I can't imagine racing the Fairlane. As it was, it handled poorly. It was a good drag racer, but a car with drum breaks, leaf springs and solid rear axle and 14" wheels didn't even pretend to handle well. I imagine that if set up correctly it might work, but not in the stock condition.
I did a test piece today to see how I wanted to paint the brick. The first two panels were done by spraying the mortar color and then dry brushing a brick red that I mixed up from artist's tube acrylics. I wanted a paint that gave some working time which these did. The last panel was the reverse. Leaving the Plastruct color untouched, painting the mortar color and then, before it dried, wiping it off diagonally so the color stayed in the mortar lines.
The dry brushing technique was too variable so I went with choice number three. Choice number two was using less paint on the brush with more repetitions. Number three is more subtle and I might give it an alcohol wash (or maybe not).
It then used this technique to paint the building and wiped the mortar off with a paper towel which I kept using clean sides. I then mixed up a matching color to the Plastruct color and painted those exposed edges which showed the backing plastic color (white).
I then hand painted the stone foundation using the same acrylics on a palate mixing various tones of grey and randomly painting the stone, while trying to leave the mortar color untouched. I think this needs some further treatment to make it less dramatic, possibly a wash or maybe a misting with some airbrushed light gray. I notice in the picture that I missed one of the window boxes. I'll have to remix some of that brick red...
Talked with the RMC editor today and the article goes to press next month. He wants a re-shoot of the cover shot to get better lighting under the canopy. We were using synchronized strobes. This time we're going with studio lighting. Picture session will be next Tuesday. I'm getting excited.
