hey guys,
I can’t remember the last time i posted here, but i need help.
Construction on my layout is coming to an end and I was previously stuck between the option of using plaster rocks and cliff sides, or making my own from insulator foam. I chose foam because it is less exspensive and in my opinion, less messy, but now i need to know what kind of paint to use on it.
Not an answer to your question, I know, but was wondering what kind of foam you use and where you got it. I was going to give foam a shot for a large mountain on my layout. Wandered around Home Depote for twenty minutes, finally found the one kind of foam that store had and didn’t think to check what it was. Turns out to be the beaded kind that makes a huge mess when you cut it. Haven’t gone back to the store to look yet, but I’d appreciate any advice on what the right stuff is and where to find it.
i’ll have to get back to you on that one, because the foam is all in pieces and i can’t get a company name or anything. but it’s blue insulating foam about 1" thick. I would get thicker though, it was my dad who picked it up for me ( and he got it at home depot) so i had to work with what i had, But it works fine. mabie someone else who reads this can give you better details
Elias,
Any latex paint will work as a base coat for foam rocks. I generally use cheap craft paints, slightly thinned, and applied with a 1/2" brush (for the basic color anyway).
I paint with artist acrylics, use them as a wash. I just picked up a jeep load of blue foam at a construction site for free. It was used in the basement construction phase and was in all sizes, but it gets broken up anyway. I am trying to carve directly in the foam. Will post pictures if it looks OK.
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The foam you describe is extruded foam. I would do a base coat of some light gray acrylic artists’ paint, although you could do just as well with white…or black. Once that base coat is one, the eventual look of the rock(s) is up to you and experimentation. Play with light or dark washes, some brown even, and see what works for your eyes and your layout. Keep a record of the ‘formula’ so that you can go back to the recipe that works when you need to do large numbers, or when you need to add more rocks.
I wonder if one could use the same method of painting rocks, cliffs as doing geodesic foam scenery. the result is fantastic and its all in the painting. Though geo foam is a resin hard shell, I painted it with white gesso, then mulitable very very thin washes. This result is fantastic, check out the technique at www.bragdonet.com Hope this helps…John