"Dirt on Horse and Musket figures - how do you do it?" Topic

I quite fancy dirtying up some figures, but I've never really done it…

there's the specialist paints ( eg amzn.to/2NbEIhs ) or just dirt coloured paint.

How do you lot do it? what do you use, paints and techniques?

A light coating of Citadel Inks would work. They have a number of tan, brown and black inks.

I'd dry brush with Colour Party dried earth paint using a goat mop brush.

this is my inspiration

or of course the amazing Dave Imrie

Drybrush. I use either "Mississippi Mud" by DecoArt, or "Beige" by Apple Barrel.

I like to use chalk powders for dirt on my minis.

HG Walls How do you get the chalk powder to stick to the figures?

@glengarry – just what I was thinking, love to know more about how they are used.

Use The Dip technique… Fast and easy, but not very discriminate.

If you are feeling venturous, take any plastic Army Man figure (gray, tan, or green, preferably), and paint on some Minwax Polyshades urethane stain, Royal Walnut (this is my favorite mud color). Use a throw-away brush (School Paint Brushes, 30 for a Dollar, at Wal-Mart, in the school supplies section). This will demonstrate what the technique is capable of, without risking a painted mini. Cheers!

Thanks sgt slag – any more thioughts on the chalk powder and how you use it?

Normal paint. Tans, sands, browns and various deeper earth umbers. Sometimes a multiple combination of them. If a light colour doesn't work, add another.

Dry brush technique- a very pale and deliberately light application of a very tiny amount of colour.
Start on the shoes/ boots and then slowly work your way up ankles. Doesn't need very figure painted to the knees in mud, unless you want that.

Powders- same technique, tap off a 'dry' figure. If happy with result, final spray finish (I prefer matt, not satin or gloss- soldiers don't usually wear shiny silk).
Buy bulk railway/ railroad ones- too much hard sell of 'military' colours unless you are wealthy,
regards davew

Mississippi Mud by itself or I sometime mix with a light/ mid Grey by Folk Art/ Apple Barrel. Works great.

Nice to see there are others that appreciate the qualities of a craft store acrylic paint! :) Though I must admit my affinity is for Delta brand "Ceramcoat". Trail Tan for light dust over Sienna or Iron Ore Oxide for deeper mud

For those who want to dabble with chalks then fix with Mig pigment fixer.

Real Waterloo mud, from the South East corner wall outside Hougomont. Luckily no check, as I re-entered the UK with a plastic cylinder filled with lumps of dried clay. Looked much more suspicious actually!