I’m putting together Walther’s Modern Roundhouse and I gave the roof sections a coat of flat black and, of course, it’s too purty. I have a small bottle of Grimy Black and I was thinking about using that as a final coat.
Your thoughts and suggestions appreciated!
JaRRell
Grimy black would probably look better. You could also pait some fine lines of the regular black to look like patches.
Grimy black is my “standard” flat black. I used it on two bridges, and they look just like two well maintained, but old and used, bridges. Try some on a piece of scrap and lay that on your roof to see what it looks like.
you could also try weathered black. its kinda a grey colour, which black has a tendecy to fade to
I take flat black acrylic and hand-mix in a bit of white or gray. I don’t do a really good job of mixing, so the paint is a bit uneven. I like that look better than a homogeneous color.
Jarrell,
You might try some weathering powders. I’ve been experimenting with Bragdon powders and they yield a pretty neat effect. On a flat black roof, I tried a little gray/white to add some depth. Also, rust in some strategic areas looks good, like coming off a metal edge or roof ductwork.
And there’s always the stuff of pigeons that can be depicted on roof edges…if you’re so inclined.
I use a reverse method of weathering asphalt for roofs and roads, etc. I paint the area a medium grey first, then give it several layers of black wash. The wash I make with a 4:1 ratio of water to paint. Just paint it on rather heavily, and let it dry between coats till you get the look you want. Occasionally, I’ll use an eyedropper, and drop a drop or two randomly of rust or chestnut wash onto it while the black wash is still wet, for a more 'weathered" or 'stained" look.
Remember also that brand-new asphalt or tar has a slight sheen to it, so rather than hit it with dullcoat, use a semi-gloss clear. That, of course, is only for a new surface. Once it gets used for a few days, or exposed to the sun, it starts to become matte.
Respects,
This is a little off the wall but it looks just like a freshly tarred roof. Do some of the roof with a grimmy black and a dusting of gray chalk. Do the rest of the area with a thick coat of Black Liquid Electrical Tape so that it looks like the roof is being freshly tarred. What really makes the scean is a set of “Woodland Sceenics Roofing Figures”. They come with a tar pot and some guys spreading tar with rakes. Looks cool.