What Are They?
Weathering Pencils are 37 Special non-toxic water pencil colours. Weathering Pencils can be described as a type of greasepaint in a pencil, specifically designed for creating modelling effects. The specialized composition is formulated from a water-soluble, non-acrylic, semi-grease-based wax composite formed into highly pigmented colour and metallic cores encased in wood.
Weathering Pencils are easy to use, clean and ideal for those who want to introduce themself to modelling, and for more advanced modellers who can discover the unique properties creating different effects.
The Weathering Pencil 37 Colors represent the most common hues including metallics used in modelling.
How-To Use Weathering Pencils
Dry Applications
- Deep Chipping
- Surface Chipping
- Rubs/Scratches
- Highlight Edges
- Brushed Metal
- Panelling/Wooden Boards
AK Weathering Pencils work similarly to Artist Color Pencils to add scratches and chips to model surfaces. Dry pencil can be modified using a paintbrush or cotton swab etc to soften and blend marks.
Unlike permanent Artistic Pencils, AK Weathering Pencils are additive and subtractive. The Weathering Pencil marks can be removed using a normal eraser.
When using an eraser, best results are achieved using a white, non-abrasive technical drawing STAEDTLER MARS-PLASTIC 526 50 or MARS Plastic 528 Eraser with Holder.
💡Pro Tips: Application
- Apply over a matte surface to obtain the best results.
- For greater colour intensity, gently heat the pencil tip with a hairdryer.
- Oil paint and enamel washes using mineral spirits/white spirits or odourless thinner can be applied directly over dry Weathering Pencil effects.
- For optimal water-solubility and performance, use Distilled Water.
- Oil paint and enamel washes using mineral spirits/white spirits or odourless thinner can be applied directly over dry Weathering Pencil effects.
⚠️ Remember: Before applying water-soluble acrylics over Weathering Pencil effects, seal with a non-acrylic Varnish.
🛑 Important: Soaking the weathering pencil in water renders the pencil unusable because the wood swells. Wet the lead tip only by dipping it into the water briefly.
Wet Applications
- Streaking Effects
- Rust Effects
- Smoke & Grease Effects
- Lighting & Shading Surfaces
- Dust and Mud Accumulation
- Color Transitions
AK Weathering Pencils are water-soluble, dissolving in water for immediate use. The pencil lead dipped in water can be applied to create different effects. A paintbrush can also be used to manipulate the wet weathering pencil medium to create sophisticated effects.
Don’t like the results, remove the wet medium, use a damp paintbrush or wipe off using a damp paper towel. Once dry, the pencil lead can be removed using an eraser.
Change your mind and want to modify the effect? The dry weathering pencil reactivates with water providing it has not been sealed with a Varnish.
Advanced Weathering Pencil Use
Paint Palette
Weathering Pencil lead readily dissolves in a paint dish for paintbrush use. It is easily applied like paint and maintains all of the highly workable additive and subtractive benefits of this suburb modelling medium.
Wet Palette
Using the wetted pencil lead tip, gently apply medium to the wet palette membrane for continued use with a paintbrush. The weathering pencil performs like acrylic paint but with added advantages.
Create unique colour combinations with different weathering pencil dab pools. Perfect for creating blends and shadows.
The weathering pencil medium remains workable on a wet palette for extended periods, for days, and maybe weeks.
Check out our large selection of paint and wet palettes here.
How to Sharpen
Slowly rotate the weathering pencil while gently sharpening to avoid breaking the lead. A single-hole wedge sharpener for coloured pencils is recommended.
Always use a sharp blade and replace the sharpener or blade when dull. Depending on the sharpener brand, replacement blades are available.
💡 Pro Tip: Separate lead from wood shavings for use in your paint palette or wet palette. Perfect for brushwork.
Getting Started with AK Weathering Pencils for Modeling
Familiarize yourself with the Weathering Pencils using test pieces to learn how to utilize its amazing properties.
Synthetic and Sable Paintbrushes work well with weathering pencils. Weathering Pencil is perfect for Kolinski Sable fine detail brushes.
Whether you are new to this amazing hobby of modelling or figure painting, Weathering Pencils are indispensable for creating effects, dry or wet.
An exciting new world of possibilities awaits for weathering and detail effects.
Order yours from our selection of Weathering Pencil Sets, Single Weathering Pencils, or Deluxe Sets.
AK WEATHERING PENCIL TUTORIALS
Real-World Examples
White Winter Camouflage on Armour
Armor Markings and Unit Identification
Rust Effects: 1/35 200L Fuel Drums
⚠️ Remember: Before applying water-soluble acrylics over Weathering Pencil effects, seal with a non-acrylic Varnish.
💡 Pro Tip: Always test on an inconspicuous location to determine compatibility before application.
Benefits of Using Distilled Water
Does It Make A Difference?
The short answer is yes, distilled water makes a huge difference in the ease of use and outcome.
I use distilled water for my water-based acrylic paint and wondered if there is a difference between distilled compared to tap water when working with Weathering Pencils.
The test involves using normal tap water and distilled water, dipping the two separate pencils twice in their designated water sample, and then applying the pencils to the styrene.
Without question, distilled water outperformed tap water in every aspect from dissolving the pigment, to coverage and application.
Tap water, whether it is untreated, treated, softened or filtered, reverse osmosis or ozonated, does not compare to Distilled Water for many scientific reasons.
For the best results use distilled water with Weathering Pencils and water-based acrylic paints. Your sable brushes will rinse clean and remain soft, free of any mineral buildup.
💡 ProTip: Use Distilled Water for perfect wet performance. Tap water varies significantly from location to location. For scientific reasons, Distilled Water is the best solvent for use with weathering pencils and water-soluble acrylic paints.
Order Your Weathering Pencil Supplies: Singles, Sets, Full Sets
AK WEATHERING PENCIL SPECIAL SETS
METALLIC: EFFECTS SET
- Aluminum
- Gold
- Dark Aluminium
- Bronze
- Copper
With this special set of metallics, you can make incredible effects, imagine painting the machine guns, aluminum seen after chipping, and bronze or copper effects.
For any figure and almost all metals.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
DIRT & MARKS SET
- Dust / Rainmarks
- Concrete Marks
- Earth Brown
- Buff
- Streaking Dirt
With this set, you will be able to add effects like dust, grease, and combined many kinds of dirt. As well as painting marks on your model.
The pencils are an ideal weapon to combine with other products to achieve many desired effects and techniques.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
BASIC COLORS: SHADING & DEMOLITION SET
- Light Green
- Light Blue
- Red
- Yellow
- Aluminum
This set contains the main basic colours to be able to mix them and almost get any shading effect and weathering effects. All colours can be used in many different base colours to get different effects.
The set includes the Aluminum colour, perfect for aircraft and soft-skinned vehicles.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
GREY & BLUE: SHADING & EFFECTS SET
- Green Blue
- Dark Blue
- Light Blue
- Dark Grey
- Neutral Grey
With this set, you can enhance your model with proper shading for a grey or blue base like planes, Sci-fi, etc.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
RUST & STREAKING: EFFECTS SET
- Light Rust
- Medium Rust
- Dark Rust
- Strong Ochre
- Vivid Orange
With this set, you can achieve any rust effect on any model.
Mix the different tones to achieve more chromatic richness to produce more realism.
Perfect to use wet, allowing the modeller infinite combinations.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
BLACK & WHITE: SHADING & EFFECTS SET
- Black
- Rubber
- Smoke
- White
- Dirty White
With this set, you will be able to shade and highlight your models easily, giving them more contrast and volume.
It has also been developed for winter camouflages and dark effects.
A must-have.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
CHIPPING & AGING SET
- Light Chipping for Wood
- Dark Chipping for Wood
- Gun Metal (Graphite)
- Chipping Color
- Red Primer
With this set, you can achieve deep and surface chipping. Depending on your base colour you can use a lighter colour and then the chipping colour.
Perfect for wood chipping.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
GREEN & BROWN: SHADING & EFFECTS SET
- Olive Green
- Light Green
- Dark Green
- Sand
- Sepia
With this set, you can create moss streaking effects to mud effects or the treatment of most parts of vehicles in these tones creating chromatic variations and effects, depending on the base colour you are working with.
Remember to apply on matte surfaces for best results.
WEATHERING PENCIL COLOURS – SINGLES
WEATHERING PENCIL FULL SETS
