Painting a Masonry Building
While several techniques exist for finishing brick structures, the goal is producing a completed structure in- dicative of a building built some number of years in the past, and that has seen some changes or repairs over the years. What follows are pro- cedures I have successfully used to paint and weather cast resin struc- tures such as those offered by Pine Canyon Scale Models and others. Various materials can be used in- cluding artist acrylic paints, a primer paint, two different color washes made using Woodland Scenics pigment paints and rubbing alcohol, paint brush, micro brushes, extra fine sandpaper attached to a scrap piece of wood, and straight pins.
Before painting, sand the unfin-
ished edge of the wall section to re- move any uneven surfaces. Be sure the section remains perpendicular to the sandpaper to avoid creating any uneven edges. Next wash the unfinished wall section in warm wa- ter with dish detergent to clean any dirt and release agent from the sec- tion. Krylon makes an inexpensive spray primer which is perfect for this type of project. I like to hand-paint the facade and
trim work, and then apply the brick base color. I find it easier to do the base color last. Using extra fine micro brushes, I like to individually paint some bricks darker and some lighter for additional contrast. If you are afraid of too much contrast, weather- ing will help blend it all together. I like to use a wash made by mix-
ing one part Woodland Scenics pig- mented paint to four parts rubbing alcohol. For additional weathering or aging at this point, you can use a similar mixture ratio using India ink instead of the paint. I like the Wood- land Scenics paint because it has pigments in the paint, which helps to enhance the mortar joints and aids in toning down the painted sur- face. When applying the wash, it’s important the wall section rests par- allel to the flat surface, to prevent the wash from pooling on the sur-
ABOVE: This building shows weathering in progress, with a base coat of gray paint for the concrete facade, trim, and mortar lines. Dark red paint has been applied to distinguish the bricks from the base color. Successive applications of weathering will help blend everything together. Signs in the windows help add “life” to storefronts. BELOW: Any number of craft and hobby paints can be used to complete your project. Having a number of subtle colors available will help you build up from the darkest colors to the lightest for the most realistic effects. Keep reference photos handy to help guide your efforts.
face’s bottom. Agitate your mixing bottle of wash often to keep the grit- ty material suspended and mixed well. Let the surface dry before moving to the next wall section. Add a second coat of wash to the wall if desired. Building up succes- sive light layers of weathering and allowing each one to dry before
moving on to the next will help you achieve the most realistic results. Once all four walls are completed
and dried, the next step is weather- ing the wall using a combination of chalks, Tamiya weathering material, and dry brushing. Work from your darkest colors to your lightest colors for best effect. Walls that are ex-
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN MAGAZINE • BUILDING IN S SCALE s19
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