starter paint set

[tankist]

i'm not yet at the point of painting stuff but i feel it is getting closer so i have a question about colors. i already got flat dirt-brown mix for base color of hills/earth and grey for rock (and perhaps yard) base color - cheapest flat latex paint from walmart. while there i also got spray cans of flat white, black and grey/primer. i was thinking to get couple shades of green from their limited "art" section but decided to hold off.

yesterday i stopped by my LHS and later by Michaels to see what they offering as far as model and art paint. seeing all the individual flasks and tubes i'm wondering what to get. is there sort of starting kit of essential colors?
specifically i'm looking to do vegitation so i probably will be looking for couple shades of green and brown (leaves, branches), rocks - couple shades of grey(?), concrete, retaining walls made of old ties (grey again), and probably weathered track so some shade of rust.

thanks!

 

[kenw]

that's a good start. I used various shades of green to give a background "grass/vegetation" look to areas not needing a lot of detail. I held 2 cans of differing shades and just sprayed fairly randomly, before I 'planted' any buildings, after masking the track! The 2 shades give the variation you want (study from the window seat of your next flight, I've had 100s of hours to observe!). blend, blend, blend.....

Some concrete will have an almost tan tint if it has aged or been stained with oils over the years or stained with rust. Even fresh concrete is often more pale tan than grey.

real white is very, very rare in nature, so you're more likely to use it to lighten other colors than to use it by itself.

but as i said, you have a good start. you'll figure out the necessary additions as you progress.

 

[UP2CSX]

Sounds like you've got it down, Anton. I'd use the basic color chart at http://www.htmlbasix.com/colourchart1.shtml and pick several from each of the basic colors. You can mix paint to get other colors. I'd use the cheap latex craft paints from Michaels as a start since they work fine for landscaping. If you can catch a good sale, you can have a nice selection for less than $25.

 

[nephthyr]

For scenery I'd start with raw sienna and burnt sienna, raw umber and burnt umber, yellow ochre, a green and black and white. That should keep you going for quite some time. I used these to paint my backdrop by hand. The key is to mix and blend to get the shade and effect you're after.

 

[tankist]

hmmm, thats 5 different shades of brown you mentioned. but as far as mixing great suggestion, thanks! basically dark green and white will provide bunch of shades.
however i'm realizing that it is not only pain i'm mssing but the exact tecnique, so there is bigger question then "which paint" and its quite outside of this topic. will readup and try couple things on test pieces.

planning to stop by Elmhurst model railroad club tonight (hope your page with open hour schedule is uptodate guys!) perhaps i'll get some ideas there.