1:48 Střešní tašky (2 aršíky)

Model Scene 1:48 Roof tiles, two sheets

A scenery material from the Czech manufacturer Model Scene for dioramas in 1:48 scale. The package contains two flat sheets of tiled roof covering. It is not a finished roof and not a building kit, but a loose material that you glue onto your own substrate, whether that is a model of a cottage, a cardboard shell or a masonry ruin. A tiled roof is the commonest covering of the Czech and European countryside and towns, so it suits practically every civilian scene.

The real subject

A fired clay tile is laid in rows from the bottom up with an overlap, so that a regular grid builds up on the roof which nevertheless never pretends to be a uniform surface. The shade of tiles differs from piece to piece and darkens with time, moss and lichen collect on the north side of a roof and in the valleys, and the odd tile is usually shifted or cracked. It is precisely this slight irregularity that tells a convincing model from a surface painted in a single color.

Usage and painting tips

The substrate has to be flat and firm. Lay from the bottom up following guide lines drawn in pencil. Paint only once it is glued on: spray the base with an airbrush in a brick red or gray tone depending on the covering you want, and then tone the individual tiles irregularly with a brush in several close shades. A dark wash draws out the joints, a fine pigment in two tones suggests dust and moss, and a dry brush pulls out the edges. A roof takes more contrast than it seems; from a distance the differences even out visually.

Who the material is for

• builders of dioramas and display cases in 1:48 scale
• village and town civilian scenes and buildings
• modelers who scratch-build their own buildings
• repairs and reroofing of bought models of buildings

The material is supplied unpainted, for further work. The glue, the paints and the supporting structure are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.