Best colours for bricks

[cheshire]

I have just brought my Model Town and BOB buildings in to clean after they have become very faded and old looking (they are only a few years old but last winter was a killer on everything in the garden). They need a fresh paint job, and I was wondering what colours people use for the bricks? I have never been happy with the brick colours I have used in the past, they just don't look right!! Any advise would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Tony]

The secret is a combination of colours as bricks arnt one colour,something like spray the whole wall in rattle can gray so it gets right in the mortice groves then spray can black but from a distance so the groves get a shading but are still greyish but the face of the bricks are blacker then you need a nutral colour maybe red or brown but this you need to lightly wipe over the face of the bricks with either a cloth or a very small foam roller ( the ones for gloss paint) but this you need to still see some black showing through.
try a range of colours depending on the type of building eg industiral of country cottage
hope it helps but use three colours
Tony

 

[pugwash]

Do the grouting first then dab gently with a sponge for the brick colours, and I agree with Tony, the bricks should be varied. Try putting two shades of brick red/brown in a pot without stirring then dab onto the surface. And I would try on something discardable until you get the colour you want. Finally squirt all over the walls with a matt varnish to seal.

 

[C&S]

Agree with all the above, particularly doing the grey for the mortar courses first. What sort of paint are you using? My comments are based on Acrylics, but you could probabbly do much the same with oils.

I'd advocate finding what colour you like for a basic (red) brick - not too bright, I'd suggest; then mixing some of that colour with a little yellow ochre, and another batch with a little more brown, to act as contrast colours. Keep the differences subtle, so as to avoid a patchwork look. Using a flat 6mm/quarter inch artist's brush with soft bristles you can gently apply the base colour to each brick individually; when you've covered a few square inches and before the paint is dry, gently go over some of the bricks with the two contrasting colours. Aim to vary the tone of these bricks rather than create a new colour.

 

[Ian_S]

As the guys say - use a mixture of colours - I start with what's called "oak"

and then build up using terracotta

and through to earth

Step by step guide is here - http://www.s123933366.websitehome.co.uk/pluspages/Web_Pages/page55.html

 

[bobg]

That sounds and looks excellent, but don't forget that not all bricks are red tones. Some Councils prefer yellow bricks in certain areas and there are also things like Staffordshire blues and many others.

 

[stevedenver]

there is no substitute for the above techniques for areally great looking model-unless i am very mellow-painting individual bricks is usually beyond the pale for me-i have done it on a small stone work ice house and a small merchantile-it looks like nothing else-it takes hours



well being rather lazy and having have had to paint bricks on several dozens of my n scale buildings-
i also have a rather simple and less work intensive method which i like and which ill share with you

using model paint -
i have used auto primer zinc chromate) a very good brick color indeed

or
rust

or
deep red maroon mixed with a bit of white (or not)

or even tans, roof brown etc


spray the building-
then pick out a few bricks here and there and dab with a different hue-it is important to stay within individual bricks as the eye pick up lines easily, and sloppy work looks ok but nice crisp lines look much better-even if only on the 'facing' side-you dont need many -and they should be neither even nor clumped

you can also select rebuilt sections-but if you do it is critical that each brick on the edge be outlined so that the joint is crenelated-looks very
interesting but is neither quick or easy


when completely dry
i wash with light grey or white or pale yellow acrylic tube paint -thinned to a not too watery mess-you want somewhat strong color but it must be able to flow and not be opaque when applied but transparent
wet the surface first using watersolution with a drop of detergent- this improves cling and flow into crevices
lay the wall flat ie parallel with the bench top
then brush the dilute morter color

it will dull the bricks and seep into the cracks and leave a pale mortar -the idea is to create a slick surface and let the paint run into the crevices and dry
or
for a brighter mortar-you can simply wipe acrylics on and off -with a rag -work into cracks and then get it off
this does work for g scale pretty well-nice thing about acrylics-tube type-are they are thick, intense, and water soluable

if too much hassle-skip it and simply wash with black-it too will highlight the crevices

when dry -wash with dilute ink,
i have found that turning the building upside down and washing will provide deeper stains at the base of walls and lesser stains under the eaves-

 

[stevedenver]

 

[stevedenver]

the smeer on wipe off technique for the support pillars

 

[beavercreek]

the smeer on wipe off technique for the support pillars

Nice effect Steve. Good lookin' building with a successful bit of rusty steel ribbing.