Hello AllUp until now I've just built my kits as-is and haven't added any detail or better coloring.What is the best method to make them more realistic? Dry brush, air brush?Totally lost on where to start.
Springfield PA
Plastic or laser cut wood kits?
For Plastic kits, I wash all of the parts still on the sprues in dishwasher detergent and rinse in clear water. I rinse a second time in distilled water in a separate wash tub. Use tongs or wear rubber gloves to remove and spread on newspaper to dry with the detail side up. For buildings, I spray the inside of all exterior walls with flat black enamel from a spray can. This keeps light from shining through. If you want the rooms to be painted a color do it now.
I paint ALL exterior parts before assembly. It is much easier to do any detailing, apply decals or whatever working on the flat pieces prior to asembly.
For wood kits, I first spray both sides with shellac to seal the wood and prevent warping. Again, spray can is best. I paint the interiors of all the walls black, and then if the windows permit seeing insde, I paint the room the appropriate color. A control tower for example needs to be painted in whatever gray or green color the railroad might have used
Again, I paint all of the outside pieces whatever colors I prefer. Some RR buildings use buff with dark brown trim. Or, follow your prototype. All detailing is one in the flat before assembly.
I use an airbrush, but I believe you could use acrylics with a brush.
The secret here is preparation. Get it all done before you even think about assembly.
Thanks for the tips. My problem is that the kits are built already. They are plastic and by various manufacturers.
Get yourself a roll of blue Painters' Tape. Use it to mask off windows and other fine details, and then spray your desired colors. You can also re-mask other parts, like cornices or doorways, and do a second color the same way. This gives you a clean line without spending a lot of time. I don't have an airbrush, so I use cheap spray paint, or I brush on acrylics.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Are you talking about buildings, or about freight or passenger cars, or?? In either case, are you saying you want to repaint (and reletter the cars) or are you asking about weathering the completed models to make them look more realistic??
If it's weathering, oil-based chalks (not the kind you write on a chalkboard at school with) applied with a brush work well. If the model isn't going to be handled a lot you really don't need to try to seal in the color. Unlike drybrushing with paints or washing it with stains, if you don't like the way it turns out, you can wash it off and do it over again.
There are many sources online and dozens of books and videos at the LHS about how to do weathering.
About two years ago I purchased an already-built structure at a train show. I knew that I was going to kitbash this fairly large building to fit the space I have so it wasn't a problem. It is a brick structure that is roughly boxcar red (dark redish brown). It was built as-is (no paint or weathering except for the roof) and has quite a few windows with black mullions. The roof was painted a sort of satin black; it is v-groove metal roofing. none of these colors are my choice, but to tone it down I plan on using a fair amount of weathering, brushed on. I could not imagine masking all of the windows just to overspray this model, so I will opt for weathering with brushed on washes of brown, oxide red and some black. Also, either pastels or powders will be used to simulate wear or weathering on areas that are unique to the industry that it houses, like dust, dry spills or particularly worn areas. Before I do that, though I will use a wiped-on-wiped off technique, using white (or maybe light beige) acrylic paint to simulate mortar between the bricks as well as for the simulation of calcification of the bricks on this aged structure. Of course, I will have to be careful of the window glazing.
As has already been mentioned here, I would wash the structure in dish soap and warm water, rinse thoroughly and let dry in preparation for any kind of paint or weathering. And, yes, try to keep your fingerprints off the newly cleaned surfaces.
Have fun!
Thanks again for the input all. Guess I'll have to re-read the posts and dive in with a smaller building to start.
E-L man tomBefore I do that, though I will use a wiped-on-wiped off technique, using white (or maybe light beige) acrylic paint to simulate mortar between the bricks
I suggest that you use a dark beige or gray-beige color for the mortar. It is highly unlikely that white would have been the mortar color for such a building when first built (it is not usually used even for non-industrial buildings). And the mortar for an old industrial building will have weathered quite dark and soiled. Finally, light-colored mortars-even on real buildings-tend to make the joints look too large.
Dante
On a couple of already built structures given to me, I first cleaned, then used diluted acrylic paints applied with a brush, and wiped with a paper towel to accentuate texture (stone, brick, etc.). I surely wouldn't try spray painting on something already assembled. (My bias may be due to working with n-scale, and I can't imagine fitting all the masking tape around the tiny features!)