Coloring edges?

[Don Boose]

Alan Wheeler gets superb results with Caran d'Ache Neocolor water-soluble wax pastels. I hope he will weigh in on this thread to explain exactly how he uses them.

Mike Krol mentions the gray No. 232 Fabel-Castell Pitt artist pen . This is an excellent edge shade for all faded earth tones, such as olive drab and khaki, as well as gray.

Don

[wb4jjj]

As Don says, I use Neocolor II wax crayons. They are unique in that the wax is water soluble, so after you rub the color on the edge you can use a small brush with water to even out the color.

Also, you can sharpen these in a pencil sharpener (use the primitive type tht artists use, the kind with a razor blade. The very sharp point can be used to color uncolored edges that show in a finished model.

And, The wax is soft enough that you can use it to fill in tiny gaps in places.
The colors mix well to create the odd shades you see on paper models. Just color the edges with both colors and use your fingertip to blend.

The wax is matte in finish and can be used to cover glue spots.

The downside is that the crayons here in the US are pricey (made in Switzerland) and found only at artists supply stores.

Alan

[Art Deco]

This topic is always interesting because there is such variation among modelers.

I started out with watercolor pencils, then went to cheap watercolor paints (from tubes) ... and never went back. I love the perfect color match, the control you get with a brush (inside corners are easy!), the simple clean-up. While I'm painting edges, I also touch up minor scuffs or scratches on the printed surface of the card - I found pencils very clumsy and ineffective for that task.

Most of the time I use thin, somewhat transparent paint. Instead of "rubbing" the paint off the brush onto the paper, the paint flows smoothly into the paper upon contact. No visible layer of paint is left on the surface. The effect is more like staining than painting. Since the paint is more transparent, if I accidentally overlap a printed area, it's not very visible. Despite using "watery" paint, I never have problems with paper warping. Then again, I usually work with 200gsm paper, perhaps it can safely absorb more water than lighter card.

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the fast response, Alan. And for the additional info on watercolor technique, Art. The material in this thread provides a good tutorial on edge coloring.

Don

[stone]

Ever tried mixing the exact colour in gouache or poster colour and applying it with q-tips ? Fine brush would work as well. When dry, colour is flat. If you dilute with acrylic medium or poster colourvarnish, you could even work-up a slight sheen if desired.
Serge