Hello,

Recently I've read about people etching/embossing individual bricks on cardstock models to create the impression of a 3D surface. Anyone have any tips for this or pictures of how it works? Thanks!

I am with Thom on that. Texture is perceived, and a well printed brick wall will supply that perception. If the brick wall is to be so old that the building is nearly falling down, a few random bricks overlaid or recessed will convey that. Much more important is to provide the three dimensional clues where they are large enough to be physical in scale. Overlays of brick trim around doors and windows, cornice trim and the like will give the whole wall a perception of texture. Take the time to recess any surface that is not flush in real life, such as doors and windows, or any set back or raised decorative brick. Having done this, your eye will read the whole surface as textured.

If they joint is a 'flush joint' then the printed mortar lines are actually correct. On a side note, a flush joint is more weather resistant than 'Bucket handler' or Recessed joints. In either case those last ones seem to run between 2mm and 5mm in depth. If you want to create Bucket handle joints .. rounded .. obviously these would be best replicated using a rounded scribe. That 2mm-5mm depth .. 0.080 - 0.200 inches is in O scale is only about 0.0016 - 0.004 inches. I just completed the O scale Brick Mercantile - I really don't think that embossing would help that much as the printed 'depth' works pretty darn well!

http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/2/1709102/12487532/photo2-vi.jpg?1381995190

If the earth was scaled to the size of a basketball, even Mt Everest would feel smooth.