Weathering with Tim Shackleton

Successful, believable weathering is at least 85% about observation; technique and equipment used play a very small part in the equation. Tim Shackleton, editor of Model Railway Journal, has been weathering models for more than 40 years and has refined his methods down to a fine art which he describes as doing ‘the minimum amount of work necessary to achieve the maximum effectiveness’.

This hands-on course is designed to teach the basics of making your models look more realistic. It begins with an introductory talk and then moves on to look at images of weathering in the real world, and how these effects can be translated into model form.

Tim will then airbrush-weather a model ‘before your very eyes’ before setting you off on projects of your own. It can be a locomotive, an item of rolling stock or anything you care to bring along, in whatever scale you model in. At intervals we will pause for group discussion of what we are trying to achieve, and share our thoughts on our projects.

On the second day, once the initial coats of paint have had time to harden, we will move on to more advanced weathering techniques using powders and hand-applied paints and varnishes. If time permits we will begin work on fresh projects using the methods we have learned over the weekend – be sure to bring along a few models so you have something to work with at all times, as well as photographs showing the prototype in the kind of condition in which you would like to depict them.