Floquil Weathering Leaflet

I found a leaflet in a set of Floquil’s weathering paints. This kit was part of their Railroad Colors line. Floquil has since discontinued this line of products, however alternatives can be found through the use of this resource by Microscale (PDF).

The set included several colors that allowed one to apply weathering to model trains and structures. The kit included six small jars of: rust, dirt, dust, mud, oily black, and grimy black.

The leaflet covered two aspects of weathering. I will summarize and will break the material down into three categories.

Fading

Fading should be applied at the time of painting the base coat . To simulate ageing Floquil suggests adding between 30 and 40% white to the base color.

Dust, Mud, and Grime Deposits

These effects are added after the base coat has been applied. These effects are best applied through the use of a wash and should be applied in a non-uniform method starting with the surfaces pointing up. This is where these deposits would typically collect and would be washed down by rain and snow.

Rust

Rust has no definite outline or color. Colors that can be used to represent rust can be from a bright orange to a deep brown. These variations of color can be found in the same area.

Doing Some Study of Your Own

I recommend doing some of your own observations while on your next outing. Carry a small notebook and keep notes of noticeable weathering effects on all types of objects. What colors are they? How were they viewed; were streaked, blotched, uniform or random?  Better yet take a camera and take a few pictures of these occurrences and jot down the simulated affects you want to convey.