Rails to Black Rock

Today has been spent developing the colour palette and painting method to represent the dressed stone elevation of the cottages. I have worked from the photographs of the building to get the colours as close as possible. Painting is carried out in daylight as this ensures consistency between buildings in the future. I use artists acrylics as they build up a nice texture and seal the Das for longevity. 

The whole building was given an initial wash of white and yellow ochre. Then individual stones were painted. It takes about four washes per stone to get the right degree of opacity. The stones within the real wall are made up of lots of different shades. There are flecks of burnt sienna, which although small, effect the overall look considerably. I had thought that the general grey colour would include blue, but after a lot of experimentation I realised that the slate and mortar has a hint of viridian green. To get a natural look a balance has to be struck between accurate painting and the happy accidents that happen from overlaying various washes. Without this, the walls look too pristine and unnatural. This elevation is nearly done but the others are constructed in quite different styles and will need their own solutions. Unusually, apart from some chimney breasts this is the only building on the layout with exposed stone. 

This photo has been the reference point for todays painting. The colours match is much closer than the photo above suggests as it was taken in artificial light.