"Weathering paper buildings" Topic

I downloaded the free building "stinky's pizza" from microtactix to see what they were like. After quickly putting it togeather I ran to my game table and threw it next to all the rest of my stuff. It quickly showed that it was too bright and "Clean" for my stuff.

So what would be the best way to weather the buildings.
I used a black marker to cover all the corners and drybrushed it but it seems to still need something to make it look right

I have been wondering how to do the same. I was thinking about trying the weathering powders from the model railroad shop.

Azzarc

Photoshop. ;)

Take take an image of the template at 100% size, load it in photoshop.

Then take some very low opacity brushes, set to spraypaint, and add whatever weathering you need.

Er, well that's what I'd do, but I'm studying to be an illustrator. Other methods outside the computer might work better.

If you do use the chalk based weathering powders, be sure to spray a fixative (Testor's DullCote) over your work. Otherwise it will rub off. Even the model raiolroaders do that to help fix the weathering in place.

Since it's a pdf already, you can just open it in photoshop and follow Turtle's advice above.

You can also recolor, swap doors or windows, and so on...

Why bother with computer when you can do it with paint?

Basicaly, you need to apply a wash tou your buildings. Just use sanding paper and rough out the building, then use a highly diluted mix of dark paint (like 1 part paint 10 part water)and soflt apply it to the model with a medium-sized brush. Use a cloth or paper towel and rub of the excess paint by tapping, creating random paterns, and so the cardbord does'nt bend. Using a smaller brush, you can use your mix to line the cardboard where the bends are, (which usualy result in a cardbord-colored line), and you should get a very good result.

You can also make a base for your buildings, making then sturdier, and allowing you to add some intersting features, or use spray paint and randomly spray, at a good distance, to create dust or burnt effects.

Because, once you know how, it's faster, less messy and more durable?

OTOH, doing it with paint etc. might look better. Has anyone tried both methods and compared the final result?

Only problem with xactoboy's method is that to print these at home, the cardstock is only as thick as a printer can handle. Wet it, and you'll see serious distortion.

You could airbrush/spray can it, or use chalks, if you want to go the manual route, but since it begins as a computer image, modifying it on the computer is pretty easy. And you can make variations and changes and build up a set of buildings from the original.

In fact, if you use a program like photoshop, or the GIMP, you can do all the modifications on separate layers, and apply them as neeeded or desired.

But that's me, I like playing in photoshop.

Quickest thing is to simply print it on non-white paper. I've gotten suprising results from a grey, tan, or ivory, or better yet use a marbled or pretend-parchement stock.

You may still want to touch it up before (Photoshop) or after (painting and finishing techniques) but I bet a lot of the shiny newness would go away instantly if you get away from your bright white paper.

Andrew

oi, that's a good idea .... (not using white paper)

Hmm... it might be useful to some people to provide a PSD template file that has a bunch of weathering layers to turn on and off before printing a building.

Turtle: There are lots of free textures available on the web, perhaps you could import a texture into a layer and then play with the opacity until you get the desired level of weathering. I'll try that today and report back.

Eric

Let some grubby gamers finger it all over the place. That'll smear it up.

Watch out for the sweaty guy though, he'll leave finger prints!

I've never done this, but artist's colored pencils might work, and would not be too messy. A good art supply store will have multiple grays and earth tones.

I'd be inclined to base it, apply gloss spray varnish to seal it and protect it from warping, then use acrylic washes (black or brown) and drybrushing (brown or gray).

When done, if it's too glossy, use a matte varnish like Testors Dullcote, then if necessary spot brush gloss varnish on window panes.

Although using a different paper stock sounds a lot quicker if it gives satisfactory results.

Hmmm, my post seems to have vanished. One more time;
I put a layer of stone texture over one of the walls of Stinky's Pizza in Photoshop and then reduced the opacity so that the wall texture on the layer below still showed through. I cleared out the window, door and top and bottom trim and made seperate layers for shading them. It was a quick job and I picked a greenish texture so that it looks moldy or mossy. I also tried putting the texture on a lower layer and then reducing the original wall's opacity, but that looked fecal.

I know there are many easier ways of creating shading, I just wanted to try this one out. The results can be seen in my gallery at
paperworlds.com
Eric