Hot To/Weather Using Pastels

REALISTIC RESULTS WITH CHALKS AND A PAINTBRUSH

Realistic results with chalks and a paintbrush

I’ve read quite a few articles in magazines and on the Web about how to weather scale models to make them look more realistic. Model Airplane News contributor Rich Uravitch has written a few of them and done a really good job of explaining the airbrush techniques he uses to good effect. Recently, I was painting a large, molded composite A-10 and realized that all the rivet and panel-line detail was going to be visually lost and hard to see if I didn’t apply some weathering myself. Having tried airbrush weathering in the past with poor results, I decided to research different techniques before starting.

What I found is a technique that uses powdered soft pastel chalks and a dry paintbrush to insert and work color into the panel lines and around rivets and other detail to emphasize them. Different colors give different effects, and it’s easy to try something and wipe it away if it isn’t what you’re looking for.

I had painted a “Flipper” color scheme made up of three shades of gray using Model Master acrylic paints, so I chose a combination of dark gray, dark brown, and a violet gray for my pastel powder. I thought it would become subtler when I sprayed over it all with Testors Dullcote, but it didn’t work out that way. Live and learn; next time I do this, I’ll use colors that are closer to the base colors.

The technique uses a thin brush to work the powdered soft pastel chalk into the molded panel lines. Simply rubbing the brush back and forth a few times in the depression leaves a thin coat of color, and gently blowing away the residue shows the final effect. The same thing can be done around raised rivets, and then rubbing a finger down the line of rivets cleans off the tops and makes the rivets look dirty and worn. Hinges, hatches, and air inlets can also be convincingly dirtied up. I used disposable nitrile gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints all over the plane.

I like the final effect on the A-10; it definitely made the molded details stand out nicely. Next time you’re finishing up a nice model and want to make it unique, give this method a try.

I like the final effect on the A-10; it definitely made the molded details stand out nicely. Next time you’re finishing up a nice model and want to make it unique, give this method a try.

Soft pastels come in a wide range of colors, and they’re inexpensive. Rubbing a stick into a piece of medium sandpaper makes a nice, coarse powder, which you can collect in a disposable cup.

Use the same technique around the raised rivets, and occasionally drag the brush along the wing surface in the direction of airflow to make streaks. Blow gently or use compressed air to clear away the pastel residue.

Mistakes and accidental messes should easily wipe away with a clean, dry paper towel. More serious problems may require a damp towel, but a good thing about the pastels is how easy they are to clean up.

A thin brush dipped into the cup will collect a bit of the pastel powder, and rubbing the tip back and forth in the molded panel line will leave a touch of color. Disposable gloves prevent fingerprints, which would be difficult to clean.

Rubbing along a line of rivets cleans off the top of them, but leaves the color around the base. Going in the direction of airflow over the wing makes the streaks look more natural.

Pulling some of the pastel dust along the wing surface behind hinges does a good job of simulating dirt and oil streaks.