How to weather with powdered pastels: Powdered pastels have long been a popular choice for weathering locomotives, freight cars, and buildings. There are several firms that offer ready-to- use weathering powders, or you can make your own by scraping pastel sticks with a hobby knife.
I started work on this N scale Micro-Trains boxcar by spraying the entire car with Model Master Luster- less Flat. The flat finish gives the pastels a bit of tooth to bind into.
After the flat finished dried, I began applying MIG Productions Cargo Dust to the weld seams. My hands aren’t steady enough to apply the pigment in a straight line, so I used Post-it notes to mask the seams.
When I removed the masks, I found the pastels made the weld seams look too thick. I corrected this by wiping off some of the pastels with a damp cotton swab. I pulled the cotton swab straight down from top to bottom until the streak was more subtle.
After I finished all of the weld seams, I sprayed the car with another coat of Lusterless Flat. To simulated faded lettering, I used a Microbrush to apply PanPastel Titanium White artists’ pastels to the bottom of the Burlington lettering. Then, using a Sofft flat sponge bar applicator, I pulled the pastels straight down so the lettering looks chalked and streaked.
I weathered the truck springs with PanPastel Burnt Sienna. I used the same firm’s Raw Umber and a Sofft applicator to weather the car roof and ends.
