Details: Written by Josh Baakko; Category: Weathering Hints, Tips, and How-To; Published: 04 September 2020; Hits: 1338

Getting That Faded Look (Version 1)

Simple, yet tough, right? Here's how I did it, 3 times now... Fading those trains!

So, in the past I had played with fading a few boxcars. Here's a quicky on how I do it.

First I collect the items needed:

White, or off white paint, I use Antique White, from Apple Barrel Colors, available in the craft section of Wal*mart. Its a water based artists paint...
Windex! Yes, Windex thins better then water
Airbrush, pick your favorite
Equipment to be faded
Masking material (optional)
Rubber cement, to mask small spots (optional)

I mix the paint about 70% Windex to 30% paint, or in that range. Make sure to do some test sprays, as sometimes it can be watery. I found that Antique white works the best as its a little more creamy looking, and just simply looks better when thinned & sprayed over.

Spray in quick, light coats, as its easier to build up, then to tear off. However, some careful rubbing, will remove the paint, so if its too thick in one spot, rub it a bit. My current project involves some careful peeling/fading. There's patches of faded paint, and patches that are not faded. To do this I'm masking areas off, to keep them from being faded, with rubber cement & tape.

In the end, fading is a trial and error project, but remember to start out light with an off white!