"Painting adobe bricks for the Alamo problems (advice needed)" Topic

I am painting a Alamo, not having too much trouble. My only hang up is the adobe bricks.

I used a ruddy red, then started pin washing the cracks, but decided to just wash all the bricks using a citadel black wash. Ofcourse, I knew the bricks would turn darker. Dry brushing using a oxide Yellow and white combo, (oil paints), worked, just the bricks were still too brown. I should have just pin washed, and then dry brushed.

Anyways, I had this terracota weathering powder, which worked great, turned the mud bricks back to a more reddish brown, and made me happy. I just have to seal the walls with some clear coat.

And for a finale, and my question….I am going to dry brush the walls again…this time using a Khaki brown, or a desert sand, to tone down the red again. Im going for that pinkish adobe look, or rather a lightly brown brick.

Should turn out ok. But I was wondering if any one else, had a better way or suggestions.

I dont like pin washing…

Anyways, I was almost thinking about dry brushing with a light pink, to see if I can turn the dark mud more adobe again….any help would be appreciated. I will have to experiment….

Tried looking on the internet for someone having the same problem, to no avail.

Tom

Tom, I am going to be painting such myself soon. I will probably experiment a few times until I think I have it right. I want a more sun faded whitish color as opposed to a more tan color. Maybe a white drybrush over grey. I am thinking light grey mortor for the bricks and a light brownish for the bricks themsleves, maybe a little reddish also.
What color are you doing the wood? I am thinking faded greys.
Here is a youtube video for the Alamo used at Salute 2013 last month…this seemed to go with warmer colors than I am thinking for mine, but very well done.
YouTube link
In this video you can see how the wood palisade is a greyish color
YouTube link

I will check the video out later, at work. As far as mud bricks, what I have read, is that they were dark brown when made but after placed on the wall, eventually the sun would turn them a lighter brown. The motor was made of mud and straw, so it would have been dark. (this is all info from the internet)

So my plan is to change the color of my dry brush slightly to a khaki color at first. I will see what that does, and may even dry brush them in a lighter color on a second dry brush.

maybe do khaki first, then a sandy color after, this all ontop of a ruddy mud red, which is too modern looking. I have seen alot of them done this way.

So there would have been some reddish mud color.

I will see how it works, and report back. I used a light cream color, white mixed with a small amount of tan for the walls.

The weathering dust works well on the walls too.

tom

WarWizard,
I used a dark brown, XL-64 or something (Tamayri). I spend about $100 USD on paint yesterday. My frieds airbrushed everything, and I began washing and dry brushing. I have no clue about air brushes…but they had a blast.

I should have went with a lighter color on the bricks, however in the end….it is probably better to go darker and work your way lighter, than do it the other way. A light brown, with a dark wash, would have quickly became too grey for me. But that may be what you need.

I would probably go a medium grey (unless you are going to wash the bricks, go with a lighter grey) and lightly dry brush it with off white/oxide yellow mix (oil paints). (or tan) and then a lighter grey. I would weather it with some pigment dust as well.

That is good info. A lot of times I look to go with light colors and then apply a wash. Not sure on this yet though.

Yea, the more I look light brown is the look, I am going back too. The dark mud is just too unrealistic looking. I will have to experiment.

The "mortar" on adobe buildings is the same stuff that the bricks are made of and so won't be any different in color.

Maybe they did things a little different on the Alamo but the adobe buildings I've been around being build there wasn't any straw in the mortar/mud. The straw would make it a lot harder to spread.

jdginaz thanks for that info.

Thanks for the info, I just read that as i was doing internet searches on mud bricks (exciting stuff), they put straw mixed in with the mud brick, but we are talking back in the late 1700's, the straw was to give it strength, etc.

So I solved my own problem. The bricks were muddy red brown with some terracotta pigment dust rubbed on them. So I dry brushed them with a light brown first, then again in a sandy tan tone. I used a little white, but not much at all, mostly on the wall paint. They walls came out fantasic. The middle drybrush, was that light tan, which I used to dry brush the entire model (structure), which blended everything in great. The white I used on the wall to highlight the wall.

But I did find out how to make that pinkish adobe brick I see everywhere, accidently. Basically dry brushing a light brown, a slightly dried mud color etc on top of the ruddy brown and the light dry brushing gives off that pinkish adobe tone. But I was looking for a lighter brown. From a distance the bricks look grey, with dark shadows. But as you step closer the detail of the brick work jumps out at you. It really help tone down everything for the eye.

The cracks where the mortar would be I inked in black, for shadowing.

Tom

Here is my finished Diorama of the Battle of the Alamo.

Tom

link