Sunday 1 April 2012

Aurelius Legion - Weathering Test - Pigments


So onto the application of pigments or weathering powders, I used the Secret Weapon Rust Red as seen in the picture above. First off let me say that when I looked at models ( I am talking about Ron at From the Warp) that have pigments applied they look like they are applied sparingly and with precision. A feat which I thought could be easily achieved, a bit like painting. Well I was wrong!! applying pigments is pretty difficult to do if you want precision as its a powder and does not flow like a paint would onto a surface. Guess that's why we do these trials so we can learn new things. Its also very messy so do this over a sheet of clean paper so you can pour the mess back into your pot.

Another problem I found was that after two or three dips of your nicely pointed brush into the pigments, the powder gets under the bristles and turns your point into a broom. Below are some pictures of the powders applied to what is supposed to be the recesses only!! Pretty messy.



The best I was hoping for after applying the powders to the entire squad was that most of the stuff was going to come off when I wiped them down and applied the alcohol to set them in place. At least that part worked out as hoped for in part at least. Here are some pictures of the models wiped down as much as possible. This stuff is pretty sticky actually!




 The other major problem is the colour of powder compared to the colour of the model, what do I mean? well applying a light powder over a dark colour is like adding a highlight so if its in a shaded part of the model that is a problem. See the picture below. The powder has ruined the shading of the shoulder pad. So be careful where you apply the stuff. In the end I did not apply the alcohol.


All in all this was a very frustrating and rewarding experience all at the same time. The squad looks pretty good after the initial bad start but I am not sure if I am going to carry this over to the rest of my army.

I leave you with some pictures of the final result although my decent camera was not working at that time so had to take them with my phone so forgive me for the lower quality pictures.




 




Hope you enjoyed this series and let me know what you think of these guys.

Vitor







































3 comments:

  1. I still think they look great. Applying powders can be tricky I suppose. I try and imagine where the dust would collect on a real figure and them apply my powder there.

    Does it obscure some of the shading, highlighting and detail I added to the model? Absolutely. But if the powder is applied in appropriate locations, it looks natural and enhances the overall look.

    It's taken me lots of practice and I'm still a bit heavy in my powder use, but I'm learning to tone it down some.

    Ron, FTW

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  2. Hi there,
    the Tale of Painters banner doesn't work, you've added an http too much in the link! Please change it so I can add you to the Network. And it would be cool if you could add us to your Blog Exchange.

    Cheers, Stahly

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  3. I agree with Ron that they look good, using powder is harder then it looks as you say. Your marines do have a nice weathered look to them. I have only tried it a few times and yes, it's tricky at the begining and as in all things, practice makes perfect, so keep it up.

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