We appreciate your willingness to try a DIY solution to correcting the overly white paint on the City Builder street tiles. First a brief explanation: a “wash” is a technique of applying a thinned-down, watery coat of paint to an entire area and then cleaning it off the high surfaces. This leaves a tinted layer in the crevices and cracks of a piece, while leaving the top surface areas relatively unchanged. By applying multiple washes, the deep color will build up until the desired color is reached. In some ways, a wash is the opposite of dry-brushing; a wash paints the nooks and crannies of a piece, while dry-brushing paints the higher surface textures.


For the best results, apply light washes in several layers rather than try to do it all in one or two washes. Layering in this way will help you match the colors better and avoid overpainting by applying too much paint, or too thick of a wash, at once.

You can work on multiple pieces at once, letting your earlier pieces dry as you work down the line.


Materials needed:

  • Paint: Either Pokorny Paints Dungeon Gray, a mix (2 to 1) of Pokorny Paints Base Gray and Black; or any standard acrylic paints in the colors Payne's Gray and Black (Mars or Ivory (4 parts gray to 1 black)
  • Two paint brushes, round or flat, ideally 1/3 - 1/2 inch (to spread and even out the washes)
  • Dixie/disposable small cup for water
  • Water
  • Paper towels
  • Newsprint or disposable paper to put on your table while painting.


Step I - Wash color and consistency:

You will want to create wash that is both cool and dark. Black-only paint washes tend to be too warm to match the correct gray color of the street stones. Apply water to your paint, or paint mix, so that the consistency is similar to milk. See the photo below to get a sense of the consistency. Try to make enough wash for your needs, so you don’t run out; but note the ratio of water to paint you use, in case you need to make a new batch.


Step 2 - Wash Application:

One of your brushes will be used to apply the wash, the other will help spread and even it out. Apply the wash evenly to just the white stone areas, not the plants or sidewalks. You may notice the wash "pooling" in some areas creating overly dark spots on the piece.


If you see this, don’t panic- that’s what the second brush is for; use it to brush over the darker areas, this will smooth out the pooled wash and spread it more evenly.


Next, use a paper towel to gently blot the washed areas. Don't be too aggressive with this stage and pull off the wash entirely. Just help dry and control the darkening of the wash as you work up to matching the original painted pieces.


Note: The edges of the stones are the whitest and may need additional washes to tone them down. If the rest of the piece is matching except the edges, you may want to apply the wash on just the edges once or twice more than the flat areas.


Step 3 - Repeat as needed

As stated before, it’s best to apply 2-4 washes on each piece instead of trying to match the KS originals, in one wash. This avoids over-darkening the piece with gradual control.


Before applying another wash, the current one needs to dry and set, otherwise you may end up removing the previous wash while putting on the new one. Let each wash dry for 20-30 minutes. A hair dryer can speed this up, just be sure to hold it at least 12 inches away so you dry the wash rather than blow it around, and keep it moving as you dry for 15-20 seconds. (Show three photos with original, one coat, and a final coat)


Once dry, apply the next coat. To help match, keep a piece with the original paint on hand for comparison, to see if you are on the mark. If you are close and afraid another wash will over paint, you can blot off the excess of the next coat, or add more water to the wash to apply a thinner coat.


As mentioned above, you can do multiple pieces at once letting some dry while washing others.


Below are the results from start >>> to multiple washes >>> to a matched final piece!