Among the companies offering ways to weather and complement the realism of your scale models a new competitor has emerged. The company ModelMaker Z is now offering Pigment Powders. A selection of 17 unique colors with descriptive names such as Dark Russian Dirt, South East Asian Mud, Old Rust, Medium Rust, and Panzer Gray Fading are available. The ultra-fine pigment powders are packaged in clear half-ounce bottles with screw-on lids. Powder Pigments likes to say the bottles are transparent because “Quality and Value are Clear”. Each 1/2-oz. bottle retails for $5.00 and is available from your local Hobby Shop as well as direct from the ModelMaker Z web site.

Powder Pigments can be applied by a variety of methods. Pigment Powder can be applied dry using a paint brush. The pigments can then be “fixed” in place using their own airbrush ready Model Maker Z Fixative/Thinner. Powder Pigment can be mixed with the fixative/thinner to airbrush on the subject. Describing this action as a sort of weathering paint you slowly build up layer after layer of fine particles to accomplish a realistically weathered, dusty, finish.

For a test subject I chose my “Zira” figure from Planet of the Apes (POA). My intention was to create the impression of walking through a dusty street as one might imagine existed in POA. I chose to apply the weathering powder using a small brush. Desert Sand, Mustard, and Brown were the colors selected. The pigments are pulverized to a fine grain and apply quite easily. As you can tell from the images I was able to create a very realistic scene.

In my opinion Model Maker Z Weathering Pigments are excellent products with good support available. I would recommend them to be in every modeler’s collection of products. My thanks to the fine people at Modelmaker Z for a chance to review their products!