What you are looking at here is a piece of girder at the back (which is just 3.2mm tall) and a piece of code 60 rail at the front. Both have been treated in the same way. To get the pitted effect I first sprayed on a layer of red oxide primer before gently sprinkling on some light weight hydrocal casting powder (it was the finest stuff I had to hand that didn't want to clump) to the wet paint. I then knocked off most of the powder, allowed the paint to dry for a second or so and then sprayed a second layer of primer. This seems to give a really nice texture although I might have added a bit too much powder to the rail sides. Once this was all dry I liberally dabbed on some MIG Productions Standard Rust Effects which provided some nice variation in colouring and shading. I then dry-brushed on a small amount of RailMatch Light Rust (#2404), before some final dabs of a rust wash from Flory Models.
The photo is very unforgiving and from a normal viewing distance the texture is less pronounced and I'm fairly happy with how they look.
In close up it looks like there's too much texture Mark. I'd try again but skip using powder on wet paint and concentrate on weathering powders (or ground pastels) on dry paint.
ReplyDeleteFrom my own observations rolled steel will pit, but the pitting tends to be a few holes surrounded by relatively smooth metal. Rail tends to waste away in the web, a few holes ground with a Dremel or drilled and finished with a round file should give the desired effect.
In close up I tend to agree. When viewed from a little further away it looks pretty good as the texture gives me something to colour. Having said that, certainly for the rail, I will have another go with weathering powders instead to see if I can improve the overall look.
DeletePlease forgive my impertinence, but I must agree with Paul. I would also use ground up pastels like Burnt sienna onto dry paint. This looks like a piece of rail found in the wet, underground, where the overall colour and oxidation is exactly like this, but for the addition of rust shells.
ReplyDeleteLooking at some girders locally, there tends to be a variation of rust colours over the girder, ranging from light yellowy rust through to dark brown. Of course, if the conditions are wet, that's a game changer too as everything is much darker. I will now try and find a photograph to back me up :-) Sorry for the criticism, it is meant constructively.
I'm always happy for people to provide constructive criticism, it's the way we all learn. I'll go back and have another go without the texture and see what I can come up with.
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