Wilder

Formed in 2011, Wilder Products produces effective finishing products and accessories for constructing, painting and weathering all types of scale replicas and dioramas. Wilder's website has videos and links to demonstrations and how-to articles.

Introduction

Recently the Airbrush Company Ltd sent a selection of products by Wilder Products. This review is of their Nitroline paint filter Vibrant Green.

According to the Wilder website, Nitroline and filters are:

Enamel based products for quickly and easily applying various weathering effects onto all types of models and dioramas. NitroLine products can be used straight from the bottle or thinned using enamel thinner. Works best over acrylic finishes. Thoroughly mix and shake the bottle prior to use for best results.

A Filter is a thin transparent layer of paint applied over a surface to alter the tone of a base coat. Filters need to be brushed onto the model using a paintbrush dampened with the effect. After dipping your paint brush into the bottle first wipe the excess Filter away onto a piece of paper or dinner napkin prior to brushing it onto the model.

Nitroline Vibrant Green Filter

This product is formulated for German green and three-color camouflage finishes. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the eye-catching label on the bottle cap. Then I noticed the unique bottle. It more like an artists' ink jar, a square body necked plastic bottle. The attractive label adds to the aesthetics, although text on the side is so small that I can not read it without magnification.

Inside is a very thin solvent-based liquid and a thin layer of pigment. The pigment is vivid.

use

Wilder emphasizes that NitroLine products need to first be thoroughly mixed or shaken well prior to using to ensure that the pigments are completely mixed for the effect to work to its fullest potential.

Opening the bottle releases a mild terpenic odor, less intense than Model Master enamels, and less than the mineral spirits I use to clean my brushes.

Since Vibrant Green Filter is for green German camouflage, I tested it on my Mediterranean Theater Tiger. Following Wilder instructions I loaded a brush with the filter, swiped it across a towel, thence all across the upper surfaces. Later I hit the top plates again, as well as vertical surfaces. Please see the photographs to judge the effectiveness; the filter was applied in five minutes and the tank was photographed with the same settings.

In a couple of areas I had a bit more filter in the brush than expected, and it pooled in low areas. There it dried with the color of the pigment.

The filter dried fairly fast and did not leave a sheen.

Results and conclusion

When I built the Tiger I purposely made the olive paint irregular in coverage. Depending on the angle of the light, I do see a difference in the finish. I will try Vibrant Green Filter on a three-tone camouflage vehicle and report back.

The product is easy to use. It was easy to clean from the brush. The odor of the solvents did not give me a headache. It dried without a sheen.

Bottle design is nice although I wonder if modelers will recoil from the uncommon square bottom?

Modelers who use techniques of color modulating and filters should appreciate this product. I have no complaint about this product and thus feel comfortable recommending it.