I have a few “stock” houses I bought a while back which I have yet to do anything with. They look okay as-is but I want to get a bit more authentic. First question is what weathering techniques would you add for these…Second is what details would be good to add for a mid-50’s era layout for these structures. All tips appreciated!
Just take a good look around at various older and newer homes. Select the type of look you’re after. I guess you don’t really want them weather beaten and in disrepair. I would knock down that brightness of the paint. This can be done with a very dilute wash of black/ browns. If more “dirt” highlights are needed allow the wash to settle in cracks/ crevases. If you notice on real 1:1 structures, there is varying degrees of fading on differing sides as well as dirt up under eaves/ rakes and rain splashes @ ground level. I feel the most important part to weather is the roof. Even fairly new roofs will show dirt/ grime streaking and start to have differing degrees of soot/ dirt accross the surface.
The yellow house could actually be washed down w/ a dirty white. this will aid in the look of some fade to the very bright yellow.
You can also drybrush streaking w/ acrylics and solvent base
If these have window glazing , just use care not to dirty the “glass” Window shades, curtains and even some opened windows gives character. Window shades are easily represented by placing masking/ drafting tape on the inside and cover window as you like. The ft porches need steps. Some brick or stone would look good. Even some soft pine can be cut/ filed to make them and paint concrete, brick or stone.
How far and how much to weather is up to what your finished look will be.
A fire hydrant by the curb, a small silver or light gray box on the porch next to the front door to represent a milk box.
Those two houses are screaming for detail. Hang some curtains. Have a kid hanging out a window. Lose one of the steps on the yellow one and add a swing or some chairs on the porch. Maybe add a dog laying down soaking up the sun. Flower gardens in the front, add a couple trees and some kids playing in the back yard. Maybe even have a tree high enough so you could have a kid hanging in it staring at the neighbours daughter through the window. Get a Woodland Scenics 50’s era car that has a hood open and park it in the driveway. They also have a cool looking truck that comes with people and furniture, they could be delivering a new couch. Houses have lots of potential for detail. As for weathering them I would very lightly gave it a white wash and add some shingles to the roofs. I wouldn’t go over board, back in the fiftys most people took pride in their homes so you don’t want to trash them.
You weather them very carefully.
I like to use weathering powders. I would spray them with some Dullcote first, then dry brush on weathering powders. Be careful not to over do it, though.
TA462 took a lot of words right out of my mouth. Neatly planted Flower gardens, shrubs {foundation plantings} in front a good sized tree or two will help to anchor them. what you can do is buy the flowers and shrubs from Waltehrs or other supplier, or go to a craft store with fake flowers like Michaels or AC Moore and search out the flowers that have teeny tiny flower “buds” on them" that would be scale sized…i have good luck doing that.
Curtains for the windows would be nice.
Kids playing ball in the yard, maybe a swing set and a sand box to play on in the back yard. At least a tire hanging from a tree branch. Be sure to wear away some of the grass under swing set or tire. I am sure if you search Walthers you can find Prieser figures or some other brand of figures at play.
Perhaps you can find a figure and the old roller-blade pusher type mower and be mowing the yard, and/or someone following behind raking grass?
A fire plug maybe in front of one of the houses? along with a big blue mailbox? {If you are modeling Anytown USA}
As mentioned a nice 50s car in the drive and the milk truck delivering milk to the porch, and/or Ice cream truck in the neighborhood {used to be milk trucks avaialable WITH milk bottle crates}. Perhaps figures “washing the car” in the drive?
SOmebody makes {or used to make} gingerbread trims for houses. The one on the right could have a bit of a victorian flare if you trimed the roof eaves with some. {so could the left} DO a google search for “HO scale Gingerbread mouldings” or something like that to find some.
A trash bin on the side with metal cans in it might be nice…a wood pile for the fireplace? Surely they might have one in the house?. Also, maybe a wooden stair cellar door around back?
Perhap
Would you paint shingles on or use some sort of material to put on top of the current roof?(if so, what paints/materials?)
The yellow house could also use a railing on the front porch with steps. Since your modeling the 50’s both houses could have TV antennas mounted on the chimney , and they also can use gutters & down spouts. The yellow house needs more shutters for the front, and the blue house could use a railing for the steps.
Sam
I wouldn’t paint them on, it will look like crap. Sorry to the guys that paint theirs. I’ve used different manufacturers shingles and they are basically all the same. There are a ton of different colours.
They are also missing attic windows most homes from the fifties had the attic storage and the flower boxes on the windows. The small veggie garden in back also would help with the fence around it to keep the rabbits out. A dog house with the family dog with the grass worn away from the chain, just a few more ideas,jim.
Clotheslines in both yards, with both wives hanging laundry (actually gossiping over the picket fence that can be added between yards). Back then hanging the wash outside was a common social event.
What season are you modeling? Flowers, leaves, grass all change with the seasons. Fall with a pile of leaves on the ground and someone raking them is an option.
Hopscotch chalked onto the sidewalk and forgotten would imply a history of kids playing and moving on.
ANYWAYS, lol. Someone mentioned a clothes line. I got a Woodland Scenics version as a stocking stuffer and it looks great. The dog cracks me up.
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