hi all

right, problem. here i am, tank coming along fine, and im soon to reach the point of fixing the tracks. Thants not the problem - i dont want to do a half finished job with the detail, - ive bent and banged up the 'fenders' , added scrapes and notches, weathered the tyres. how do i add that muddy effect to the tracks 'n' wheels, without going overboard? im afraid if i do it on an unsure footing, itll look like its been dragged across a marsh backwards and buried in a dung heap!!! the dio its (going to be) on includes a mildly muddy road, so, if you could, any suggestions?

thanx all

alpha :-)

Wood glue (elmers) works good if you want mild mud like this

or if you want full mud(like on my current tank)

Spray brown paint on it ,and dust real dirt onto the wet paint. (the above photo was applid with wood glue (didnt work good) so I did the paint method wich is not pictured)



good luck

Hi Alpha. To get a subtle, muddied look, there are a few ways. One is to get some pastel chalks or even better, some pigments (MIG Pigments are good) and mix them with water into a paste. You then apply them in irregular patterns and when it drys, VOILA, a nice mud pattern. You can also use putty, such as Suqadron or Tamiya's brands. You can apply these with an old toothbrush and "stipple" it to get a nice, realistic mud texture. You then paint, wash and drybrush the putty and this is another way to get mud.
Hope this helps,

Andrew

thanx guys - ill bare that in mind. I want to get the right amount so it gives the impression of that well-worn-in look, without sinking it turret deep.
now wheres that putty.....


Alpha

Oberst,
do the pigments stick well just mixing them with water? I mean don't they tend to fall off the tracks for instance while transporting the model to a show?
Ciao

Are these not the same thing? I thought MIGs pigment were just already dusted chalk!

I have been trying this out recently with chalks but have used isoproponol alchol (rubbing alcohol available from the pharmacist) and they are brilliant for getting into corners and dry really flat. While wet you can wash away any excess. if you dontput it on too heavy.... it should stay. You can always varnish when finished with a dull coat for safetys sake. Dont handel too much afterwards though!

I don't know MIG Productions pigments, but I suspect that these are the same that you can find in any good art craft store. They are not powdered chalks, but fine pigments for artistic decorations. They come in an almost any shade of color and can be mixed to get other tones and they can be user as they are or diluted in water or mineral spirits or alchool. They look of the same consistency as flour. The good thing is that with two Euros I can buy 500 grams of them and this should be enough for a couple (or even more) modelling lives...
If you want to have a look at the result you can see them on the M47 depicted in the thread below:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/9091&page=1

Ciao