Rustons Sidings.

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

 

What colour would you use for the mortar?

 
I usually use a wash in the same colour as my soul......black 

[Andrew Cockburn]

Mortar? In the past, I've usually used a "creamy" mixture of yellow/white, toned down a bit with a touch of black and/or brown, maybe also a touch of grey ....

[Alister_G]

2 hours ago, sb67 said:

 

What colour would you use for the mortar?

 

Humbrol Matt Tan (237) works well.

 

Al

[sb67]

I got the airbrush out and gave the bridge a blast of undercoat, didn't realise it was white until I put it in the airbrush but never mind. I'll let it dry the recommended 12hrs then a wash of Matt Tan for the mortar, in the meantime try and find some colours to paint it. As it's intended to be the southern half of England I was guessing various greys. 

Al - I've been looking through your Grindleford thread and it's interesting looking at the prototype pics of the tunnel mouth you don't really see much mortar colour from a distance so maybe I won't worry about that so much

 

[chuffinghell]

That looks superb Steve

[Andrew Cockburn]

Doesn't really matter about the colour of the undercoat. As I said before, I've tended to use Matt Grey, but any Matt colour will suffice I guess, as long as it gives you a suitable base on which to lay subsequent colours ....

[Captain Kernow]

My preference is to use enamels for the stone colour (over a primer colour of grey or red oxide from a Halfords spray can). Once the enamels (I guess you could use acrylics instead of enamels), I use water colour paint (either poster paint or perhaps gouache, but definitely water colours) for the mortar. I splash it on all over (like Brute 33) and when it's touch dry, I wipe it all off the surface of the bricks or stone with a dampened (but not wringing wet) piece of cotton, an old handkerchief is good for this.

 

The water colour adds a subtle shade of weathering to the enamels, so you might like to experiment with mortar colours and decide which is best, when combined with the base shade of the enamels on the bricks or stonework.

 

[sb67]

I've put a mortar colour on and then immediately wiped it off leaving some in the recesses. I'm guessing that's how it's meant to look.  I'm still not sure which colours to use for the main stonework. 

 

[Alister_G]

Do you want it to end up greenish, greyish, or brownish?

 

It actually looks pretty good as it is if you want to end up with a Limestone feel to it, just weather over it?

 

Al.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Alister_G

[sb67]

45 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

Do you want it to end up greenish, greyish, or brownish?

 

It actually looks pretty good as it is if you want to end up with a Limestone feel to it, just weather over it?

 

Al.

 

I would like it to be more greyish. I'm now understanding the benefit of having a prototype in mind as I'm struggling at which colours to use and don't want to end up painting what I think it should look like as opposed to what it should look like. 

[Alister_G]

I agree, if you don't have a definite end-result in your minds eye it can be difficult to know where to go. Could you find a google image of a possible candidate, to give you (and us) a target to aim for?

 

Al.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Alister_G
smelling and grandma

[sb67]

 

I  will have a bit of a search. I started drybrushing some greys on a bit of the wall and, cant put my finger on it, but I dont think it's looking right. 

[Alister_G]

Only you really know what you're wanting it to look like, but to me that's looking bloody good so far mate.

 

Al

[sb67]

Thanks Al. I actually dont mind the original effect and wonder what it would look like with a different base coat, I'll try on a different bit of the bridge.

[DanielB]

I'd suggest looking at prototype photos of what you're trying to achieve. See what IS, rather than what your brain remembers. I find myself working on something like this and being really pleased with how it's turned out, then looking back at the photos of the prototype and it looking nothing like it. Reference photos work wonders on a project

[sb67]

I've found a pic from the internet of a bridge in West Scholes, Yorkshire. I know it's not my intended area but I can live with that. 

 

 

I always admire people that can make a model look like a prototype, for me it's about getting the colours right, I look at that and see loads of colours and don't know where to start.

I can see loads of colours and shades, some colours I don't even know how to describe. So I wouldn't know what pallet of colours to use. 

I'd really like to get the hang of it though.

[Alister_G]

That looks a nice prototype to aim for.

 

At first glance, it looks impossible to match all the colours, but most of the different tones are achieved by slowly building up layers of pigment, so you will see colours that you never actually used, if that makes sense.

 

If I was going to paint that bridge, this is what I would do:

 

I always use Humbrol matt acrylics - they dry quickly to a proper matt finish, and can be diluted with water, and don't stink the place out.

 

So I would start with an all over solid base coat of matt Tan 237, and let that dry thoroughly. This gives you the base colour of the stone.

 

Then I would pick out some individual stones in matt Leather 62, and matt Sand 63, and maybe Dark Earth 29. These are orange and brown colours. Then a few in Medium Grey 145, and perhaps a few in Light Grey 64 it depends how much grey you want.

 

On their own they will look wrong, but we haven't finished yet.

 

Now I would make up a dilute wash of Medium Grey 145 - one full brush of paint to a saucer of water - roughly 10:1 mix

 

Apply that all over sparingly in diagonal strokes, and leave to dry.

 

Then a dilute wash of Matt Black Green 91, also using diagonal strokes and leave that to dry as well.

 

The idea is not to blanket the whole thing, but to end up with different shades in different places.

 

Then add further more targeted washes of the black green in certain areas - on the coping stones particularly - and anywhere else you want to make darker.

 

If it looks too uniform, make up a wash of the Matt Sand, and apply that in some patches to give you warmer tones in certain areas.

 

If you want the green staining, make up a wash of Dark Green 30 and apply to the areas you want.

 

Finally, after it has all dried, make up a wash of the Matt Tan 237 and apply all over, then wipe off the surface, this should highlight the mortar courses and lighten the overall feel.

 

Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

Al.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Alister_G
more detail

[sb67]

Ok, thanks for that Al. I'll need a couple of colours so off to Hobbycraft over the weekend and I'll give that a go. 

Were the washes all made with plain water, would you add anything to break surface tension?

 

 

[Alister_G]

Hi mate, no. just paint and water.

 

Edit: You actually want to use the surface tension to make the pigment follow the texture of the stones.

 

 

Al.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Alister_G
more detail

[Acklam]

Thanks Al and Steve I am following your discussion and suggestions with great interest.

[chuffinghell]

9 hours ago, sb67 said:

Ok, thanks for that Al. I'll need a couple of colours so off to Hobbycraft over the weekend and I'll give that a go.

Sarah always knows when I’m up to something when I suggest we have a trip to Bridgemere Garden Center.........she knows its only because there’s a Hobbycraft there 

[sb67]

Always the way, couldn't get the paints I wanted at the weekend so ordered some online. 

I did try some artists acrylics but didn't have many browny colours. Over the original base coat I drybrushed individual bricks in greys and a dark green and burnt umber, then some grey washes. I added a black wash on the inside surface of the bridge.

It's darker than I really wanted but I do like the look of it. (looks lighter in the pic)

Presumably I could add the orange/brown bricks to when I get the colours and using the wash at the end lighten everything?

Also I was told that Matt Tan 237 isn't made any more so what would be an equivalent? 

 

[chuffinghell]

That looks absolutely fantastic!

[sb67]

Thanks Chris, I'd love it if I was building an inner city smoke stained bridge but I feel like I've got to lighten it a bit. Just been a bit heavy handed with the colours, the old 'less is more' mantra is coming back to haunt me 

[Signaller69]

Looks good to me. If you feel you want to take some of the grey off, try rubbing over it gently with very fine sandpaper or wet n dry with downward strokes, this will take raised surfaces back towards the base colour but leave darker areas in the recesses. Definitely a less is more method, or you end up back to bare plastic, but it can give a very realistic weathered appearance used sparingly.