Asphalt

One of the things I need to finish (once I get the track completed again), are the roads. I experimented a bit with AK Interactive's asphalt which I really like, but the texture is a bit too large for HO scale.

I tried sanding it down to see if that helps, and it's a bit better, but I was still looking.

I then found some craft paints at Michael's that are lightly textured. It's very subtle (and perhaps more noticeable in person). I tried four colors, and various degrees of blending and dry brushing on a piece of cardboard:

Here's a bit on the layout, as a base coat:

I really like the light texture. These are thick acrylics, I may want to thin them to cover more surface area. Now to find some reference photos to see if I can match the coloration.