Bricks for the Glencroft

[Joeanna]

Hi,

I would like to make a realistic looking brick for the interior of the fireplaces in the Glencroft. If I use paperclay, how do I paint them to make them look realistic? Do you paint each brick individually to keep the mortar lines clean or just do an overall wash of colors. What colors of paint and what kind of paint would I use? Do I make the bricks to wrap around the entire interior or do each side and then the back seperately. Someone also used the sandpaper method but I'm not to sure how to go about this. Sorry for all the questions but you can tell this is my first house. I am very pleased with my progress so far. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Joeanna

[havanaholly]

Tracy can help you with the paperclay.

Someone also used the sandpaper method but I'm not to sure how to go about this.

That's me ;) I got the idea from Beryl Armstrong's book How to Make Your Dolls' House Special.

First I colored sheets of sandpaper with chalk pastels

Then I marked off the "bricks" on the back and cut them out

I traced out the timbering onto heavy cardstock (posterboard) and glued the "bricks" onto it

and then I cut out the infill sections and glued them in place.

I had previously also traced the half-timbering onto the exterior of the house and used masking tape cut to fit to mask off the timbered areas whilst I spackled the upstairs infill areas and then removed the strips of tape. Then I "washed" the dry "stucco" with diluted raw siena to simulate the diluted oxblood English farmers sealed their "daub & wattle" cottages with. You see the finished product in my blog & in my avatar.

[Shakyshaky]

I made mine out of cardboard. You can see pics Hat Shop in my web shots. If your fireplace is big and you would see the inside well I would do it all together (wrap around). If not do what ever is easiest just try to get the rows to macth up.

[Minis On The Edge]

Hi There. Here are some links to help you paint paper clay

This is the how too I did for the fireplace class on using paperclay for the fireplace.

Hope these help you ;)

[Joeanna]

Thanks Melanie, Havanaholly and Tracy. I just now have to decide which one of these I want to use. Tracy, if I do the bricks instead of the stone with paperclay, do I do a wash that will cover the "mortar" areas and do I use a water base medium to paint the bricks? Thanks again.

Joeanna