I used a "dirt"colored brownish tan. When the "grass" rubs off or never got down, it looks like bare dirt. I used a flat interior latex paint from the hardware store, thinned well with water. I sprinkled "grass" into the wet paint. Use dark green, midium green and light green "grass" in patches to give a realistic look.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
What I use:
For dirt. Chocolate brown flat latex from Lowes. Then rattle can textured applied lightly over the top. Then various ground cover.
For rocks. Cast with hydrocal. First geatly diluted washes of burnt umber and ocher dabbed in random spots then a greatly diluted wash of flat black. I don't measure, but the washes are probably around 10 parts water to 1 part paint
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Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
To me, pink foam is too flat to leave as a surface. Where I have a flat area that I want, I use a skim coat of Gypsolite, a gritty plaster stuff. I squirt in some cheap dark brown acrylic paint from a craft store, or Wal-Mart. This mixes with the gray Gypsolite and gives me a light tan base with a rough surface, much more appealing than the completely flat foam. Then I make up a thin wash of olive green, and apply a camouflage pattern with a paintbrush.
For simple New England rocks, I use a cheap rattle-can of gray spray paint from Lowes. Then I use a wash of India Ink in water, which highlights the details of the rock castings. More recently, though, I've started using Bragdon Foam (www.bragdonent.com) for my rocks, and I'm much happier with it. I also find that light brown speckled spray paint works nicely on rock walls.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I stopped by Home Depot and looked in their paint department at the rack of "Ooops" paint. They sell the "Ooops" paint for $5.00/gallon. I found a flat latex in a tan/brown color I liked and used it to cover the foam on my layout.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
I use a light tan latex paint. I went to an Ace Hardware store to see if they had any mismatched paint, and I got a gallon of it for $5. My layout is 27x18 feet, and I've barely used 1/2 the can. For my rocks, mountains, etc. I use WalMart acrylic latex paints. If I remember correctly, Linn Westcott used to suggest earth colors; raw and burnt sienna, umber, etc. For the kinds of rock you're talking about in upstate NY, you're probably wanting to model granite, which would be grayish in color. Closer to rivers and oceans, you'll run into sandstone and limestone. Take some pictures to the paint store with you to try and match those colors. I bought a quart of gray at Walmart that I use as a base color, then dilute it with other colors. You don't really want to "paint" rocks as much as stain it with a wash of color.
I used foam for my scenery, covered with a thin layer of plaster. To give the plaster texture, while it's still wet, or wet with a spray bottle and "wet water", I sift dry plaster over it. Then I paint it. If I'm using the paint full strength, I sprinkle ground foam or sand on it while the paint is wet. I do this especially on hillsides. This gives the hill some "bite" so the following scenery doesn't wash downhill when I glue it in place. For large areas, I sprinkle the ground foam with "wet water", then use diluted white glue in a spray bottle. Make sure you spray some hot water through the pump after you're done, or the glue will plug it up. I know some people like to use pipettes to apply the diluted white glue. I use those cheap plastic bottles (like old diners use for ketchup and mustard) to apply mine.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I am trying to figure out what color latex paint I would like to start with as a base coat over my blue foam. I purchased some Woodland Scenics "earth" color and did not have much trouble maching this with a local Walmart paint. This color is very muddy brown with a hint of green/yellow in it. It truely does look like earth. Many of the magazines or internet articles seem to show a lighter tan or brown color? What do most use as the base coat? A soil color or some light green to blend with ground foam from Woodland Scenics? Also, what colors do you use for rocks...I know this can vary...I am interested in a gray like color that might match the types of rocks you see in New England or upstate NY. Do you start out with a light gray or some darker? Any suggestions, especially if they are Walmart paints would be great! Does anyone use the Walmart Latex paints as washes? I am looking for cheap alternatives! Thanks!