1:35 Primed brick pillars (2 pcs)

Pillars you start with paint straight away

This pair of posts solves one particular problem: the time and the risk bound up with priming. The base coat is applied in production, so a modeler opens the package and can reach straight for the shade of brick. On absorbent structural materials it is just the base that most often decides whether the result looks like masonry or like a colored blank.

An even matte ground has one further advantage which is spoken of less. It unifies the shade of the whole surface, so the following coats of paint sit predictably and the modeler can see the relief. On a bare casting the detail of the texture is lost in the light and judging the coverage is substantially harder.

Where the posts belong in a composition

Two pillars are enough for the entrance to a yard, for the remains of an entrance gate or for marking out the space the figures move through. You can also set them apart on two sides of a scene, which creates a frame that leads the viewer's eye to the main element of the diorama. Unlike a continuous wall they do not dictate the shape of the base.

The posts have one more practical merit over a section of wall. They take up a minimum of room in a box and on a shelf, so they can be kept at hand as a universal accessory and brought in at the moment a scene is part built and turns out to be missing a vertical accent.

In color it proves itself to start from a muted brick base, add a few richer and a few more faded pieces irregularly and finally work a dark wash into the joints. Drybrushing does the rest, drawing out the edges and showing how weathered the masonry is.