Grafitti

[RI541]

I just painted a bridge for the lay-out and this brought up a question.

I know that nobody likes to see their favorite RR covered in grafitti, But do we, as model rail roaders who strive to make our miniture versions as real as possible, include the gafitti?

After I painted the bridge and applied the RI logo, and added the weathering. I added a bit of gafitti. I liked the looks of it and added more until I got the true affect I wanted.Then reweathered it. I like it.

Any comments?

 

[K.V.Div]

Some people like to model their own private model railroad world like the real thing, while others prefer to model a more clean and sanitized one.
There is no right or wrong with either or anything in between, as it is, after all, our own individual hobby and we are all free to model what we like.
Personaly, I prefer to model what I grew up with and what I remember during my early years and grafitti was indeed a part of it, mind you, during the 1950's and 1960's chauk was the medium of choice and items such as "Grad 64" Killroy Was Here and various statements refering to certain people and their loves and habits were commonplace rather than the spray painted "artworks' of today.
If grafitti pleases you than go for it and have fun.

Terry

 

[shamus]

Hi Shane,
grafitti decals are available if you require them, things like Kilroy was here etc. I believe Microscale use to do them.

Shamus

 

[BillD53A]

This website gives a list of many decal makers, including several who make graffitti.

http://www.greatdecals.com/

I once found a site that featured fonts to use to make decals etc...that included a "grafitti font engine" (for lack of a better term). You selected the font, entered the message you wanted and it would give you your message in the grafitti font selected. You could then print decals from it. Anyone else remember the site?
Bill

 

[Chessie]

Hi Shane please post a picture so we can see what it looks like.
mike

 

[RI541]

Mike,

I posted a picture of the bridge in the n/z scale section under "my new/old layout" its not a good picture and i'm working on a better one.

I have the Micro-Scale grafitti sheet and Kilroy was here is on it.

I model the Rock Island in the 50's and early 60's and found it quite fitting.

I'll work on a better picture

 

[Jim de Bree]

One thing that I have done is I have photographed prototype graffitti with my digiatl camera. I then take the photographs and create a collage that i print on decal paper using an ink jet printer. Once the decals are applied to my HO scale models they look like my layout has a massive problem with taggers. I am very happy with the results. If you don't have a digital camera, you can have pictured digitized and put on a CD rom or other media.

 

[billk]

If you're in an older era (pre-spray can?) an interesting form of graffitti would the marking hobos made to pass information, like "Nice lady lives here" or "Mean dog lives here" or "Police are tough in this town". I once found a web site that covered these in great detail.

 

[60103]

The first graffitto I remember was in Rochester NY, near the university, in 1969. Someone had painted Lionel Lines on a girdger bridge. Someone else had painted, less expertly, on the other side, "American Flyer".

There is a prototype for everything.

 

[Gary Pfeil]

I've attached a photo of a bridge I built as a model of one on the Susquehanna in Butler, N.J., just north of the yard. I took photos of the actual graffiti to use as a guide, so I wouldn't have to try to make up my own. There will be trees in place of the screws you see in the background someday.

 

[RI541]

Great looking bridge.

I never even thought of grafitti on the inside.

 

[msh]

Uh-Oh

I wouldn't be worried about the grafitti - it looks great and realistic. But some punk has driven some seriously big nails into the hill next to it. The city is going to have to rent a crane to get those babies out! Kids today.

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Shane, I never really gave much thought to the fact the graffiti was on the inside, that is where it was on the protoype. I guess we usually see the outsides when we drive by and so on. I wonder how they ( the graffiti painters) paint graffiti on the outside when they seem so inaccessable? Certainly is easier on the inside! Here's another showing a bit more of the scene. It appears the fly fisherman has caught a blonde!

 

[marty w.]

Gary
Nice pic's and modeling.
Looks like you got your new camera worked out.
Marty

 

[Woodie]

Just brilliant!

Gary, that is just brilliant, the weathering etc on that bridge. I have two bridge girders the same, sitting in my junk box. (just grey plastic). It's exactly the look I wanna get, when I put the bridge on my next layout. How did you do it? including the rust/rot (white, & brown) the rust runs down the concrete, and even the concrete pier supports. Oh, and the graffit as well, of course. It just looks superb.

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Hi Woodie and thanks. The weathering was just dry brushed, using colors mixed from a variety of acrylic paints. Pretty sure I used some pollyscale colors, white, rust, roof brown, grimy black. Also artist tube acrylics. The whitish spots were dry brushed as well but the brush wasn't as dry as the tecnique usually calls for. Then it was dry brushed over with the other colors. The graffiti was just hand painted with a very small brush. It was done prior to assembly, while the girder was flat on my workbench. The rust streaks on the abutment line up under bridge girders. The abutment itself is just a piece of pine cut to fit, sanded and spackled smooth.

Gary

 

[Blake]

Thanks Gary, now I need to spend more money on a camera!! The shots are fantastic. Seeing the bridge so close up is really great. By the way, I am a new member of the Gauge, I have known Gary for about 20 years (has it been that long) and believe me, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Gary's layout is incredible, ingeniously designed and man can he scenic. Keep an eye out for his photos, he has alot of cool stuff to show you.

Blake

 

[RI541]

Welcome aboard Blake

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Spreading it kind of thick, aren't you Blake? A word to the wise, Blake is just trying to pressure me to get more done. Most everything I know has been learned from Blake. I don't want this to sound like some kind of mutual admiration society, but Blake is a far better modeler than I. He spends most of his modeling time lately on military stuff. His painting skills blow mine away, I have him paint my brass locos. When you see Erie or EL equipment on my layout, it is his. Having converted from HO to N, I have the honor of having the HO stuff he didn't want to sell on my layout. I do however have an "ingeniously" designed layout. The pictures of the bridge were difficult to take as it is on the bottom level of a two level railroad, and the level above is only 14" higher. No room to light properly for photos, although for normal viewing it works pretty well. Welcome aboard Blake, post some pictures.

Gary

 

[marty w.]

Hi Blake,
Welcome to The Gauge. Glad to have another Eire, Erie Lackawanna modeler.
Marty