Weathering

SLOW

Member
How do I make my buildings and trains look weathered? I asked a lady at the hobby shop and she just gave me that "dear in the headlights" look. Lights are on but nobody is home look. Even her lights are intermittent. LOL

Michael
 

Rusty Stumps

New Member
Michael, Besides various paints I use the addition of chalks. I use earthtone chalks, you can buy a set at a local art store. Scrape the chalk sticks with a exacto knife to form a powder. Dip a small brush into isopropil alcohol and then the chalk. Start with the lightest color first. Dab the chalk solution in the various areas being careful not to use too much. It dries lighter than what it looks like wet. Add darker chalks till you get the desired look you want.

One good thing about using chalks to weather with is if you don't like the results you can brush them away with a stiff paint brush and start again. Once you have what you like spray it with a fixing solution. That also is available at art stores.

A wash of a weathering solution helps. I use a solution of about 2 ounces of Isopropil alcohol with 40 drops of black india ink added. You can vary this. After you have the paints and chalks on the way you like, and sprayed with a fixing solution, paint the whole sturcture with this weathering solution.:D
 

jon-monon

Active Member
Hi Slow, There are as many variations to weathering as there are people on this board, so the best thing to do is experiment with different techniques and see what gives you the results you want. If you want to do it my way, the first thing you do is get out a crisp $20 bill. No, it's not a bribe, we're goin shoppin! Yeeeeeha! While you're lookin fer some money, skip over to tech QA and I'll post the how-to.
 

Vic

Active Member
I like to use chalks and the india ink wash just as Rusty does. If you're going to use a combination of the both use the wash first and let it dry...otherwise you'll "wash" the chalk off the piece.

Sometimes instead of using a fixative I'll airbrush on just a very light coat of Floquil Dust to blend everything together.
 

rockislandmike

Active Member
Shamus' method is also in the Archive/Library section or whatever it's called. It works **GREAT**; I've made a few personal adjustments, but otherwise I think his method is the best that I've found so far.
 

jon-monon

Active Member
I didn't have very good luck with the chalks, but I really should give it another try. I read somewhere what type to buy, and I think I might have the wrong type. I tried the indian ink wash and I prefer it for use on real wood, but on plastic I have had just as good of luck with black latex paint watered down. I don't think either is better ,but the latex cleans up. The ink makes tatoos. :D I expect we'll be seeing some awesome weatherin by slow soon, eh? ;)
 
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