Tunnel Portals

My latest project is a tunnel portal. I want to get the first tunnel closed up so that I can start shaping the mountain. 

I'm using Woodland Scenics Timber Tunnel Portals for the first of 4 tunnels.  I'm not sure what I will use for future tunnels. I'll decided later. 

The portals are plaster cast with pretty good detail.  There is some flash that needs to be filed off, but overall there is little prep work.  

I chose to use Woodland Scenics paint for this project.  You can use just about any paint that works on plaster.  I wanted to use Burnt Umber.  Its reddish brown in color.  Its a bit more expensive than the traditional acrylic paints you can buy in craft stores, but even with hundreds of color choices at Michaels, I still couldn't find a good brown.

Here is the almost finished product.  I still need to add some detail colors and weathering, which I will do with some paint and a bit of chalk.

  

I also painted the sides of the roadbed in the tunnel.  I used a latex paint.  Nutmeg is the color.  When it dries, I will ballast the track and start closing up the tunnel.