Scattergun Distractions - Gadzooks, I appear to have gone normal

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

Distractions - bodies

... here they are again after a pre primer thin coat of PVA

Does that help the paint to adhere? I'd not heard of that method before - sounds useful though, as many US HO locos now have plastic handrails, molded in the body colour, but a devil to get paint to stick to, especially if you want to repaint the loco a different colour.... ... guess how I know.... :-[

 

[Neil]

Distractions - bodies

The received wisdom is that the PVA helps the further paint layers stick and stops them flaking off at some time in the future. There's some debate over whether to use dilute or full strength PVA; I found that the dilute didn't cover properly so went full strength. The trick is to brush a thick coat all over then wait till it starts to dry. The areas where it's naturally thinned out (the raised bits) start to turn clear, this is the cue to get a clean but dry brush and start to brush off the still thicker areas of glue that have pooled in the crevices. When the glue first is splodged on it looks like you've ruined the figures, once it's brushed off the detail reappears. Magic.

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

Distractions - bodies

Thanks for that tip! I've found that Etch Primer sticks better to this sort of plastic than ordinary primers, but it can still be scratched off if you're not careful 

 

[Ressaldar]

Distractions - bodies

a goodly tip there Neil, thanks for sharing it.

cheers

Mike

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Distractions - bodies

I must admit that I do enjoy spending time detailing figures and altering them to fit certain positions etc. I can not add anything with regards to plastic figures, having only dealt with white metal. With this metal I have found it best to dip the figure in a chemical blackner and them a spray of primer before painting.
The figure in the attached pic has been converted from one of Border Miniatures BR crew. He is meant to be retired ex Para's (still wears his beret) as some of these old boys sometimes do.

Col. 

 

[Neil]

Distractions - bodies

That's a lovely quarry Hunslet, I could be quite envious of that.

 

[7mmMick]

Distractions - bodies

He is meant to be retired ex Para's (still wears his beret) as some of these old boys sometimes do.

Col. 

But does he have his 'wings' tatooed on his right upper arm ?? Lovely work Col 

 

[marsa69]

Distractions - bodies

Lovely model 

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Distractions - bodies

"But does he have his 'wings' tatooed on his right upper arm ??"

Yes, and "Mum & Dad" on his left
I should have given him a sand coloured beret and flaming dagger tatoo, if you know what I mean 8)

Col.     

 

[iploffy]

Distractions - bodies

Is it just me but does he look like an effeminate Frank Spencer "Get off the cat other wise i will cry"

Ian

 

[Neil]

Distractions - bodies

Here's the first body fresh from the paint shop. I couldn't resist the Railway children pose.



There's nothing fancy about the work, I just tried to be as neat as possible, though the basic colours were a touch on the light side as the final layer was a wash of thin charcoal grey (most of which was then removed with a clean brush) to bring out the shadows.

 

[phileakins]

Distractions - bodies

Is it just me but does he look like an effeminate Frank Spencer "Get off the cat other wise i will cry"

Ian

I can hear it now - "the cat's done a woopsie in my beret ....."    Classic!

Phil

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Distractions - bodies

Neil,
Do you have any reference for colours to use for this period of clothing?, some times it can be difficult, I once had to paint some Edwardian crew and it took a bit of research.
Your figures look very good indeed 

Col

 

[Neil]

Distractions - bodies

Neil,
Do you have any reference for colours to use for this period of clothing?, some times it can be difficult, I once had to paint some Edwardian crew and it took a bit of research.
Your figures look very good indeed 

Col

Perhaps I shouldn't have done this but I looked to the world of film and television. Originally I'd thought of a straight lift from the Railway Children, but worried that the visuals of filming my have trumped historical accuracy. I was also unsure of exactly when the film was supposedly set. In the end I took my cues from the BBC series Snowdonia 1890 which very helpfully managed to be spot on for era and locale. I believe that great pains were taken to make sure that matters were as true as possible to time and place even if events were somewhat condensed to ensure an interesting narrative.

 

[Neil]

Distractions - Leesen carefullee, I weell only say zis wurnce

Buckle up for another wild ricochet. Bored and browsing I found this old blog by Ian Holmes, and was drawn to the simplicity of his scheme. It set me thinking of my long on talk, little progress French project. Last night I got out some bits and bobs and pointed the paintbrushes at them. First up a rather pleasant Transfessa wagon that I picked up for a couple of quid at Machynlleth market.



All I've done so far is to mix black, cream and rust into an underframe gunk colour and splodge it on the under parts and the lower body side. I left it for a couple of minutes to start setting, then got out a clean brush and thinners and started to clean it off the body side. If the body is held upside down, the dirty thinners runs over the upper body side and tones everything down. If one doesn't clean all the way down to the solebar it's possible to get a graded effect. I rather like this, and it's only taken five minutes so far. I've also pulled off the couplings in preparation for three links. They'll take more than five minutes to do because of the unusual metal ends to the underframe.

Whilst in a continental mood I also exhumed the SNCF shunter and painted rough cream stripes where the yellow banding will eventually be.

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

Distractions - Leesen carefullee, I weell only say zis wurnce

...Bored and browsing I found this old blog by Ian Holmes, and was drawn to the simplicity of his scheme. ...

I'd lost track of that - thanks!! I was drawn to that little layout, not least because there was a Soo Line boxcar on it... (I know ... little things, little minds... : :-[ )
Ian Holmes has been watching my Schiller Point layout on the Other Side, and says it has given him an idea... what goes around, etc..!! ;D

I like the weathering on your Ferry Van - I find subtle weathering SO hard to do!!

 

[Neil]

Distractions - the frog and other critters

Bit more progress to report, here's the Jouef shunter with more paint on it ....



.... and yet another wild tangent.



The base is 11" in diameter; at the moment I can neither confirm nor deny whether this is significant or not.

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

Distractions - the frog and other critters

... and yet another wild tangent.

[attachimg=2]

The base is 11" in diameter; at the moment I can neither confirm nor deny whether this is significant or not.

Does it tell the time..??   8)

 

[28ten]

Distractions - the frog and other critters

Does it tell the time..??   8)

Better still, if the motorised base rotated and the stock was static 

 

[40126]

Distractions - the frog and other critters

Better still, if the motorised base rotated and the stock was static 

Steve