I had read about this technique on some of the model railroad fora, but it's great to see a detailed explanation.  The video helps a lot!  Now to get my Michaels 40% off coupon and go in search of the colored pencils :-)

dave

I guess I will finally try something other than 1/0 brushes.  This looks really cool.  Thanks.

Never was aware of this type of pencil before. Good article and video. Seems to offer tremendous control. Will definitely give these techniques a try. Good job!

Bill,

Wonderful technique - where did you get such a great idea :-)

Mark L. Evans

http://narrowgauge.org/sn3

Very interesting technique, can't wait to give it a try. I model in N Scale and hope these pencils give me better control of my weathering over other techniques that are hard to apply to N Scale details.

  This was an outstanding article. I've been using pastel pencils and sticks lately for weathering N scale buildings and find them useful. When I saw the Watercolor pencils at Michael's, I wondered what they were. Now I know; they're excellent tools.

  Not only is there a ton of good information here, but it's clearly written, logically presented and well illustrated. Thanks!

-- Tom

My son has a whole box of these pencils for art!  Who knew!  Thanks for the tip and tutorial!

Hi Bill,

Great idea... and video too!!

In the past I've used the same pencils to add variety to a red brick wall (easier than using a brush) but never for weathering, and am really impressed.  What I'd really like to know, though, is how you came to choose window cleaner for softening... instead of water. 

Best wishes

Alan

Well Mark, I can not tell a lie, I stole it from you and the Sn3 Yahoo group.

Like you I have been experimenting with different pencils and different wetting agents. I think we (you) came up with a good combination.

Bill B.

Well Alan;

I experimented with different solutions, including windshield washer fluid. I got the idea of window cleaner from the Sn3 Yahoo group. It seems that the ammonia and wetting agent in the window cleaner does the trick. I have also found that the good window cleaner is better than a cheap brand which is too diluted.

Bill B.

Thank you Bill for sharing your researches.  I'll be off now to get some 'top quality' window cleaner! 

Best wishes

Alan (in Devon, England)

Great article Bill.  I was wondering if you've used this technique on locos too, or just cars and structures.

@ChrisS;

I have not used it on locomotives, but I don't see any reason why there would a problem.  The nice thing about this method is that you can do as much as you want or as little, it is very controllable.

If you keep your pencil sharp, you could add dots of rust here and there and then use window cleaner with a small paintbrush to draw a streak of rust downward. You can get into all of the nooks and add color and highlight areas. If I were going to weather a loco, I would do it very sparingly with multiple passes until I have built up my color. But experiment with a cheap boxcar first, develop a style, if you don’t like it, erase it and start over. Have fun with it.

What a great idea and useful to modellers in all scales. You can bet I'll give this a try.

Roy

Great idea. Looks as if it would give you a great deal more control. Gotta' try this.

This was a perfect article:  scale free, independent of car type, a new technique, and does not need a garage full of power tools to use. 

I enjoyed the freedom of not mixing paints, getting out the air-brush, and cleaning up afterward.  I was happy to have a couple of new cars to try it on and thought I would share the results - not award winning but quick, easy, and, on my layout, good enough.

Thanks to Bill Beverly for an excellent presentation and thanks to MRH for sharing.

No lettering yet - I don't have the decals or transfers - it's a Southern Pacific car.

Art

Thanks for the compliment Art. This is what MRH is all about, sharing different techniques. I try to use methods that are non-toxic, and can be used at the dinning room table without a mess.

Your cars look great, keep up the good work.

Bill Beverly

They look good, Art. Will be watching for pictures of the finished cars once you get the decals.

Roy

Very good article.  Helpful.  Very much appreciated.

This is one of the best artcles I have seen in a long time.  The watercolor pencils are something new that I have not seen in the MRR press before.   Looking forward to using this idea.

John