Brick Wall (using Don Railton's approach)

[marc_reusser]

I have been dying to give Don's method of Carving blue foam into brick walls a try, so last night I decided to give it a quick try.

A description of Don's method and one of his beautiful finished projects, can be seen here on the RR-Line forum;
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21835


Being the way I am, I didn't go and read the method till I got to the paint and plaster stage, so my first steps were a bit different. Instead of using graph paper like Don, I drew the elevation/design (with each brick) in AutoCad, printed it out to scale, and then attached it to the blue foam using a low tack spray-mount. Using a straight edge and Xacto I went through and scored/cut the grout/brick lines through the paper and into the foam......this though left me with hundreds of tiny brick shaped pieces of paper that needed to be individually removed from the foam. (an interesting effect happened though in doing so, and that is that tiny, and very thin, amounts, of the blue foam surface lifted when pulling off the paper pieces, thus giving the bricks a slightly pitted surface...like old low-fire brick that has begun to erode on the surface).

Once all the lines were scored and some removal and deforming was done with tweezers and an Xacto, the entire wal was given a wash of Tamiya XF-10 "Flat Brown", drying was expedited using a blow-dryer. (The result is in the first image below).

Next the spackle was applied as per Don's method. While still damp, to tone down the plaster a bit, the entire wall was given a washes of Vallejo #821 "German WW2 Beige Camo", and Windsor & Newton Guache "Neutral Grey"... both washes were applied randomly, but primarily in downward brush strokes. Excess wash was dabbed off the surface of the bricks with a soft lint-free cotton towel & dampened brush. This process was repeated as/where needed/desired. (the second image shows the result with my 1/35 dude for scale).

Now I need to figure out what steps to do next....likely some more grout washes, and then picking out individual bricks and details.

So far it has been really simple, fun, fast and IMO yielded some neat results.


Marc

[marc_reusser]

This evening I did a couple of quick passes with some dark grey water color to try and darken the grout area a bit more, then using a couple of different shades of Vallejo colors picked-out some of the individual bricks. Lastly, working wet, a combination/mix of green Vallejo acrylic and and dark grey water color was used to create the mossy areas.

There is still stuff that could be done and worked on, but for a first try, and short time it took (carving 2 hrs.; paint, grout and stain 2hrs) I was pretty pleased with it.


Marc

[marc_reusser]

Two detail views.

[finescalerr]

Most satisfactory. And pretty stunning considering you spent only four hours. I hope to see you integrate this little jewel into a diorama. -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

Thanks Russ.  I plan to combine it with the concrete experiment and some other stuff I want to try, and then it will probably find it's way to the waste bin.  I am just having some fun with small mindless little test stuff, that doesn't stress me, but still lets me practice and model a bit.

M

[jacq01]

   Marc,

   is this the same as architectural foam board ?   
   This is a great SBS.........it will be very usefull when I start on the boilers and boiler house 

   Jacq

[marc_reusser]

Jacq,

Its basically extruded ridgid insulation faom. Here it comes in pink and blue colors (depending on the mfr. Dupont (?)or Dow).  Mine is the blue stuff from Dow. It comes in standard thicknesses of 1", 1.5", 2", 3" and thicker...generally in sheets of 4'x8'. It has a tight and even cellular structure so it is quite dense with only really tiny pores.

I want to see how well it will work in a milling machine, to see If it is possible to mill the general shape, of say, a building wall with butress/column sections, window recesses and openings, and parapet details. Then apply and align the corresponding elevation drawing/brick pattern over it. This would help in eliminating the need to assmble adetailed elevation using bieces glued on top of eachother and resuting in diffcult to work with joints or glue locations...as well as allow for mich greater accuracy/consistency in tese details.

There is a modelere in Europe (France?) that Nick sent me a great article about by the name of Emanuell Nouallier (sp?), who seems to use Foam Core board (the thin stuff from art stores with paper on both sides) to create wonderful and creative brick, masonry, stucco and other building surfaces.  I am amazed at the look he achieves with it...I have not tried to replicate his technique...but that has been primarily because from my past experince with the product (built mock up, study, and full sized models from it for many years) I am not sure if it will give me what I am after, ...IMO it's way too porus/grained, It tends to warp and needs a lot of internal bracing/reinforcing, I hate dealing with having to pull of the paper surface, and numerous others.....but those are just my personal issues.

Marc

[danpickard]

Marc,
Its looking like another successful trial.  I have looked over Don's method a few times myself, but havent found any local suppliers of the blue/pink foam yet (probably would get it up in Melbourne ok, but haven't been bothered to make the 1hr drive for a while!).  Nice subtle hints of the moss creeping in...a bit "Marcel-ish".

I think this is the article by Emmanuel Nouaillier you are refering too, of another diorama I have a bit of a soft spot for.  Amazingly its in HO.

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article.asp?a=4083

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article.asp?a=4084


Dan

[marc_reusser]

Thanks Dan, and thanks much for the links.

.....I was thinking (hoping) somehwere between Marcel & Per Olav.

That is the one. I too really like that dio, one of my favorites....wonderful character, mood, and visuals, and beautifully done for HO.

I think he must be using a slightly differnt type of foam-core board than we have available to us here...his looks a lot denser. Plus he seem sto have access to a plastic backed version.

Marc

[marc_reusser]

The screaming neighbor kids woke me up from my sleep at 10 am this morning, so to make the best of it I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at my bench to fiddle around with this a bit more.

I took the piece that I cut out to create the arched opening and eyball scribed it to try and represent some Concrete block infill. This was then colored with some Tamiya colors,a nd accented with the Valleyo acrylics.

This time around I tinted the spackle with some dark grey Windsor & Newton watercolor. Additional staining and coloring was added sim to the brick wall.

Marc

[marc_reusser]

...and lastly it was glued back into the opening.


Marc

[lab-dad]

The infill looks friggin awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bet you could mill the foam, have to ask someone who knows those things about what cutter.
I bet it would make one hell of a mess! heck the brass goes everywhere!
-Marty

[chester]

Wonderful look Marc. I might think twice about trying to mill this stuff however. I use it quite often in my work and it easily melts when high speed cutters are used. I cut it with an old handsaw in modeling and on a table saw at work.

[jacq01]

  I know the work of Emmanuel Nouallier. Very nice and on the weathering side he appears to have the same view as Marcel.  A little extagered but extremely convincing ans appealing.

The foamboard he is using is different than what you have used. I have some pale green stuff and will give it a try.
When it works out ok, I'll be able to make a cut through brick boiler as the boiler house and engine house do not fit completely on the module and will therefore be cut so you can see inside.  A small paper mockup shows some nice surprising views.

  Jacq

[TRAINS1941]

Marc

Great work!!  The infill is perfect.

Jerry