What colours to use?

[nalmeida]

Well, I recently started a very small layout in z, and since I have a tunnel I needed two portals, I bought one but it was so expensive that I decided to do two of them based on the original.
I used kids modeling clay to do the mould wich I filled with plaster, the results were satisfatory but now I'm not sure how to paint it, could anyone give some advice in colours and methods to paint plaster? Here are the pictures:

 

[Ralph]

I don't know if you have Woodland Scenics products where you live but their Stone Grey liquid pigment would fit the bill. Barring that how about diluted India ink solution?
Best wishes,
Ralph
PS Nicely done mold!!!!

 

[Woodie]

Nameida,

Have you the time and materials to do it again? What I would think of doing is colour the plaster before putting it in the mould. Use some cheap artist acrylic paint .... just, maybe 1/4 teaspoon or such. Maybe a yellow ochre with some brown.... with a dob of black to grey it out a bit. Just experiment a bit. then, to give a good weathered look, just use a very diluted wash of a bit darker than what you used to colour the plaster, and let it settle in the depressions between the bricks.

When using any sort of plaster, I always colour it first. Also helps with wear and tear if you accidentally chip it after it's in place too. You won't have a white chunk where it may get chipped by some derailed passing rollingstock.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ricardo Correia]

I guess that you could use a light grey for general colour. Then, drybrush with black and brown. Then some green... and black over the tunnel portal.

(You'd be the right person to help me: I need to make lots of roofs... but I can't take the mold and doing it over and over again, can you help me, Nelson?)

 

[Xaniel]

hey Nelson, what about some pictures of the progress you're making oin that Z sacle layout?

I bet that many people here is curious about that.

 

[nalmeida]

Thanks

Well, thanks to everybody for the tips, I gathered some ideas here for this portals and the idea Woodie gave about colouring the plaster was great, I'll try that one also in the future.

As for the layout, it's a small one to have at work, it's dimensions are 30*40 cm (12*16 inch) so it's not even small, it's micro. It's a small oval with a litlle branch. It'll have at least three structures (from the faller catalog), a tunnel and lot's of trees

Here it is a photo: