Weather or Not

IntroductoryTechniques for Weathering

Without an Airbrush

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This is an EduTRAIN™

Clinic

EduTRAIN™Copyright © 2014, National Model Railroad Association, Inc.

Bruce De Young, MMR

President, Garden State Division

Education Department Manager, NMRA

bdeyoung@optonline.net

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Should you weather your models?

• Fading, rusting, and dirt accumulation begins as soon as a piece of rolling stock leaves the paint shop and hits the rails.

• Unless a crew of painters has just finished painting a building, much the same is true for structures.

• So, some degree of weathering is called for in almost all situations on our models.

• This doesn’t mean that every model should look decrepit. Remember, variety is the spice of life!

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In this clinic you will learn how to:

• Weather with washes

• Weather with powders

• Weather with pencils and markers

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Weathering with washes

• Alcohol washes

• Water based washes

• Mineral Spirits washes

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Weathering with Alcohol Washes

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Make your own

• Light Mix: 1 tsp of India Ink to 1 pint of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol

• “Normal” Mix: 2 tsp of India Ink to 1 pint of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol

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... Or, Use a Commercial Mix

• Commercial: MicroMark Age It Easy Grey

• Commercial: MicroMark Railroad Tie & Bridge Stain

• Commercial: Hunterline Weathering Mix

• Commercial: Weather-It

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A&I as a Stain

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Age It Easy Grey

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A&I as a Weathering Wash on Styrene

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Leather Dye as a Weathering Wash on Painted Wood

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Dull Cote & Alcohol Have an Interesting Interaction

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Spray Model With Dull Cote & Let Dry

Then Flow On Alcohol With Soft Brush For ‘Chalky’ Look

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Dull Cote & Alcohol Wash For Roof Weathering

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Weathering with Water Paint Washes

• Water down the paint approximately 50/50• Flow on with soft brush (On large flat

surfaces, use a wide (1/4”, 1/2” or more) brush)

• Work into the areas you want weathered. Once it starts to dry, leave it be – don’t keep going over it.

• Let dry before a second thin coat of needed

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Weathering Wheels and Trucks

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Verdigris made with thin PolyScale Jade Green Wash (1/4” – 1/2” soft flat brush)

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Weathering with Mineral Spirits

• Put a small dab of tube-based artist’s oil near top of surface to be weathered.

• Dip soft flat brush in odorless Mineral Spirits

• Draw the ‘dab’ down the surface in direction that water would flow

• Keep working it until you get desired results

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Use ‘Low Odor’ Mineral Spirits

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Useful Artist’s Oils

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Place Little Dabs of the Oils on a Palette or Board

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Useful Equipment

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Place Some Oils on Surface to be Weathered

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Oils ‘drawn down’ with Mineral Spirits

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The Final Look

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Same Approach on Rolling Stock

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After the ‘draw down’

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Weathering With Powders

• Commercial Powders

• Make your own from Artist’s Chalks

• Powdered Graphite

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Making Chalk Powder

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Commercial Weathering Powders

• Bragdon Powders

• A.I.M. Powders

• Bar Mills Powders

• Doc O'Brien's Weathering Powders

• Pan Pastels

• Many others

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Powders will adhere to various surfaces in different fashions

Powders will adhere to porous surfaces more aggressively than they will to

styrene, for example.

Spraying with Dull Cote will provide ‘tooth’ on non-porous surfaces.

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Apply powders with stiff brushes and blend with softer brushes or sponges

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Applying Powder with Stiff Brush

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Rust Stains On Wood Using Powders

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Applying Powders Moistened with Alcohol

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Crusty Rust

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Powdered White Pastel Chalk & Alcohol As Cement Powder

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Using Pan Pastels

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Useful Equipment

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Use Micro-Applicator for Tight Areas and Better Control

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An Eye Shadow Applicator is Better for Larger Areas

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Before & After

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Use Powdered Graphite to Weather Smoke Box on Steam Locomotives

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Burnish Powdered Graphite onto Smoke Box with Stiff Brush

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Weathering With Pencils & Markers

• Pastel Pencils (e.g. Conté, Derwent, etc.)

• Prismacolor Markers

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Using Markers to Simulate Water Stains

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Using Pastel Pencils to Weather a Freight Car

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As you have seen, you do not need an air brush to weather your models. You can:

• Weather with washes

• Weather with powders

• Weather with pencils and markers

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