Adding dust.

[GrandMagnus]

Hi guys/gals,  I'm interested in adding some dust to the feet of my minis to make them blend better with the dust of the base. I'm not really sure how to go about it, drybrush is an option I have tried before but I never really get the desired effect in the end. Any suggestions or other techniques/materials you can recommend?

[PeteySödes]

I just use brushed on pigments. I use Vallejo but there are many other good ones too that you can get in the color of your choice.

[E_50_Panzer]

Pigments and weathering powders. Forge World, MiG, and Secret weapon miniatures all produce a range of pigments and they're cheap. Typically, you add water to the pigmemt to make a muddy or sooty effect on gun barrels or crevices, and wipe away the excess with a damp tissue. However, for dusty feet and armor pieces. you can just get an old, frayed brush and apply the powders dry.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I've used thin washes before to simulate dust, and weathering powders or airbrushing more recently.

 

With the washes, I'd start out with a lighter color than what I wanted the end result to be and gradually darken then color as it got closer to the bottom of the pants or cloak or whatever the item of clothing was. If desired, I'd lightly drybrush on the final color as mud or caked dirt. 

 

Airbrushing is pretty much the same thing, it's just faster and looks better. Start with a light color that's very diluted, spray where you want the dust, add a touch more color, repeat until happy.

 

Weathering powders can be trick because you have to 'fix' them with something so they don't come off when handled and it can often change the appearance of it after it dries. Fixing solutions are sold by various companies but a lot of the scale model tank and airplane guys use rubbing alcohol. I would dedicate a brush (or several) to the powders and if you don't have an airbrush to spray the fixer, you can load a brush with it and touch a clean spot near the powders to let capillary action pull the fixer into the powder. Be prepared for some clean up if it doesn't dry the way you want it. 

[E_50_Panzer]

 

I've used thin washes before to simulate dust, and weathering powders or airbrushing more recently.

 

With the washes, I'd start out with a lighter color than what I wanted the end result to be and gradually darken then color as it got closer to the bottom of the pants or cloak or whatever the item of clothing was. If desired, I'd lightly drybrush on the final color as mud or caked dirt. 

 

Airbrushing is pretty much the same thing, it's just faster and looks better. Start with a light color that's very diluted, spray where you want the dust, add a touch more color, repeat until happy.

 

Weathering powders can be trick because you have to 'fix' them with something so they don't come off when handled and it can often change the appearance of it after it dries. Fixing solutions are sold by various companies but a lot of the scale model tank and airplane guys use rubbing alcohol. I would dedicate a brush (or several) to the powders and if you don't have an airbrush to spray the fixer, you can load a brush with it and touch a clean spot near the powders to let capillary action pull the fixer into the powder. Be prepared for some clean up if it doesn't dry the way you want it. 

 

Sealing powders can be kind of finicky, especially since most varnishes and what not ruin the effect. When it comes to infantry, I don't seal them since I'm always sure to handle them carefully. But for vehicles, on say, a tank barrel, I'll do a first layer of black soot, seal it, then do another layer without sealant, so that I retain the unsealed effect but if it scratches off there's not a random hole in the powdering.

[Carlson793]

I usually take some cheap craft paint of the appropriate color and an old Testors brush. Prep the paint as you would for dry brushing (very thin), and instead of brushing across the model, stab it with the brush. Gives a good random pattern on the area rather than catching on the edges, and the edges tend to feather some so they fade into the 'clean' areas above. This also gives you a good use for those brushes that will no longer hold a point, or have too much paint crusted in the ferrule.

[GrandMagnus]

Nice, thanks for the great suggestions :D

[old git]

I've always used dry brushing for exactly the effect you describe. I use the base colour (as in the colour of the bases your models are on) dry brushed, washed, dry brushed again and then white mixed with the base colour and dry brushed again. All this I use on the lower leg parts of the model.

 

For me people don't get the dry brushing effect right. It's a technique that needs to be practiced the same as any other painting technique. If you're going to spend time painting the model itself to the best standard you can (and why wouldn't you?), why wouldn't you spend equal time getting the base right?

[Imren]

The best dust effect ever (trust me, I've tried most methods):

 

mix Tamiya flat earth with with Tamiya flat flesh 1:1 and dilute the mixture 1 part mix with 2 parts Tamiya X20A thinner. Then using your airbrush, using sweeping motions make sweeps with this mixture over the legs up to about right under the knees. After each sweep evaluate if you want another sweep, I'd say two max three sweeps are sufficient to give a nice dust that is noticeable on the feet/legs but does not cover them completely.

 

This is the by far most realistic dust effect.

 

Pigment powders are used to make mud chunk effects really, if you want to mix pigment with water or alcohol, you get paint, so then you might as well use paint and brush it on.

[GrandMagnus]

Great to get more suggestions. I will be testing when I get back home in a week or two.

[MithrilForge]

dust effects is a specialized paint, this guys product is very good 

http://www.migjimenez.com/en/nature-effects/154-light-dust.html

 

some of my friends rave about it so i'm getting some to add dust to my skitarii/Ad-mech stuff

if i recall "Dr faust" painted a kastelan robot in a very weathered scheme and used dust effects on it...the Vid is somewhere on youtube i'm sure..

++EDIT++ 

here i found it ... the dust effect is in part 2 but they are both worth watching if you want a nice weathered looking army 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQVScNpd2cI

 

 

cheers, Mithril

Edited July 20, 2017 by mithrilforge