Hello all, I have question.
I am currently building Walthers Centennial Mills Cornerstone kit, and I would like to know how to apply the paint, would you use a standard brush, a special brush, or a type of spray on paint. Also any tips on what colors to use would be helpful. This is my first time building a kit that needs to be painted, and I could use all the help I could get.
Are there any recomendations for a worn out red or brown.
~Eastrail
On styrene buildings I usually light them inside. So I wash with soapy water then rattle can primer in and out. The inside paint prevents light showing through the wall if light colored. I often paint inside tan or other with acrylics using a brush. Outside an acrylic color I like or blend a couple. I dilute the paint if thick so it flows ok. I usually weather lightly with gray or blackisk thin wash. Lastly a sprap can application of Dull Cote.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I usually rattle can buildings or use an airbrush. I don't care for the color Walthers has painted there model. This is the old Montgomery Ward warehouse in Baltimore
http://mht.maryland.gov/nr/images/nr1251p.jpg sorry I can't get the picture icon to work.
Walthers did do a decent job of weathering. I use pan pastels, washes for that. I also spray the windows and doors a different color. I don't want my building to look like every other Centennial Mills building.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thanks, I don't plan to light the interior of the building.
The grey on that old warehouse looks pretty good. I didn't think Air Brushes would be so expensive.
Thanks for the help so far.
Eastrail, whatever you do, paint the pieces first before you assemble the building, even if you are going to hand brush them. I use rattle can paint myself dries inside of 20 minutes.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
Well, by currently build, I meant removing the peices from their holding things, what every they are called, Nothing has been glued or connected yet. I have looked over the instructions, and I started layout out peices (that I have cut out) so they would be easier to find when the building starts. :D
Then you are well on your way to success
This is a large building with flat smooth walls. I would look at Rustoluem taxtured paint in a rattle can from the hardware store. The paint will give you a sandy surface which doesn't reflect light evenly, thus eliminating the "plastic" look of sheet styrene.
I use Rustoluem textured speckled spray paint in black for roof painting. It gives a nice asphalt appearance.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Stealing some knowladge from my wargaming hobby, while pricey I have been known to use The Army Painter brand primer, it comes in a variety of colors and can really speed up your paint time if you are doing more or less one color with some details and highlights, if your new and dont have an airbrush yet, I highly recomend chalks and washes for weathering.-Tom
On the smaller details or trim I use a paint brush. If I try to paint large areas with a brush I always end up leaving brush marks so I perfer to use spray paint. My new favorite color is an off white color called Modern White made by Krylon. I use the flat matte finish, not the gloss. You can find it at Hobby Lobby. I try to paint the parts before I assemble it to make it easier.
Here is a walthers kit I recently did. I washed the parts in soapy water. Primed with my airbrush. Glued it together and then applied pan pastels.
Heavy Feather here are some other takes on the Heritage Furniture building
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/202923.aspx
Eastrail11I meant removing the pieces from their holding things, what every they are called,
They are called sprues, rhymes with glues and there are sprue cutting tools which are useful for cutting free really tiny bits. I use and xacto knife. Do not bend the parts back and forth to break them free, it sometimes leaves small chunks of the piece on the sprue.
Eastrail11I didn't think Air Brushes would be so expensive.
Yes, airbrushes can be expensive and many here will insist that you MUST pay for a top line airbrush from the very beginning. Having no experience with airbrushing at all, I did not want to spend a small fortune only to damage the airbrush because I didn't know enough about it to avoid such damage. So, I bought the Harbor Freight Tools single action airbrush ($5 on sale) and an in-line regulator to hook it up to an old portable air tank I charge with my large compressor from my auto racing days. I found this airbrush to be great for "general service" painting of rolling stock, structures and scenery. I used this airbrush for over three years until the trigger rusted out. I guess I didn't dry it out well enough after each cleaning. I replaced it with another HFT single action airbrush at the regular price ($10) and I'm still using it to spray mostly acrylics and craft paints. The important thing is to keep any airbrush as clean as possible. You will spend more time setting up, tearing down, and cleaning your airbrush than you will actually painting with it. However, the quality of the paint finish will be so much better than you can achieve with a regular brush that you'll never want to go back. While a rattle can may be more convenient, the ability to spray any color paint you can mix with the most consistent and thin finish possible makes an airbrush worth all the effort.
A while after I bought the first single action airbrush, I also bought the HFT dual-action airbrush ($15 on sale). I also bought the HFT braided hose. Though I have not used the dual-action airbrush as often as the single action, I quickly found that it is much better suited to fine detail painting. The first time I tried it, I found I could sign my name in lines about 1/16" wide. I have since used it to paint rust drips and other fine detail weathering. Just be warned that it doesn't come with any disassembly instructions. Still fairly simple to figure out.
Needing a more portable compressor than my garage unit, I recently bought the HFT 3 gallon "hot dog" compressor ($45 on sale). Its a little noisy but not nearly as loud as my garage unit. Otherwise, its a very nice little compressor that even comes with a quick disconnect hose attachment already installed. The 3 gallon tank means there is no pulsing of the air flow and the whole thing weighs around 20 pounds.
I think I've spent around $85 total for two HFT single action and one dual-action airbrushes, a braided air hose, an in-line regulator, and the hot dog compressor. Best of all, the painting results I've achieved with this equipment has been of such good quality that I see no need to buy "better" gear.
Yes, you will see reviews for these items saying they are total crap but I suspect these were written by people who think its okay to drive screws with a hammer!
Hornblower
BigDaddy Heavy Feather here are some other takes on the Heritage Furniture building http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/202923.aspx
I read that thread prior to building the kit. It was my first kit, and I am happy with the way it came out. I have since ordered more details for it.
I was showing it as an example of a beginner can make a nice building with a little work. It took me literally a few minutes to build. I have spendmuch more time on the scenery around it and detailing the structure.
OP, I think you can get a similar effect with a rattle can and some pan pastels.
Hello all,
Not necessarily, check out this current thread...
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/270979.aspx
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Personally, I like to glue walls together before painting if they are going to be the same color. That way you don't have scrape off paint at the glue joints to get a good bond. Nor do you have to worry about any glue squeezing out of the joint and ruining your paint. Lastly, if you glue the walls together first, you can file or sand any joints if they don't quite fit together perfectly.
Jim
I prefer to use Tamiya spray cans (and small bottles of the same color for touch-up). They come with a fine-spray nozzle, much better than the traditional hardware rattle cans meant to paint outdoor patio chairs and other big things. Even if I'm going to use an airbrush for a particular color I can't get from Tamiya, I'll still use their primer gray from the can.
Thanks you guys for all your answers! Would a dual-action unit be worth it for future projects? Like weathering engines and cars. (I have never used a Airbrush before)
My next question. What are pan pastels? Everyone mentions them, but when I look them up, it looks like normal water color. Is it a dry paint? what type of brush would one use?
Some random unconnected thoughts.
The biggest reason not to leave buildings as they come from the box is that waxy look raw plastic has. The late Art Curren almost always tried to retain the color of the original kits, but created a much more realistic tone and texture (and better base for weathering) by vigorously scrubbing the parts before assembly in hot water and Ajax cleanser. His results speak for themselves in his out of print Kalmbach book on kitbashing.
Pan Pastels are solid and slightly oily which is why they adhere so well. Indeed I have heard some people say they are nothing but overpriced shades of women's makeup which you could often get cheaper by going to a dollar store or Walgreens beauty department and just actually buying the cheapest makeup.
What I use are the sticks of soft pastels put out by Artist's Loft. Michaels craft store has this box of 36 pastel sticks and they are really cheap -- $7 or so -- per box and even cheaper with the 40% or 50% off coupon from Michaels in the Sunday newspaper. I take an old knife and rub the back of a blade againt the stick creating a powder of the slightly oily pastel color. Then I use a wedge shaped sponge that I bought a pack of cheap) at Walgrees and apply it. It applies very much like Pan Pastel and for all I know is the same stuff. I think Pan Pastels are absurdly overpriced myself but they work well I do admit. But so do the Artist's Loft sticks.
In certain applications I actually rub the stick itself on the model, then use the wedge shaped sponge to work the color into the model. For example when capturing the look of white paint on a freight car logo that has started to go chalky and "melt" down the side of a car, I carefully use the white pastel stick to outline the logo then use the sponge to pull the color down the side of the car.
I do the same to make rust spots on galvanized freight car roofs.
Dave Nelson
Eastrail11What are pan pastels?
The website is a little cryptic about what they are made of, but it looks like a very fine chalk to me. It is 100% dry. Here's a video using them for weathering
ctyclsscs Personally, I like to glue walls together before painting if they are going to be the same color. That way you don't have scrape off paint at the glue joints to get a good bond. Nor do you have to worry about any glue squeezing out of the joint and ruining your paint. Lastly, if you glue the walls together first, you can file or sand any joints if they don't quite fit together perfectly. Jim
Me too, especially smaller kits like DPM or City Classics. A large kit like shown above might be tough to wrangle for painting.
I use rattle can primers and tans for brick work.
Gary
dknelson What I use are the sticks of soft pastels put out by Artist's Loft. Michaels craft store has this box of 36 pastel sticks and they are really cheap -- $7 or so -- per box and even cheaper with the 40% or 50% off coupon from Michaels in the Sunday newspaper. I take an old knife and rub the back of a blade againt the stick creating a powder of the slightly oily pastel color. Then I use a wedge shaped sponge that I bought a pack of cheap) at Walgrees and apply it. It applies very much like Pan Pastel and for all I know is the same stuff. I think Pan Pastels are absurdly overpriced myself but they work well I do admit. But so do the Artist's Loft sticks. I do the same to make rust spots on galvanized freight car roofs. Dave Nelson
Dave is spot on with the craft store chalks. I use them also. They are perfect for buildings and even freight cars. I apply them as Dave describes, but then use a stiff brush that gets brushed into the cars or buildings. For large buildings, I suggest either cheap craft paint or spray paint.
~Lee
I generally assemble the main part of a structure before any painting, as it negates the need to remove paint from gluing surfaces...
I opted to paint the "brick" portions of this one first, as most of those areas were multiples of set sizes and shapes. This would allow me to apply layers of masking tape to a hard surface, then to cut multiples of the same sizes of each in a single operation. No masking was used for this first step, as the overspray will be covered by the next colour, after I've masked-over the areas of brick...
In this view, the "conrete" colour has been applied, and the masking over the brick is still in place...
After removing the tape, I used pre-mixed drywall mud to add "mortar" to the bricks. It was applied using a rag over my fingertips, and once dry, the excess was rubbed off using a clean rag (best done outdoors)...
For detail parts, such as doors and windows, and other trim, pre-painting while the parts are still on their sprue can save a lot of time and effort. The sprue shown below is from a different kit, with all of the parts on this one cast in dark green. The masking tape, protecting the gluing surfaces, is still in place, and a coat of grey primer has been applied to everything else...
As you can see, most of the tape is in continuous lengths, some cut-to-width, which makes for very quick masking. Here's the same sprue after a coat of white paint was applied, and the tape removed...
...the parts can now be cut from the sprue, and the window "glass" applied before the windows and doors are installed in the structure. All gluing surfaces are paint-free, making the use of solvent-type cement a snap.
Here, the structure originally shown has been weathered using a dilute solution of India ink in 70% alcohol, applied as a wash using a 1/2" brush...
Some kits, like many of those from DPM, require a different approach, as the doors, windows, and trim are all cast as part of the wall sections. For structures such as these, assemble the body of the kit following the instructions, then paint it the base colour of your choosing.This one's been airbrushed with a basic "brick" colour, and the doors, windows, and trim have been brush-painted. Use good quality brushes, sized appropriately to each task. Good brushes are not cheap, but, properly cared-for, will last a lifetime.This one has not yet had "mortar" applied...
This one, another DPM kit with a blank front wall which will never be seen once installed on the layout, has had mortar added, followed by some weathering...
...and this one, the same basic kit, likewise, although it's been painted in different colours and has a small scratchbuilt addition...
It's not uncommon for structures on the same street to be built to the same plan, but perhaps with different coloured brick or different coloured paint. Over time, owners often make their own changes, too.
This one is another basic DPM kit, assembled and painted as outlined for the brick structures above. However, since it will occupy a more prominent place on the layout, I've added a few details, using Central Valley stairways and some Evergreen strip styrene. Most of this detail was built and painted before being added to the main structure...
Wayne
For buildings that have molded on details and windows, like DPM kits, if you're satisfied with the look of your wood trim parts looking the same as your concrete trim parts, spray the buidling your trim color then just use a large chisel end brush to paint the brick. Then use Wayne's drywall mud technique for the mortar. Also, I wouldn't paint trim a bright color. Bright colors stand out too much and are too hard to cover up if you get them in the wrong spot, without having to use a thick blob of paint to cover the vibrant color.
For kits where all parts are on sprues, they can all be sprayed separately with different colors. You can choose to assemble the kit with painted parts, although long term adhesion might be an issue for you since the paint is keeping the adhesive from touching the plastic. Or, you can touch the surface of the piece needing glued with a light file or sandpaper to knock off some of the paint before you glue for better adhesion.
Because buildings are weathered, vibrant colors look a bit off on our layouts, IMO. Notice how the colors on Wayne's buildings, trim included, tend to be muted or even mixed with gray to give them a more faded realistic look.
- Douglas
doctorwayne I generally assemble the main part of a structure before any painting, as it negates the need to remove paint from gluing surfaces... I opted to paint the "brick" portions of this one first, as most of those areas were multiples of set sizes and shapes. This would allow me to apply layers of masking tape to a hard surface, then to cut multiples of the same sizes of each in a single operation. No masking was used for this first step, as the overspray will be covered by the next colour, after I've masked-over the areas of brick... In this view, the "conrete" colour has been applied, and the masking over the brick is still in place... After removing the tape, I used pre-mixed drywall mud to add "mortar" to the bricks. It was applied using a rag over my fingertips, and once dry, the excess was rubbed off using a clean rag (best done outdoors)...
I'm a little confused. So your first paint it orange, but after, did you paint over it with something else, or remove some of the paint, leaving an orange tint like in the fourth picture.
Eastrail11 I'm a little confused. So your first paint it orange, but after, did you paint over it with something else, or remove some of the paint, leaving an orange tint like in the fourth picture.
In the first two photos, the structure is unpainted, while the third photo shows the areas representing brick painted orange - no masking was needed.
After that, all of the brick areas were covered with masking tape, and the structure was airbrushed with a concrete colour...the fourth photo shows that, with the masking tape still over the brick areas, and that mostly covered with the concrete colour.
The fifth picture shows the brick, with mortar applied, and the concrete...all of the painting of the basic structure is done, but the doors and windows, already painted and with their glass in place, are yet to be install. After that's done, the weathering will be added.
Perhaps I should have included the view shown below, where the painting is done, and the "mortar" application/clean-up is in progess...
...at the left edge of the photo, you can see the brick panels after the excess dried drywall mud has been removed, while the balance of the building's brick has yet to have the excess mortar removed - it is easily wiped from both the surface of the brick and from the adjacent concrete, but does mute the orange colour of the brick somewhat, yielding the finish seen in photo five. Brick comes in a wide range of colours, and much of the brick used in my hometown was very clearly orange, although all of the heavy industry there ensured that it didn't remain orange for too long.
Hope that clarifies things for you.
Here's another orange structure....
...and with the drywall mud "mortar" applied...
...here, the excess mortar has been wiped off, but the foundation and window sills have yet to be painted...
...and here it is, finished except for some signs....
I don't like to glue the corners together prior to painting. I use rattle can paints, mostly, and I prefer to paint on a horizontal surface to prevent dripping. If I glue a corner, the sides will be vertical or at an angle.
That's a good point, Mr. Beasley, because I like to use spray cans too. If you have your model assembled and stand it up to spray it, the paint could run, or you may have trouble getting paint along the bottom edge of the walls depending on what your building is sitting on. To prevent that, I usually place the building on a small box with a wall almost flush with the edge of the box. That way you can make a few light coats and spray along the bottom edge evenly instead of trying to spray down at an angle. Then I'll turn the model and do another wall.
Okay, so today I went to Micheals to pick up the pastels, but when I arrived, I noticed there are many types of pastels, oil, water, solid. Which type of pastel would be used to weather building, railcars, or engines. When I tried to look it up, I got even more confused! Now there are soft, hard, pencil, and oil. I have never seen anyone use pencil or hard to weather anything.