New paint for the dirt - finally

Well - I tried to use some washes and such - still not the right color. So I took out one of my backdrop photos from Dolores and went to the paint store to see if there was a color closer to the rock/debris on the photo. I soon saw that it was more grey and less yellow and brown. Got a very close match and repainted the stream bed this morning. Now we are talking. I need to adjust my camera'w white card deal to get the color right under the lights I use, but it is right on. Still wet in the photo - it will be flat.

Oh - I figured out that while my real dirt sample was in fact from Dolores, it was not from the scene I am modeling. My modeling scene is right below the cliffs shown in the photo in the blip above - so the earth would be closer to that color. Dud. Also, I rigged up the sort of light I will be using to light the layout. Layouts need LOTS of light to see details. Like the sun. So I am using compact fluorescents and eventually a light track for them. As well as some other light sources to get close to the sun's spectrum. I mean RGS boxcar red has to look right! Anyway, now we can get on with the stream details. Once the dirt paint dries I can paint the trestle supports concrete and weather them, and repaint the bridge supports a granite color. Then some weathering on them and we can start the fun part - putting in rocks and weeds and debris in the stream bed.

Took a while to make this change as I suddenly got more work. A very nice project out west so modeling will slow a little.