He Painted EVERYTHING!

Just watch.  You'll see.  No, really, watch this first.  If you're in a hurry, skip to 8:30.

I'm not a military modeler.  I messed around with airplane and sci-fi kits very briefly as a kid, but that's about as close as I came.  Still, I appreciate good model making and finishing.  I found this channel via suggestions to watch his diorama construction videos.  Wow.  "A tiny bit better" he says?  No, the results are stunning. 

But more than the results, it is the process I find most interesting.  Many fantasy model makers, tabletop wargamers, and military modelers do one thing VERY differently than model railroaders when building a diorama.  They may use the same scenic materials, adhesives and paints, but it is in how they apply them where the difference is most apparent, or rather, the sequence of application, with an extra step.

Model railroaders or folks who make model railroad dioramas will generally select materials based on color - a certain color dirt, another color palate of grasses, etc.  We may tint with washes or powders, but essentially we're relying on the color of the material to be at least a base for the finished color.  Texture is important as well, but we tend to look to the color of the material since we're spoiled for choice.  There is such a variety of colorful scenic materials out there (but try to find gray grass...).

Other model makers, like Martin from Night Shift in the video above, focus more on the texture of the material first, and the color second.  Get the texture right, and then you can paint it any color you like.  In the video above, he applies ground cover from dirt to grass to special photo etched plants.  Then he paints it.  All of it.  He paints it dark brown.  All of it.  Dirt, grass, plants, all of it.  Brown.  

I've never seen that.  I've never seen anyone fully scenic a diorama base then paint the whole thing brown.  I've never seen that.

As alluded to above, I have seen other diorama makers paint the whole thing black then work up the color with washes, drybrushing, etc.  But that doesn't usually include the grasses or other elements added later.  Buildings, sure, and of course rocks and even the dirt.  But all of it?  And then to bring back the color so precisely!  

This does enable him to do some precision work, matching the color and texture of the mud in the ground to the color and texture of the mud on the tank treads.  It unifies the scene naturally by utilizing  the same color palate throughout.  But is it really necessary?  Is it worth the extra effort?  And what would our miniature railroad worlds look like if we applied a similar process to them?  Is that even possible?

I'm still processing this.  Scope me, I'm outta here.

 

Four Flats - Decks Weathered, Sides Painted and Ready for Decals

 

A quick update to show the decks fully painted and weathered.  The first application of color was a thin coat of Mudstone over the gray primer with a few boards picked out in a lighter tan to show replacement work by the shop.  Next was an all-over wash with Burnt Umber acrylic ink, thinned with Matte Medium and water.  After that dried I applied a black oil wash, cleaning select boards with a pointy cotton bud for variation of the effect.  The black wash seeps into the cracks, defining the boards as well as all the gouges and distressing I had applied earlier.

The sides were brush painted with Brown Iron Oxide.  Brush painting took me about as long as it would have if I had taped off the decks and undersides, strained and thinned the paint, and applied it with an airbrush.  I noticed this time around that my brush work has improved; at least I'm more comfortable with it, thanks to the miniature painting I've been doing lately.  That, and using the Matte Medium and water mix to thin the paint.  This mix makes the paint flow well and settle down without losing coverage or showing brush strokes.  The craft paint I use is too thick straight out of the bottle and benefits from a proper thinning.

Once the sides had dried I gave them a coat of gloss varnish from a rattle can and have allowed that to dry/cure for over 24 hours.  I gauge the time to let it dry based on how well I can still smell the odor.  Not scientific, but it hasn't failed me yet.  Today I spent some time laying out the spacing for the decals and selecting what I will use from the Rail Graphics freight car lettering sets.  Funny thing - they didn't make a Flat Car set for the 1900-1920 period, so I'll have to cobble together the relevant data from other types of rolling stock.  I also spent some time looking at historic shots of other prototype flat cars to get ideas for what to include and how it might look.

Thanks for reading, if you made it this far, and check back soon for the next Four Flats installment or click on the tag in the list on the right to read any of the previous posts.  As usual, open the pictures in another window or tab to see them larger.

Clean Steam?

Recently Trainmasters TV posted a segment on weathering steam locomotives.  The target locomotive chosen was a UP locomotive and the weathering was applied so as to create the impression of a well-maintained and regularly cleaned locomotive at the end of a working day: not too dirty or grimy, and definitely not rusty, with little sign of any accumulation built up over a long period of time.

This approach makes sense and fits the adage that real working steam engines get dirty, but some are kept fairly clean for the purpose of good public relations.  Another thought is like it - tourist railroads, historic societies and theme parks keep their equipment polished and clean and these locos won't show any weathering effects from oil, smoke, grease, etc. except perhaps at the end of a long day's service.

Of course there is often an exception to even these enshrined rules.  I believe I have found it, in Willits, CA.  Not to criticize in any way - this is a fine engine crewed by caring professionals - but simply to show that even locomotives on tourist lines can exhibit more than just a little running dust, I present these images:

Granted, the locomotive as a whole is pretty clean compared to one that has been in regular service hauling copper ore in Nevada, as this one did.  Both tender and cab sides are clean as is the top half of the compressor, and the white rims and trim are still white.  I hope I look this good at 101!  But the grime, dust, and even rust is there, proving once again that there is a prototype for just about anything.  If you model a tourist line or historic society railroad, don't be afraid to be a little more heavy handed with the weathering.