Texture: Another Attempt At Replicating Wood With Paper

[finescalerr]

Chester, how do you apply the Doan weathering method to paper?

Martin, I hope you didn't interpret my disappointment with Pendon's photos as disappointment with the models. On the contrary, I want to see much better photos of what they have built there. As for pear wood, the only problem I have is the need to cut it myself since it is unavailable here as stripwood.

Marc, THAT's what I needed. Thanks.

At yesterday's meet, three or four of us studied the occurrence of peeling paint (prompted by your comments here). I already had observed that paint peels more in areas that get a combination of moisture and more sunlight, that areas prone to peeling would be nearer to the bottom of a building (water splash) or places where water runs down the side of a wall.

Please note that my peeling paint patches are add-ons. When I use paper for a model, I start by importing a CAD drawing into Photoshop. The next layer is the basic board artwork, the next layer would consist of special effects (such as paint peels). I remove the door and window openings from the siding, then flatten the image, then print. I should do a step-by-step here to illustrate. I'll try to put one up this week.

This is becoming an education thread on weathering and techniques. Thanks, everyone.

Russ

[chester]

As I understand it, and I may need to be corrected, the surface to be peeled is colored for a weathered wood look. In the case of the paper structures shown, I simply painted them with an acrylic dark gray, essentially sealing them. Then brushed with turp and after allowing the turp to become tacky, painted with an acrylic finish coat. When dry, masking tape was used to remove the top coat where desired. This may not be exactly what Chuck does but it was at least inspired by his similar technique. Am I way off base in this interpretation?

And in following the discussion with regard to how peeling actually appears I'd like to point out that often the weather affecting the structure's exterior is not always the only cause. In many cases moisture escaping from a buildings interior can often be the major contributor to it's paint peeling particularly if the structure is a heated one. I have seen moisture from inside literally push the paint off a building. It can do considerable damage to certain kinds of roofs as well.

[Nurser]

Russ, I'll ask my American chums if they know of a supply of pear that can be stripped up further with hand tools or the excellent but cheap little Microcraft circular saw.
Since a big supplier of pear is Canada, I would think we can find you some.  I would send you a bit but at present the overgrown paperboys who masquerade as postmen in this country have decided to hold us all to ransom and the mail just ain't gittn' through!

Cheers,
Martin

[finescalerr]

Thank you, Martin, but as a clarinetist, it seems prudent to keep my fingers away from any kind of power saw; I don't own one for that reason.

And now, as I promised, a little step-by-step to show how you could do most weathering to a structure with a paper veneer prior even to printing:

Step 1. Import your plan into a photo editing program.


Step 2. Create a new layer and import siding artwork. In this case I am using the easiest to model, simple six inch planks.

[finescalerr]

Step 3. Reduce the opacity of the siding layer so you can align it with the drawing.

Step 4. Select and delete the siding from the window opening. In this case I wanted to show what you would remove if you were using clapboard siding -- everything up to the trim. If you were using shiplap or simple plank siding you would remove only the opening for the window itself because, in that case, the trim covers the siding. Bring the opacity of the siding layer back to 100-percent.

[finescalerr]

Step 5. At first glance there may be little difference but, if you look closely, you will see I slightly desaturated some boards, especially the two at the bottom, and added some subtle discolored streaks below the window sill. Modelers overdo that stuff. Many structures have no streaks beneath window sills but I wanted to show what is possible.

Step 6. Final details. I created another layer so I could apply paint peels and exaggerate the board texture. (Maybe a little too much but, again, it is to show what you can do.) At this point, the wall is ready to print. Then you would scribe the joints between the boards and maybe scribe in some additional texture, laminate the resulting 3-D artwork to a sub-wall, cut out the window opening, install a real window, and enhance the built up assembly with whatever additional weathering you want (oil or lacquer stains, pastel or weathering powders, or some other unique concoction). If your siding were clapboard, you would cut the boards from the artwork and build up the wall piece by piece.

Believe me when I say it takes MUCH less time for me to create a structure in this manner than with sticks, stains, and paint. Again, I am not trying to convince anyone to adopt this method. I just want you to see how it actually comes together so you'll have a better idea of what is involved.

Russ

[EZnKY]

Nicely explained and illustrated!
How are you doing the peeling paint?  Does it make any sense to put an image of unpainted weathered wood on a layer underneath the siding layer, and then erase portions of the siding layer to reveal the raw wood? 

One of the things that appeals to me with this method is the availability of so many images to use as a starting point.

I don't see this as compromising our skills as modelers either.  You could give each of us the same picture file to start with, and the same program on the same type of computer, and we'd each come up with a unique model.  Yes it requires a different set of skills than using an airbrush, but hey, the best modelers I know use a variety of skills and techniques.

Eric Zabilka

[Chuck Doan]

I agree, nice SBS, thanks Russ. You are making progress.

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Russ,

As I said before it looks like a process worth trying... and even more so now that I have seen the SBS... great stuff

It will be interesting to see how far you can get with this.   

Thanks

Mike

[finescalerr]

Chuck, the biggest improvement was getting a new photo printer a year or so ago. The other areas of progress have been incremental. I still doubt I could build 1:48 scale walls with paper that would equal those of the Red Oak Garage.

Eric, my first attempt at replicating peeling paint was as you suggest. It never worked out right. I spent hours over a couple or three years and simply could not produce the random peels of old paint. I finally "captured" some peeling paint from a photo, totally reworked the image, and found it is infinitely easier and better looking simply to paste sections over my "painted" wood artwork.

At this point I would say the most important next step in replicating a credible weathered wood finish is to find a better paper. It needs to be dead flat (no sheen), have some texture (like wood and brick), reproduce a lot of detail, and have no coating that can flake off. I tried a French watercolor paper sometime back, Lanaquarelle, and it was very good. I really should order some and experiment ....

Russ

[finescalerr]

Here is a 1:48 scale wall section (so far without window mullions) I just built up. I think it may be okay for my proposed waterfront warehouse flat. It is the first floor of the right-hand wall so it has been sliced off on one side where the diorama ends.

It makes use of two kinds of paper. One is some sketch paper I found at a Michaels Craft Store and apparently they no longer carry it. The other is Strathmore Bristol vellum, softer than the Bristol plate I have been using and 0.020-inch thick. The finish is flatter with a little more texture. I can distress it with a wire brush and it does not create any fuzz. The weathering is pastel chalk.

Russ

[Ray Dunakin]

Very nice!

[RoughboyModelworks]

Russ:

Have you ever tried any synthetic paper from YUPO? Samples I've seen are very tough, water proof, print beautifully and have no apparent texture. As to how it would work for your application I don't know, but you can get a free sample pack from their site. Might be worth a try. All paper manufacturers provide sample packs. I can provide you with a list of suppliers if you like.

Also, have you tried Pearl Paint yet, probably the best retail art paper supplier around, though I've only had experience with their Manhattan (a wonderland!) and Rockville locations. They do have a store in LA.

Paul

[finescalerr]

Thanks for the suggestions, Paul. I haven't heard of either source and will check them out.

For representing wood, I actually do want some texture and a dead flat finish. I recently ordered a bunch of Lanaquarrelle 90 lb. hot press paper, a tough, semi-soft paper that looks great when printed with brick or wood artwork. I think it is primarily a watercolor paper. I would use a smooth, hard finish paper for representing metal. Strathmore Bristol Plate works just fine and is readily available.

I have found the pursuit of representing various textures with paper really fascinating. To me (and I know I am in a vast minority), the idea of conceiving of something, designing it in CAD, using Photoshop to produce infinitely repeatable and modifiable artwork, and assembling a model that needs little more than a few streaks of pastel chalk to complete it is really gratifying. First, it just seems that you shouldn't be able to make it work, yet it works. And second, it requires a fraction of the time I would spend creating the model in a more traditional fashion.

To demonstrate what some people can do with paper (although I see no reason to take it that far), I have attached a couple of photos of a paper truck (with a balsa bed and side rails). And, yes, the cab and even the tires are paper.

Russ

[RoughboyModelworks]

You're welcome Russ. I'll be curious to know if you find anything useful. I'm thinking the synthetic paper might work well for representing metal. Certainly worth experimenting with at the very least.

I can't believe that truck is paper... that's astounding

Paul