Talc and Oil Wash???

[Renato]

As I received lots of interesting feedback on my post on Cameron of Erracht tartan (thks a loto to all who contributed!!!!), I came across a thread where people were exchanging ideas on using talc powder before doing theoil wash to finishe a tartan.......

So can anyone elaborate what is this technique for?????

Is it a way of texturing and provide a rough cloth efect???

Thks a million in advance!

Renato

 

[pkessling]

To get a completely matte tartan, I would start with an acrylic undercoat of a very matte drying paint. Pelikan Plaka and Cel Vinyl were the two brands that I used. I preferred to paint tartans in oils because I could control the fluidity of the paint and get sharper lines, plus you could fix problems while the paint was wet. After completely dry, scrape a chalk pastel with an Xacto blade to creat a fine powder. Lightly brush on with a soft brush. Then try to brush all of it off. Enough will remain to give a totally matte finish. On large scale figures you can stipple on the undercoat. I used this technique for rough buckskin texture.

 

[Redcap]

To get a completely matte tartan, I would start with an acrylic undercoat of a very matte drying paint. Pelikan Plaka and Cel Vinyl were the two brands that I used. I preferred to paint tartans in oils because I could control the fluidity of the paint and get sharper lines, plus you could fix problems while the paint was wet. After completely dry, scrape a chalk pastel with an Xacto blade to creat a fine powder. Lightly brush on with a soft brush. Then try to brush all of it off. Enough will remain to give a totally matte finish. On large scale figures you can stipple on the undercoat. I used this technique for rough buckskin texture.

Forgive my total lack of awareness of this interesting sounding technique, but I assume that the 'pastel chalk' stippled onto the figure has to be as close a colour match to the finished (oil) paint job as possible - or - does it have to be a lighter or darker tone etc?

Thanks for clarity to avoid a disaster if I try this for want of asking the question.

Gary

 

[Renato]

Forgive my total lack of awareness of this interesting sounding technique, but I assume that the 'pastel chalk' stippled onto the figure has to be as close a colour match to the finished (oil) paint job as possible - or - does it have to be a lighter or darker tone etc?

Thanks for clarity to avoid a disaster if I try this for want of asking the question.

Gary

Good question!!!! I was assuming (possibly wrongly.......) that we were talking about white chalk (as I started the thread from a quote that indicated talc powder.....) since I believe the scope is to matt the tones to give a rough cloth feeling..........

pkessling, your view?

 

[pkessling]

I had an earth tone set of chalk pastels, very inexpensive. They were used for groundwork and for uniform weathering. Most of the chalk “dust’ will come off with the large soft brush. An off white, cream color should work best. Just make sure the paint is completely dry before trying this technique. Other wise it will become a total mess.

 

[Nap]

Never heard of this before sounds interesting and effective

Great thread and replies

Happy talcing

Nap

 

[Henk]

Armour vehicle modellers have used (pastel) chalks for many years, for subtle weathering, and creating mud texture. When you apply the powder to the Matt paint, and brush it off, some will come off, and some will 'stain' the area, leaving a very subtle weathering effect. Repeated applications can enhance the effect as desired. Sprinkling the powder onto wet paint (or varnish) will create a rough mud like texture, which would work as a rough cloth texture on larger scale figures I guess. Time to do some experimenting I thinks..

 

[Renato]

Good suggestion, although the kilt I am painting now is on a figure that does not suggest the subject being on live action, more on a stroll….not sure mud stains would look appropriate……so I will ise the chalk to enhance the matt/texture feeling and I’ll try the “muddening” another tine

Thks for the tip!

 

[Gary D]

I know there are different types of pastel chalks due to different binders etc.. Can you tell us which type you use?
Are Soft Pastels the Same as Chalk Pastels? - Adult Coloring Masterpiece

Thanks!
Gary

 

[kagemusha]

If I may...the use of 'pastels'...or indeed 'pigments' (the dry ones) has been around in the figure arena for a great many years.
I myself enjoyed using them on several of my pieces...this being a prime example...https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/wight-lord.59628/
Indeed...in the example given...I used them over every area...including the flesh...not just for weathering...but also for shading.
A very useful trick to employ is to use different grades of sand paper to grind them into a dust...which allows you to control the texture much better...as opposed to scraping with a scalpel blade.
Where texture alone is required...an old armour trick...is to use Tamiya Putty thinned with their extra thin cement...which is then stippled onto the surface before priming.
Whilst this technique is primarily designed for use on plastics...by keeping the mixture thicker...it will bind quite happily to resin and metal.
As for the choice of pastels...I used a set of the cheapest chalk ones I found on Ebay.

Ron

 

[Renato]

If I may...the use of 'pastels'...or indeed 'pigments' (the dry ones) has been around in the figure arena for a great many years.
I myself enjoyed using them on several of my pieces...this being a prime example...https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/wight-lord.59628/
Indeed...in the example given...I used them over every area...including the flesh...not just for weathering...but also for shading.
A very useful trick to employ is to use different grades of sand paper to grind them into a dust...which allows you to control the texture much better...as opposed to scraping with a scalpel blade.
Where texture alone is required...an old armour trick...is to use Tamiya Putty thinned with their extra thin cement...which is then stippled onto the surface before priming.
Whilst this technique is primarily designed for use on plastics...by keeping the mixture thicker...it will bind quite happily to resin and metal.
As for the choice of pastels...I used a set of the cheapest chalk ones I found on Ebay.

Ron

You are definitely an early starter on pigments.....and definitely mastering the technique...........I am extremley cautious in using them as I find that they "kill" shading and deepness of shadows and highlights.......I think I just need to practice

 

[Steve Ski]

This is interesting, makes sense how it's described, but I've never done it other than to use pigments or chalks for weathering figures to match the ground work tones. In 54mm I couldn't imagine painting tartans with oils, but 120mm and up, ok, maybe. I might be lacking in confidence with oils in such tight area, but I am painting my tartans using acrylics (the pattern and fine lines), then oil washes for shadows and highlights right now. I've always been an oiler on all my figures.

Would you please post a photo of your work, Renato, and maybe the link to the conversation describing this technique? That would be a big help in understanding exactly what is taking place with this technique specifically. I'm always open to learning a new technique.


P.S. I may be considered archaic with this comment, but I still use "Dull Coat" from a rattle can to flatten all my figures after the oils dry for 3-5 days. Say it isn't so, but there you have it, Lol!

 

[Renato]

This is interesting, makes sense how it's described, but I've never done it other than to use pigments or chalks for weathering figures to match the ground work tones. In 54mm I couldn't imagine painting tartans with oils, but 120mm and up, ok, maybe. I might be lacking in confidence with oils in such tight area, but I am painting my tartans using acrylics (the pattern and fine lines), then oil washes for shadows and highlights right now. I've always been an oiler on all my figures.

Would you please post a photo of your work, Renato, and maybe the link to the conversation describing this technique? That would be a big help in understanding exactly what is taking place with this technique specifically. I'm always open to learning a new technique.


P.S. I may be considered archaic with this comment, but I still use "Dull Coat" from a rattle can to flatten all my figures after the oils dry for 3-5 days. Say it isn't so, but there you have it, Lol!

Hey Steve, I did try this technique, I did all the tartan work in acrylics, then washed with dark-brown oil (Cassel earth) to deepen shadows and blend all the ligns and squares of tartan, then highlighted some squares with acrylics again and finally “washed” with thin brown chalk powder to give a final matt and textured look……was not amazed by the result of thi last step, but it dows give some feeling…

I am not at home in this period, will post some pictures as I come back next week

Ciao