Weathering powders and things

[Simon Cornes]

I understand that you can produce pretty good exhaust stains using combinations of powders but where do you get them from and whats the most cost effective way? I am looking for various shades of grey for a B-24 and it can range from very dark to quite a light shade. Your opinions would be appreciated!
Thanks

[seamfiller]

I recently write a detailed 'how-to' on chalk/powder weathering (including what & where to buy) for an e-mag called 'PsychoStyrene'. Although primarily for Science Fiction/Fantasy modellers, the techniques are pretty universal.

Unfortunately, because of copyright I can't just let you have it, but the mag can be downloaded (in pdf format) for the sum of £2 from www.psychostyrene.co.uk/archive/arciss2/issue2.html.

[Loiner]

For powder weathering, I presume the most available material would be artists hard pastels, scraped or ground into a powdered form and brushed on. I haven't tried it yet, but am going to in the near future as I'm just not getting satisfactory results every time with dry brushing particularly on textured surfaces. The good thing is they are relatively cheap and are sold individually in a vast range of colour shades.

[seamfiller]

Pastels are the things. Just don't get the oil-based ones - they're like a cross between lipstick and crayon.

Not only do pastels come in loads of colours, you can mix them to get different colors and shades.

One thimg to remember is that you need to apply a bit more than you might think because the protective varnish (usually matt) you spray on after can tone down the colours' depth - especially lighter shades.

[Loiner]

I've been trying various techniques recently, I got a couple of sticks of hard pastels from the local hobby shop, sandpapered myself a pile of dust and started brushing it on. It worked fairly well to obtain a very delicate shading effect, but wouldn't stick or colour up any more than that, the dust just drops off. I mixed a bit with water which went on like a thin water colour, the solution wasn't easy to control when thinned down enough to obtain a lightly mucky sprayed appearance around the lower side of Kubelwagen I was doing, it did leave a very good deposit on the surface which looks good but just a little too heavy.

I invested in a pack of Tamiya weathering colours at the weekend, and this seems to work very nicely, although I've only had a quick go with it so far, it mixes to give a good colour and applies well with good control, and leaves a good dusty looking residue just where I wanted it. More experimentation and perhaps some photos to follow.

[The Hooded Claw]

I know what you mean about lack of adhesion of ground hard pastel. I found it fixed better to a dead matt finish than anything semi gloss.

H

[seamfiller]

Usually I don't even bother trying to weather on gloss so semi finishes, but when I do, breathing on the surface first! Ther's just about eough moisture in you breath to improve the pastel's adhesion.

[Loiner]

I've spent some time trying the Tamiya weathering pack to the 1:48 Kubelwagen below. Also added some rusty edges to the Kubelwagen and other general grubiness. Still not happy with the outcome though, more practice needed. Perhaps going for a very light mud shows up too much and is a little too harsh.









The two 1:48 subjects below I did before using traditional dry brushing techniques. I'm more pleased with the outcome but hate using this technique as it's so difficult and slow, and hard to control.

[Deleted]

Ayup Robert, the image is missing matey?

[Loiner]

Is that better, are they showing up now?

By the way, constructive criticism and comments are welcome

[Deleted]

Oct 25, 2008 11:14:01 GMT Loiner said:

Is that better, are they showing up now?

By the way, constructive criticism and comments are welcome

All pictures showing and they look really good. I use the Vallejo modelling powders, they're really fine, in fact they're made from the same pigment as the paints. I use them all the time and if you're coming to SMW, I'll give you a demonstration of how they work, the latest 'Wallace & Gromit' epic has used several to good effect.

You mentioned that it's hard to judge the effect, you need to have an idea of what you want to achieve and know when to stop, it's all trial and error Robert, I still get it wrong but with powders, you can wash it all off and start again.

[kitspackman]

This method will take some nerve, or you need a good woman instead.......

Try using eyeshadow for weathering powders.

I kid you not, it works a treat as it's VERY fine, and has some binding agent included which means it sticks on the model while you're getting the right effect. It also comes in a MIND boggling array of colours, anything you could imagine, and some you can't. Most of the little packet things come with their own brush or you can use a cotton bud, or any sort of paintbrush to apply it. When it's all in place you give it a quick spray with matt varnish and you're done. Don't try and brush varnish it or it won't work, but that's common to all weathering powders.

I came across this while doing some weathering on N gauge railway vehicles, and having run out of Carr's Iron Oxide Red I was complaining to my wife that I'd have to trek around to find some more when she reckoned some of her eyshadow was the same shade, and it was!

Since then I end up with all the f*g ends of the stuff she's finished with, and when I was working the girls in my office used to give me their old ones as well.

Of course if you have to buy it, you need to take some SERIOUS courage pills beforehand!

[ptcruiser]

Nov 8, 2008 0:50:08 GMT kitspackman said:

This method will take some nerve, or you need a good woman instead.......
Of course if you have to buy it, you need to take some SERIOUS courage pills beforehand!

You should see the looks I get when looking at the nail varnishes - some unusual colours for car bodies I should add......

Rich

[Loiner]

Fine Scale Modeller had a 'weathering' supplement a month or two ago, which included a few pages on weathering with powders made from artist pastels rubbed to a powder on sandpaper, and applied with soft brushes. I still haven't quite got the technique right so need more practice. Patience is a virtue!