Need help Terrain question

[Mikey87]

Hello all,

I’m currently working on a city of death modular terrain/table with amera buildings. I have basecoated the buildings dark grey and will drybrush them with a light grey. However to give them a bit more color I want to use a little bit of brown on some spots to give the buildings a more gritty dirty look. You see that a lot on warhammer city of death buildings and on custom build city of death terrain on forums. My question is how do I get that look?
Should I drybrush a little dark brown on top of the light grey drybrush, or should I paint the brown before the light grey drybrush? Or should I use washes?

Thanks in advance!
Mike

[the jeske]

isnt making grey/silver metalic "dirty" done by using black and not brown ?

[SotonShades]

You'd probably be best to have posted this in the Hobby and Project Lounge, especially the Terrain Sub-Forum.

I think I would start with your grey undercoat as you are currently doing then do a heavy drybrush with your brown of choice, concentrating around the base of the model and leaving the top a little lighter. Then do your light grey over the top of that. Be a lot lighter with the light grey, letting the brown show through, especially around the lower parts of the building, or anywhere dirt would naturally build up.

Take a walk around a local city/town centre and just look at the buildings. If you can go to a town with a lot of industry, or go to the more industrious areas of the town. Have a really good look at the real buildings, even take a camera with you. See where grime builds up, see where water streaks and whether that makes the grim there look lighter or darker (you may just be surprised on that one, depending on what material it is running down), see what areas take what kind of damage and how that effects the look of the building. From near and far if you can.


Also, can you link some pictures of exactly what it is you are trying to achieve (GWs models, other people, whatever) so we can get a better idea?

[The AKH]

For a really worn-out, heavy rust effect, basecoat your terrain with browns and reddish-browns, then take a heavy brush and stipple your metallics over that, focusing on the edges and raised bits. For a quick and easy paint job, it does a much better job of giving the effect of rust in the crevices for less outright effort.

[Mikey87]

Thanks for your responses!
I posted two pictures of two different buildings. I want to achieve those kind of effect. To get a little bit of color into the buildings in order to break the black/white/grey dullness. I also posted two pictures of my terrain (without the darkgrey basecoat).
Some people say that it is achieved to drybrush a little brown after the final light grey drybrush and others say the brown should be drybrushed before the final light grey drybrush.
Thanks!