What are some good paints and/or stains to use to impart a real “wood” color to a plastic model part ? I am planning on building some items for my layout from scrap lumber, so I’ll have no problem making these things look like real wood, but how will I make my engine house doors look authentic? (I know, toss the plastic doors, and construct my own from my scrap lumber, right?)Thanks.
Any paint will work to make plastic look like wood, it’s all in your artistic eye for color and shading. There’s no magic trick or miracle jar of Floquil that will get the job done. You just have to sit down with some paint and a few photos of what you’re trying to recreate, and dig in.
That’s one reason I prefer the cheap water-based craft paints for all my non-equipment painting. They’re cheap, work well, apply easily, dry quickly, mix readily, and are a very forgiving medium for experimentation. I’ve come up with several combinations for new wood, aged wood, distressed wood, and bleached stained wood, but I need to know what you’re looking for before I can pass on what works for me.
Two things to keep in mind when working with plastic to represent wood:
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don’t bother with wood grain or “distressing”. Look at a 1:1 piece of wood, say a 2x4, REALLY close up. You’ll see grain. Now put it on the ground and way away from it, until it scales out to be HO-sized. See any grain now, or just different colors?
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most wood used in construction was originally painted or stained. It’s pretty rare that wood is used for any sort of structure that isn’t painted, because wood costs money, and you want to protect the investment. The look of old wood is much different after it’s been painted, versus just bare wood left outside. Take lots of photos of what you’re trying to recreate before digging in. Assumptions are usually wrong without reference!
One novice’s method:
I try to distress the ‘wood’ just a little with really fine sandpaper, 200-400 grit, so that when I use an india ink wa***o bring out detail, it fills it all the fine abrasions and give it a great weathered look. Try starting with a base coat of a yellowish brown color (acrylics are best IMHO). Then drybrush a couple different shades of gray and brown/gray mix. Be sure to use thin washes rather than straight paint or you lose the grain. Finish up with a very dilute wash of india ink and water. The sludge on the bottom of your paint thinner jar works good too. Just shake it up and brush it on. The dark color will seep into grain and cracks between boards and give it a nice weathered look.
That’s how I did it when I painted the wood plank sides of my ore-car-turned-wood-chip car. Good luck!