I would like to know what to mix with some concrete paint to wash the mixture onto a brick wall, wipe the mixture off and leave mortor lines in the indentations between the brick.
I know the technique, I just don’t know the proper mix. I have never used it, but I have read about it in a couple of articles, I just have no clue what issue or how long ago.
Rod
I use ‘FolkArt’ Cabin Gray acrylic paint myself. I just smear some onto the wall with my finger making sure it gets into the mortar lines then wipe it off with a paper towel. Instant mortar lines.
Thanks Jeffrey, can I get this at any good art supply store like Hobby Lobby?
Rod
You should be able to. I get mine at Wal-Mart’s craft aisle.
Thanks!
I’m sorry Idaho, but that is bad advice. We have some noobies on this forum who like to jump in whenever they can even if they give incorrect advice. Doing it his way gives you way to much paint and smear. It looks awful. You can use acrylic if you like but you still need to dilute it with water. Now you can mix it with a 20/80 mixture wipe it on the mortar lines and then wipe if off with a paper towel, or like me, I simply dip the brush in the paint, and then in a second bowl of water, I dip it in there to get it diluted and then brush it on the mortar, then wipe it off with a towel. This gives you more control. You don’t want to over do it. You can always go back this way and add more…
Jeff is hardly a newbie…and his technique works fine. It’s the same one I use…
Nick
Looks good to me.
And I’m not a noobie. I’ve been in this hobby for over 40 years and have done mortar lines in many different ways involving chalks and paints an dthis is one I’ve found that works if done carefully.
Thank you for confirming my worst fears.
I’ve seen pictures of your layout numerous times. You should be the poster boy for “Looks good to me”. Thanks, but…no thanks.
I noticed you conveniently left out the first two pictures. So I show you four pictures…you pick the one that intentionally represents a well weathered brick structure, and ignore the two that represent newer buildings…all the while not providing any pictures of your work.
Nick
How about letting the original poster be the judge of what he finds works better for him instead of trying to influence him by throwing cold water on everyone else. He could consider your method as being more trouble than he wants to deal with. I know I’ve tried it and it works but I don’t like having cans of paint and bowls of water on the layout while I’m working on it. I find a small squeeze bottle of paint and a paper towel to be much easier.
Fire away Ladies…Less is more. 
I don’t see any gray mortar lines at all. I see red mortar lines in red brick and yellow mortar lines in yellow brick. That to me is very unrealistic.
Hold on gents, before this becomes a full-fledged pissing contest, both ways work. For the what it’s worth,the question should be answered by more questions, how old is structure? If it’s 80 years old, much of the mortar may be black from years of pollution. Something newer, say twenty years old will show mortar clearer. Also, myself, if the structure is closer to the edge of layout I may put little heavier mortar wash on than if it’s two feet back. A little prospective so to speak. If your veiwing a building one hundred yards away the mortar maybe just a little finer. Practice what works for yourself, it’s the best teacher. mh.
I have to agree with Jeff: “less” can be “more”, but in the case of your nicely painted buildings, “less” appears to be “too little”, at least as far as highlighting mortar lines. [;)]
Sometimes, to make details more apparent, we have to exaggerate them on our models, so wood grain is perhaps more pronounced than it would be in real life:
…rivets may be larger than actual scale size:
…or moulded-in mortar lines more pronounced than they generally are on the real thing:
The colour you choose for your bricks and for the mortar can make a big difference in the final appearance, too. The structure in the left foreground below was painted an oxide red, then drywall mud was applied to the “brick” areas. Once dried, the excess was wiped off with a dry rag:
It’s meant to represent a fairly new building, with the painted concrete pilasters, and very little weathering:
This building was also done with drywall mud, but the base brick colour was Floquil Reefer Orange:
The colour is very typical of locally-made brick in this ar
I especially like the way you placed the mortar on this building. It does look good IMHO. My contention with Jeffery is that he purports to slap on the paint without diluting it, and then rubbing it off the building. This contradicts most of the scenery books and seasoned modelers applications of mortar lines on buildings. Believe me I tried it this way 25 years ago when I was just starting out, and it looked bad. The paint adhered to the building and would not wipe off to reveal just the mortar lines. I learned from my mistakes and listened to others to improve. I just hate to see him give poor advice to newer members when he himself obviously does not follow recommendations given to him by the few pro’s left on this forum. Copy the best, and forget the rest.
That’s exactly how I do it. Others have tried it and found it to be good for them. If they want to thin the paint that’s up to them, not you or me. If it didn’t work for you there may be some reason. Maybe you let the paint sit too long or maybe you used a different type than I use. It does not work with enamel paint, instead it makes a sticky film that won’t wipe off. I found that out when I was testing different types of paint. Now if the way I do it annoys you because it’s different than what your books say, well I can’t help that. It works for me and I’m not changing it to placate you. You do it your way and I’ll do it my way. That’s one of the things that makes this hobby unique. Not everybody does everything the same way.
I just have to ask, what is this structure going to be - some sort of yard tower? Small airport control tower? To me the mortar lines look fine, but the green window roof addition looks incongruous with that style of brick building (if you have Prototype photos post 'em - it would be interesting to see)
Isn’t it obvious? The glass enclosed area was a women’s jello wrestling tournament that went bad.