Weathering help

[Sean]

Greetings,

I'm hoping for some input by some of the more experienced modellers here.
I'm ready to go beyond having all of my aircraft look like they have factory
fresh paint jobs and want to try some weathering. I've read that you can do
weathering by adding a little white or black to your original color to get
the desired effect with an airbrush.

What I am interested in trying is using pastel chalks like I've seen some
modellers use. This looks like it would probably be more efficient for me.
Can someone give me some advise about what are the best colors to use,
brands, and how to apply the pastels for, say oil smudges, weathering, etc.?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. If you wish to respond via
email instead of through the NG, please remove the NOSPAM from my address.

Thanks in advance

Sean Magill

--
AAaaahhhh! The black helicopters are back!!
====================================
To respond, remove the obvious.

[Jonathan Mock]

From: "Sean" <mag...@NOSPAMhotbot.com>

> Greetings,
>
> I'm hoping for some input by some of the more experienced modellers here.
> I'm ready to go beyond having all of my aircraft look like they have factory
> fresh paint jobs and want to try some weathering. I've read that you can do
> weathering by adding a little white or black to your original color to get
> the desired effect with an airbrush.
>
> What I am interested in trying is using pastel chalks like I've seen some
> modellers use. This looks like it would probably be more efficient for me.
> Can someone give me some advise about what are the best colors to use,
> brands, and how to apply the pastels for, say oil smudges, weathering, etc.?
>
> Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. If you wish to respond via
> email instead of through the NG, please remove the NOSPAM from my address.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Sean Magill

I'd get hold of some crumbly pastel sticks (not the waxy kind) - black, a
couple of dark greys and a brown would be a good starting point. Also get
hold of some cheap brushes and a pack of cotton swabs.

Paint and decal the model - you may want to give it an overall smooth coat
of semi-gloss varnish as it's somtimes easier to remove any mistakes with a
damp cloth on a smooth surface, than a rough, flat one. Experiment!

Rubs the pastels onto a sheet of medium-coarse sandpaper and tip the dust
into an old 35mm film lid or something. Use the cotton swab to pick up some
of the dust and gently apply to the area concerned. Too little is better
than too much. In the case of panel lines, rub it along the surface until
you get the desired effect.

You can also use an old or cheap paintbrush to apply the powder. I cut the
bristles down to a stub then use it to apply pastels dust for gun streaks
or exhasust staining - for the latter I apply some black/brown first and
then some light grey nearer the pipes. Looks great!

Handle the model carefully and blow off any excess dust. If you're happy
with the final result, seal it with a finshing coat of varnish (preferably
airbrushed on, or from a can).

Either way, experimenting on an old model is the best way of finding what
works and what doesn't - and have some fun!

--
Jonathan Mock

³Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice, and fear, walk hand in hand...²

[Lafimprov]

Pastel chalks are available in various earth tones. Just eyeball them at the
art supply store. You don't want oil pastels, which behave more like crayon,
and don't grind into powder. That's what you'll be wanting to do. Grind up some
powder by rubbing the pastel stick on coarse sandpaper (you won't need much).
Apply the powder with a dry sable brush. The effect is very subtle. However, if
you plan to use a fixative, like Testors Dullcote, to make the powder
permanent, experiment first. You'll discover that light powder applications
will become much darker, or even disappear completely when sprayed with a clear
lacquer coat. This is hard to predict ahead of time, and you're stuck with
whatever happens, so many modelers simply apply the pastel last without a
fixative and never touch the model again. For wet stains, like fuel or grease,
you're better off applying a liquid, like watercolor or enamel washes. I do
like artist's tube watercolors for weathering. You can experiment with washes
and drybrushing, rinse off your mistakes with tapwater, and they aren't harmed
by clear oversprays when you're ready to make them permanent.