doctorwayne Wrote:Obviously you thought better, though, and did it properly instead.

Too good, DocWayne! But you know better!

Steamtrains Wrote:Is it time yet...? Is it time yet...??

I'm going out to the train room right now, but the sculptamold won't be dry until tomorrow at the very earliest.

You have a work of art there Gary---I'm really looking forward to the finished product

Thanks Mister Nutbar... this morning, I am working on the concrete slabs on the bayou banks. For now, I am only doing the ones immediately below the bridge. Although I was able to model the bridge pretty much as the real thing, I am going to have to selectively compress the entire scene to get it to fit. There is a road bridge on the aisle side of the layout, it will eventually get concrete slabs under it too, so for now, it will just be blue foam in that area, to the left of the slabs in the photos. Needless to say, i am using a little "modeler's license" on the slabs below the bridge - not looking for an exact match, just the "overall spirit" of it.

First, a base coat of concrete color made from white, gray, and antique white craft paint. Although it took a few batches of the paint mix to cover the slabs on both sides of the bayou, I didn't have an exact formula for the paint color. At this point, a little color variation is a good thing. Also, all of the brush strokes need to be vertical, running from the top of the slab down the slope to the bayou. You want a little textured streakiness here, so that the washes will make little tiny streaks heading down likerun-off water, and then the weathering powders later on will do the same thing.

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Then, going by the prototype photos, the area directly under the bridge is tinted a light rusty color from the run-off coming down the rusty bents. Did that by adding a dilute wash in that area.

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Next, put a brown wash over everything:

[attachment=22390]

And then a black wash, in the control joints and in certain areas as per the proto photos:

[attachment=22389]

Next will be a spray with dullcote to fix what is done, this will allow more washes over the existing without messing the layers already there.

Powder used to create some more streakiness, some more dullcote, more powder, more dullcote. These big slabs are not all that easy to do. :x

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Gary ... I'm with Mister C. N. Nutbar on this one ... This is aready one fantastic model. I have every expectation that it will be mind bending when complete!

Just a question or three, though ...

Are all of the paints that you have been using of the acrylic craft variety, even for the colored washes?

Have any of your washes been of the alcohol/india ink variety? Like maybe the black one?

If so, have you found the alcohol/india ink washes to dry with a high sheen? (Yes, I know ... Dullcoat fixes that. I was just wondering, as I have never used the ink wash technique before and wondered If the india ink (Pelikan) i used was too high quality artist's ink and therefore left this high sheen or if it was because the alcohol that I used was of the high quality, completely denatured, Formula 19, 190 proof variety alcohol.)

Just wondering. :geek:

... And now, since this took so long to type out due to my soon-to-be-replaced double-debouncing keyboard, I see that you have started using powders ... and suddenly, information is randomly retrieved from lost segments on the cranial hard drive ...

Artist's Tip: Pastel chalks powdered by "shaving" with an industrial (single edge) razor blade, with a pinch of baby powder added and stirred into it makes the pastels "blend" more smoothly with no streaks (on paper) and less likely to smear prior to "fixing." My best guess is that they would stick to surfaces better as well due to the talc in the baby powder.

That's terrific coloring...!! I think I'm color blind - I'm never able to come up with the right shades I'm looking for
But you've nailed them ...

P5se Camelback Wrote:Are all of the paints that you have been using of the acrylic craft variety, even for the colored washes?

Yep, all cheapie craft paints like Apple Barrel, FolkArt, and Americana... it's all the same stuff, probably even all comes from the exact same factory, just different labels on the bottles. Oh... FolkArt also has gold lids instead of white. 8-)

P5se Camelback Wrote:Have any of your washes been of the alcohol/india ink variety? Like maybe the black one?

Never used India Ink, so can't help you with the high sheen issue. I'm kind of scared to use the ink, it sounds too unforgiving, but that is just my assumption. With the craft paint washes, I know I can easily wash them off if I do something crazy. I have tinkered with using windex as the dilution medium instead of water, to break the surface tension, but I need to do more experiments with that.

P5se Camelback Wrote:... And now, since this took so long to type out due to my soon-to-be-replaced double-debouncing keyboard, I see that you have started using powders ... and suddenly, information is randomly retrieved from lost segments on the cranial hard drive ...

Artist's Tip: Pastel chalks powdered by "shaving" with an industrial (single edge) razor blade, with a pinch of baby powder added and stirred into it makes the pastels "blend" more smoothly with no streaks (on paper) and less likely to smear prior to "fixing." My best guess is that they would stick to surfaces better as well due to the talc in the baby powder.

About five years ago, I bought a set of Bragdon weathering powders. There were 8 colors in the set, in those fairly big clear plastic, horizontally square vertically rectangular containers and the set was 28 dollars. At the time, I thought that was hugely expensive, but the LHS owner said they would last me a lifetime, and he was right. A little goes a long way, and I've barely made a dent in them. It was a good investment in my opinion.

On the bridge, I did use powders already, on the side of the concrete sections... after doing all the initial work with paint and colored pencils, I used black powder and a damp brush to create the vertical streaks as on the prototype. My typical technique for weathering all my stuff, is craft paint to do the "overall" look, maybe colored pencils if warranted, then various craft paint and water washes to bring out the smaller areas, then a black wash to tie everything together, and then the powder to create the special effects. Then a shot of dullcote, and if I feel like it, a bit of drybrushing with antique white or ivory to bring out the edges, then more dullcote to protect the item.

Oh... for already painted rollngstock, I start with the washes...

On that note, I hugely believe in the dark washes and the drybrushing on just about anything... very important for bringing out the smallest details.

I appreciate the questions, hope I gave some insight into my rudimentary techniques!

Oh... a couple of other techniques for fading already painted stuff... One method is to get some clear waterbased varnish at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Delta Ceramcoat makes the stuff. By mixing in small amounts of paint, you can create a translucent paint that will alter the original paint color. Of course, this also fades out the lettering, but that is probably a good thing.

Other method is to do the same thing except use pump hair spray as the medium. Takethe top off, pour some hair spray in a bottle, and then mix in a little paint. Again, this creates a translucent paint.

I need to experiment more with the last two, to get it perfected.

Steamtrains Wrote:That's terrific coloring...!! I think I'm color blind - I'm never able to come up with the right shades I'm looking for
But you've nailed them ...

Gus, I'm having a tough time with the slabs. I am not satisfied with them, but it will probably be one of those "good enough" things here pretty quick.

Here is the overall look which is being strived for. This is the other side ofthe bayou than what is in the model photos above. Like I said, I am having to compress the slabs to fit the shelf, so I am not going for an exact copy like I was trying for with the bridge.

[attachment=22395]

And here is the compressed model slab. The drain pipe will go just to the right of the painted slab... have to scribe another vertical line as on the real thing.

[attachment=22394]

As seen in the photo, decided to go ahead and add the concrete slabs out to the front of the layout where the road bridge will go. Will try to get it all painted soon, no hurry to add the road though. Just need to get the rail bridge finished before September 7th!

biL, in total, there are six drain pipes in the concrete. Three on each side of the bayou... a smaller one on the extreme left of the bridges, small one on the extreme right, and the big one in between the bridges. They drain the areas on the outsides of the bridges and in between the road bridge and the rail bridge. For the center pipes, there is a square concrete "manhole" with a steel grate on top of it, both sides. I'm looking forward to modeling that at some point in the future.

I noticed that my "other side of the bayou" model photo shows that the slab is too orangish. Needs to be more grayish. Geez, don't know if I can fix that without redoing it all. Hmmmmm.... a gray wash? We'll see.

Okay, after having gotten home after 11pm monday and tuesday, tonight I got home at 9pm so I got a bit accomplished on the bridge. Earlier today, I bought some "Easy-Sand 20" to get started on the water. Mixed some up, and started spreading it on. Hey, it does dry darned fast! Didn't realize they made this product. I'm hooked, no more waiting 2 days for stuff to dry! Also put the base coat on the new slabs I added, then did the brown wash and the black wash. Another long day tomorrow, but perhaps I can wrap up my "real job" project early on Friday - and come home early and go to work on the bridge. Still got a ways to go and that deadline is quickly approaching!

Lots more weathering to do on the new slabs to match the old. Then I'll be adding the drain pipes and working on the water. After that, building up the ground and roadbed to connect to the bridge on each end, then track and ballast. Hey, that doesn't sound like too much to do.

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Gary, I think you are about to become the "Duty Moving Target"....the "benchmark".... the "one" to do as well as.
To the rest of us who might think we do well, be advised folks, the bar has been raised.

That said, The "summer challenge" has done well in getting so many of us to start, and finish a project. Fine incentive !, and some really great modeling efforts.......you won't get this from a magazine.

Gary -

I know yall do things bigger in Texas, as a rule, but that is one big expanse of concrete! That, to me, is the most striking thing so far. So much we do is so selectively compressed that it seems a bit caricaturish at times. But this is large-as-life and so very realistic, in the truest sense of the word. Outstanding. Gotta try some of that quick dry stuff...

Galen

Sumpter250 Wrote:To the rest of us who might think we do well, be advised folks, the bar has been raised.

I am humbled by all the compliments you guys have been giving me. I really do appreciate it, and it certainly keeps me motivated to continue, and I am also gaining some confidence that my modeling skills are okay. Now, I've still got tons to learn, all kinds of new stuff to do. As an example, I have never ever glued ground foam to a layout. Now, I have put ground foam on poly-fibered trees, but never on a layout. So much to learn!

Sumpter250 Wrote:That said, The "summer challenge" has done well in getting so many of us to start, and finish a project. Fine incentive !, and some really great modeling efforts.......you won't get this from a magazine.

Agreed. These "Big Blue Challenges" are awesome, being able to share in other's projects is such a great experience!