Pragmatic Pre-Grouping - Mikkel's Workbench

[Castle]

Hi Mikkel,

 

Wow! Amazing work as always. It’s your ability to tease out these little naratives and what would have been everyday scenes that make the excellent modelling all the better. Wonderful stuff good sir!

 

 

Thanks Mikkel, your a star.

 

Jim

He’s a Star and I’m a Castle!

 

Hat on, coat on, I’m gone...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[aberdare]

Hi Mikkel

 

I must say the finished lamp looks very good and I love the way you have altered the figure to fit, one question, did you have to warm the figure to bend it or was it just brute gentle force, whatever it was it's excellent work as usual.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Jim

[Mikkel]

BTW When you've finished in your "lucky dip" box can I have a rummage please ?

 

 Yes but it will cost you!    How about an RMweb challenge where the aim is to build a model entirely from the spares box(es)....

 

Nah, looking at the 4th photo they're cheap far eastern imports...

 

I think it was a box of exotic sweets. The box was the best part!

 

 

However we now have "posing like a lamp-lighter."

 

I like it! See "swagger".

 

Incidentally, as usual there's a Dickens connection to everyone at Farthing...

 

 

 

He’s a Star and I’m a Castle!

 

Standard Goods, more likely 

 

 

did you have to warm the figure to bend it or was it just brute gentle force

 

Gentle force! In fact it doesn't take much force. Andrew Stadden's figures are pewter and bend quite easily. Some filing may be needed when an arm changes position, as the way the sleeve folds/hangs may then look a bit odd. But that only emphasises how detailed and well thought through Andrew's figures are, I think.

[N15class]

Cracking work as usual Mikkel. I am noting many ideas for the future.

[Mikkel]

Cracking work as usual Mikkel. I am noting many ideas for the future.

 

Thanks Pete. It's all still a bit experimental, I have an idea for a smarter way of doing the lamp housing. I.e. (i) make the glazing the shape of a diamond, and (ii) cut and fold a styrene lamp top to fit over that. This would make it easier to build, and give a neater appearance.

[bgman]

Thanks Pete. It's all still a bit experimental, I have an idea for a smarter way of doing the lamp housing. I.e. (i) make the glazing the shape of a diamond, and (ii) cut and fold a styrene lamp top to fit over that. This would make it easier to build, and give a neater appearance.

 

 

P. Floyd

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Mikkel - Fantastic work as always. I have read your article regarding your build and livery of some early GWR red wagons, superb on many levels. You use specific paints for the wagons. Please can you tell me if these are brush applied or airbrushed? Is this the range you commonly use for your work or do you have other 'go to' brands for specific areas i.e. locos, coach stock and buildings?

 

I am trying to build a base supply of paint colours in preparation for my layout and future wagon/loco builds. I have used Railmatch rattle cans and acrylics for my previous projects with the addition of some old Games Workshop acrylics. There is now so much choice it is difficult to know where to start.

 

Thank you for any pointers.

[Mikkel]

Hi Matt, many thanks. It's all very basic: 

 

The wagons are sprayed with Plastikote primer, then brushpainted with Vallejo acrylics. I find that brushpainting works OK if you thin the paint (I squeeze some paint into a container and add water until it's almost like milk). The paint is applied in 3-4 thin layers to avoid brushmarks (never going back over wet paint etc). For wagon interiors I use light paint and black weathering powder (see bottom of this post for details). Weathering is not my strong side, I just use the usual drybrushing (light from above and dark from below) and some powders.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Thank you Sir, some excellent demonstrations and advice.

[Stubby47]

Interesting reading your technique of never going over wet paint.

 

When painting for a weathered finish, I constantly rebrush the wet areas, blending and smoothing the fresher paint into the earlier paint.

This patchy approach gives me the more-varied tones.

[Mikkel]

Interesting reading your technique of never going over wet paint.

 

When painting for a weathered finish, I constantly rebrush the wet areas, blending and smoothing the fresher paint into the earlier paint.

This patchy approach gives me the more-varied tones.

 

Hi Stu, thanks for that. Maybe I should have said "not going back over drying paint". As long as everything is kept wet it's fine.

 

The technique you mention: Do you do that right from the start, when adding the basic colour on stock? I.e. you weather the wagon while at the same time painting it, so to speak?

 

My approach is to first get the basic colour on a wagon. For the basic colour I use a flat broad brush and systematically brush it on in singular parallel strokes from top to bottom. This is done several times until the colour is solid and smooth. Only when that is compeltely dry do I begin weathering. But maybe I've missed the point all these years!

Edited March 30, 2018 by Mikkel

[Stubby47]

Sorry, no not wagons, but buildings. Once it's had the primer coat, everything else is colouring & weathering together.

[Brassey]

Hi Matt, many thanks. It's all very basic: 

 

The wagons are sprayed with Plastikote primer, then brushpainted with Vallejo acrylics. I find that brushpainting works OK if you thin the paint (I squeeze some paint into a container and add water until it's almost like milk). The paint is applied in 3-4 thin layers to avoid brushmarks (never going back over wet paint etc). For wagon interiors I use light paint and black weathering powder (see bottom of this post for details). Weathering is not my strong side, I just use the usual drybrushing (light from above and dark from below) and some powders.

 

Mikkel

 

I have had a lot of trouble painting my GWR 517 with wet-on-wet which I thought was an acceptable technique with thinned paint.  Apparently not as I seem to have got a kind of a watermark in the finish.  

 

Today, I just happen to have come across a very old Precision Paints leaflet which states about paint thinned with white spirit: "extra care will be required when spraying to avoid 'tear drops' forming.  Tear drops are caused by excess paint being applied, or not allowing the first coat to dry sufficiently before a second coat is applied."  I'd never read this elsewhere.

 

So you are safest with your current technique of a few coats and I will try to stop cutting corners and getting it all done in one.

 

Peter

[Mikkel]

Good to know Peter, thanks.

 

I have noticed that when painting figures there does seem to be a magical short moment when wet colours of different shades can be mixed to produce a somehow very realistic, weathered look. Perhaps what Stu refers to above. I think I even remember reading about it as a method of figure painting somewhere. But I haven't yet found out how to do arrive at that moment in a systematic fashion - more like random luck - so I only use it on the occasional figure.

[Guy Rixon]

I've been using the wet-on-wet technique to represent weathered wood with artists' acrylics and it is repeatable for me. Yesterday I tried the same thing with Tamiya acrylics which dry a lot faster and are thinned with butanol instead of water. It didn't work well at all with the Tamiya paint and had to be covered over with heavier weathering in the water-based acrylics. Luckily it was a mineral wagon, not a goods wagon.

 

That said, an airbrushed coat of Tamiya "wooden deck tan" (XF-78) seems to make a good base-coat for old wood. I find that it can be sprayed directly onto plastic without priming.

[Mikkel]

I've been using the wet-on-wet technique to represent weathered wood with artists' acrylics and it is repeatable for me. Yesterday I tried the same thing with Tamiya acrylics which dry a lot faster and are thinned with butanol instead of water. It didn't work well at all with the Tamiya paint and had to be covered over with heavier weathering in the water-based acrylics. Luckily it was a mineral wagon, not a goods wagon.

 

That said, an airbrushed coat of Tamiya "wooden deck tan" (XF-78) seems to make a good base-coat for old wood. I find that it can be sprayed directly onto plastic without priming.

 

Thanks Guy, I have been reluctant to try out the small Tamiya spray cans (so many poor spray cans out there) - but it sounds like it's worth giving them a go.

[Guy Rixon]

I haven't actually used the Tamiya rattle-cans, except their primer (which was OK but expensive and no better than Halfords). I use Tamiya paints in my airbrush.

[autocoach]

Mikkel 

 

I have been using Tamiya rattle can sprays a lot recently as I have had to give up using an air brush. The problem is finding the right color match for Railroad/Railway projects from a line of paint more oriented to military, automobile kit and other branches of miniature hobbies. 

 

The Tamiya spray cans are a much finer paint paint and spray nozzle than you would find at a DIY/( UShardware store.)  More in line with what you would find at an art supply store. Reading the can label, it does not appear to be an acrylic as is the Tamiya bottle paint or a lacquer based paint.  Research on spray cans to replace the colors I can no longer mix on the web has led me to a whole different world of spray can painters including fine artists and the oft hated graffiti gangsta cults. I am still looking for the right shade of mineral red to replace the Star Brand SP/UP Freight car red paint that has to be airbrushed.

 

I did find a technique for quick not quite dry Tamiya spray of two colors over the other to better match colors I want. 

 

Research that has even led to this contraption that I have yet to try out:

 

 

I am going to put more of my results on a blog at http://srandsp.blogspot.com/2018/03/sear-for-elusive-rattle-can-box-car-red.html

 

 

[NHY 581]

Hi Mikkel.

 

I have to say I am with you on the weathering in that I apply any weathering when all is dry. I may use a base colour such as dark earth for underframes initially but if not I will spray a light coat of Humbrol acrylic matt varnish. Both act as a key for the subsequent powders

 

I would be worried about applying to wet paint for general weathering, in case it all went wrong.......and it can do in any event!

 

I have previously mixed some powder with an oily wash to simulate caked on oil deposits in certain areas, as per the picture below. I never use paint on its own to weather, generally sticking to powders but will be experimenting with coach roofs in the not too distant future as I am not too happy with powders on their own for this.

In the same way as the underframes, any paint will act as a key once dry for additional powders. All will then be sealed with matt varnish lightly applied.

 

 

Rob.

[Mikkel]

Mikkel 

 

I have been using Tamiya rattle can sprays a lot recently as I have had to give up using an air brush. The problem is finding the right color match for Railroad/Railway projects from a line of paint more oriented to military, automobile kit and other branches of miniature hobbies. 

 

The Tamiya spray cans are a much finer paint paint and spray nozzle than you would find at a DIY/( UShardware store.)  More in line with what you would find at an art supply store. Reading the can label, it does not appear to be an acrylic as is the Tamiya bottle paint or a lacquer based paint.  Research on spray cans to replace the colors I can no longer mix on the web has led me to a whole different world of spray can painters including fine artists and the oft hated graffiti gangsta cults. I am still looking for the right shade of mineral red to replace the Star Brand SP/UP Freight car red paint that has to be airbrushed.

 

I did find a technique for quick not quite dry Tamiya spray of two colors over the other to better match colors I want. 

 

Research that has even led to this contraption that I have yet to try out:

 

Preval Paint Sprayer.jpg

 

I am going to put more of my results on a blog at http://srandsp.blogspot.com/2018/03/sear-for-elusive-rattle-can-box-car-red.html

 

Thanks Ken, that's useful. I have had similar forays into the online world of the grafitti community. I found a lot of praise for "Montana" cans, but the nozzles clogged up on me very fast despite the usual precautions. There were extra nozzles included with the cans, so I may not be the only one! 

 

Liquitex Acrylic appealed to me as it is water based and went on nicely enough. I didn't go further with it as they didn't have quite the shade I was after (guess which one!), but might try it again if I need another shade at some point. 

 

[Mikkel]

Hi Mikkel.

 

I have to say I am with you on the weathering in that I apply any weathering when all is dry. I may use a base colour such as dark earth for underframes initially but if not I will spray a light coat of Humbrol acrylic matt varnish. Both act as a key for the subsequent powders

 

I would be worried about applying to wet paint for general weathering, in case it all went wrong.......and it can do in any event!

 

I have previously mixed some powder with an oily wash to simulate caked on oil deposits in certain areas, as per the picture below. I never use paint on its own to weather, generally sticking to powders but will be experimenting with coach roofs in the not too distant future as I am not too happy with powders on their own for this.

In the same way as the underframes, any paint will act as a key once dry for additional powders. All will then be sealed with matt varnish lightly applied.

 

 

Rob.

 

Thanks Rob. I look forward to seeing your coach roof experiments as weathering those really makes a difference, I think.

 

I normally use Carr's weathering powders but recently tried some MIG ones. They give off colour well and are very good for matting things down 100% - but washing them off is another matter. The lighter shades turn dark when wetted (and remain so) and are hard to remove completely, leaving behind a slightly rough surface. Or that was my experience, at least. I have found them good for ground texture weathering though :-)

Edited April 3, 2018 by Mikkel

[bgman]

Hi Mikkel,

 

I'm interested to hear about your experiences with the Montana spray cans. I also started to use them as a trial for a base coat of Bath stone and like you found that every cans nozzle clogged up !

 

Its a pity as the range of colours and finish was to my liking. I found them in a local-ish excellent art store but decided to return them and explain my problem. 

Happily the owner gave me a refund and told me he would advise the manufacturer regarding the problem as I wasn't the only customer to experience this problem.

 

Seems its the norm for these can ?

 

G

[Mikkel]

I did plan to use the barrows on this etch  from Langley Models

 

 

I've done a few of these now. The etches for the barrows look nice enough, but ironically they are arguably a bit too fine, the prototypes actually have a more chunky appearance. The protective rails on the single wheel barrow looked particularly flimsy, I tried to beef it up but went a bit overboard.

 

The wheelbarrows are modified Springside ones. They looked a bit odd as they came - they may well represent a real prototype but not ones I have seen on the GWR, so I hacked some bits off for a simpler type.

 

 

 

 

The lamps and lamplighters are done now. More photos and details in the blog.

 

[Mikkel]

If a man gets a new head, is it still the same man?
 
Porter Jack Bamber has emerged on the workbench. Body from a decapitated Dart castings porter, trimmed for that slimmer 1900s look. Head is from an Andrew Stadden footplate man. The wheelbarrow is a modified Springside kit.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeOxon]

If a man gets a new head, is it still the same man?

 

Porter Jack Bamber has emerged on the workbench. Body from a decapitated Dart castings porter, trimmed for that slimmer 1900s look. Head is from an Andrew Stadden footplate man. The wheelbarrow is a modified Springside kit.

 

 

Even though Jack has a new head, he still has a very 'world-weary' look.  Perhaps his mood is not helped by having been doused in what looks like china-clay slurry?