Battling Blue

I rarely use blue paint on structures, but decided to for a change. For one thing I couldn't live with myself if I used white with green trim again, though I'm sure I will in the near future. It just seems to suit most structures as well as the landscape they sit in.

Blue paint itself, was rarely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Not so much a taste or aesthetic issue, it was a matter of cost. The pigment for Ultra Marine Blue was mined from a semi precious stone called Lapis Lazul. It was ground into a fine powder and mixed with resin. The next step was to knead it in linen bags where it sat for weeks in water until the pigment leached out. In the mid 1800's, Lapis Lazul was nearly equal to the price of gold.

So, rarely was it used on buildings; instead white was, being the cheapest and most prevalent color. But I decided to use it here on our next Quick Kit # 31, called Hooper's for now( due out next month). It's only being used on trim parts and windows. I decided if I were to choose blue, I would only do it if it were weathered heavily, lots of chipped paint. Plain, unweathered blue on a model railroad might be too stark a contrast and stand out more than any other colors, even red.

The blue I'm using on Hooper's is Polly Scale St. Lawrence Blue; it's a fairly modest shade of blue, not Royal or Navy. This shade inherently has a faded look to it, so half the battle of toning it down is already done.

So far I'm happy with the results and welcome the change of pallet.