HAR!
My first attempt at weathering a caboose ended up in a total loss of the car -
This is my second attempt - not yet completely finished, but, IMHO, already presentable:
Not even close. STUDY THE PROTOTYPE>>>
Neutrino Not even close. STUDY THE PROTOTYPE>>>
Thanks for posting your not so motivating comment and the pics. Studying the prototype is difficult when you live 4,000 miles away from it...
Sir MadogNeutrino Not even close. STUDY THE PROTOTYPE>>> Thanks for posting your not so motivating comment and the pics. Studying the prototype is difficult when you live 4,000 miles away from it...
Don't take it personally. He's just a hack.
My first real attempt at weathering just blows Neutrinos stuff out of the water. He's been weathering for 20 years and this just took me two weeks. Just take a look....
... love that rusty texture, how did you do that?
Ulrich, although I model an earlier time period, I think that Railbox looks pretty good.
Driline, nice job on that flat.
A PRR X-29 boxcar.
Thanks - that is motivating! I have just started the learning curve. Though I quite like the result of my second attempt, I know what I made wrong. it is a little too "blotchy" and some of the rust spots are not really where they should be. Overall, when the car is moving along the tracks, it looks ok.
Ulrich, here's how I got flaky rust on my X-29 boxcar. I brushed wet hair spray on the area where I wanted the rust, then sprinkled weathering powder on the wet hair spray. Let dry, lightly brush off any excess. DJ
Ulrich don't be discouraged.
Grampy do you agree old school ('40s) weathering is easier than modern ('00+) weathering?
"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"
EXPERIMENTATION TO BRING INNOVATION
http://community.webshots.com/album/288541251nntnEK?start=588
I guess you weren't able to see the thousands of pictures of RBOX cars posted on-line, probably as close as 40 centimeters. If I were modeling German or European trains, I would be studying actual pictures of them, not complaining that I was 4000 miles from the real thing.
That argument holds no water.
You need to practice techniques. There are no quick-fix answers, just ask the king of the "Atta-Boy" forums, Aggro Jones.
As a first attempt, it's passable, but barely. Look at the area between the hand grabs. The splatter effect is on a car that original paint and lettering faded into hundreds of different shades right out of the factory. Fading the lettering and the paint first would have been a start. Your car has collected no in service grime at all. Remember dirt and dust collects in almost every seam and highlights the panel lines and welded on appliances. Mud isn't just splattered on a car, it accumulates over time.
If your just running trains and only need minimal weathering to make a train look varied, then you're close. If you want it t be a replica of a real freight car and plausible, you need to learn and practice more by studying the prototype photos available on-line.
Jerry,
of course you are right - I need to practice and to develop an "eye" for weathering. But again, pictures are only one side of the medal, nothing beats looking at the real thing... Wish I could just look over your shoulder while you are weathering a car - would be fun and the best way tio learn...
No harm done...
Driline Sir MadogNeutrino Not even close. STUDY THE PROTOTYPE>>> Thanks for posting your not so motivating comment and the pics. Studying the prototype is difficult when you live 4,000 miles away from it... My first real attempt at weathering just blows Neutrinos stuff out of the water. He's been weathering for 20 years and this just took me two weeks. Just take a look....
You're not even worthy of a response Driline.
Sir Madog Jerry, of course you are right - I need to practice and to develop an "eye" for weathering. But again, pictures are only one side of the medal, nothing beats looking at the real thing... Wish I could just look over your shoulder while you are weathering a car - would be fun and the best way tio learn...No harm done...
Consider joining www.modeltrainsweathered.com we have lots of European modelers there and if you can take honest critique you will learn as rapidly as you would like.
Here's an example of what you can learn. (This is not my work.) It was done by an MTW member.
Hi Aggro: Yes, I agree with you. In my opinion, freight cars of the 40's and 50's just showed the effects of weather and dirt. Today, it's that plus the art work. Although none of my freight cars will have the art work, I do admire the cars you do. You and Robby are artists in my opinion.DJ
Neutrino[Consider joining www.modeltrainsweathered.com we have lots of European modelers there and if you can take honest critique you will learn as rapidly as you would like.
[
Thanks for the hint - will check their web page immediately. I am eager to learn and that requires taking critique - even if it hurts....
I model the 1960s and do nave some newer cars running on the layout that do not have enough time on them for rust through weathering, nether do my old 40s and 50s cars. Lead base paint protected steel much better than when lead was removed from paint products sometime during the 1960s. Maybe someone may know the exact the date of that law. The old pictures that I have of pre 60s freight cars show older cars being in rather good condition other than dirty. These old cars just don't have rust holes in them as would be the same cars running today being the same age of 20 to 40 years. Here is a webpage I have put together on older freight cars having lead paint. I'll be expanding this page with other road names. http://lariverrailroads.com/freight_car.html
One of my dirty old freight cars.
I agree that older transition era and steam era cars weathered totally different than modern equipment. Lead based paints were a big reason the cars stayed in pretty good shape for the most part. Dust soot and dirt will always play a role however and some extreme rust is prototypical on cars like the PRR X29's and similar cars that early on had modification made to their lower bodies to correct rust damaged areas.
Neutrino Consider joining www.modeltrainsweathered.com we have lots of European modelers there and if you can take honest critique you will learn as rapidly as you would like.
It's the old adage, if you want to get better at something then do it with folks that are better than you. Of course that doesn't apply to golf, but for weathering I think it does. MTW has some crazy good artists on there, some of which has been shared here. Be forewarned though, thin skinned need not apply.
San Dimas Southern slideshow
that's one thing i've seen a lot when people speak of MTW outside MTW... that to me implies that we are just a bunch of jerks that like to bash people because they may not produce a masterpiece straight out of the gate...
that couldn't be farther from the truth... we enjoy helping newcomers, showing off our efforts and comparing techniques... all of us started somewhere... i myself would show my friends my work and they'd say it was nice or sweet or awesome but i wasn't showing it to someone that knew what they were really looking at... to the untrained eye anything is awesome or sweet or nice...
if you want an honest appraisal without every post being about boosting your ego just because you tried, MTW is the place to go...
there are no jerks at MTW... at least from my point of view and NO ONE is going to trash anyone for trying... we'll simply offer advice if it is sought....
jeremy
Sir Madog ... love that rusty texture, how did you do that?
Its a product that my very best friend in the whole wide world Aggrojones suggested I use. Its called "Gouache" made by Winsor and Newton. I use Burnt Sienna. I purchased it at a Michaels Craft store. I don't think Hobby Lobby carries this particular brand. All you do is dab a little on your boxcar with a small brush or toothpick and then add some weathering Chalk Like the A.I.M. products I use. Simply brush off and wala. Done. Its very convincing and easy to use.
eloggerthere are no jerks at MTW.
Oh, there's definitely one over there, and only one.
Heres a bobcat I painted and weathered using A.I.M. powders only. Its a metal unit from GHQ.
DrilineSir Madog ... love that rusty texture, how did you do that? Its a product that my very best friend in the whole wide world Aggrojones suggested I use. Its called "Gouache" made by Winsor and Newton. I use Burnt Sienna. I purchased it at a Michaels Craft store. I don't think Hobby Lobby carries this particular brand. All you do is dab a little on your boxcar with a small brush or toothpick and then add some weathering Chalk Like the A.I.M. products I use. Simply brush off and wala. Done. Its very convincing and easy to use.
If you ask your BFF, AND he answered you honestly, he'd tell you that he learned about Gouache at MTW.
It's too bad you didn't learn more when you were there. That flat car might look a lot better.One glop of Gouache and a little AIM powder doesn't make a complete weathering job. What about the paint color, the deck, etc?
Let's see the whole car and we'll critique it fairly here. Or put up any car you think is good enough and we'll go head to head. Just keep it civil if you can.
Heres a view of the top....
I dare you find anything wrong with it.
The only mistake I made with the flatcar is not airbrushing it a light color of white to simulate faded paint. A lesson I won't forget in the future.
Driline Heres a view of the top....I dare you find anything wrong with it. The only mistake I made with the flatcar is not airbrushing it a light color of white to simulate faded paint. A lesson I won't forget in the future.
to my eyes, it looks kinda like the boards could have been made to stand out a bit better... you may have already done that with the back side of an xacto knife but maybe your wash is obscured or wasn't heavy enough... and one end looks like you didn't really weather it... it looks like most of the weathering is on the right hand side of the model and the left hand side kinda got left out... you must be right handed... you know, i think it may be okay to flip that thing over and weather it from the other side too...
Rubbing the deck with whatever it is you used still doesn't keep it from screaming "Gray Plastic!" The deck could have been removed and manipulated a bit to show a lack of uniformity. The molded edges really stick out in the first photo.Wooden decks can be made to look like wood, I think the technique can be found in MR. These wooden decks were bolted down to the cast frames on these cars. The bolt heads should be darkened to show that they aren't just plastic pimples. The exposed cast deck on the ends of the top should also show some wear or discoloration. A replacement wood deck is available for this car, but it takes more than real wood to make it look good and that would be another lesson. H Minkie (sp?) had an on-line series of how to make plastic look like wood, but I don't have the reference at the moment.
You dare me to find fault and then you point out the second most obvious thing that you missed, no fade or color tone variance at all on the part of the side we can see. The patch of 'rust' you show really has no reason to be there. The side pockets don't look too bad. If you would have used the same care on the rest of the car it might be much better looking.
The couplers probably need to be painted, but with the minimal amount of pictures, this is about all I can see.
I can't see the trucks or wheels either, maybe more pictures are in order?
All this is really subjective. What works for some won't work for others.
I'm not taking you to task for calling me a hack either, opinions are like elbows, most everybody has at least one.
I haven't done a flat car in a while, but here's part of a gon I recently finished for a customer.
am i supposed to critique yours now too jerry? lol
Wheels...
Again, you list all of the things you think are wrong or could be done better on this model without explaining HOW. We don't need a novel length explanation, but gee how about a few tips or hints on the processes involved. Like I mentioned using a specific brand of paint and HOW I used it. The posters here shouldn't have to join MTW just to gain a few tips or hints on the exact methodology of weathering.