ARTISTS’ PENCILS

Not an obvious weathering medium, but blend-able coloured pencils, especially brown, orange-red and grey shades, have plenty of potential uses. From creating fine rust patches or highlighting rivet heads, a finely sharpened tip can deposit pigment more accurately than a paintbrush. Rubbing the edge of a plain graphite pencil (a 6-8B for instance) along the edge of handrails, footsteps and other exposed areas, replicates the appearance of burnished metal perfectly. Graphite sticks are also available from art stores and these produce even more realistic burnished effects, which can be further enhanced by polishing with a dry cotton swab. Availability: Arts and craft stores