Finally Got A Website For All My Weathered Cars & Buildings

[Anonymous]

For those of you who know me from the Atlas Forum, and the major online auction site, my work comes as no surprise. But I wanted to wait until I had something official (like a real website) before surfacing on this particular board due to the traffic it sees. My old personal page folder was taxing the host's bandwidth. And now there are thumbnails so one needn't click on reporting mark files just to see pics. Visitors can simply recognize a centerflow photo and click on it, etc.

Bear in mind that I am no HTML guru by any means... so it's not a major production. But it works.

The new site is primarily an image gallery. I'll say right up front that it features no tutorials. About the only philanthropic thing going for it will be the Prototype section where I try to feature photos of a detail nature helpful to modelers. A lot of folks can't get up close and personal with prototypes, whereas I sometimes luck out.

My modeling is predominantly HO scale (although I am foremost an N scaler by heart). Still, good eye candy is good eye candy, right? [:)] So by popular demand, I give you...

http://www.mellowmike.com

Enjoy, and thanks for visiting!

[lupo]

Nice Site!
thanks for sharing!

[Anonymous]

Very nice site Mike.I could view it for hours.[8D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Nice piece of work. We're glad you shared. That's what we should all be about,
Sharing.

[Anonymous]

very nice work great weathering and grafiti on the cars

[brothaslide]

Great work Mike - Hope to see some engines added to the gallery soon.

[Anonymous]

Wow, Awsome attention to detail!

My fav's are the Rail Boxes, very true to form!

Why did you sell all of them?

[Anonymous]

Very, very nice work! Keep it up!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

Wow, Awsome attention to detail!

Thanks! By detail - I presume you mean the weathering. I don't "detail" a car with all the cut levers and wire grabs the way the pros do. My *talent* is pretty much being able to replicate the weathering I see on real freight cars and buildings.

QUOTE:
My fav's are the Rail Boxes, very true to form!

I would have to say I like doing those the best. They're always worn, abused, and tagged.

QUOTE:
Why did you sell all of them?

Because I can.

No, seriously... as I mentioned.... I'm not into HO. So I don't form a bond with them when they're finished. It's just to keep my chops up, and make some money. And it's kind of a kick to have folks all over with one or more of my weathered cars or buildings on their layout! When you're a kid - you always dream of being in Model Railroader someday. Until that happens, being legendary on eBay is the next best thing, I suppose.

[AggroJones]

Excellent! A+++

[chutton01]

One thing I didn't seem mentioned in the FAQ was your method for rust spots, in particular the nice rust spots on CNW 175016. I've seen these rust spots (dark, splotchly rust spots surrounded by lighter rust stains) on much prototype equipment (particular gondolas), and have seen a few methods of making them (e.g. brown primer covered by rubber cement, spray final coat, rub away leaving splotched, add rust wash; final coat, add dark rust color with very fine brush or piece of wire, then add rush paint/wash - and there are others).

What's your prefered method for achieving that effect?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chutton01

One thing I didn't seem mentioned in the FAQ was your method for rust spots, in particular the nice rust spots on CNW 175016. I've seen these rust spots (dark, splotchly rust spots surrounded by lighter rust stains) on much prototype equipment (particular gondolas), and have seen a few methods of making them (e.g. brown primer covered by rubber cement, spray final coat, rub away leaving splotched, add rust wash; final coat, add dark rust color with very fine brush or piece of wire, then add rush paint/wash - and there are others).

What's your prefered method for achieving that effect?

Painting the rust on.

That's what I was trying to convey in the FAQ. I'm not really weathering. I'm painting with acrylics and enamels using a brush - as if the side of each car were a canvas. I was never sold on any of the conventional model RR weathering methods you mentioned.

[Dough]

Wow! That is some nice looking stuff. I really like the grafiti. Do you do that yourself? I have been trying to figure out a way to do that myself![;)]

Just read your other post, and realized who you are. Again, congrats on the new site!

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mellow-Mike

Painting the rust on.

That's what I was trying to convey in the FAQ. I'm not really weathering. I'm painting with acrylics and enamels using a brush - as if the side of each car were a canvas. I was never sold on any of the conventional model RR weathering methods you mentioned.

You don't employ conventional weathering techniques? You use the car as a canvas, and just reproduce the image in the photograph? That is incredible. Honestly, I've never thought of doing it like that. Painting a picture the real freight car on the model. Wow.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones


You don't employ conventional weathering techniques? You use the car as a canvas, and just reproduce the image in the photograph? That is incredible. Honestly, I've never thought of doing it like that. Painting a picture the real freight car on the model. Wow.

You make it sound like I'm stretching your imaginations. When I see most weathering techniques - it strikes me as simply making a clean car "dirty". Sure, modelers undoubtedly use real photos as inspiration.... but I actually try to replicate the real car by painting on the rust spots and streaks individually. It is painstakingly slow... but the results are more appreciated.

Here is one of the collage photos which features an enlarged view of some of the rust. As you can see - up that close it is not that convincing. But you can see that I painted the rust. Yet from a normal viewing distance of say, 1 - 3 feet, the effect looks just right. I like to think of it as stage makeup. Like when you see a female ice skater or ballerina up close - their makeup is heavily accentuated - but it looks crisp at a distance.

[Nieuweboer]

marvellous pictures.I had to look at the Kadee couplers to convince myself that the pictures showed models and not the prototype. I belong to the fraternity of MRR's who will never throw anything away because you will never know when you need it. Some time ago a dismantled an old fashioned alarm clock and kept the tightly wound spring that is about 0.05"wide steel band. After looking at the 4th picture of the Misc.Freight Photo's: Bulk Load I know why I kept it

[Anonymous]

I really like your stuff, but I can't afford to let myself be envious. I'm in the midst of overhauling and weathering my N-scale fleet, and because of the number of cars (about 300) and my lack of time, I needed to come up with a technique which produces similar "stage makeup" effects quickly & easily. I have done a few cars based on a specific photograph, and yes the results are rather satisfying, knowing that the streaks are in the right places and all. But for routine use, I do more conventional weathering, although I don't know if anyone else is using the system I've come up with.

I use chalks, especially NuPastels and conte-crayons, which I scrape with the back edge of my X-Acto into little piles of color, then apply this with a soft brush. So far, not so different, I know. Then, with an overall layer of dirt and grime applied (no specific details yet), I rapidly apply a thin wash of black acrylic right over the chalk. As it dries, the chalk gets pulled into the same crevices that it would on the real thing, and the black wash makes the details pop. As this wash is drying, I can dip a dry brush back into the rust-colored chalks and then flick a tiny amount onto the moist surface, where it will adhere, creating my random rust spots. And, once the entire thing is dry, I can then add another helping of chalk if I want to create other unique effects; the finish now has tooth, thanks to the chalk-wash. But usually, I just stop after it dries, because the overall effect is so good! It's extremely simple, and gives a great first-approximation, to which featuers like graffiti and fuel spills and major rust might be added later for a special model.

Still, though, I am learning, and seeing your examples has taught me one thing: my red-brown for rust is just not dark enough. You've got the color nailed on yours, though in some of your proto-photos the rust spots look even darker, almost black. I'll have to go back and retouch a few of mine now...

[newhavenguy]

You always do good work Mike. I really like the diorama.

[Anonymous]

Mike
Simply Awesome work. [:D]
Keep on doin whatcha doin!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Avondaleguy

I really like your stuff, but I can't afford to let myself be envious.

What if you got a second job? [:o)]

QUOTE:
I'm in the midst of overhauling and weathering my N-scale fleet, and because of the number of cars (about 300) and my lack of time, I needed to come up with a technique which produces similar "stage makeup" effects quickly & easily.

What's the big rush? Is the NMRA taking a tour of your layout soon? Take your time.

I probably have around 200+ N-scale freight cars and locos myself, and I'll be trying to weather each with as much attention as I do my HO cars. It will take an inordinate amount of time. But it's not like I have to have them all on a layout at once - is it?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mellow-Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by Avondaleguy

I really like your stuff, but I can't afford to let myself be envious.

What if you got a second job? [:o)]

I love it! Great sensayuma.

Here's the real reason, as to why I cannot get a second job... I'm too lazy. And that also underlies my reluctance to try and measure up to the standards you present. If there's something to be said for the old armchair, I'd be the one to say it!

QUOTE:

What's the big rush? Is the NMRA taking a tour of your layout soon? Take your time.

I probably have around 200+ N-scale freight cars and locos myself, and I'll be trying to weather each with as much attention as I do my HO cars. It will take an inordinate amount of time. But it's not like I have to have them all on a layout at once - is it?

[^]

Plus, I have too many interests, too many projects. My "quick-n-dirty" method is enough to keep me at the workbench and away from the layout proper, so progress there is just not happening. Then you mix in my addiction to computer gaming, internet forums, a severe Hollywood habit, and my attempt at writing a novel (which has prompted me to read approximatey 100 times as many other novels), and it's a wonder I ever have anything to show. I wish I could settle in on one focus, and see it through to perfection like you; perhaps I'm just not Mellow enough! I am, however, a bona-fide "Mike", by the way.

[TrainFreak409]

Totally cool. When are you going to weather a locomotive like that? I'd love to see one of them on your site!

[8]TrainFreak409[8]

[Anonymous]

great