Blame Antonio for this !!!! (painting)

[Eriediamond]

Antonio's painting poll inspired me to to post this. Just a few painting methods I use that may be helpful to the "new to the hobby" people, concerning structures and scenery in general. As I stated in my reply in Antonio's post, I paint the interior of my structures that will be lit with a flat black paint then add my wall paper or paint my walls with the color I want with a flat paint. I also mount my lights as high as possible in the structures so the lighting source is hidden as much as possible from direct view. I also paint my bulbs cream coloerd or lower the voltage to them. I like my buildings to be lit, but not to the point of lighting the whole layout. I also block off some rooms to give the effect that not all the lights are on. (Kind of like me). For scenery I paint my ground using a cheap flat laytex house paint the color of the dirt the grass will be "sowed" onto. I mix sand into this paint to give it a rough texture and while it is still wet I springle my grass onto it. This allows me to generally do it with only one application and lets the ground show through in a few spots just like in nature. It also provides something for the ground foam grass to grab onto on steep hills, ditches and such. Here's a hint for detailing cow pastures or barn yards. Paint some card stock a real dark flat brown. When it is dry, use a paper punch and punch holes all over it, as many holes as you can. Now through it away. Whats left as a bunch of little round discs. Randomly place these in your pastures or barn yards for instant cow patties. Just watch where you are stepping though when you do this, unless you are a dairy farmer!! Well, these are just a few methods (ideas) of mine, but I know others have other ways of doing things, so use this as a diving board and dive in and share yours, the water's great. [(-D][(-D]

[Anonymous]

Great ideas Erie!

"Just watch where you are stepping though when you do this, unless you are a dairy farmer!!"

"...unless you are..." I was raised on a dairy farm and I always watched my step!! [:D]

[AntonioFP45]

Shucks, Erie!

I'm glad that something that is my fault turned out useful for a change!

Guy, these are super good tips! I had never considered the lighting. On my upcoming layout I'm planning to have homes, businesses, a passenger station, and a locomotive servicing facility. Thinking about it, I probably would have "planted the bulb" in the middle of each building's floor. Never considered ceiling mounting or the fact that not every light in a home or building is always lit. Sealing and Painting a structure's interior is a smart move.

The scenery method woud work for me as latex paint is so cheap and I could involve my family in this.

Thanks![C):-)][tup][swg][tup][:D][tup][:P][tup]

[Eriediamond]

Snake, Antonio, As a young kid we went bare foot on or farm in the summer and learned real quick to watch our step [(-D] and glad you took my heading the way it was intended Antonio. I was some what worried after I posted. I do think we all get ideas from all the posts here. Some may be new and some may be something that some take for granted. I have been modeling since the middle forties and I'm still amazed at how some of the tips I've read here, have made my modeling more rewarding to me.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Modeling is all about seeing the real world only SMALLER!!!! Sometimes it helps to be full of....... [(-D][(-D][(-D][swg]

IDEAS

[lupo]

lighting:
back in the good old days ( 60-ies) Faller supplied with each model an interior made from black paper where you could push out windows to give the effect eriediamond gets
by painting the inside of each structure black, but als with each model came a thin sheet of paper with printed the inside of windows ( curtains, flowers in pots etc ) to glue behind every window to give ane even more realistic look when lit.
I have not bought any Faller for about 25 years, so i do not know if they still supply these extra's but with all our modern computers and high quality inkjet printers it must be possible to make these little window fillers yourself, print on thin paper, Overhead projection foil, or backlit film., and glue them behind windows.

Lupo

[Eriediamond]

Yep Lupo, I remember those too, but I couldn't remember who put those kits out. Thanks guys, for your positive responses and glad to offer my help and ideas. Y'all may have thought my cow patty idea as humorus as I mean't it to be, but I have done this, as being raised on a farm and modeling dairy farm country of western NY, I trie to make my farm scenes as real as possible. Ken

[Anonymous]

Being from Illinois, (and nowhere near a city) I learned pretty quick to watch your step in pastures! Good tips, Erie-D. I'll be using the interior lighting tips.