Saturday, January 9, 2016

"Once it was Crayolas... Now, it's all PanPastels."

I guess one of the beauties of having an adult hobby is the opportunity for loved ones to supplement the obligatory holiday gifts of socks, ties and underwear with something that still makes us feel like a kid on Christmas morning. But as I comprised a wish list for my wife and daughter, several ironies did dawn on me.

PanPastels topped my list so that I could begin to weather the roster I have been compiling, but it made me question just how far I had really come in 50+ years. Back then, Crayola Crayons were the ticket for all things coloring... book reports, posters, banners, etc. Had I simply exchanged one iconic product for a future one? No matter, at least now I knew that it was actually advisable to wander outside of the lines... and that Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna now had a rather important place in the color palate very near the head of a mature class.

Santa delivered the two primary sets of muted colors... the very same colors that were often left with hardly-worn near-perfect points in the old Crayola box. The wide choice of sponges should assure that I will deliberate far too long over which is best for any given application.

Tony Koester presented an article in the November 2013 Model Railroader on quick and competent weathering for large rosters specifically using this product. The author, editor and lifetime veteran of our hobby essentially advised that anyone could do this... which is probably easy for an author, editor and lifetime veteran of the hobby to say! But as far as I know, no one has ever confused with me Tony. Hmmm, should I remain skeptical?
But 'rock star' and former blogger Ralph Heiss of the Lehigh Valley Harbor Terminal Railway presented a clinic on this very topic to the Garden State Division almost two years ago. The theme? "If I can do it, then anyone can." OK Ralphie boy. Then I'm in.

I look forward to experimenting on some really old, toy-like Tyco boxcars and the like. But I would love to hear from any other blogger who may have posted about this, or any reader who may be able to provide a link or interesting tidbits about their own experience using PanPastels. Please add your own two cents in the comments section below. Thanks and happy coloring!

UPDATE: January 16, 2016 
Click for WEATHERING TUTORIAL from Ralph Renzetti of Railroad Lines Forum.
Click for WEATHERING POST and other links from Chris Ellis of the Adena Railroad blog.
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   BONUS:  JUST  ONE  MORE  THING  BEFORE  WE  GO...  
 
As kids, we all knew that getting the Crayola 64 pack was like hitting the mother lode. Hallmark has cleverly marketed Christmas tree ornaments that tap into such nostalgia. My wife just had to have it!
 


10 comments:

  1. One of my boys, both still in elementary school, got an ACTUAL 64-pack of Crayola crayons this year. I have yet to delve into the world of pastels, pan or otherwise. Looking forward to your weathering efforts, and other modeling adventures, in the new year.

    Galen

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    1. Hi Galen... hope you've been well... I'll bet your son has no idea what a big deal the 64 pack was back in the day.. and as far as you looking forward to my modeling adventures this year, that makes two of us! - JF

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  2. I also received the same two sets of PanPastels for Christmas! I started to practice on a hopper but then I read hitting your model with a flat finish first gives the product more tooth to adhere to. I hope to post about my experiences with the medium and look forward to seeing yours as well.

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    1. Hey Chris... been following the Adena regularly... the big question I have, is your little helper going to get a crack at those PanPastels?... and was that advice about the flat overspray found on the package instructions that you read after you started?... (that's how I ususally do things) - JF

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    2. Yes, he has a GN boxcar to finish up and the Pan Pastels come at a perfect time for his project. Yep retty much, read the directions after starting, and I had even read Tony's article a few times! Oh well.

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    3. Also thanks for the link to the fantastic tutorial on Railroad-line.com!

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  3. Nicely written - and congrats on your acquisition! :) I, too, look forward to following the trail you will be blazing...

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    1. Hello there, Chris... I doubt I'll be blazing any trails... probably more like limping along... but I am growing increasingly interested in this aspect of the hobby and do want to really fool around with different techniques and materials... there is some amazing stuff out there in this area - JF

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  4. Hi Jim,
    I looked at all those "art supply" sponges and things - and my first thought was that you should pop into a wholesale beauty supply centre (here in the UK we have a few high street chains that sell all kinds of interesting bits) and take a walk around.

    I suspect you will find industrial quantities of the sponges cheaper than your art supply versions - plus I think you may stumble across a number of women's doodads that could be re-purposed for more manly pursuits like model railways.

    Malc

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    1. Hey Malc... welcome to the OML!... you're right about those beauty shops... some of my buddies have bought big quantities that way... of course, those savings often come with some funny looks!... BTW, since you are in the UK, do you have a particular EPL team that you fancy? - JF

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