Asphalt Parking Lot

[Gary S]

Having used Kurt's and Steve's sandpaper road tip, I was planning on using it for the asphalt parking lot at the Chase Bank building. Only thing is, the parking lot is bigger than one sheet of sandpaper and I would have joints. This isn't a problem if modeling a surface that actually has joints, but the parking lot I am doing doesn't.

So, I decided to give it a try with styrene sheet. This photo shows a google-earth view.

   

First, I used some sandpaper, a wire brush, and a hobby knife to roughen up the surface, then I painted it a mixture of dark gray, brown, and some white. After that, I used some dark washes and some light washes to create some variation, then put on the stripes. I think this turned out pretty good. I'll probably follow up with some weathering powders.

   

Here is the bank building on the parking lot. The real lot has three depressions with drain grates, for those, I will heat the styrene sheet with a candle and push the depressions in. On the edges of the parking lot, I'll scrape them down with a hobby knife to mimic the real thing. And, I'll add cracks, again with a hobby knife.

   



I'll post on my progress, I'm thinking this will work well.

[Charlie B]

Gary, That is another great looking project. Your detailing is great.
Charlie

[tetters]

Terrible. Pack it up and send it to me immediately.

... once you finish the parking lot of course.

[Gary S]

Thanks guys. Right now, I am covered in styrene shavings!

[P5se Camelback]

Gary ...

I always enjoy watching the amazing successes that invariably follow your "first attempts" at a new technique! I do have one suggestion though, that I think might be helpful.

The idea of heating the styrene to depress the drain areas is a very good one, but I believe that using a candle to heat the styrene to "the point of sag" is both literally and figuratively playing with fire! 8-)

I think a better, more controllable method of attaining "sag" would be to use a heat gun. The potential for igniting the parking lot and involving the local fire-fighting LPB’s would be greatly reduced, you wouldn't have to worry about burning yourself with molten wax while paying more attention to the underside of the sheet of styrene and the heat would be much easier to direct at a particular spot.

Just a thought.

[rrinker]

OK, crazy idea - if it takes multiple sheets of sandpaper, how about cutting it such that the joints fall where there are lines painted, thus hiding said joints?

--Randy

[Harry]

super , great work !!!! Gary

[Gary S]

biL: I wish I had a heat gun, it would offer much more control. The candle did not allow me to make the indentions that I wanted. The depressions are there, but not as uniform as I had hoped for. On the candle, I have one that is 3" diameter and 3" tall. I just held the plastic over it until I could just see the deformation occuring. Then I put the plastic down on an upside down jar lid, and pressed gently downward, and cooled it with some water.

Randy: good thought on the stripes hiding the sandpaper joints, but some of the joints would have to be where there are no lines. For example, the long drive behind the bank. Stripes run lengthwise, but the joints would run across it.

Harry: thanks!

Here's a photo with gray paint on and a couple of dark washes.

   

[Charlie B]

Just a thought on sandpaper, but in a big area like you are in there may be a machine shop or a wood working shop that uses a big belt sander and would be willing to give you the worn out belts. I've seen new ones in surplus places that weren't too expensive and never gave a thought to using them for asphalt. I won't pass the next ones up so easily. As far as heating that styrene would one of those little pencil torches work?
Charlie

[Gary S]

I think the heat gun would be easier to control, but since I don't have either one, candle it was.

[Gary S]

Okay, I'm real pleased with the way this turned out.

   

   

   

[cnw1961]

Gary, your attention to detail is amazing. This will be a very realistic scene.

How did you paint the stripes?

[SP1]

Very, very cool! You captured the prototype scene, including the bank building, very well. There is only one minor thing that did not come out as good as the rest : the street markings, esp. those arrows. From what I can see the paint did flow under the masking due to the uneven surface. You could avoid that by using a rather stiff brush and stippling the paint on from above. Very little paint (almost like drybrushing) on the brush and straight from above. That way you can build up the street markings in layers. Its is very slow though, but you have full control on the process. Even faded markings (if desired) could be achieved easily that way.

I could not find a better reference pic right now. Pls ignore the rest of the scene and watch the street marking at the right side of the picture. The white stripe is not weathered yet - it was built up the way I described above. There is a small portion that looks like some paint is removed by the cars tires, but in effect I just did add less drybrushed paint there.

   

[lears2005]

Man you do great work.

[Charlie B]

Jens, actually the stripes match a prototype here. Most lines on pavement are sprayed, and they don't mask the edges so the edges are not real sharp.
I have noticed on some new pavement they are using some kind of tape, but it is only temporary.
Charlie