Getting a correct concrete color

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W

West Virginia Midland Man

Member
What formulas are you gents using to get older concrete color with acrylic paints?

I used a very light grey (nearly white) for newer concrete, but now I need something to represent older concrete side walks.
 
It really depend wich location you are modeling, because we add sand in the concrete, the color vary with the location, in most of north america, the yellow color tend to appear with wears, in miami, the sand as a little touch of pink, in california, there is a red touch. Correct me if im wrong
 
If strictly modelling, the gentleman above is quite right, and you should look around, or get colour photos. Otherwise, cement looks pretty much the same, albeit with weathering it can look grey, gravelly, rusty, blackened with soot.....

I mix a medium grey, add fair bit of pure white, a half drop of yellow, and some burnt umber, maybe a full dollop squeezed out of one of those small plastic bottles from Wally's. Mix it thoroughly, dilute it with another 50% water, and then try a first coat on the plaster or hydrocal (hyrdrocal doesn't paint well, so I hope you are using plaster or drywall mud, or something other than hydrocal). Let that first coat dry, and live with it for a full day. Hate it? Figure out what is wrong, and correct by adding a fully dollop of the appropriate colour of acrylic paint...probably more white and umber, but you'll figure it out. Same thing, one coat, let it dry, and live with it. Keep doing this until you know you are really close. Really close is good enough, because your weathering will close the gap much more. Label the bottle you keep this concoction in, and seal it well.

-Crandell
 


Fortunately, my sidewalks are not hydrocal, they're matboard. I paint the matboard the concrete color, then draw on the lines for the squares. (Cheating, I know :D ) I don't have to worry about excessive absorption. The matboard takes paint well.
 
Just as a side note, I think Lance Mindheim uses a type of real concrete for culverts and such. Never has to worry about coloring it to look like concrete. ;-)
 
i worked for a redi-mix company and my boss would flip out
when the sand trailers showed up with diffrent shades of sand!!!
he would have the crawler operator come down and mix 4 large piles of
sand to blend them. Just a little to much iron or loom in the sand
will throw off a state mix to the point of rejection:o
 
If you want and even harder decision, I can take a photo of the new retaining wall in front of my apartment, the sidewalk, and wall, are composed of 3 different colors.
 
jbaakko said:
If you want and even harder decision, I can take a photo of the new retaining wall in front of my apartment, the sidewalk, and wall, are composed of 3 different colors.
Click to expand...

What happened there Josh? The job go to the lowest bidder? :D
 
The "concrete" pad here is anchor cement, weathered with an alcohol/ink wash. The other concrete is styrene, painted with Floquil aged concrete, weathered with black tempera paint. DJ.

P1040295.jpg
 


NH Mike said:
What happened there Josh? The job go to the lowest bidder? :D
Click to expand...
Same concrete company for both, Hanson Materials. I think they just used two different formulas for the different densities. The retaining wall is nearly 70' at its tallest, and a tan color. The sound wall/crash barrier on top (freeway level) is a medium gray.

The new sidewalk segments are a lighter shade of gray, though they laid the new sections while I was at work, so I have no clue if Hanson delivered this batch.
 
You can also use water putty and add some grey acrylic paint tinted with black to the color you like. Then stir it right into the putty and spread it on.
 
Floquil's Aged Concrete is hard to beat as a base coat. Concrete tends to become more tan with age, compared to the gray color of newer concrete. Floquil did a good job of getting it right. I weather my roads and sidewalks with chalks to represent travel lines and older concrete sections. The light tan color Josh saw on the tall retaining wall is because it's high strength concrete, which isn't used for normal roads and sidewalks. This is an example of styrene roads and sidewalks, weathered with darker gray chalks. I used a fine point black Sharpie for the tar expansion joints and repair lines.

BettyLouandthecopsMedium.jpg
 
Two squads? That blonde must have been flying. I like those curbs - nice touch with the yellow zones and the ramp into the driveway.
 
LOL, BB, and thanks for the compliments. Betty Lou is the mayor's daughter and well know for being a looker as well as speeding through town in her MGTC. The local cops pull her over once in a while to give her a warning, and to check on the length of her skirt that day. :)
 
UP2CSX said:
LOL, BB, and thanks for the compliments. Betty Lou is the mayor's daughter and well know for being a looker as well as speeding through town in her MGTC. The local cops pull her over once in a while to give her a warning, and to check on the length of her skirt that day. :)
Click to expand...

I like the milk delivery man, I heard that's how kids get more brothers and sisters :cool:
 


I'm sure they stop her more on the sunny warm days and less on the rainy days but being a blond I don't think she even noticed that before.

Jim - I really like your details with the mailboxes and all.

Dave
 
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