I swear by bragdon's and a large jar of A/I wash.

Arthur

I'll echo Arthur's statement. I like the Bragdon powders and different mixtures of A/I washes. It's about the only weathering products needed. (Don't tell my wife though) Then she start saying why do I need other types of items. lol

Jeff,

This is always a good topic to read and bring up frequently. Yup I am a big big fan of weathering and detailing. I use Dr Bens Rust(orange), aged Rust (brown) and A/I. Bragadon powders to an extent. I have added to palette from Hunterline, gray, brown and black. And Dr. Bens Weathered Gray.

I think more importantly along with color is the method used or process to get to the end. For me its it starts with the build, while I don't do alot of pre staining, painting of parts on sprues, I do prescribing of the styrene, wirebrushing and distressing of the wood. I usually have some degree of vision as to the end goal, but not enough to deter me from going to a different direction in mid build, paint or weather.

So with model built in sub assemblies, I usually prime with Model Masters shake on paint, I use a light gray, FS 36622 Camouflage Gray. Why? Its a light gray, vice a mid-level gray, Over colors such as signal red, UP Yellow, white, rail tie brown work very well and they are predictable. I like the grain of the paint, small cans provide freshness. AND I can not only use it as a primer for all things I can use it as the base coat/color for wood that I will age.

Rocks with this method...



Wood with this method...





Trees with this method...



Lazer Cut wood kit Wood with this method..




Wood and stryene and resin with this method...



Laser Wood Kit...



Tools...




Resin Castings with this method...



Bachman bash..styrene, wood, resin castings..



Wood Laser Kit, Laserable wood and strip wood..





So with those examples, the priming is done, then additional paint is applied or not, its time for Alcohol washes. I apply Rust first...then aged rust then A/I in one sitting, I let it dry over night then come back in redoing, adding or intensifying. I may repeat this process for several days, vise splashing it on and being done. I use a 1 or 2 brush putting wash in in appropriate places, ends of the boards, cracks...I even dilute the washes with plain alcohol so its more controllable.

Once the A/I work is done, its dry brush time or powders times. I have been known make a slurry of powder and alcohol and apply it directly building that up to make a flakey crusty rust surface.

Bradagon powders don't require or need to be dullcoated, I don't dullcoat anything.

I hope this helps, and didn't mean to hjack.

Les

Les, your examples of various weathered/aged materials are excellent! I do have one question, however? What is "Model Masters shake on paint?" I don't believe I've ever heard of it or seen it before. Is it something like a dry pigment?

For our newer members... about 4-5 years ago we had an on-going discussion concerning weathering and aging various materials. Once you get past the first few general comments, there are 22 pages of tips, techniques, and suggestions concerning weathering. Here's the link:

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...?TOPIC_ID=6753

Les that's some excellent modeling.

Mike thanks for posting the link to the weather & aging techinuqes.

Jerry

Les,

Thanks for the how to.

For anyone looking at these great pictures let me say that as good as the pictures are I had a chance to see some of Les' work in person.

These or any other pictures I have seen do not do these models justice. The models are stunning to look at and the color variations are spectacular.

It appears that patience is Les' secret weapon with the number of times he goes back to work on the same model.

Larry

Mike, Larry, et al,

Thanks for the complements, I really enjoy what I do, trees, buildings, locos, scenery, so for me I apply the same effort to all.

Mike, Shake on...is really just spray paint, I am sorry I miss lead. Model Masters because of grain, and quality of paint. I have a airbrush booth where 90% of my painting happens. I use floquil mostly except for figure painting.

Les

Absolutely stunning work, Les!

Question: just to be clear.....you also use the Model Masters primer paint on wood, as well as metal, resin, and styrene, and a base coat? You don't just apply alcohol/ink or the like to bare wood?

To answer Jeff's original question, I've been a Bragdon user for, geez, 10-12 years? Anyway, there are other powders, like A.I.M., and Bar Mills, which are probably just as good. I think (but I don't know for sure) that Joel Bragdon has a wider variety of colors. Also, some folks, like Karl O. and Rich Beaubien, use paint pigments, like Sinopia, with outstanding results.

Thanks for the clarification, Les.

Al,

Yup, I use it on wood, styrene, resin, I do the barest amount of staining of wood kits prior to building. Yes I did that many years ago, with FSM and Yorke, and I am getting the same quality at I would now...at least thats what I think. Now I am building a trestle and bridge for the RR, I will stain those, and then go in and weather the bents and parts.

Les

Les...Thank you. I as said earlier your weathering and aging techniques are amazing. I would like to hijack your pictures , if you don't mind, and save them on my computer for reference work. Its alot easier than relocating the thread later. What about pealing paint on a building or in my case an old railtruck? Rubber cement, sea salt, or ?

I like the idea of layer the weathering over time. It gives a sense of depth and age.

Jeff,

Peeling paint is the easiest to do. It only requires that you know how your material ages. So how does wood age...gray, and then you have the over color (paint). Again same basic technique, get your wood to the undercolor you want, light gray, medium gray..gray tinted with rail tie brown. Then splotch, pat, stipple down your rubber cement, let dry, and then over spray with top color. Do some weather on over coat, remove rubber cement with fingers or rubber cement pick up and you have pealing paint. OR you can use sea salt technique after you have built the undercolors, wet, sprinkle, paint, weather and remove. Remember you don't stop here, you might add some over coat to soften the peeled paint look, and you finish weathering. Maybe these pics will help...

This is a Rusty Rails all resin casting..one piece

Prime coat...doesn't matter much in this case



Red Oxide the under color...needs to be more aged paint wise... These 2 have been under colored and rubber cement stippled.





Over Paint color...painted to match my Great GrandMothers car (same vintage) that she brush painted one day...





With rubber cement removed...



weathering, and working toward final...



Final...



Same technique..different colors...







As you can see its more than just sloshing the paint on, its all about layers, letting it dry, going back in and getting it the way you want.

I can't impress this enough to all weathers, take pictures of everything that had dirt, dust, weathered and aged, so you have a point of reference. Study, do you visual homework...

Les

Les

Was just on your web site. Some very nice modeling you have going on. Really liked the boats lots of good ideas.

Jerry

Jerry,

Thanks, the website really needs to be updated but you can see that I take alot of pictures as a point of reference.

Les