Weathering the Laurel Valley Hopper

[tom mann]

TOM!

 I assume that's only a base coat on the trucks and you have more to do?! Anyway,
the body and interior are pretty much PERFECT in my opinion! Now the trucks and
couplers need to match...

 I keep telling people coal weathering can be interesting and you just proved it.

Jeff (MrKLUKE)



 

Yeah, I can do a little more with the trucks...thanks!

[James Costello]

Tom,

Can you give an idea on the colours you've used for the grime wash and also the car insides - the rust, bare metal etc.

Would you use the same colors on a car that had a brown (freight car red) base scheme?

Thanks - got some brown and black hoppers I've faded and I am trying to get my head around where to head next. I'm not sure the grimey-black wash I've done is the look I am going for....

[tom mann]

Tom,

Can you give an idea on the colours you've used for the grime wash and also the car insides - the rust, bare metal etc.

Would you use the same colors on a car that had a brown (freight car red) base scheme?

Thanks - got some brown and black hoppers I've faded and I am trying to get my head around where to head next. I'm not sure the grimey-black wash I've done is the look I am going for....

Start with a Tarnished Black fade coat, followed by a coat of Dirt and Rust.  A wash of burnt umber gets you most of the way there.

The next steps are odd...I'm using oils and acrylics and spraying dull coat before things entirely dry.  Lots of layers...

[DKS]

[James Costello]

Start with a Tarnished Black fade coat, followed by a coat of Dirt and Rust.  A wash of burnt umber gets you most of the way there.

The next steps are odd...I'm using oils and acrylics and spraying dull coat before things entirely dry.  Lots of layers...

Cool, thanks! Hope the new book shows a step by step.....

[tom mann]

Cool, thanks! Hope the new book shows a step by step.....

Oh man...I don't know...maybe the video will.  It was a little odd what I had to do, and how much I had to re-do. ;D

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I don't know about the graf Tom, maybe just a tag, but not a piece.

In my experience, hoppers don't seem to attract much of it, mostly because they don't seem to sit in easily accessible places (mines and "critical infrastructure" power plants don't seem to attract shiftless youth in large numbers).

Dave has a good point too. An ACI label, U1 wheel dot, etc would also spice it up a bit, but it might be a bit late for new decals.

[ednadolski]

Oh man...I don't know...maybe the video will.  It was a little odd what I had to do, and how much I had to re-do. ;D

All the more reason for a step-by-step (esp. video).  It can be very hard to 'fill in the blanks' on something like this, and jumping over even small things makes it easy to become lost.

Ed

[Blazeman]

That is one fine weathering job. Has to be the best ever. To me, the equivalent of being able to portray something shiny on canvass.

I may be satisfied with a rusty orange look for my open cars. To give one the look from up on a bridge down into cars. That's a pet peeve of mine: Black interiors on hopper cars.

[James Costello]

Start with a Tarnished Black fade coat, followed by a coat of Dirt and Rust.  A wash of burnt umber gets you most of the way there.

Oh man...I don't know...maybe the video will.

Ok, so could you explain the difference in terminology then between a "coat of dirt and rust" to a wash?
Straight dirt and rust layers airbrushed on after the fade?

Is the dirt layer noticeably different from the fade?

[tom mann]

When I say "coat", I mean "a layer of paint applied with an airbrush".  Colors that are capitalized refer to Polly Scale colors.

The dirt layer is different from the fade.  The fade coat is Tarnished Black, and transforms the black hopper to a faded black color.

[James Costello]

Ok, thanks Tom!

[tom mann]

Ok, thanks Tom!

Sorry if I'm being sketchy but I really am not working linearly anymore.  I use my little macro lens a lot now, and I remove and reapply paint more often than in the past because of it - so the process is not as straightforward as before. 

[ryourstone]

Nice one Tom!

Wouldn't mind seeing a shot next to the NIHX hopper I did a few years back, if it's still around. Just to see how far you've surpassed me

[tom mann]

Lol, thanks Rich.  Yep, I still have the NIHX car.  I'll get some macro photos and send them your way.