I know that there is no "right" color for asphalt. Even the same patch will look different as it ages as well as changing lighting and other conditions. As an example the two pictures below are the same intersection but 3 years apart. You can see about 5 different shades of asphalt in each.
For a city scene I decided to use sheets of styrene for the roads painted gray. I cut the styrene to shape and sprayed the sections in the garage. At first I thought I had what I wanted.
As the paint cured it took on a blueish tint that I wasn't happy with.
I was going to leave it alone but I tried to cut that look with an alcohol/india ink wash. I should not have done it because couldn't get that right so I decided to start over. The first attempt was too dark, but after I lightened the paint I think it will work with some tweaking.
Since there is no "right" color I just want something that appeals to me. I have a scrap piece of styrene painted this color to experiment with so I don't need to start over again but I would like to hear suggestions on how to weather and tone down what I have now.
Rick
I'm not very good at smoothing roads but I have a formula for weathering them that works for me. I start by painting them a medium to light gray depending on how aged I want the road to look. I then use A.I.M. weathering powders. I start by applying white to the road to mute the color. I do this with a 1/4" paint brush with the bristles worn down so it is very stiff. It looks just awful after this step. I then take a dry paper towel and rub it into the surface using circular motions. That gives be the shade of the base that I want. I then take grimy black powder and dab a thin streak down the center of each lane. When that's done, I use a soft bristled paint brush to wide it out, then finish again with the dry paper towel rubbing in a straight line down the lane. Here are some examples of the results.
Looks nice John
The bottom picture is a great representation of a faded blacktop road.
Mike.
My You Tube
John-NYBW I'm not very good at smoothing roads but I have a formula for weathering them that works for me. I start by painting them a medium to light gray depending on how aged I want the road to look. I then use A.I.M. weathering powders. I start by applying white to the road to mute the color. I do this with a 1/4" paint brush with the bristles worn down so it is very stiff. It looks just awful after this step. I then take a dry paper towel and rub it into the surface using circular motions. That gives be the shade of the base that I want. I then take grimy black powder and dab a thin streak down the center of each lane. When that's done, I use a soft bristled paint brush to wide it out, then finish again with the dry paper towel rubbing in a straight line down the lane. Here are some examples of the results.
Thank you for describing your process. Since I have a very large area to do I wonder if I could use plain white chalk or something else instead of the weathering powder?
hbgatsfI know that there is no "right" color for asphalt.
I'm not sure if there's a wrong colour for asphalt, either...in parts of Northern Ontario, there's asphalt pavement that's pink, due to the use of crushed red granite for making asphalt.
Wayne
doctorwayne hbgatsf I know that there is no "right" color for asphalt. I'm not sure if there's a wrong colour for asphalt, either...in parts of Northern Ontario, there's asphalt pavement that's pink, due to the use of crushed red granite for making asphalt. Wayne
hbgatsf I know that there is no "right" color for asphalt.
Same in New Brunswick approaching PEI, the roads have a pink colour.
doctorwayneI'm not sure if there's a wrong colour for asphalt, either...in parts of Northern Ontario, there's asphalt pavement that's pink, due to the use of crushed red granite for making asphalt.
And in northern Wisconsin, it has a red tint to it because of the crushed granite gravel. Even when it fades out.
The best way is to use the color you find in the geographicaly local of the area your modeling.
Outstanding work everyone. Curious also whether folks do sloped roads. In other words, not have roads perfectly flat to allow for rain and other things to not create travel issues etc.
I attempted to put a crown on a road early on using a curved screed but foun it to be more trouble than it was worth. The crown on a road when scaled down would be barely noticeable. If I were to do it again, I might try filing down the outer edges after the paving material had set up but that might get messy. I would only do that before putting in any scenery or structures.
hbgatsf Thank you for describing your process. Since I have a very large area to do I wonder if I could use plain white chalk or something else instead of the weathering powder?
You'll find a little goes a long way. I bought a set of A.I.M powders well over ten years ago and my white is still almost half full. The only one that's getting near empty is my grimy black which I use to weather structures, rolling stock, as well as roadways.
John-NYBW You'll find a little goes a long way. I bought a set of A.I.M powders well over ten years ago and my white is still almost half full. The only one that's getting near empty is my grimy black which I use to weather structures, rolling stock, as well as roadways.
In your description you don't say if you applied a fixer after the powder. Have your roads been in place long enough to have required dusting? If so does that mess up your results?
There is no step after using the dry paper towel to rub the grimy black into the traffic lanes. I've used different paving materials including plaster and grout which are both porous. The dry rub works the powder into the pavement and much of it sticks to the paper towel. I use a soft bristled paint brush to gently brush away what little excess there might be.
I'm wondering if using styrene as a paving material would accept the weathering powder as readily as the paving materials I have used. You might have to seal it with dullcote or something else. If I were you, I would experiment on a small section of the pavement to see what additional steps you might have to take.
John-NYBW There is no step after using the dry paper towel to rub the grimy black into the traffic lanes. I've used different paving materials including plaster and grout which are both porous. The dry rub works the powder into the pavement and much of it sticks to the paper tall. I use a soft bristled paint brush to gently brush away what little excess there might be. I'm wondering if using styrene as a paving material would accept the weathering powder as readily as the paving materials I have used. You might have to seal it with dullcote or something else. If I were you, I would experiment on a small section of the pavement to see what additional steps you might have to take.
There is no step after using the dry paper towel to rub the grimy black into the traffic lanes. I've used different paving materials including plaster and grout which are both porous. The dry rub works the powder into the pavement and much of it sticks to the paper tall. I use a soft bristled paint brush to gently brush away what little excess there might be.
Thanks. My styrene has been painted with a flat latex paint. I am sure the powder will stick to it.
I do have a painted scrap piece that I can experiment on. I also have a large amount of white billiard chalk that I am going to try. I then have black weathering powder to apply.
It has taken me many years of modeling to build my railroad and the scenery around it. That's an important consideration going forward, as continued ease of construction for the next years is another consideration. So, I use straight-from-the-store paints, so I can just pop out and get more when I run out. I use thinned craft paint gray, applied as a wash, for roads and a slightly lighter gray spray for sidewalks.
Incidentally, for my city blocks I cut the sidewalks to fit around the buildings, so the buildings sit inside a slightly raised sidewalk, which eliminates light leakage at the base of illuminated buildings.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley It has taken me many years of modeling to build my railroad and the scenery around it. That's an important consideration going forward, as continued ease of construction for the next years is another consideration. So, I use straight-from-the-store paints, so I can just pop out and get more when I run out. I use thinned craft paint gray, applied as a wash, for roads and a slightly lighter gray spray for sidewalks. Incidentally, for my city blocks I cut the sidewalks to fit around the buildings, so the buildings sit inside a slightly raised sidewalk, which eliminates light leakage at the base of illuminated buildings.
The craft paints I buy are so cheap I can buy lots of different shades of gray as well as other colors. I have about 5 or 6 shades of off-white. In addition, they are easy to mix to get a custom color. I don't fret too much deciding on a shade of gray for my roadways because my weathering technique tends to bleach it out anyway.
In some case I do the sidewalks like you do and in others I'll put the base of the structure on top of a sheet of styrene which frames the sidewalk. It all depends on what kind of structure I'm dealing with. Some structures have elements that stand proud of the wall and I would rather those be on top of the sidewalk rather than inside of it.
I will say I stressed over this and it all turned out fine. Take a piece of spare foam board and make a mock up of your base that you can try approaches out on. My base was plaster, painted a first coat of craft paint, Pavement color or Licorice black color. Then used a makeup spong to lightly put a second coat of country gray, almost like dry brushing but with sponge leaving enough black coming through. Then final detail, like oil strips or dark areas with Pan Pastels. Best thing was trying a few ways out on a practice mock up first. Good luck.
Thanks for all the tips. Since I was pleased with the tint of the paint I only wanted to lighten it a little and break up the uniformity so I used white chalk. It worked and I am very close to what I want so I am going to leave it alone and look at it for a while, but I think it is done.
John-NYBWThe craft paints I buy are so cheap I can buy lots of different shades of gray as well as other colors.
Craft store paints are what I use for scenic foundations, rocks, and pavement.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
hbgatsf Thanks for all the tips. Since I was pleased with the tint of the paint I only wanted to lighten it a little and break up the uniformity so I used white chalk. It worked and I am very close to what I want so I am going to leave it alone and look at it for a while, but I think it is done.
That is an important factor in creating good scenery. Knowing when it is good enough and when to stop.
John-NYBWThat is an important factor in creating good scenery. Knowing when it is good enough and when to stop.
On countless projects... "I should have stopped working on this an hour ago when I had it right."
Hi!
As said, there is no "right" answer to the color of asphalt (or concrete, grass, sky, etc., etc.). It comes down to - IMO - what looks best to you. So given that, I would experiment with black/grey/white/brown and come up with what pleases and looks more realistic to you.
Years ago I struggled with this type question concerning concrete structures and a long road. I found none of the several mfg. "concrete" paints to my liking and ended up mixing my own. I was very happy with the results, and they stood the test of time - several years.
Good Luck!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I found that Krylon light gray primer works for me. I use weathering chalk to reproduce the tire and oil tracks.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR