Playing with pigments Anton style!

Alrighty then!!

I picked up some T-80's from S&S models for the 20mm Russians I did last month, and decided to give the pigments that I picked up ages ago a crack!

So the T-80's after being cleaned up, overall not bad models, and you get alot of resin for just over a tenner a pop.

So sprayed black and a base coat of knarlock green foundation. 

and after some Russian green various dry brushes and a watered down wash of the usual devlin mud

So its taking the tank from this..... 

 to this!

other side,

and with the turret on, 

so you've painted your tank as normal. now I've not gone mental on the detail around the track units just made sure that its' painted neat

Before I hit the pigments I did quite a bit of reading on how they work and what you do to make them "stick" now you can the fixer stuff from MIG but couldn't find any and didn't want to buy 6 pots via my trade supplier! So I ended up using vallejo matt varnish  watered down and put on the areas that would attract mud.

using a different brush I flicked the pigment on, by tapping the top of the brush and letting gravity do the work, 

then I tapped off the excess and a quick blow resulted in this.. 

I did one side of the tank at a time so that I could suss out how to get the best look, 

so I let the initial dark brown dry and put a little bit of light brown on, using the same technique as before, did some of the hull top and did a "dry" application on the turret to see how that'd come out, 

now at this point it does look pants, very patchy but I remember Coops telling me a while back that when you anti-shine it it has a positive effect, 

 and the flying motor pool!

so after the anti-shine, wheres all the pigment gone! 

and the close up, 

 bit further away,  the patchiness of the deck is gone and the ott of the dry application on the turret is also under control,

another angle, 

and the completed lot!

So what have I learnt about this pigment stuff....

Fortune favours the bold! in a nutshell no point pussy footing about with this stuff as the anti-shine makes it kinda disappear, the only bits that stuck about was when I mixed the pigment with the varnish and went of a sticky mud look, and the turret application the surface area pigment went, and only the corners around the hatches stayed.

the only tip I'd give is that the stuff goes bloody everywhere so have a piece of paper to catch the excess and don't sit there pondering with your hands on your face otherwise you'll look like a apache warrior dressed for war!

anyway, if any one has any other tips etc let us know,

So onto the "pledge"

last month was probley my most unproductive month for about 2 years! with a only the modern Russians getting done,

Bought - 56
Painted - 36

Difference -20

so I've gotta get me finger outta me ass and get me mojo back on! and as I'm off the the mighty US of A at the end of this month, I'd like to get the empire of the dead crew painted as well as the two pak40's that I picked up from grubby tanks and the bike and side cars that I reviewed ages ago!

so that all in "theory" ;)