Commission: You dirty rat…

After several weeks of larger or more involved commissions it has been a wonderful balm to return to something lighter, bringing a number of OO gauge ready to run models to life…

This Bachmann model is destined for Leatown. She arrived having been re-numbered by my customer who asked for nothing too specific or cliché in her finish, just lived in. This can be a tricky effect to pull off, especially with BR blue but over the years I’ve honed an approach which allows a more gentle building up of the finish and is easier to control. A combination of washes, micro painting, airbrushing and dry brushing all sounds straightforward - even better with just a few common shades largely underlined by Humbrol 33 (Matt black) and 98 (Matt chocolate), this means a coherence across the model and as importantly, a knowledge that she will sit well with my customers layout and previous commissions.

Often it’s the little touches that really lift the finish though - this is the very subtle drybrushed Humbrol 53 (gunmetal) and dirty buffers (Matt black Posca paint pen over Humbrol 98). The home made washes give great control too, check out the tonal variation in the underframe, the accentuated light and dark, increasing the perception of depth. Up top more of the same, but finished with the airbrush around the exhaust, layered on top of washes this gives a real depth in a different way.

Little touches like rust in the cab front seams and chipped handrails are examples of micro painting, carefully observed but artistically applied. All of these techniques combine through my hand to give a work worn, loved in but not decrepit finish. Subtle yet realistic, hopefully with a sense of the deep affection I hold for the prototype. 

If you’d like me to work with you to bring your models to life then get in touch via the contact form, email (via Facebook) or one of the forum messaging systems if you know me on there. Still taking commissions, weathering turn around time is always much shorter than more involved larger builds. I look forward to hearing from you but in the meantime more soon…

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