’re using. It may be darker under normal lighting.
Look at the second car behind the GP9 in this picture. It’s a brighter rust than I’d usually use, but I was working from a photograph. This one did actually use PolyScale Rust as one of the wash colors, but only after I’d used Grimy Black and Railroad Tie Brown washes.
I think if you can tone it down to about that level you’ll be in great shape.
Ok this is what I have so far in the long line of attempts.
better or worse?
Tjsingle
The color looks great. But the paint looks really, really thick. Are you using washes, or straight paint? Washes would be mostly water with some color. Looks like you’re using mostly color with some water. You’ve obscured not only the rivet detail but even the ribs.
Again, the color is much closer to what you’re looking for. Very believable.
But because it’s so thick, you may need to strip it again (I know, I’m sorry, I know this is turning into a much bigger project than you expected). But try to remember what colors you used and in what mixtures… only this time add them one thin layer at a time.
Best of luck! Take 3 is already worlds and worlds better than take 1!