PennCentral99 richhotrain posted a formula a while back. I made some slight modifications and came up with a recipe of: FolkArt Wicker White – 10 parts Anita’s Shamrock Green – 2 parts FolkArt Dove Gray – 2 parts Ceramcoat AC Flesh – 2 parts Anita’s Dark Red – 1 part Anita’s Earth Brown – 1 part Which looks like:
richhotrain posted a formula a while back. I made some slight modifications and came up with a recipe of:
Here is a link to the older thread, detailing my proportions:
https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/260441/3313498.aspx#3313498
Here is my formula, using white as the base:
White - 10 parts
Green - 2, 3, or 4 parts (to suit your preference)
Gray - 2 or 3 parts (to suit your preference)
D&RGW Building Cream - 2 parts
Red - 1 part
Brown - 1 part
By the way, any cream color will do.
Rich
Alton Junction
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
The great thing about those cheap craft paints is you can buy lots of varying shades and mix them to create an even greater variety. Just be careful when adding white or black paint to lighten or darken a shade. A few drops goes a long way. It's always much easier to add a few more drops.
With concrete, it helps to use lots of different shades. There is no one right color and there is going to be a wide range of aged colors. When first cured, concrete is almost an off white. As it ages, it darkens and eventually begins to yellow. Asphalt is just the opposite. It lightens as it ages, starting out pitch black and eventually aging to a light gray after just a few years.
Thanks for this long thread, it's been very helpful. ultimately For me I decided to go with a cheap grey paint I liked from Michaels and got it mixed larger at Lowe's for much cheaper
hbgatsf John-NYBW I still don't understand the need to match to Polly Scale Aged Concrete. It is just one shade that some think looks like aged concrete. I see nothing exceptional about it. I think I still have a half bottle of it although I bet it has dried out. I'd have to add water back to it but I've found many different shades over the years that look better to me than that. One reason would be to match something you painted many years ago. I had painted bridge abutments and wings when I first built the layout with floquil aged concrete. (Not Polly Scale but the same situation.) The bridge abutments where put in place but the wings were left until scenery work was started. By then Floquil was gone as was my supply of aged concrete. I needed something to paint the seam and touch up. Luckily for me I used construction adhesive to attach the wings and when the adhesive dried it looked just fine and I didn't need the paint. I now use rattle can Rustoleum Camoflauge Khaki for aged concrete on new projects. Rick
John-NYBW I still don't understand the need to match to Polly Scale Aged Concrete. It is just one shade that some think looks like aged concrete. I see nothing exceptional about it. I think I still have a half bottle of it although I bet it has dried out. I'd have to add water back to it but I've found many different shades over the years that look better to me than that.
I still don't understand the need to match to Polly Scale Aged Concrete. It is just one shade that some think looks like aged concrete. I see nothing exceptional about it. I think I still have a half bottle of it although I bet it has dried out. I'd have to add water back to it but I've found many different shades over the years that look better to me than that.
I've use severak or the Rustoleum Camouflage colors including Khaki for various projects. Excellent paint although Rustoleum rattle cans seem especially prone to clogging. I just bought 20 replacement caps that are supposed to fit the Rustoleum cans but I haven't tried them yet. My go-to choice for sidewalks is Krylon Chalky Finish Putty although Krylon no longer has it listed on their website so I don't know if that is still available. It might have been renamed Misty Gray. It's hard to tell on a website if it is actually the same shade but I bet it is close.
UPDATE: I have determined that Krylon's Chalky Finish Putty has apparently been discontinued and NOT renamed as Misty Gray. I've found three different websites that still show it, including Walmart, but all indicate it is out of stock. That's disappointing because to my eye it was the perfect shade for slightly aged sidewalks, not too gray, not too tan. I think I ran out last year sometime but didn't need it right away so I put off getting a replacement can. Obviously that was a mistake. Now I need to find something close. I might have to double spray two different colors as suggested above.
Rick
I haven't seen it mentioned yet but sometimes what I'll use for "non-critical" broad coverage is the Rustoleum Camoflage line of paint in a color called Khaki. I used it on this concrete highway bridge:
Concrete-Ramp by Edmund, on Flickr
Rustoleum spray "can" get a little heavy. Practice will help keep the coating thin. I like to use a blow-dryer to assist in curing the paint. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't, but it works for me.
dknelsonI have used Tamiya rattle can paints where I spray two colors at the same time, creating a varied and blended look that I think is convincing.
I have used this technique, too. Not quite the same time but before the Khaki color dries I'll give it a very light dusting of a lighter gray shade of primer (Tamiya, usually). It is what I did on the bridge above keeping the roadway the Khaki color and lightly dusting the railings and curbs with some gray.
Then I'll add some tone using either an airbrush and a Valejo color (Iraqi Sand is good) OR I'll dust the surfaces with Pan Pastel powdered pigments.
I see Rustoleum has added a color called "Sand" which I'll have to explore.
Good Luck, Ed
One last update before brickwork mortar test:
I added Tamiya XF-55 (Deck tan) to the mix. It's very similar to my custom mix in terms of shade/tone/hue. It was even more "watery" than the Vallejo. So it's not thick at all. It took two coats. Consistency was worse than Vallejo, but it was easier to push, dried very quick, and was flatter in terms of thickness buildup. Might be good for brick or detail work, possibly airbrush. But I would NOT apply it straight to a sidewalk on concrete foundation unless you are willing to do multiple passes.
So from left to right we have:
Vallejo Stone Grey #104
Polyscale aged concrete.
Testors aged concrete.
Cheap hobby lobby grey.
Cheap hobby lobby custom mix on top of zinc oxide primer.
And finally Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
mobilman44 Years ago I asked about the colors of concrete and the result was that there just isn't a definitive answer. Concrete is just not one color, and what looks right to me may well look wrong to you. So I bought all the possible concrete colors out there - including the Polly S. None of them satisfied MY perception of aged concrete. So I decided to "make my own" and did some sample mixes. To the best of my recall, I ended up with a mix of mostly medium grey, with a touch of black, brown, and a tinge of green. I painted the grain silos and foundations with that mix, and then applied a very thin black/brown wash. The end result was just what I wanted. OK, my point is three fold...... play with various combinations and mix your own, and, don't paint anything until you find the mix that satisfies you, and a dirty wash makes all the difference to bring it to the real world image.
Years ago I asked about the colors of concrete and the result was that there just isn't a definitive answer. Concrete is just not one color, and what looks right to me may well look wrong to you.
So I bought all the possible concrete colors out there - including the Polly S. None of them satisfied MY perception of aged concrete. So I decided to "make my own" and did some sample mixes.
To the best of my recall, I ended up with a mix of mostly medium grey, with a touch of black, brown, and a tinge of green. I painted the grain silos and foundations with that mix, and then applied a very thin black/brown wash. The end result was just what I wanted.
OK, my point is three fold...... play with various combinations and mix your own, and, don't paint anything until you find the mix that satisfies you, and a dirty wash makes all the difference to bring it to the real world image.
I agree 100%. That's why I like craft paints. They're cheap and you can buy lots of different colors and shades to experiment with.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Mark R. I remember when I first needed to paint something a concrete color .... whatever I mixed, it just didn't look right. I then took what I thought was close and laid it on a few different various concrete surfaces .... I wasn't even close ! Once I made some adjustments to my color to more closely match what I saw outside, things started to look much better on the models. I've started doing this with a lot of colors. Telephone poles for example, while vary greatly in color, are no where even in the true brown scale. Take a good hard look at the real word. What you think is correct at the bench, turns out to be entirely different from what you thought. Mark.
I remember when I first needed to paint something a concrete color .... whatever I mixed, it just didn't look right. I then took what I thought was close and laid it on a few different various concrete surfaces .... I wasn't even close ! Once I made some adjustments to my color to more closely match what I saw outside, things started to look much better on the models.
I've started doing this with a lot of colors. Telephone poles for example, while vary greatly in color, are no where even in the true brown scale.
Take a good hard look at the real word. What you think is correct at the bench, turns out to be entirely different from what you thought.
Mark.
That's good advice but things don't look the same in sunlight that they do under the artificial light of a train room. I go by the rule "if it looks right to my eye, it's right.".
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
John-NYBW As for mortar lines, it's been quite a while since I've tried to apply those. As I recall, it was a trial and error process to try to get the right consistency. Too thin and the mortar runs off. Too thick and it adheres to the brick surface. I do remember having to apply to the wall laying flat. Otherwise, the mortar runs off.
As for mortar lines, it's been quite a while since I've tried to apply those. As I recall, it was a trial and error process to try to get the right consistency. Too thin and the mortar runs off. Too thick and it adheres to the brick surface. I do remember having to apply to the wall laying flat. Otherwise, the mortar runs off.
FWIW, if memory serves as it's been awhile since I did it, but I used straight aged white and did a reverse dry brush technique where I applied it to a small section of brick, let it dry slightly and used a paper towel to wipe the excess off the surface while leaving the paint in the grooves. Hard work but the results are very impressive at least to me.
Medina1128 Below is a link that not only shows the names of the colors, but includes a color chart. Microlux Colors
Below is a link that not only shows the names of the colors, but includes a color chart.
Microlux Colors
That's closer to what I strive for for aged concrete although I would lighten it up a bit and apply some weathering. Seems kind of pricy. I've never paid more the $1 for craft acrylics. I'll bet I could find a similar shade at Hobby Lobby. I continue to say just because somebody calls a paint Aged Concrete doesn't make it a standard we need to strive for. I make my own aged concrete and it's just as valid as those made commercially. There is no one right color or shade for aged concrete. It's whatever looks right for your situation.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
If you are striving for and aged concrete look, inconsistency can be a positive. Surfaces general don't age and weather consistently. Minor variations are to be expected.
Here is the new custom mix of craft paint on the right.
It's
20 drops cream.
1 drop gray.
1 drop khaki tan.
1 drop earth brown.
1 drop hunter green.
It was applied over zinc oxide primer.
Consistency is still an issue and coverage for mortar lines was not good.
I'm going to post those results tomorrow
John-NYBW I would give this advice. Use the lighter color as the base and just add a drop or two of the darker color at a time until you get the result you are looking for. It's easy to have the darker shade overwhelm the lighter one. For weathering, I would use a thin wash of the darker shade.
I would give this advice. Use the lighter color as the base and just add a drop or two of the darker color at a time until you get the result you are looking for. It's easy to have the darker shade overwhelm the lighter one.
For weathering, I would use a thin wash of the darker shade.
John-NYBW I think it's a lot of fun to try to create custom colors with cheap craft paints. For starters, they come in so many shades that you can usually find one that's very close to what you are trying to achieve. The other thing is with something like aged concrete, there is no one right shade. I am far more interested in achieving something that looks right to my eye under my basement light than I am in matching what somebody else's idea of what aged concrete should look like. That's why I don't look upon Polly Scale Aged Concrete as if it is some sort of standard to strive for. At best it is a shade of concrete at some point during the aging process. I used it a few times but it didn't appear aged enough for what I was trying to achieve. Take a look at these images. Not all are concrete but you still see a wide variety of colors and shades, not to mention weathering. Anyone would be a correct color of aged concrete: images old concrete walls - Yahoo Image Search Results When I'm trying to achieve the look of aged concrete, it's something similar to this: an-old-concrete-wall-with-cracks-1639278.jpg (1600×1071) (freeimages.com)
I think it's a lot of fun to try to create custom colors with cheap craft paints. For starters, they come in so many shades that you can usually find one that's very close to what you are trying to achieve. The other thing is with something like aged concrete, there is no one right shade. I am far more interested in achieving something that looks right to my eye under my basement light than I am in matching what somebody else's idea of what aged concrete should look like. That's why I don't look upon Polly Scale Aged Concrete as if it is some sort of standard to strive for. At best it is a shade of concrete at some point during the aging process. I used it a few times but it didn't appear aged enough for what I was trying to achieve.
Take a look at these images. Not all are concrete but you still see a wide variety of colors and shades, not to mention weathering. Anyone would be a correct color of aged concrete:
images old concrete walls - Yahoo Image Search Results
When I'm trying to achieve the look of aged concrete, it's something similar to this:
an-old-concrete-wall-with-cracks-1639278.jpg (1600×1071) (freeimages.com)
I'll try your technique later today with a base primer layer for craft store paints with mixing. I have a ton of gray, white, and earth tones/tans/greens which I bought for scenery. I'll also try watering them both down for mortar (couple drops dish soap + distilled water). I'll use the Testors, Vallego and craft store custom mix. I'm a little dubious as craft store paints are a little too thick. Craft paints aren't designed for smooth plastics, but uneven surfaces like woods/fabrics. Even Vallejo recommends their acryllic paints for woods. But we'll see. You do have the experience here.
I also have some Tiyama coming in (two shades)
I'll then update this post.
My second concern is having enough and saving paint for touchups. You'll have to store the extra for final stage touchups so the colors match.
John-NYBW For aged concrete, I wouldn't use gray as my base coat. I'd use a light beige and then add a few drops of gray until I got the shade I wanted. I could get something very close to any of those other three colors.
For aged concrete, I wouldn't use gray as my base coat. I'd use a light beige and then add a few drops of gray until I got the shade I wanted. I could get something very close to any of those other three colors.
I've never tried to apply craft paint directly to plastic. I always spray it with a primer first. Craft paint is so cheap, you can mix several colors to get the shade you want. For aged concrete, I wouldn't use gray as my base coat. I'd use a light beige and then add a few drops of gray until I got the shade I wanted. I could get something very close to any of those other three colors. It just takes a little trial and error. You can also thin it with a few drops of water.
Very nice piece of work, Don.
Thanks for posting.
Hopefully this will help some:
I did a test paint this morning comparing the different paints. I gave each about 45 minutes to dry before taking photos under a cool blue white (6500K) led hobby light. I recolor balanced. Notes are below photos.
From left to right:
Vallegjo Stone Grey 70.884
PollyScale Aged Concrete
Testors Model Master Aged Concrete Flat
Generic Craft Store Paint (My Studio-72764 Grey)
Coverage: Notes how easy it goes on to the plastic
Consistency: How evenly it goes on. No color variations
Thickness: Thickness is how thick it feels (how hard to push) Thicker paints tend to build up thicker layers and are harder to lay flat. However thickness can be counter acted with a drop or two or water at the expense of Coverage/consistency. Thick paints are harder to paint details onto depressed areas or corners.
Flatness: Flatness relates to thickness. If a paint is too thick, it will create uneven surfaces. You will lose detail.
Notes on Vallejo:
Coverage: Good.
Consistency: Acceptable. Way above craft store, but below PollyScale. Minor banding effects.
Thickness: Easy to push. I would say it was the 2nd thinnest in the group
Flatness: Because consistency wasn't perfect, I had to put on two layers which lead to some layering effects.
Price: ~$4.00 which is okay for .57mL. I would estimate it's about volume bottle wise as PolyScale.
Availability: Easy to find.
Coverage: Good. Better than Vallejo. (Look at edges of vallejo which required more than one pass)
Consistency: Good. But as the paint aged, I had to add distilled water to thin it up creating some consistency problems.
Thickness: Required water to thin up. But overall still decent
Flatness: Very flat and mostly even.
Price: Ever hear of first born? (if you can find a bottle)
Availability: Hens teeth
Testors Aged Concrete Flat
Coverage: Excellent
Consistency: Excellent. Didn't require many brush strokes to get even color
Thickness: Pushed very easy.
Flatness: Extremely flat
Price: Astronomical for small bottle. 14.7mL can sell as high as $10
Availability: Hard to find. Sometimes you get lucky on Amazon.
Generic Craft Store Paint: (My Studio 72764 Grey)
Coverage: Poor
Consistency: Almost unacceptable. Did not want to stick to the plastic at all creating minor pooling. Will require multiple passes after drying. This will affect flatness and thickness of the paint layer.
Thickness: Watery. Should go through airbrush easy.
Flatness: Watery leaving for uneven surface. But flatter than Vellajo. Easy to push in crevices, but multiple layers will affect flatness.
Price: Not even a chicken has this many "Cheaps"
Availability: Hobby Lobby
John-NYBW I still don't understand the need to match to Polly Scale Aged Concrete. It is just one shade that some think looks like aged concrete. I see nothing exceptional about it.
I still don't understand the need to match to Polly Scale Aged Concrete. It is just one shade that some think looks like aged concrete. I see nothing exceptional about it.
John-NYBW There is no one shade that is right for aged concrete. Concrete yellows over time so you can age it as much or as little as you like. It isn't necessary to match Polly Scale aged concrete or any other shade. I like to use cheap craft paints to get a shade that looks right for to me.
There is no one shade that is right for aged concrete. Concrete yellows over time so you can age it as much or as little as you like. It isn't necessary to match Polly Scale aged concrete or any other shade. I like to use cheap craft paints to get a shade that looks right for to me.
When Testors dropped the Polly Scale line of acrylic paints, an exact replacement for Polly Scale Aged Concrete was one of the most sought after replacements. Several threads have been started on this forum over the past 8 to 10 years or so. Personally, Polly Scale Aged Concrete was one of my most prized paint colors.
When Testors first produced Polly Scale Aged Concrete, the formula was dead on as to color - - gray with a hint of green. Sure, concrete actually appears to be many different colors or shades of colors, depending upon a lot of factors including when it was poured, where it was poured, and the components used to produce the concrete. But there is only one shade of one color that can match Polly Scale Aged Concrete.