Using ground pastels for weathering.

[Rick Brown]

Chaps.

Just having a slight detour in my modelling life with an Airfix Cromwell.

I intend to use ground up artists pastels for a touch of weathering, but am not sure what to mix it with to:

1) apply as mud/dirt (some form of liquid)

2) what to set it with (mat coat?)

I believe things like MIG products us their own thinners and have a "glue" ground in with them.

So I guess a thinners would be needed for the pastels?

The pastels will be applied over tamiya/Vallejo acrylics.

Any suggestions?

Rick.

[Duncan B]

I just brush mine on dry onto the final matt topcoat. I have always understood that putting anything over the pastels would make them disappear.

Duncan B

[fingers]

I think it all depends on what effect you're after, mud heavy detritus then a slop of pva/varnish (watered) applied where required and reduced where necessary, if you want a dusty look then applied dry with a misting of varnish to seal on. Pastels are reduced/darkened a little by varnish so this should be factored in.

[speedy]

I do that all the time, either dry or moist and apply with a brush.

[Darby]

I use ground pastels all the time on aircraft. Using a micro brush in the panel line in a for'ard to aft motion. After all that's the way the air flows. Be careful to use the non oil ones though. I do use an oil pastel (brightish blue) when doing heat staining on exhaust outlets. This as well as other colours until I get result I want. I tend to use a colour slightly darker than the surface colour. eg. on a light grey underside I may use a darker grey or even so much as a black around an outlet but not to heavily.

When I use on vehicles I use ground up pastel dust and just use a normal old brush to scrunge it around a bit. It's my personal method but no doubt there are many others. Just give it a try and see how you get on. The good thing about pastels is that the cat will probably leave them alone as well.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Darby