Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Greetings. I am looking for an easy way to paint mortared stonework. This can be difficult as the cracks between stones or bricks might be lighter than the face of the building. So normal shading techniques don't work.
What I am asking for here is a means to 'reverse' shading to make the recesses lighter rather than darker. So far the only methods I know are either to buy pigments or to paint the cracks the mortar colour and then block paint each stone between them, which is a very paintful method.

Anyone know a better easier way to make a 'reverse shading'?

Basecoat with a khaki, drybrush with your stone color of choice. You could also wash the stone with a light wash.

you could try using pigments as a wash. mix the pigment with water, brush over the texture, once dry rub the raised area with a tissue or your finger.

I'm a bit confused. Why are pigments or layering the only options here? Why not just wash with a lighter color?

You could use a wash, but you will likely end up having to repaint the bricks to get rid of the tide marks. Unless you use oils in which case you can use thinner to remove any excess mess.

re why use pigments: you'll get a much more even finish while paint washes might end up transparent & darken the base colour rather than making a 'mortar' effect.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
btw I applied the pigment on this chap's base & cloak by just mixing it with water:

 bubber wrote:
re why use pigments: you'll get a much more even finish while paint washes might end up transparent & darken the base colour rather than making a 'mortar' effect.

I've never observed this behavior from any brand of paint. Try it yourself. Water down some white paint and brush it over, well, anything. See if it makes it lighter or darker in the recesses.

I mean, it's the same pigments either way. Add water to powdered pigments and you get watercolor paint. Add acrylic binder to that and you get acrylic paint.

OP: If you want the ability to clean it up, you can seal the surface with gloss varnish, do a paint wash, and then wipe off unwanted paint with a cotton bud soaked in isopropyl alcohol or acetone. The gloss varnish protects the underlying paint, allowing you to use solvents to remove paint over top of it.