Hello from Minnesooota! Starting my hand at some weathering. Bought some Tamiya panel line colors, a AK mud set with 3 bottles. I also recently bought an AK rust color weathering pencil set.I"ve watched several YT vids on applications. So far I like them, if you don’t like the result you can just wipe it off with water. Money is tight for oil paints and such, just wondering if anybody uses them and do you like them. Any tips would be appreciated.THANKS!
I use colored pencils, but from an inexpensive artist’s colored pencil set. Same thing, pretty much. I’ve used regular lead (graphite) pencils, too, for things like gun barrels, panel lines, and wear spots on machines.
I use artist’s pastel chalks, too, instead of AK or Tamiya products, and grind them myself. It’s a set of earth colors, a series of browns, and a brownish yellow. It was less than ten bucks at a local art supply store. I use the ground chalk for things like exhaust or blast stains, or for dust and dirt on vehicles. I’ve made mud with it, too-some ground-up chalk, a drop or two of water, and a drop or two of liquid soap to bind it.
I’ve also made my own rust, out of…rust. I use scouring pads in the kitchen. When the soap is gone, I’ll put the pad in a pudding or yogurt cup, and let it rust. When I get a color I like, I grind it into a powder and store it in a jar. I can apply it with a paint brush.
One of my friends from our club got some of these weathering pencils and lent me a couple to try out. They’re just another manufacture’s money grab. Water color pencils work just as good for me.
Yeah, I don’t use any AK or Mig products, because there are already products or supplies out there that do what those products do. I can make my own washes, for example, so I’m not paying Mig or his former partners or Tamiya to make them for me.
However, I do concede that those products are useful and practical, especially for new modelers, because they guarantee a certain level of consistency, that otherwise takes a lot of practice to achieve. It’s the same thing with aftermarket detail sets-sure, a modeler could scratchbuild a cockpit, like we did back in the day. But buying an aftermarket set saves the modeler that effort, and makes a more consistent result likely. So I understand the demand for them, even if I don’t use them myself.
I don’t begrudge those companies trying to make money, though. Ultimately, that’s their reason for being. Otherwise they’d just give their products away.
I have a set of cheap oil paints in tubes that I got for about £5 ($7-ish), which I thin to a wash with white spirit (mineral spirits), also very cheap. Check your local art suppliers, especially those catering for schoolchildren. White spirit can be had from hardware stores/departments.
The oils will probably last as long as I will, and the white spirit can also be used with enamels and as a brush cleaner after using oils/enamels. I use old jar lids and beer bottle caps (I can usually find some of those [;)]) as mixing palettes, so very cheap all round! I’ve tried a couple of commercially made enamel washes, but making my own (I prefer the oils for this) gives me complete control over the result, and is pretty satisfying, too.
I’ve used them and like them. I got the basic ‘dirt’ set, and they’re a very handy addition to my regular dry-brush weathering.
As far as the price goes, I can’t remember whether I got them at a discount or not…but they weren’t that different from good-quality watercolor pencils.
Thanks to everyone for the replies. Interesting idea on creating rust. Checked out HL for pencils and the oils,might be the way to go. I’ll give them a try once I can get some. Once again, THANKS!
I use all of the things that have been suggested and I also agree about avoiding those expensive high end washes and other weathering things. One thing that hasn’t been suggested yet and give the effect that is very similar to colored pencils are water color pencils. I got a set at Michaels and have been experimenting with them. Saw some modelers and railroad modelers using them on Youtube.
TJS