Easy weathering with acrylic craft paints - photo tutorial

[davefoxx]

Dave V.,

Thanks for this tutorial and the thorough explanation of not only technique but colors and where to apply them.  Since I don't own an airbrush and am somewhat colorblind, I have been hesitant to take that drastic step of weathering and risk destroying my rolling stock.  You've made that somewhat a less daunting task.  If I can find the time this weekend, I'll try to purchase the materials and make the first sacrifice to the weathering gods.  I know that my photography suffers not only because of the goofball behind the viewfinder but also because nothing on my layout is weathered, so I am really looking forward to mastering this talent.

Thanks, again!

Dave Foxx
Rising Sun, Maryland

[tom mann]

The PC car is very nicely done.

[Dave V]

The PC car is very nicely done.

Tom,

Thanks, man!  It's really nothing approaching your work, or the other guys I mentioned up front...  but it draws very heavily on your stuff.  Someday I hope to be able to airbrush more than my track, but for now, this is a method I can control.

This goes to my view on my own position in the hobby; if I've achieved anything at all, it's because I stand on the shoulders of giants.

[Dave V]

Up next is an N scale Atlas extended vision caboose, Conrail class N20 #22130:



Built by the International Car Company in 1970 for the Reading Railroad, Conrail's class N20 cabins (ex-RDG 94100-94109) numbered 22130-22139 were among the most modern on the Conrail system.  They appear to have received their blue paint almost immediately after the April 1976 Conrail startup.  Nevertheless, they weathered quickly.

Here's a photo from Fallen Flags of a class N20 caboose in 1977, just a year after they were painted.  Notice the grime on the end platform panels and brakewheel stanchion.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cr/cr22131dkg.jpg

Here's one in 1979 (also from Fallen Flags), one year prior to my model era of 1980:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cr/cr22131bkg.jpg

[Dave V]

Sometime between 1979 and 1984, several of the windows on the N20 cabins were blocked off and painted with a non-matching blue.  At that time the ACI labels were removed or painted over.  Since I'm modeling 1980, I decided to leave the windows intact. 

Here's a shot (unknown date, from hebners.net) of the early configuration with all windows intact and ACI labels (near the cupola).

http://www.hebners.net/cr/crN20/cr22131d.jpg

So step 1 was adding the ACI labels.

Step 2 is masking the windows.  This is tedius, and not necessary if you want hazed-over windows.  In fact, prototype photos suggest the windows were pretty filthy by 1979, so you could save yourself some time and skip masking before the Dullcote.  If you choose to mask (I'm a neat freak) you can use painter's tape; cut the masks to size with a new #11 blade.  Then Dullcote.

[Dave V]

First step was to weather the trucks and couplers.  The trucks got straight Burnt Umber.  The couplers got Burnt Umber with a touch of Burnt Sienna on the knuckles.  I made sure to leave the oversized draft gear boxes flat black to make them less obvious.  I also painted the MicroTrains copper-colored "glad hands" flat black.  The other option is, of course, to clip them.

The car sides received several coats of a very thin black/Burnt Umber wash, wiped away between coats.  One very thin wash coat of the same color mix was allowed to dry on either end wall.  The brake gear was given a wash of Burnt Umber with a hint of Warm White to give it a more dusty appearance.  The platform end panels and break stanchions go a thick wash of black/Burnt Umber/Warm White to match the photos.

The roof was washed with a grayish mix of black, Warm White, and Burnt Umber to fade it somewhat.  When that was dry, another thin wash of Burnt Umber was allowed to dry on the roof.  The smoke jack received the same grayish wash, with a few Burnt Sienna highlights.

If some of the wash gets under the mask it can be removed from the window with a fin-tipped paintbursh and water.





On this photo, note the paintbrush bristle on the cupola.  This was easily brushed away with a stiff brush.  It's amazing how the digital macro setting on my camera makes N scale look like G scale!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's REALLY nice looking there Dave!