Test Pavement

[C855B]

[dem34]

Textured stuff from AK?

[wazzou]

Looks like grout.

[peteski]

The photo to me show too much texture for asphalt, and the lines seem bit too wide.  With the asphalt being so dark, it must be freshly paved 2 feet of road. 

[C855B]

AR&M asphalt pavement powder. 1/3 powder, 1/3 matte medium, 1/3 water, applied with a foam brush in three coats. Works much better (easier!) than my experiences with grout. Striping with white artist's pencil.

AR&M concrete pavement powder is next on the test schedule, then a run at modifying the asphalt mix for a more aged/weathered look.

[peteski]

Your test road probably looks much better when viewed in-person (not a photo closeup).  It probably looks smoother, and lighter in color. But knowing how fastidious you are, I gave my blunt and honest opinion. 

The "paving" process does sound quite easy.

[C855B]

You made me laugh, Pete.

Yes, the texture looks really good in person, but I think the last coat was a bit too "dry" which made the pigment clump a little. I'm going to try another technique I've been playing with, putting down heavy-body acrylic paint in a close match, sprinkling the powder over it and then pressing it down with a brayer. It worked well with AR&M "cinders", but they were coarser and didn't quite get the look I was after.

I do need to find a way to lighten it for aged pavement, so more experimenting is in order. The matte medium base is perfect for mixing in a little white paint to hopefully gray it down.

[Chris333]

A while back I used texture spray paint on styrene and rubbed it down a little before painting:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/V73PZc3xS1Yet8cg6

[C855B]

Texture spray paint... yikes. Did you try it on pink foam? Instant craters! Sadly, when I tested a texture spray for something similar, silly me didn't do it on on scrap first, just went for it on the layout. Big mistake (!!!), I had to cut that section of foam out completely. Fortunately it didn't affect an area with track. But big mess, big smell as it dissolved the foam. 

[basementcalling]

Check the guy running the steam roller for drugs.

Too dark to be realistic for anything other than fresh asphalt, and too rough to look convincingly like it was just put down, unless maybe your road crew was in Virginia.

[C855B]

... too rough to look convincingly like it was just put down...

Didn't you see the movie Cars? This was after Lightning's first pass.

[peteski]

You made me laugh, Pete.

Good!
And BTW, the road sign is very cute. 

[Chris333]

Texture spray paint... yikes. Did you try it on pink foam? Instant craters! Sadly, when I tested a texture spray for something similar, silly me didn't do it on on scrap first, just went for it on the layout. Big mistake (!!!), I had to cut that section of foam out completely. Fortunately it didn't affect an area with track. But big mess, big smell as it dissolved the foam. 

I wasn't suggesting the technique just the results. It was textured, but still in scale. I use styrene sheet for all my roads.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ihmh61vw6qZGNiph8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cNuMWJLJo8FxFRkE7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ezNQQWGuDeWLsN267
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Grd8W6M9uDWAsMWq8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zANfBPnaUUY7vKkM7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/f46B2MsPkrSFcPzM9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ufn4tSMDkB5LbK7L9

[Philip H]

As a guy with young kids still at home I have a lot of sidewalk chalk lying about. It powders easily and might be the ticket for adding lighter color to your road mix.

[MK]

Texture spray paint... yikes. Did you try it on pink foam? Instant craters! Sadly, when I tested a texture spray for something similar, silly me didn't do it on on scrap first, just went for it on the layout. Big mistake (!!!), I had to cut that section of foam out completely. Fortunately it didn't affect an area with track. But big mess, big smell as it dissolved the foam. 

You can probably "prep" the foam with a coating of latex paint or polyurethane (water based) before doing the textured paint.