The Scale Model Painting Crisis | Boomer Diorama ~ # 230

Have you ever experience a painting crisis as an advanced modeler?
KZbin Audio Library Music
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[@RichsModelingTrains]

Do you show to get the oxidation with ipa in your previous videos

[@boomerdiorama]

I have and it is fairly easy to do, although, the pattern is unpredictable. I guess I could show it again down the road. Basically what you do is take a particular color you normally weather with like white, grey, burnt umber and thin it down to a ratio of 95% IPA to the 5% Color you choose. Then, spray the whole car down really wet, and then stop the paint and just let the air flow over the car. As the high pressure air evaporated the IPA, the color oxidizes. With practice you can achieve stunning results on any subject you choose to paint. You need fairly high P.S.I. (40 - 60) to make it work. It can produce stunning result that are virtually impossible to do without an airbrush. On the other hand, it can go south on you. But you can save it by power-washing the car with straight IPA until it cleans up some. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@bobhastings6464]

Hi Boomer Another good video. I am also working on a tank car that got destroyed by a bad application of Dullcote somehow. But on another subject, I have quite a few successful projects lately that I thought would be disasters due to paint spills or sloppy ( so I thought) weathering , but when every thing dried I loved the results. A fact that you have said many time. Some times accidents are good! Cheers Boomer Bob

[@cardboardboxification]

my little trick to weathering , is I keep two cleaning jars for paint brush and air brush jar, isopropyl , one for light color paints ,and one for dark color paints, and on a dark tank car I will spray the light color cleaning jar across the top of the tank car , and if it is a white tank car spray the dark color cleaning jar across the top

[@bigislandrailcorp7278]

Wow your music at the beginning gave me serious Canned Heat flashbacks!!!!😂✌️On the Road Again!

[@boomerdiorama]

😁

[@ianisaacs2340]

My painting crisis came from not taking to heart how incredibly thin the paint needed to be. So my fade coat nearly repainted the car. NOW I TAKE EVERY LETTER OF YOUR ADVICE TO HEART.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thin paint methodology seems foreign to some because it takes awhile to produce the desired effect . . . but that is how it was done by the great painters of the classical period on canvas, so why not on a model? Cheers.

[@ducatisti]

Ugh. Those frustrating yet magic moments where it's all perfect but you don't know why or how to replicate it! I am in awe of creators like you and also Night Shift who are able to create a complex and consistent look throughout a build.

[@boomerdiorama]

You can do it!

[@Madonsteamrailways]

Doing the same thing over and over again is really the way to practice!! The more you practice, the nearer perfect you get!! PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!!!!

[@boomerdiorama]

. . . yes . . . and then we welcome mistakes because perfection becomes redundant . . . lol.

[@DRCRailroard]

Thanks, Boomer, for the observations. The only painting crisis I've had so far is when I run out of paint, but then again, I haven't weathered a train car yet. I have weathered all of my structures successfully the first time around without any adverse consequences so far. I guess it must be a testament to how good of teachers there are like yourself we all have to draw from. I discovered one can't mess up as long as we don't run out of paint. Paint literally covers all mistakes. Never fear as more paint is here. If you haven't achieved the results you're after, then you're just not done painting it, and it just needs another coat😊.

[@boomerdiorama]

"Paint literally covers all mistakes. Never fear as more paint is here" - you summed up my paint philosophy. ;-) Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@4everdc302]

For me. If im weathering. I hit it hard🖌🎨The CASO in the 70s, with PennCentral&the rainbow era with all the fallen flags😮 Everything was tough. Locos,rolling stock&track. Great work, Boomer🚂🇨🇦

[@boomerdiorama]

I like that. 😉 One of the reasons why I chose to model a short line was because of the older equipment they still use, including restored EMD's from the seventies still running in 2024! 😉👍

[@adamstein5773]

That is so funny about the matte coat, I was going to ask you if it should be done after wet on wet. Now I know.

[@boomerdiorama]

I don't always use "matte" finish coats. Especially if the colors are dead flat anyway. Of course it is a good practice but has it's risks as well. It helps if you handle the car alot to protect the finish.

[@205004gs]

Awesome tutorial and I’ve had some of those same experiences where some cars are best with minimum weathering lol. Your CP box is one of your best as well as the Solid Cold reefer from Glover Road! Cheers sir and Lady Dusty! 😃

[@boomerdiorama]

Oh yeah . . . I forgot about that one. The solid cold was a combination of Acrylic washes and oils. 😉

[@tonyvaughan7398]

I have to keep notes on paint brands and colours and also the techniques I used for a model or layout construction so subsequent models for my railway have similar finishes. I have a ring binder with A4 paper in and dedicate a page to each structure, wiring diagram, etc, so I can refer back if I need to.

[@boomerdiorama]

That's a great idea!

[@dan8402]

I love the smaller white tank car. Not overly weathered, but it is used, and well maintained.

[@boomerdiorama]

Yeah. I still need to patch out the chlorine indicating marks. ;-)

[@johnnytoronto1066]

Hold a weathering party. Gets you great variety.

[@boomerdiorama]

Lol . . . bound to find a stride or two for sure. ;-)

[@randygates364]

Years ago I owned a body shop. The VW bug was a very difficult car to paint. It was like trying to get an even coat on a basketball. Guess the same applies to tanker cars! Thanks for another excellent video!

[@boomerdiorama]

Great point!

[@mikerubynfs]

I don't flat coat any of mine or spray weathering. Takes longer but I feel makes them more individual as I'll never quite make the same effect, even if I try. I'm getting there with tank cars, weathering from the top down, washing down past the mid point and carrying some to the bottom. In some ways they are easier than box cars as there are few surfaces for dirt to settle on and often little rust, which are the two things I find take the longest (can spend ages adding layers of rust!).

[@boomerdiorama]

The problem with tank cars is they simply do not look good weathered most of the time due to how the light reflects off them.

[@vincenthuying98]

Dear Boomer, such a great vid. Definitely know the feeling of a painting crisis. Especially the one you’ve pointed out, with the flat coat biting away at all the efforts put into it. That’s where I realize all the more that not all advice on this platform is always helpful. Adding to what you’ve said and frequently say, painting is experimenting, a constant learning curve, a trial and error process and a very personal experience. That last one because it’s important to train and develop, of course the skills, but maybe even more importantly the own handwriting, which eventually will lead to one’s own style. Nevertheless the handwriting always comes before style. Love those boxcars, cool to see how that older Atlas tank car stands out next to the newer ones. Beautiful detail of the replaced air hoses! Cheerio

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for sharing Vincent. I always appreciate your encouraging words. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@PeterTillman3]

Thx Boomer. I haven’t tried weathering any cars or locomotives yet but that is fast approaching!

[@boomerdiorama]

No worries!

[@w.rustylane5650]

Sometimes I get on a painting frenzy but mostly when I work on a model I'm doing the same thing to each model like changing wheels or replacing couplers. While working on a model I try to do everything that needs doing and go down the line like an assembly line including weathering. Lately I've been working on scratch building structures for both HO and O scales. I'm finally learning the art of dry brushing and it's working out quite well. Even my wife commented on it. Cheers from eastern TN

[@boomerdiorama]

Yes. The dry brushing method is an essential skill. Sounds awesome!

[@herrkiwi3110]

I totally agree, tankers (tank cars) are probably the hardest due to there shape/construction. Your words resonate sometimes (some of my best results have been mistakes) when things don't always go to plan. But everything is usually fixable and if not I can honestly say after watching thousands of railway video's on KZbin that NOTHING in the real railway world is perfect and JUST ABOUT ANYTHING goes. I have seen real world freight cars that if you weathered them identical to there photo people would probably never believe that car/wagon existed. I love this part of the hobby it really adds a "art factor" that anti-model train people can appreciate. If you apply weathering powders/pigments and then lightly spray them with IPA through the airbrush it can produce stunning effects. The flat coat can come into play to reduce the weathering effect at times if you over do it. Cheers.

[@boomerdiorama]

Sounds like excellent advice. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@brianrooney2970]

Been an auto/mc painter for a looong time, do a lot of color matching to vintage/patina parts. You hit on a number of excellent points,ie. layering, patience, experimentation, frustration and not giving up. I can't agree with you more how the same process sometimes finds a mind of its own, but isnt always a failure. 'Paint til ya Faint'..........

[@boomerdiorama]

I pretty much fainted first and then painted on this one . . . lol. I refused to give up. In the end it did turn out well. Has to be an easier way though ;-) . . . just kidding. ;-) Excellence never comes easy as they say. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@brianrooney2970]

@@boomerdiorama lol, so true

[@michaelimpey1407]

Boomer, great video and advice on painting, and crisis in your painting. I have had some really bad experiences with flat coating, where all my work is gone, and Not Happy. I now don't flat coat, and leave it as it is, if I have used a pastel or a pigment, I use a bit of odorless thinner to fix it, and that appears to work, and not rub off. The advice on using super thinned coats has been the best I have followed. Thank you for sharing. Cheers, and stay safe, Michael

[@boomerdiorama]

Flat coating is always a gamble when we use mixed media.🤣

[@harperlarry49]

My weakness is painting & weathering rolling stock. I begin to think I have a good set of techniques that work on one car, but totally fail on the next one. The only thing that is consistent for me is using the powders last, no matter what. Thanks for sharing this. Glad to know I'm not the only one scratching head at times. Cheers - Larry.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for sharing Larry. Keep having fun and experimenting like we all do. Cheers!

[@PostmoderneModelWorks]

I don’t flat coat any of my cars because weathering in the real world is never ending. I remember you talking about lining up a bunch of commission pieces and spraying them all down with ipa, so now when I clean my airbrush I just line up all my box cars and give them another layer of weathering. Tank cars are a challenge because they have a matte fuzzy brownish-grey-black tone but the lettering is always bright and crisp. Still haven’t gotten that trick down, but I’m not giving up because the genesis tankers are my favorites.

[@boomerdiorama]

I managed to save this car and it looks great (as you describe) now. Should be seen in some future videos.

[@benoitevellin8796]

I have a car from the same series as your CP 218311, with the very same livery, and I have the same reflecting issues even if I used a mat varnish on it as a final coat. My catch there is that I didn't used a flat paint to tune off the red color. Hence, everything remained satin. The strange thing is that my car is N scale. :D

[@boomerdiorama]

They all can vary for sure.

[@HartfordWhaler]

Great tips, thanks! I like your philosophy of the simplest approach being the best approach.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for watching!

[@georgewood463]

We also have cats and oddly enough no mice. Thanks for another instructive video.

[@boomerdiorama]

Lol . . . you have "wise" cats who do their job . . . lol.

[@canoeingnav7618]

Another great video Boomer. I will take your advice to heart when I start my weathering adventures.

[@boomerdiorama]

Fail forward. I always do and good always comes . . . eventually. ;-)

[@schadowolf]

Another great video and instructional information!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@FarlandHowe]

😂😂 Yes, I do get it. I wonder if flat coating the top of a few tank cars like they’re not really that old but have seen a lot of sun on the top would be interesting. Rob

[@boomerdiorama]

Sounds like a great idea.

[@jimjohnston7688]

When I first got back into the hobby Floquil and Scalecoat were the go to paints for model railroading. I have never found anything that is as flat as Floquil flat glaze. I’ve had to relearn so many techniques. I have had some success with Krylon flat followed by a very thin wash of cheap craft paint mixed with water then cut even more with 70% IPA. But oh “brother” light coats and dry between coats ( I use a cheap blow dryer). I’ve just about completely switched from chalks to pan pastels. No dull coat after. Let it sit for a few days and it should set. Really enjoy sharing ideas and techniques.

[@boomerdiorama]

It's quite a game for sure. ;-)

[@jimjohnston7688]

@@boomerdiorama The one thing I can say is it’s really difficult to know when to say FINISHED. There is such a fine line between “hey this looks pretty darn good” and “ oh oh what did I just do”.😩

[@frankkie3849]

Nicely done,,thanks for sharing..😊

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@zedman6516]

Lol! Nice to see that it's a common phenomenon Boomer, I go through the same thing too sometimes... it becomes a "Train Wreck". Sometimes you have to skip the dulcoat to keep certain affects, totally agree. Keep up the good fight Boomer.. we've lost alot of good men out there! Cheers!

[@boomerdiorama]

O.K. Thank you!

[@johnbanicki7232]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for watching!

[@Analogbeatmaker]

I made a comment on this video in genuine hopes of helping you with the weathering issue(s) you have. You are an amazing modeler and I enjoy your content greatly. For some reason my comment was refused. I just wanted to share knowledge (that helped me tremendously) to you and others.

[@boomerdiorama]

Wow, thank you! I have no control over the KZbin Algorithm. Some comments never make it through and I have no clue why. Sorry about that. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@Analogbeatmaker]

I totally understand. Well, if you care to, Google "The Weathering Shop" and create a username/password for it's forum "The Rustbucket". It's free and there are many tutorials in "The Bucket" section. Plus, a lot of great eye candy from some of the best weathering artists. I know you'd enjoy it and employ some of the techniques. Cheers!

[@DK-nv9zu]

Found out the hard way that flat coat can "disappear" some weathering. Live and learn!

[@boomerdiorama]

Yes indeed! It doesn't if you use "opaque" paint though.

[@ainsleyperry5192]

Boomer, I feel the frustration from here being someone who spends most day's in crisis. I've re-introduced myself to the 1st video's of "River Road". I saw in one video, photo's of large flat barges with tall cranes on top. Do you know what they were being used for and will you be making a model for when the ferry has'nt arrived? I'd say they used the Tug Boat to move them around. Cheers, Chris Perry.

[@boomerdiorama]

They may have been "Boom" barges. They use those for pile driving into the river bed for moorages on the Fraser River.

[@allenlandis4504]

sometimes nature isn't perfect and the weathering on cars varies a lot

[@boomerdiorama]

That's a good point to remember. ;-)

[@kba3039]

Look at the weather and see what the temp and humidity is?

[@boomerdiorama]

Very good point which I did not think of. Thanks for sharing that. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@usssaratogacv3lefevre978]

Looks pretty good to me.

[@boomerdiorama]

The glossy blemishes don't show well on camera, but I did manage to fix them later. ;-)

[@stevek4153]

Ah, so it’s not just me…. Thanks for posting.

[@boomerdiorama]

We all go through it. ;-)

[@davidjulin1919]

Love you, but what are you going to do about the overpast and the next part...

[@boomerdiorama]

It's waiting for me like you . . . lol. I'm not touching it until I am settled with the first sections and I'm getting close but there is no way I am jumping ahead of myself. Jumping ahead almost always leads to loss of momentum and burn-out. I'm sticking to the plan of the unfolding story. I know and accept my limitations. ;-) Find your style, be disciplined, and stick to it, otherwise you will never finish it. I actually finish my layouts because I often sell them. I have already started some of the details and the planning for past the overpass. When it comes (and it will soon enough) you will know about it. ;-) Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@Vman7757]

Thank you for sharing. I am having a painting crisis. I'm weathering a HO SP GP40-2. As you know I'm N scale modeler. I do very few HO Locomotives. I have a photo to work with. But I just can't get in the saddle and finish it. I doing this for a friend. Past attempts have just not worked out for me. Any suggestions?

[@boomerdiorama]

Strip it down some and start again . . . or repaint it.

[@Vman7757]

Strip it down I guess. Thanks.

[@thomasclavinjr.3817]

I’m doing pretty good Boomer. How are you doing? :)

[@boomerdiorama]

Fantastic!😉👍

[@kamiltaylanavci9271]

Hello , how are you? I'm wondering, do you make sponsorship agreements with brands on your KZbin channel? For example, does a 3D printer manufacturer want you to send a 3D printer to you and promote it, or to make prints with a 3D printer and show this device on your channel? How many thousands of subscribers should a KZbin channel have in order to make sponsorship agreements with brands? How many dollars or euros does your KZbin channel earn from ads per 1000 views?

[@boomerdiorama]

Sponsorships are up to the KZbin channel content creator. I have no sponsors presently. There is a disclaimer under (more) below the video. I show the products I purchase myself to benefit the subscribers and receive no sponsors or donations from the product manufacturer I presently use. If I do a product review from a manufacturer, or company, because they donate the item, I check the box and KZbin is notified by an indicating "water" mark in the top corner of the video. If I receive a gift that is relevant to the content I notify KZbin by checking the appropriate box before publication. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@ronaldvanpinxteren3644]

Hi Boomer, what did you use for flat coat? Cheers Ronald

[@boomerdiorama]

I think it was Vallejo Spray Can.

[@RonStanek]

Boomer....when you paint...like...airbrushing or reg. brush. Do you use butcher paper on your paint bench, to have a "quick clean" table surface. Like they do in some Chinese restaurants I've been in. I know...need more paint on the model, than on the table. Just a thought. Cheers! & as they say in Mexico.....Ánimo!

[@boomerdiorama]

I do at times roll out brown paper to cover up tools, etc. to jump into paint quick.

[@daviddiehl-gy2sq]

Still have Floquil paints. Replacements from China.

[@boomerdiorama]

I prefer Tamiya. Arguably the best acrylic paint on the market right now for all modelers. Having said that, you should stick with the paint you have confidence with. ;-)

[@daviddiehl-gy2sq]

@@boomerdiorama most of the water based are too thick.

[@user-tr3py5nz2j]

Not criticizing your aesthetics, but I don’t really like weathering my cars too much, certainly not excessively by any means. I hate the vandalized cars in real life with their graffiti paintings and graffiti railcars look no better in miniature. Like they say, “to each their own.”

[@boomerdiorama]

I only put graffiti on one side if I do. It's called modeling historical reality. Does not bother me one bit. Cheers