STEP BY STEP CREATE A RUST EFFECT

1

Mix rust-coloured paints with dry pigments to create a textured coating. The more dry pigment is added, the coarser the texture will be, so the mix can be tailored according to how decrepit you want your wagon to appear.

2

Brush the textured paint mix onto the entire wagon body. When this initial layer is dry, other rust paint shades (without the dry pigment added) can be stippled on with a flat brush to increase the tonal variation.

3

Allow the ‘rust’ layer to dry. With a scrap of coarse natural sponge dipped in masking fluid, dab the surface lightly to deposit the liquid in random patterns. The more fluid is applied, the more rust will be revealed later.

4

When the masking is dry, paint the wagon’s livery colour, by hand or airbrush. I modulated the BR livery colour with light and dark grey, applying with a flat brush to create a vertical streaking effect. It looks crude now, but…

5

…allow the paint to dry before scrubbing the surface with a stiff brush to loosen the masking fluid and reveal the corrosion beneath. This lets you accentuate the peeling appearance of the paintwork.

6

New wagon markings can be added at this stage, over black panels. The finish can be finessed with a misted layer of ‘dirt’ applied with an airbrush or dry pigments over the bodywork and chassis.