_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
FEATURE
The Mud Technique
CMOT
Staff MemberEditor-in-Chief
ARMORAMA
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: May 14, 2006
KitMaker: 10,954 posts
Armorama: 8,571 posts
Posted: Friday, July 08, 2011 - 10:36 AM UTC
Karl N. Hoy shares with us his method of making, applying, and colouring mud used both on his models and dioramas.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Kharkov
Joined: April 09, 2011
KitMaker: 181 posts
Armorama: 175 posts
Posted: Friday, July 08, 2011 - 11:48 AM UTC

I need to make some Mud, with a very very long dry time, about 3 or 4 hours.

I have used plaster/powdered filler for making base groundwork but I cant remember the dry time (it was a long time ago), think it was fairly fast, so anyone know how to slow down the dry time ?

I need a long time to work with the mud, to be able to do what I need to do with it.

Karl187
#284
Visit this Community
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Joined: October 04, 2006
KitMaker: 3,094 posts
Armorama: 2,942 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 01:14 AM UTC

Quoted Text


I need to make some Mud, with a very very long dry time, about 3 or 4 hours.

I have used plaster/powdered filler for making base groundwork but I cant remember the dry time (it was a long time ago), think it was fairly fast, so anyone know how to slow down the dry time ?

I need a long time to work with the mud, to be able to do what I need to do with it.




I find the same thing with plaster/filler- it just dries too quick to work with at leisure- you kind of have to plan ahead with it! Perhaps adding a bit of watery PVA to the mix would help?
retiredyank
Visit this Community
Arkansas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2009
KitMaker: 11,610 posts
Armorama: 7,843 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 01:20 AM UTC
You can also just mix the base mud color paint with spackling paste. Stiple on. Let dry. Highlight dried mud with lighter colors of earth tones.
flugwuzzi
Visit this Community
Lower Austria, Austria
Joined: November 02, 2007
KitMaker: 633 posts
Armorama: 599 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 02:28 AM UTC
Karl, thanks a lot for your great tutorial. Results look great.
IŽll try this with one of my next models.

Cheers
Walter
Karl187
#284
Visit this Community
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Joined: October 04, 2006
KitMaker: 3,094 posts
Armorama: 2,942 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 08:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Karl, thanks a lot for your great tutorial. Results look great.
IŽll try this with one of my next models.

Cheers
Walter



Thanks Walter, glad you like it.
errains
#045
Visit this Community
South Carolina, United States
Joined: September 23, 2005
KitMaker: 362 posts
Armorama: 350 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 09:08 AM UTC
Something Other Than Plaster

I just wanted to pass along the method I use for mud. Follow the link, you may have to scroll down the page a bit. Part 5-What a Bloody Mess!!

The Basic difference is the Plaster or lack there of since I use Liquitiex Acrylic Gel. I let it dry over night. Follow the rest of the steps as shown in the this Feature. Not sure if you can get the brand shown in the UK but Art supplies shops should have some thins similar.

I hope this helps and please feel free to ask any questions.

Enjoy
Spiderfrommars
Visit this Community
Milano, Italy
Joined: July 13, 2010
KitMaker: 3,845 posts
Armorama: 3,543 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 09:12 AM UTC
Thanks a million Karl, I'll follow your tutorial for sure

Cheers
Kharkov
Joined: April 09, 2011
KitMaker: 181 posts
Armorama: 175 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 09:56 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Something Other Than Plaster

I just wanted to pass along the method I use for mud. Follow the link, you may have to scroll down the page a bit. Part 5-What a Bloody Mess!!

The Basic difference is the Plaster or lack there of since I use Liquitiex Acrylic Gel. I let it dry over night. Follow the rest of the steps as shown in the this Feature. Not sure if you can get the brand shown in the UK but Art supplies shops should have some thins similar.

I hope this helps and please feel free to ask any questions.

Enjoy



Thx for this

I need to hunt down some Liquitiex then, Art shops should have it I hope, just one question, what is it like to work with ?, is it a sticky goey mess or fairly easy to work with ?

The reason I ask is because I need to make some mud in very small areas with a huge amount of repetition involved.

errains
#045
Visit this Community
South Carolina, United States
Joined: September 23, 2005
KitMaker: 362 posts
Armorama: 350 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 01:23 PM UTC
Hey Matt;

Since this stuff is acrylic its really easy to work with, no gooey mess or anything like that. If you make mistake or need to remove some because you have much on it just wipe it off. Being water based you can thin it real easy. In fact I apply it in layers one after the other once the previous layer is dry.

One thing to note is that there are different types of acrylic gel. If you notice in my pictures I'm using one call 'Blended Fibers" this one is really good for a heavy coating of mud that is still wet/damp on the vehicle. Another is call Stucco (I think) and it's best use for a more lighter coat of mud that has dried on the vehicle. So check out what your local art store has and chose the one you think will work best.

If you have any problems finding this stuff check ebay or drop me an email and maybe we can work something out to get you some.

Let me know if you have any other questions

Good Luck!
Kharkov
Joined: April 09, 2011
KitMaker: 181 posts
Armorama: 175 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 02:20 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Matt;

Since this stuff is acrylic its really easy to work with, no gooey mess or anything like that. If you make mistake or need to remove some because you have much on it just wipe it off. Being water based you can thin it real easy. In fact I apply it in layers one after the other once the previous layer is dry.

One thing to note is that there are different types of acrylic gel. If you notice in my pictures I'm using one call 'Blended Fibers" this one is really good for a heavy coating of mud that is still wet/damp on the vehicle. Another is call Stucco (I think) and it's best use for a more lighter coat of mud that has dried on the vehicle. So check out what your local art store has and chose the one you think will work best.

If you have any problems finding this stuff check ebay or drop me an email and maybe we can work something out to get you some.

Let me know if you have any other questions

Good Luck!



Thx Eric

And Karl sorry for hijacking your Mud feature a little with my question, it's just when you mentioned powdered filler/ plaster it triggered my memory with regards to a little job I gotta do.

The powdered filler/plaster mud method is very good, used it alot for groundwork on bases, it has a good texture.

johncpo
Visit this Community
New Mexico, United States
Joined: September 03, 2007
KitMaker: 81 posts
Armorama: 55 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 10, 2011 - 03:52 AM UTC
My mud techniques are somewhat simpler and off the shelf.

First I use all acrylic craft paints and in doing so use a thinned black wash of paint on the areas I want to be muddy. Next I scrape artist's or billiard chalk onto the wet areas using a dull hobby knife. I mix in Polycrylic wood sealer,the glossy type for a wet muddy effect. For dried mud I leave out the wood sealer.
This technique is shown on my M8 Greyhound which appears on past Features pages.
It takes about 10 minutes to get the desired effects and there are products used that a readily available on not a special item.

johncpo
Karl187
#284
Visit this Community
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Joined: October 04, 2006
KitMaker: 3,094 posts
Armorama: 2,942 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 10, 2011 - 05:14 AM UTC
Matt- no problem, I'm glad this feature has prompted discussion!

Mauro- thanks mate !
 _GOTOTOP