Cutting (And Painting) A Rug

For much of the summer I've had my eyes out for the kind of welcome mat rug that might be suitable for turning into stubble or wheat fields for the wargaming table. I finally found it, a short synthetic fibre mat with a rubber backing that was more or less the right colour. It did have a floral pattern but I felt that I could paint over it.

I cut the rug into four equal size sheets. Here's the unpainted version on the left. On the right is another piece that has been heavily drybrushed with Folkart brand Yellow Ochre, a relatively cheap water based paint that I buy at a crafts store called Michael's. I'm wondering, as you look at this photo, if you can see the pattern on the drybrushed section, and if so, is it because, having seen the unpainted version, your brain knows what to look for?

Here are two of the drybrushed sections side by side. To my mind the pattern isn't visible any more, but perhaps you can see it.

Since starting this project, I discovered Elladan's wonderful website where he demonstrates how to use an airbrush and teddy bear fur to achieve some amazing scenic effects. I am thinking this would be a good opportunity for me to break out my new air brush and try my hand on the rug, perhaps blending in some green or dark brown patches since most fields I've seen have bits where weeds, grass, or bare earth are visible, rather than a uniform level of crop coverage. It's a long weekend as we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada, so I may have time.

Before closing, I am pleased that over time this little blog has gained 83 kind souls as followers. Inspired by Paul of Paul's Bods fame, I'd like to copy his practice and welcome some recent followers, so starting at 83 and working backwards, I would like to mention Paul J, who doesn't seem to have a blog, and Whisperin' Al who runs a great blog, The Wargames Shed, and who shares my interest in Too Fat Lat Lardies products. Thanks for following, chaps.