"Thatch" Topic

I recently received three Black Houses, just released by Anyscale Models.

They're resin and cracking models; just right for anything from the Dark Ages to the '45 in Scotland.

Their (removable) roofs are, of course, thatched.

Could I please have some tips on the painting of thatch?

Without having a thatched building at hand to examine closely, I'd suggest a base coat of dark brown then repeated dry brushing across the 'grain' of the thatch using steadily lighter greys, then possibly a final cream highlight (if we are to believe the romantic landscape painters) or just stick with grey. Different thatch materials would weather differently – reed, rye straw, other swamp plants such as rushes.

Vallejo Leather brown mixed with either dark sand for newer thatch or mixed with Silver grey for older thatch. Mixing gives a range of suitable tones. Generally new thatch goes brown in a year or so. Older thatch will be broadly a brown colour and is likely to have moss growth.

My recipe link

I would paint it a very light pastel yellow to as a base coat, and then darken with a series of coats of brown wash. Then give it a very light dry brushing to pick out a little more of the relief.

I used a grayish brown and an olive yellow dry brush technique. To my eye thatch always looks more gray than brown/tan

Vallejo sky grey, Army Painter Dark Tone, dry brush up very faintly with Army Painter Desert Yellow and then Skeleton Bone.

Frankly, I'd just google images of "Scottish Black House" and use them for inspiration.

I just did, and the color variation is tan (for new thatch) to various greys (for older) (not to mention mossy green).

Grey with a hint of brown, like Foundry's granite, gives the dry thatch getting past its prime look.

Thatch starts out a pale brown colour but ages to grey.

Yes. There seems to be an overabundance of 'straw colour' thatch on wargames tables.

New thatch is this colour, but a roof lasts for years before it needs re-thatching. The vast majority of rooves are dark grey.

Just my twopenneth from having lived in places with plenty of thatched buildings most of my life!

Thank you for all the great suggestions offered.

I bought an example of all 3 models offered by Anyscale.

I could paint the roofs as new, greyed and moss covered and this might well be the reality of a range of ages. However, I think it would look odd so I will stick to the same look for all three.

Here's the three Anyscale models BTW:

link

The yellow thatch (as painted) is clearly wrong so I will try out suggestions as above.