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Weathering Powders

Discussion in 'Painting Techniques' started by TERRYSOMME1916, Jul 1, 2020.

  1. TERRYSOMME1916 A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I am sure that this has been covered before but I was wondering do any of you use weathering powders on your figures?
    I paint with Oils and want to try and achieve a very subtle level of weathering such as dust that can be applied so that the original base colour, shadows and Highlights can still be defined with the option of creating a heavier build up of dust and dirt the closer you get to the ground.
    I have been watching how AFV modelers use weathering powders and with several brands of these available and all sorts of mediums to create different effects it seems to be a bit of a minefield that could destroy an almost finished figure.
    I have used Pastels way back in the day but I am not convinced that these will stay in place over the years even if the figure is not touched.
    TERRY
    Chris Oldfield likes this.
  2. Tommy Atkins Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Hi Terry. I use some ancient Carr's weathering powders for dirty trousers etc. I don't use any sort of fixer and they seem to hang on all right! Just find it best not to go too heavy with them.Regards Pete
    Nap and Chris Oldfield like this.
  3. Richard Baxter A Fixture

    Country:
    Scotland
    Darkstar do some excellent weathering powders, which I use. I echo Tommy's points about adhesion and the need for subtlety in application.
    Nap and Chris Oldfield like this.
  4. Chris Oldfield A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Terry,

    I use MIG pigments for weathering my AFV models, & also for weathering boots, trouser cuffs & groundwork on figures. I paint using acrylics, Vallejo & Tamiya, then apply an airbrushed Matt coat & let it dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours.
    After that, I’ll apply small amounts of pigments to the relevant areas using an old pointed brush then blow off the excess.
    I can then blend the pigments using a small flat brush in a scrubbing motion, so the effect is subtle yet visible. I don’t use any pigment fixer, & keep handling to a minimum once completed.

    HTH,
    Chris.
    Nap likes this.
  5. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    By far the cheapest option are 'Pastels'...these can be ground to the texture you want by using different grades of sand/glass paper...and applied with a soft brush...generally the don't require a fixative.

    Ron
    Jimbo, theBaron, DaddyO and 3 others like this.
  6. Kimmo A Fixture

    If you have a matte surface, any powder will stay on provided you don't touch it. If it's glossy, then you might have a problem, plus you get a matte finish mixed with your glossy which might not look great. You can fix them on with pretty much anything that dries clear and seals. I use Vallejo Pigment Binder, Airbrush Thinner (the regular thinner doesn't work as well), matte medium or even varnish. The advantage of the binder and AB thinner is that you can rework or remove the pigments to a degree once they've dried. If you lose some of the intensity, just let the fixer dry and add a bit more. And no need to buy weathering powders either, any chalk pastels will do just fine. I have a set from Lidl that cost 3 euros and has 12 shades that haven't caused any issues. Just make sure they are dry pastels, and not conté or "wet" pastels. Mix and match as you would with paint for the tones and hues you want, and apply dry or wet depending on what you're looking for. Mud build up on boots, for example, should be applied wet on wet, with a bit tapped on dry to build it up if needed. Fun stuff to play around with.

    Kimmo
    Nap likes this.
  7. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi Terry

    Great question and some great responses

    I don't normally use weathering painting busts but pastels are a good option from what I have seen in use

    Nap
    kagemusha likes this.
  8. TERRYSOMME1916 A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thank you all for taking the time to reply and the very welcome advice from great painters, a couple of days ago I was about to order a set of powders from Amazon and thought it would be a good idea to ask the PF members before I did and taking on board what I have read, for now I will go for some Pastels because they can be picked up at a low cost and I have used them before many, many years ago, however I will also grab a few pots of powders to mess around with on ground work etc if I can drag myself away from the 4 busts that I have in various stages of completion and do a figure with legs (sorry Nap).
    Having dropped back into the hobby several years ago after a 30 year break (Wife, Kids etc.) I have found that although there is now a massive choice of different products available for getting the finish that is required for the item that you are painting it seems that a lot of the time the old way and old products still hold a prominent place in the figure painters arsenal.
    I will let you know how I get on.
    TERRY
    kagemusha likes this.
  9. MattMcK. PlanetFigure Supporter

    Great thread! I’ve just started getting into these with armor, but see how they are a tougher proposition with figures,
  10. TERRYSOMME1916 A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Update: just ordered a set of 24no Soft Pastels, full size sticks of Amazon £11.27 free UK postage, so when they arrive I will proceed with caution and mess around with them a bit before committing them to a figure but can't moan about the price if they end up in the bin, I will let you know the results.
    TERRY
    Banjer and kagemusha like this.
  11. pkessling Active Member

    I am not sure about soft pastels. I always used chalk pastel, a set of “earth tones.” Just scraped with an Xacto to creat a powder and dusted it on with a brush.
    hall-moye@msn.com likes this.

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