Questions about painting DPM models

[MinnMonkey]

I am about ready to build and paint some N-Scale DPM models. Assembeling them seems pretty straight forward, but painting is a different story. After searching The Gauge, I have found some advice, but I still have a few questions.

First off, I would really like to stay away from needing to invest in an airbrush.

So, my questions are:

1) Base-coat: Spray or Brush?

2) All coats: Enamel, acrylic, or other?

Also, what are the benefits/drawback to each?

 

[Catt]

Depending on how you paint ,spraying or brushing are both quite acceptable. When I'm planning to brush paint I will do the windows and doors first,and then brush the bulding colour up to the windows and doors.My paint of choice is artist acrilics usually bought at Michaels or WalMart .You don't need the real expencive stuff for buildings.

If the plan is to out the building right up front for all to see I will spray first (usually a warm grey or offwhite then dry brush the brick colour over that.Usually with this method I will brush paint the doors and windows after the brick colour.

Don't forget not all brick buildings are a brick colour as many of them were painted with regular house paint during their lifetime.If you decide to go this way on a few I would definately go with my first suggestion.

What ever you decide be sure to use flat paints, as gloss does not scale very well and you will end up with toylike buildings.

 

[tillsbury]

The best results I've got so far are by doing it in the following order (after building the entire structure and filing/filling/sanding to get everything looking nice):

Spray bomb with primer -- I use Tamiya light grey

Roughly mask off the roof and concrete top section (just to save overpainting work) and spray bomb the woodwork colour (probably two coats with some fiddling in between).

Brush paint the lintels / cornice elements whatever colour you prefer (if you want them different from the woodwork colour. You only have to be careful not to paint onto the woodwork, it doesn't matter if you paint on to the brickwork.

Then paint the roof the initial off-black and whatever other elements need doing.

Then, lastly, paint the brickwork. I brush paint this with whatever colour (or slight colour variation) the bricks are supposed to be. Because you're painting a (comparatively) large area up to an inside corner (cornice/lintels/windows), this is far easier to get an clean break on to the lintels than doing it the other way around.

Then I wipe over with a light grey fine grout (household grout as used for tiling) for the mortar, and rub off the excess when dry. The grout, being porous, takes inkahol more than the painted areas. And it's easy to poke into holes and rub off where there's too much.

Light inkahol over the lot, giving the base coat of weathering, and dullcote the whole thing.

Then you can paint the inside walls, insert interior decor, glaze the windows and do whatever else you want...

Then signage and detailing, downspouts, roof details or whatever

Then final weathering to taste...


Charles

Edit: I didn't answer your questions, did I? No I don't use an airbrush, I only use enamel spray cans and enamel paints by brush. Most weathering except for inkahol I use weathering powders.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

I've done quite a few DPM buildings, both N and Ho scales.
Pretty much I do the same as Catt and Charles.I never had a problem [/U]Not priming the building.
For paint, I usually use Scale-Coat earth tones(Boxcar Red makes a good brick color)Dirt, Mud...ect..ect.for the main walls, hand brushing. Then, using Concrete, or Aged Concrete color will to do the trim work and window sills. Since I don't have an airbrush...I do all my painting by hand.
Hope this helps.

 

[MinnMonkey]

I ended up going to Michaels and picked up a half dozen colors of acrylic paint for about $5 total. Thanks for the tip Catt, you ended up saving me $15. In the long run Michaels will save me considerably more.