Painting/Weathering Brick

[4Starcstms]

Well my Walthers order finally arrived (incorrect I might ad - we'll see how correct the problem) So now ive got 10 or So buildings to paint.. How does everybody do their brick..both paint and weathering. Lookin for some good idea's to try out on all these bldgs of mine..

[SpaceMouse]

There are as many ways to paint and weather brick as there are people who do it. I like to paint the brick a brick color even if it is already a brick color, then use a grout colored wash of thinned acrylic paint. This will fill the gaps give the brick a slightly aged look. then I go back and paint a few of the bricks a different color, either off-white, grey or black depending on the look I'm trying to duplicate. Then I'll go back and add water stains dirt splashes where needed.

There are lots of different ways of doing it.

Another way is to paint the whole thing grout color and to dry brush the brick color over it.

http://www.vitaconnect.com/photos/enginehouse02.jpg

[grove den]

Hello 4starcstms,

Spacemouse is right!:There are as many ways to paint and weather brick as there are people who do it

The method I use is almost like the Space Mouce's Only difference is: I paint the walls before I glue it together. I use "Humbroll" paint(matt!) to give the wall a "Brick" color
let it dry one day and paint the wall again with a thinned kind of grey( cementcolor ,this color is also from "Humbroll" I thinned it with "white spirit"
This kind of paint is almost like water and will flow immediatly/all by itself ONLY in the joints/gapes.
IMPORTANT: the walls have to be horizontal when you ad the thinned cement color!!!!
if everything has dryed again and the "cement color" is not enough just repeat it once more...

Jos

[HaggisKennedy]

I use the 'black prime, drybrush' method of painting brick structures, if the walls don't already come in a brick color.

Start off by spraying all the walls with black primer paint. Cheapest stuff you can find at a big-box. After it dries, use a large brush and stroke on partially dry white paint onto the black in random swatches. When you're done, you should have areas that are all black, areas that are all white, areas that are partially each in various percentages combo.

Then, drybrush your brick color onto the walls. What this does is three things: 1) on the black, you will get a darker colored brick. On the white, you will get a lighter color brick. On the combos, it'll be a mixture. This is basically a 'one step' weathering technique, because you get three shades in one shot.

After this dries, use a small brush (like an 00 or 1/0) and cover random individual bricks in brick color. This will highlight.

You may or may not want to do a wash to simulate the grout, but it's sometimes not necessary because the white in Step 2 may already do that.

You get the best results if the grout lines are deep. I do my best work on stone buildings.

Kennedy

[grove den]

Haggiskennedy:I use the 'black prime, drybrush' method of painting brick structures, if the walls don't already come in a brick color.


That's a fine method too!
I have to try that one . Hope it will work with/on the small N scale bricks and grouts...
Thanks!

Jos

[dnhouston]

I use the 'black prime, drybrush' method of painting brick structures

I like this idea too! I'm going to have to try it on my next brick building.:)

[4Starcstms]

I painted one of my brick bldgs... Pretty happy with the result..still gotta do some things, but im really happy with the 'brick' color
http://usera.imagecave.com/4StarCstms/Model_Railroad/IMG_4344.JPG

[grove den]

Yes it is Scott!

Jos

[4Starcstms]

I ran across this on MTW - thought I would share it with ya'll here..

http://www.gothamcitysub.com/pages/walls1.htm

[grove den]

Looks like art to me, Scott!:eek: :eek: :eek: just great!
Thanks!

Jos

[dnhouston]

Wow! Great link Scott, thanks.

[RexHea]

Man, you guys couldn't have started this thread at a better time. I am getting ready to start building a town with all the buildings. Very good website Scott. Thanks Bunch!

[Old 97]

Lots of great info guys, just one more reason why I love this place!!!!

[RexHea]

Hey fellows! Don't stop posting! I'm sure many of you have some very good ideas and methods we all would be interested in.

[Rico]

Here's a shot of "Bentnose Willies Bar & Grill", yet another incomplete project.
I found it in a consignment bin. (gotta love those bins!)
Someone spent a few hours highlighting individual bricks with a paint pen or such, I plan to do likewise on other foreground buildings.
I like some of the ideas you guys are putting up here,think I'll try a few!

[CP9302]

I usually start with the walls a brick colour. I don't always paint them, even though I know I should! I then paint everything with the grout colour and wipe the paint off the bricks right away. This leaves some grout coloured stains on some bricks. It has to be done in smaller sections so the grout doesn't dry too much. I usually paint some of the bricks different colours for varriety.

Another method I've read, but not tried, is very similar to the above, but you let the grout colour dry and then us an eraser to remove the paint from the brick face. A variation on that method is to paint brick several different shades of colour and then paint the grout. This way when you erase the grout, depending on how much you erase, you uncover different shades underneath.

[railBuilderDhd]

I guess you can put in as much or as little time as you want but I don't think painting every brick individually will always look good.

[HaggisKennedy]

I don't normally paint every brick, though when I start picking individual bricks (or stones, for that matter) to paint, it's easy to go overboard and do a whole pile of them. The number you might end up doing can add up quickly, because you get into a production mode.

There was one time I was painting a stone building, and picked a whole pile of individual stones to paint in various 'other' colors. I remember thinking 'wow, that went fast'....

Kennedy

[tlark]

Did you use paint from a spray can ? If I may ask what particular brand/color are you using as well. Thanks

[Mansquatch]

A technique I picked up over modeltrainsweathered.com was the use of hairspray, like aquanet, to seal a watercolor based wash. In my efforts to learn this technique I noticed something else about the aerosol hair spray: It adds a very appealing, weathered texture to whatever you are painting. You then add subsequent layers and you end up with a very nice looking piece of rolling stock.

When I first attempted this technique the appearance after the spray dried reminded me of the texture of a brick wall. I was planning on trying to incorporate this into some of the building models I am building for a small town section of my club's layout. I thought I'd share it here if anyone else would like to give it a try.

[FunValleyLine]

I have tried several methods including some of the ones here. The one I like best works well and is pretty much a wipe on and wipe off process. I use normal exterior latex house paint and rubbing alcohol. Mix them roughly 75% paint and 25% alcohol. I do a small amount and add one or the other until I have the flow i want.
If the brick is molded in a color you want then wipe it down with straight alcohol as this takes the sheen off if rubbed a bit.
If painted this will work with some paints you have to work fast tho and test the paint before ruining your structure.
I always test on some scrap anyways for consistency.
The rest is simple just use a cotton t-shirt type material and wipe your mix on and wipe it off lightly. Let it dry a couple minutes and if there is more on the surface than you care for wipe some off with straight alcohol on a clean cloth.
It takes some practice but i have been very pleased with the results.
Good Luck and remember to have fun

[4Starcstms]

Did you use paint from a spray can ? If I may ask what particular brand/color are you using as well. Thanks

No rattle Can for me. Airbrush all the way. Its a PITA to clean em, but yield better results with much better control IMO. The color is... ATSF Brown by FloQuil. Ive since weathered the building a bit. I'll have to get some updated shots in the next couple days. I went with a India Ink/Alcohol Method. Depending on the color of the brick, and if it was painted or not, it shows up More/less.