photo backscene

[martin75]

  i have two plastic peco stone affect bridge fronts painted in dark grey i don't like them whats best shade to do & make of paint thanks

[NeMo]

One quick fix is to use some acrylic paint (something pale, like a mix of cream and grey) and brush that all over the plastic bridge or tunnel front. Then, while it's still wet, use a paper towel to gently rub away the paint. Some will be left in the cracks between the stones, and a little will be left behind on the stones themselves. The result is something that looks more muted and realistic. The good thing about this approach is that the acrylic is water soluble, so if you don't like what you've done, run under hot water and scrub it away! Then try again with another colour.

Serious hobbyists seem to paint the bricks or stones individually, or at least some of the bricks or stones, in two or three colours beyond the background shade. The result is that the whole thing looks more variegated, but it's important to keep the set of colours fairly close, e.g., different shades of grey, otherwise too many different colours looks silly and unrealistic. Done right, the results can be spectacular, but you need a steady hand to do this in N gauge!

Cheers,  NeMo

  i have two plastic peco stone affect bridge fronts painted in dark grey i don't like them whats best shade to do & make of paint thanks

[martin75]

ok thanks problem i have bridge fronts are already fitted i bought this layout my part built its my 1st they grey is i would say satin got a shine too it does not look real at all

[martin75]

when u say mix what sort of ratio would it be of pale cream/grey thanks

[NeMo]

You have to experiment. A shade or two paler than the bricks/stones should work well as a starting point. Cheap acrylic paint "starter packs" from Wilkinsons, The Works, etc. are fine for this sort of thing, giving you lots of colours to play with.

Cheers, NeMo

when u say mix what sort of ratio would it be of pale cream/grey thanks

[martin75]

would humbrol acrylic be ok thanks

[martin75]

hi i would like to know how wide white lines should be on roads & junctions has i am ready to paint the fine detail now 

[Jerry Howlett]

Grab tape measure , exit house wearing High visibility clothing. Measure lines,   return to house grab paper and pencil return to street re-measure white line this time in inches then use calculator. 1mm = 6".

They don't use white lines over here as it confuses the locals.