Bridge at Mason Park

[Gary S]

Third coat of paint. I added some blue and some green to the gray, I think too much green.

   

The Central Valley girder has closer spacing between ribs than the real thing. But I can live with it.

   

[ocalicreek]

That last shot really shows just how bright our sun shines from 93 million miles away, compared to our indoor lights just a few feet away. The shadows on the prototype are so intense and the color variation so stark. Interesting.

So far so good.

Galen

[Gary S]

Galen, I've been paying attention to the differences in shadows from outside real world to inside layout. Looking under my model bridge, the shadow line is pretty good because the lights are lined up directly over the bridge. Still, the model concrete pilings aren't showing the marked contrast of shadow to bright like those in the real photo.

Shadow is definitely important for making things as realistic as possible, but inside in a layout room, it is just about impossible to light an entire layout well and still have the crisp shadows that we get from a single point light source. Even though I won't have really nice shadows, I still think about it.

[eightyeightfan1]

The Central Valley girder has closer spacing between ribs than the real thing. But I can live with it.

With you superb modeling...We can too!

[P5se Camelback]

Third coat of paint. I added some blue and some green to the gray, I think too much green. ...

After staring at the two images, I'm leaning toward a bit more green and a touch of brown. Color matching without a spectronometer is a difficult "science" ... mostly trial and error. Sometimes I just have to stare at something until I think I have broken it down into each of the various colors necessary to produce the color/shade needed. (Who would think to use green on a facial portrait, but it's there ... most of the time.)

Do what you think is best ... you are there ... you have seen both the prototype and the model ... your call will be more valid than those of us who are merely looking at images on a computer monitor.

[mountaingoatgreg]

Gary,

I agree with bil on this one with a little more green to the water. It also looks to be one shade of color, in one of your earlier shots you looked like you had tried to add some depth. You may try and use your google earth and do a straight down look of the bridge to see where the banks and shadows are and try to duplicate that. Best of luck and keep up the great work!!

P.S. Next time we demand that you scratchbuild the bridge so you closer match the prototype...j/k

[Gary S]

88, thanks.

biL, I believe you are right. Needs some brown in the mix. I'm not quite convinced that using the foam surface as the base for the water is the proper thing to do. Last night, on the third coat, as it was drying, there were four places where the almost dryed paint bubbled up and pulled away from the surface, spots about as big as the end of your finger. I quickly poked a hole in each spot and pressed it down. This morning, it all looked fine and when I sanded it, the spots didn't come loose. I just got through putting on another coat.

I wonder if the little spots were possibly from oils off my fingertips? Then I got to worrying, maybe the foam is doing some kind of "gassing"? One more thing to worry about! I went to sleep last night wondering if I would have to strip off the whole messand start over.

[nachoman]

You could always darken the shadow areas with weathering and paint to simulate what is seen in the real world. I've seen people adjust certain colors on their scenery to make certain areas appear darker or lighter to better simulate natural sunlight. It's actually a common technique - people often drybrush white or a light color to bring out details. You could do the same with a dark wash under bridges and in alleyways, and any other area you want to "de emphasize".

[Gary S]

Greg and biL, I see what you are saying, a little more towards the olive drab direction. I just got through sanding the last coat, and putting on another coat. I added some light brown to the mix, but it didn't change the color much. I'll keep experimenting... may end up with 7 or 8 coats on this, but sanding with a sheetrock sponge between coats, it should end up nice and smooth.

Greg, really, this bridge mimics the prototype only in the overall aspects. Lots of discrepancies, but as a whole, I am pretty happy with it.

[Gary S]

You could always darken the shadow areas with weathering and paint to simulate what is seen in the real world. I've seen people adjust certain colors on their scenery to make certain areas appear darker or lighter to better simulate natural sunlight. It's actually a common technique - people often drybrush white or a light color to bring out details. You could do the same with a dark wash under bridges and in alleyways, and any other area you want to "de emphasize".

Good idea Kevin. And I very much believe in dry-brushing a lighter color onto all the ridges and corners and details. The dry-brushing in combination with a dark wash makes things really look good.

The really good fantasy miniature painters use this technique to perfection. Do a google image search on "space marine weathering" and you'll find some fantastic work.

[faraway]

Gary, you are searching so intensive for "the" color of the bayou water. Is there "the" color? I assume the bayou will get a green shade when water is low and the summer sun let the small plants grow. The water will get the color of the earth after heavy rain. The water will mirrow the sky. The water will...

Another problem is your audience. We all look into our CRT or LCD monitors. We all will only see what our monitor will show us. Shades of color are often false on monitors. Most are not calibrated. That might be very different from what you see.

On my monitor is the water rather dark like short before a thunderstorm. But that is my LCD monitor!

[Gary S]

You're right. No need to find "the color" because the color is subject to change. I'm really just trying to find something pleasing to me, but it certainly helps to get suggestions from Big Blue... perhaps someone will mention something that I hadn't thought of.

Probably just as important as color is the shininess and reflections from the water. That'll be done with 3 coats of gloss varnish.

[Gary S]

As I am sitting here watching the Texans game, in which they are getting whupped 17 to 3 at the half, I am working on the cut-off pilings from the old trestle. These are made from razorsaw-distressed styrene tube with the appropriate sized styrene rod glued inside to make them solid, then a piece of brass wire inserted in a drilled hole. The brass wire will be stuck down in the foam to hold the pilings in place.

[ocalicreek]

Gary,

The pilings look great.

As for light and shadow, you can do alot with paint to exaggerate the highs and lows with a dark wash for shadows and a dry brush of white tinted to the base color of the area you are highlighting. Realistic color matching works best under natural light, but our layouts are not, so we have to cheat and darken/highlight.

Galen

[Gary S]

Thanks Galen. The military diorama people and the fantasy miniatures folks can create some fantastic models, with lots of shading and tinting and highlights. For me, with an entire layout to build, I'll be sticking to the basic dark wash and dry-brushed highlights for now. Generally, the things you mention will create a vey nice model.

Further thinking makes me realize that I have only been using the dark washes to go in the groooves of stuff, and not so much to render shadows on the bottom of stuff. I'll have to pay more attention to that! Also, the drybrushing of the lighter color should be heavier on the top of something and less on the bottom.