Little help, please: First weathering attempt

[MVW]

Thanks, everyone, for getting me squared away here. It's going to be a few days before I'm able to dig in again, so I just want to let you know I appreciate your time and help and that I'm taking your advice seriously.

And a special thanks to Bob for your lengthy and thoughtful response.

More mayhem to come.

Jim

[MVW]

After the abominations I released on the modeling world earlier in this thread, I was hesitant to extend it. But there's a lot of good advice here, and it makes more sense to preserve that than to shield my ego. (And yes, as has been mentioned several times in this thread, Tom's book is indispensable.)

So ... while preparing to thin the rolling stock herd, I ran across 2-3 cars which can probably best serve me by becoming test subjects.

My first victim (after dullcoat):




Since I don't have an airbrush (and can't see getting one anytime soon), I tried to achieve a fade using Winsor & Newton's "titanium white." I applied paint to the entire car side, then cleaned my brush, wet it, and began removing the paint with vertical strokes. Took a fair amount of time, but these materials are very forgiving. It's not a race against the clock.




I hit the car with dullcoat to lock it in, and to see how much the dullcoat would tone down the look.




Next, a light wash using a watery mix of Winsor & Newton's "ivory black," applied with a wide brush using downward strokes.



I'll hit this with dullcoat in a bit, then will try some very subtle touches of weathering powder.

Without going too far, I think it's safe to say this is much less offensive than my first couple tries. Remember, my layout is set in the mid-'50s, so I'm not going for an extreme weathered look.

Whaddaya think?

Jim

[Chris333]

This last car looks like about what I do to everything. I dry brush on some craft store charcoal and them even lighter dry brush on a dirt color. It picks up all the detail and makes it stand out in photos.

2 of the last cars I did:
https://goo.gl/photos/r3XHqspBZQyvjuPM6
Nothing special, but needed to look right.

[MVW]

Yeah, that's pretty much the look I'm going for, Chris. A little dirty, but not abused and neglected.

Jim

[tom mann]

Nice, and great improvements over your earlier attempts!

[Scottl]

This thread reminds me to ask @tom mann when the next edition of his book is coming?  Eagerly awaiting it.

[chicken45]

That does look nice!

[tom mann]

This thread reminds me to ask @tom mann when the next edition of his book is coming?  Eagerly awaiting it.

I ask myself the same question in the mirror every night! Thanks for the support.

[MVW]

Thanks, guys. I'm relieved to be on the enlightened path. 

Jim

[MVW]

With dullcoat, after the black wash:




And now with a small bit of weathering powders:




And after a final shot of dullcoat:




It ain't art, but that's not what I aspire to. I'm just shooting for a way to give my rolling stock a "lived-in" look. I think this will work.

Jim

[nkalanaga]

Nice job, and it looks about right to me, for a "used but not abused" car.

Those old Con-Cor bodies don't look bad, even after almost 50 years, given a little work.

[MVW]

Thanks, nk. Is this a Con-Cor? I didn't know. Don't remember how I got it, and it was in a plain box.

Jim

[MVW]

I haven't had a lot of luck finding photos of '50s freight cars "in the wild," but just ran across this link:

http://time.com/3876943/walker-evans-in-color-the-grit-and-grandeur-of-freight-cars/

Any other recommendations?

Jim

[MVW]

One more:

http://www.steamerafreightcars.com/gallery/gallerymain.html

Jim

[Santa Fe Guy]

Good to see you kept at it Jim. The last car is a huge improvement and I would not go any further with it.
Try not to use Black too often, Van Dyke Brown is a better choice in most cases.
Rod.