Help with column aging? plus pictures

Hi,
I recently finished building my new cemetery columns, but need some help aging them. I coated them with drywall compound and painted gray, the drybrushed black.

Can anyone tell me how to make them look old, moldy, you get the idea kinda look to them?

I have included some pictures of what they look like now and also a link to the building progress for those interested.
http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/c...ewmurraymagic/

Thanks,
Drew

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...VABEACH120.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...VABEACH121.jpg

WOW!, great job they look great! Are the pics you posted with the gray coat and the black drybrush already applied? . For distressing I use a sponge and slightly watered down paint. I would use black, green, and maybe a brown. Just soak the paint up with the sponge and squeeze it and let in drip from the top of your columns, then when the paint is almost dry get a damp sponge and try to wipe most of it off (drag the sponge downward along the drips) and this will create a remnant stain if you will. Check out my panel pic http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/w...HEKRYPT002.jpg....just to give you an idea. I would hit them with a watered down coat of black then bits of green and brown coming out of the crevices where your bricks are to look like mold. For the openings where the bricks are I would get your sponge and dab the brown or green paint around those openings, then whipe it downward after it dries for a little bit .I probably didn't make much sense but hope I could help.

Drew and Shane,
I use brown, green, or black paint watered down and put in a spray bottle. Mist i in some areas and hit it full on in others so it drips.
Think about how things age, dirt settles in the corners and then stain lines occur when it rains and water carries the grime out and down the surface. Antiquing is kind of the opposite of dry brush. to do it you paint the whole thing black or brown and then wipe the paint away as much as you like to get the desired finish, its as useful a technique as dry brushing.
On your drybrush that you did I would recommend painting it a darker color first and then drybrushing a lighter color over it. that helps give you darker recesses and such.
they look great by the way,
Allen H

in the past I have found this site helpful, some of the ideas need adapting for our use, but they are awesome idea generators.
Allen H

As well you could use fake grass which is sorta mossy, it more comonly used in for minatures and models but just use an adhesive on it to make it stick and viola instant vegitation.

I've found Google images to be invaluble for research too..
Search "Old Plaster" images , "Old Brick", Old Gates etc. etc..
1,000,000,000's of images for some great inspiration!

The columns look really GREAT BTW!! Good job!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I still plan to add a little bit of moss. Here is what I got going now, may have went a little heavy in some parts but it will be night time so hopefully they look good.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...c/100_3209.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...c/100_3208.jpg

They look great! You have absolutely nothing to worry about ^_^

wow.. those look much better than i had expected when you said you need help! you should be giving advice instead!! great work. you have nothing to worry about. under the right light they'll look fantastic.

Now you have to tell us how you did them up so well!!!!