Hi everyone,
I have recently acquired an old Tamiya Tiger 1 and KV-1.
I am thinking of painting them in winter, using Mig productions winter camouflage wash on top of Vallejo model color acrylics and weathering using either mig productions pigments, or ground up chalk pastels.
As I do not have any pigments, how shall I fix them?
I was thinking of mixing them with matte or gloss varnish and painting them on to achieve a dusty or muddy effect, would this work with Vallejo model color varnish?

Thanks!
Nathan.

Nathan,
Short answer; yes, Vallejo varnishes will fix model pigments. Not so sure about ground up chalk pastels, as far as I know they do not have a binder that will help them to affix well to a model's surface. Another route you may want to consider is simple water with a dollop of white glue if the look you are going for is something other than just a light dusting.
Good luck and post some photos when you are done, feedback from others can really help you improve.
Cheers,
Rick

G'day Nathan. This link will take you to a PDF that pretty much covers it. In most cases, I think Tamiya acrylic thinner (20A) will do it. You apply the pastel or pigment (mix different colors to get some depth and texture - experiment) and gently "touch" the pastel/pigment with a small brush loaded with the thinner to fix. The technique relies on a capillary action to allow the fixer to seep through the pastel/pigment; just work slowly, small areas at a time. If you have the coin, Michael Rinaldi's "TankArt" books are an excellent resource - free add for Mike Rinaldi [www.rinaldistudiopress.com].

http://www.ampscentralsouthcarolina.org/uploads/Demo_1_Pigments_and_Pastels.pdf

Christian

Hello Nathan,
First, welcome to the wonderful world of Pigments! Pigments, for me, were very tricky to get the hang of, but once I found a system that worked for me, I can get very realistic result every time.

When it comes to fixing pigments, you have several options that depend on the effect you are trying to achieve. For layers of textured, dry mud, like on the lower hull of models by Mike Rinaldi, I recomend using Mig Productions Pigment Fixer applied sparingly with a brush. First, apply a thin layer of straight Mig Productions Pigment Fixer to the surface of your model. Apply the pigments by tapping the brush handle of a brush loaded with pigment held a few inches off the surface of your model, then, using a brush wet with pigment fixer, touch the tip to areas of the model where there is less pigment, and allow the pigments to absorb the Fixer. Don't apply too much fixer, as that will move the pigments around. Also, do not push the pigments around with your brush.

For a layer of dust that is caked into your models surfaces, apply pigments to your model using the method described above by tapping the brush handle. Once you have the pigments where you want them, load a brush with a high quality enamel thinner such as AK Interactive White Spirit)and smear the pigments around. When the thinner dries, the pigments will have accumulated in the recesses, and you can remove the excess with your finger, q-tip, or a stiff brush. Pigments applied this way will still be loose enough to be rubbed off, but permanent enough to remain in place. To "glue" them to the surface, you can apply Pigment Fixer to the surface of your model that the pigments are using capillary action and letting the pigments soak up the Fixer.

Thanks guys,
I think I'm going to model them on the Russian front, maybe in a small diorama.
Do it as a early tiger with late tiger parts, due to the availability of parts, etc.
I'm going to probably try the Mig pigments and fixers, but I can get the tamiya thinners more easily. I will probably make it look like dry mud. Currently I'm trying dirt with vallejo matte varnish because currently I don't have any pigments, but I need to wait for summer before I try anything due to schoolwork.

I'll make a build log in the dioramas, if I'm going to make a diorama, but I'll update on that ASAP.

By the way, what is a good way to paint the tiger in vallejo model colour? I dont know if I will do some sort of grey, or the yellow and green/red camouflage scheme. Please help me with this!!

Thanks everyone! You've all been a good help!
Nathan.