Hi Zo, one of my main problems in doing this hobby is the big lack of funds so I make do the best way I can and I make it count! Therefore I use craft paint mostly for all of my projects and I get it from Micheals and of course dollar stores.I also use Tamiya paint,have a little left and Vaello when I can.When I do my groundcover I like to use natural dirts and sands,life-like and woodland scenics grasses,real stones etc.So I place my sidewalks and roadsections,whiteglue them down,either paint them in various tones of grey or just simply wash them with black/brown and then drybrush. Real constuction zone graval is then spread around the pieces of road and sidewalks.This is all applied to the base dry! Next is another colour of brown in a sand this time sprinkled here and there to give depth and to hilite certain areas.I then take a beach sand which is a kind of greyish colour and sprinkle overall to tie it alltogether. The rubble,well there never is enough rubble put into dioramas to be suitable but what one does add can be pleasing to the eye. I use plaster dyed and smashed to bits,plant pots smacked with a hammer and real brick(plaster comes from my good friend Kelly),all are dumped into a container and shaken not stirred,I sprinkle about heavier closer to the building,just tiny bits and dust farther away.Now I hit the overall layout with water/whiteglue and soak everything,add figs,vehicles and stuff with whiteglue. When using grass I use it sparingly,just a hint here and there goes a long way.
I don`t paint my groundcovers,I rarely ever use celuclay and I don`t use an airbrush.
Hope this helps Zo.
"Battleing Bastards of Bastogne"