RMweb Gold Popular Post Chris Chewter Posted May 30, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted May 30, 2021 (edited) I was painting up some figures the other day for a few locos that are due to be sold, and I though that people might be interested in the process. These fellas come from the Hardy's Hobbies range, and are bought as a bulk pack to get an economy of scale, although my preferred supplier is Modelu3d where the figures have more detail. The first step is the undercoat. Here I use Halfords matt black. Its really intended for cars, but you get more for your cash. Leave to dry preferably overnight, and them you can move onto the flesh. Why black? Well if you miss a bit, it looks like dirt or a shadow. Also, it does have an impact on the paints being applied over the top, and makes them more subdued. Flesh tones are Tamiya flesh which I think gives the most realistic colour. (Humbrol and Warhammer paints are a bit too pink to my eye) Approximately paint the flesh bits and overlap slightly into other areas. We'll sort out any overpainting in the next stages Leave to cure. I tend to leave it overnight again as the next stage I uses enamels, but if you are continuing to use acrylics, you'll probably be able to move onto the next stage after an hour. Now our figures can start getting dressed. Here we start with anything visible under the clothes eg shirts. As these are enginemen, I use matt Humbrol 89 Middle Blue. Again, you can overlap onto the overclothes, but avoid getting any onto the flesh areas. I tend to use an Artists rigger brush to give a bit more brush control. If you've applied the shirt colour lightly enough, you can probably move onto the next stage fairly swiftly (About 30 mins to an hour) Now the contentious part. What colour are enginemen's blues? Well, this is anywhere between Oxford Blue upwards. Original enginemen's blues weren't colour fast, and were hard wearing, so examples of enginemen wearing light blue overalls are common. My enginemen's jacket is 10 years old now. I've heard stories of enginemen who would bleach their blues to make themselves look more senior and can think of one engineman I know who wears a jacket that's nearly white in colour. Personally, whilst Oxford Blue is correct, to my eye it looks too dark (That's the guys on the right). I prefer Humbrol 96 RAF blue which gives a lighter hue. (That's the guys on the left) The gentleman 5th from the left uses RAF blue for the jacket and Oxford Blue for the trousers if you want a comparison. Don't forget, that most people have hair, or remnants of. Male pattern baldness tends to affect the top and front, so under a hat won't be visible. I tend to use Humbrol 98 Chocolate for dark hair, and Humbrol 225 Middle Stone for blonde hair (I colour matched my daughters to get that right. Don't worry, I just held up the colour chart against her head) Some people have silver grey, but I've not reached that stage to be able to get a colour match. Also, we can now apply details like ties. Here its Humbrol 98 Chocolate to give a brown western region type tie. That can be fiddly, so a very fine 5/0 artists detail brush is used here. Finally, we can paint the greasetop hats. I just use Humbrol matt black 33. If you want, a bit of satin black to the top of the hat to represent the Garbardine material which does have a slight sheen. I personally don't worry unless the figure is leaning out of the cab window. Flat caps are a myriad of greys and browns, so what colour they get painted is up to you. We can also add some more of the Humbrol 255 Middle Stone for shovel shafts. If keen, you can also add some Humbrol 27004 gunmetal to the shovel blades, but to be brutally honest, that effect is generally invisible once your crew is fitted to your loco cab! You'll notice that there are two figure painting techniques I don't do. Firstly is black washing and dry brushing. That looks great from a distance, but I find that a diluted black wash can make your figures look like oil paintings in a photo realistic world. Both of these figures have been black washed, yet the yard figures behind have not. Dry brushing also I don't think is necessary. Why highlight the contours of a uniform, when the contours already exist? There is no dry brushing on the figure below. Also, there is another technique when you leave a black gap between colour areas , but I'm yet to be convinced that it photographs well. Maybe I'll try a few next time and see if I can be converted. Perhaps my technique is a little basic, but I feel that there is no point over complicating things, after all, I've got layouts to create! Sorry for the long post but thought it might be useful to some. Hopefully once Carterton has moved on a few stages, I can take a some more Tetbury photos if everyone is still interested. Have a great bank holiday weekend folks! Edited May 30, 2021 by Chris Chewter 13 8 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted May 30, 2021 Share Posted May 30, 2021 That's a very useful post, no need to apologise, it looks like I got it right when I cribbed from your earlier photos around the goods shed in order to paint my signalman! That's not drybrushing, it's the matt 67 I used for primer showing through. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted May 31, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2021 Yes, that's a nice illustration of the process Chris. That last shot with 5532 is superb. 19 hours ago, Chris Chewter said: That looks great from a distance, but I find that a diluted black wash can make your figures look like oil paintings in a photo realistic world That's my experience too. It's the old dilemma of things look differently at a distance and in close-up. These days with close-up digital photography the heavy shading often comes across too stark, in my view. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 8, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 8, 2021 After a week off making family visits, I've taken another batch of photos. Todays photo is 6417. This isn't my favourite weathered loco, but I think it looks fairly good sat simmering next to the access road. The only changes to the actual image is adding digital clouds where the backscene isn't high enough, and the telegraph pole has been digitally removed, because its removal was easier than trimming around the top of the pole! With a critical eye, it probably needs a slightly tighter crop, but I have another 8 to put through Combine ZP!. 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 9, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2021 Another photo of 6417, this time sat next to the engine shed whilst the crew have a quick brew. 14 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold checkrail Posted June 10, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 10, 2021 12 hours ago, Chris Chewter said: Another photo of 6417, this time sat next to the engine shed whilst the crew have a quick brew. I do like the sense of depth to that wooded backscene. Looks really good. 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 10, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 10, 2021 A slightly different view today. How about something track side. That couple are still having their discussion in the car park! 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 11, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11, 2021 I quite liked todays photo stack that I put on Instagram. 9735 ready to depart with the next train to Kemble. Certainly the driver looks keen to get going! 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 12, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 12, 2021 Similar to yesterdays photo, but the reason why 9735 hasn't departed is clear. Looks like the guard hasn't moved the lamp yet. So what has caught the drivers attention? 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mulgabill Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 5 hours ago, Chris Chewter said: Similar to yesterdays photo, but the reason why 9735 hasn't departed is clear. Looks like the guard hasn't moved the lamp yet. So what has caught the drivers attention? Fireman has not sorted the loco lamp(s) either, perhaps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 12, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 12, 2021 He could well be checking to see where the firman has gone. We all know he’s drinking tea by the engine shed! In reality, the locos sat on the workbench waiting for me to get around to painting another batch of Modelu loco lamps, but I’ve been having too much fun figure painting! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 13, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 13, 2021 Todays photo is 4680 heading out of Tetbury. I would blame the guard for the tail lamp being so obviously wrong, but actually its a failure of the hand of god who forgot to turn the coaching stock around the other way for the photo! No worries, photo editing software to the rescue! I needed to edit it anyway, as Combine ZP obviously struggled with the lamp handle. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 13, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 13, 2021 The prototype-faithful deployment of lamps is a nightmare for termini. The Hand of God has to be invoked.Then there are junctions stations where trains join and split. No easy answer that I can deduce. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 13, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 13, 2021 I've considered and tried most options. Blu-tac shows up in photos and slotting Modelu lamps each time is a faff. It ends up breaking something off. The only solution Its just careful placement of stock for photos and if all else fails, a spot of photo editing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 14, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 14, 2021 The discussion in the car park continues, and it looks like the post vans have backed into those gates one time too many! 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 15, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 15, 2021 A view across the station site from the top of the hill at Tetbury. 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 17, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 17, 2021 Todays photo shows 9735 gentle easing out of the station. 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Chris Chewter Posted June 22, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted June 22, 2021 I thought this image came out well. A study of 9735 besides Tetbury's iconic and recognisable goods shed. Due to the low backscene, the clouds have been added. 19 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted June 24, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2021 A young lad admires 4672 whilst his family cut through on the station lane. 18 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Chris Chewter Posted July 19, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 19, 2021 Things have been quiet with Tetbury. With the Carterton layout taking all the other available room, getting in and taking photos has been tricky. Over the weekend I decided the 16xx I purchased for Tetbury looked too clean, so I decided to give it some weathering powder treatment. Although I've now realised this morning that I haven't added the fire irons! Never mind, perhaps a job for tonight. 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted October 1, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2021 (edited) Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few months. I was concerned that people were getting jaded to the constant streams of photos of panniers. Anyway, I thought I’d post to say that if you do enjoy Tetbury, it was filmed back in February as a feature layout for the Hornby: A model world programme. If I do find out which episode it’s in, I’ll post an update. I’ve now got a good selection of new photos, so will start putting the best ones up over the next few weeks. Edited October 1, 2021 by Chris Chewter 12 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponthir28 Posted October 1, 2021 Share Posted October 1, 2021 Jaded and pannier should not be in the same sentence. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Chris Chewter Posted October 3, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted October 3, 2021 In one of the rarer photos I've found of Tetbury, there was the odd occasion where a modern railcar would be used to replace the simple single car units that were normally used on the branch. With the help of one of the model club members, his railcar was borrowed for a quick photoshoot. A little photoshoppery has been used with some digital clouds added, and the destination blind changed to Kemble. 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Chris Chewter Posted October 5, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 5, 2021 Another view of the railcar 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Chris Chewter Posted October 6, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted October 6, 2021 I've never seem a photo of a great western railcar working the branch, although the Dapol model does look at home on the layout. 22 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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