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Hey guys, just applied some of AK Interactive's Medium Rust to a model and was wondering whether it needed to be sealed with something, or whether it'll be alright, just the bottle isnt overly clear. As ir currently is, shaking the model around doesnt remove any pigment, so I'd assume it's alright as is. Thought I'd ask just in case, though

If the model is going to be handled, the pigment needs to be sealed or it will rub off with use. For areas not really at risk for rubbing off (like recessed areas), rubbing alcohol will do fine. For general wargaming purposes, AK, MIG, Vallejo (and others make quality pigment fixers will have a minimal impact on appearance of the pigment when dry. Note that minimal is not synonymous with zero, which is why competitive scale modelers often don't seal pigments.

A quick google search for "pigment fixer tutorial" will get you all the information you need.

Now, I've never used the medium in question, but I was under the impression models should always be clear-coated when done to protect them, but its something I've never really done so, hopefully someone with more experience in that pigment can chime in, but If you're worried, I might clear coat anyway

Pigments are applied after the clear coat if a clear coat is applied at all. Wargame minis, due to handling, are generally clearcoated to protect the paint. Display models are often not clearcoated because varnish changes the underlying color.

If you clearcoat over the pigment, you will be adding solvent & binder to pigment. Pigment+binder+solvent=paint. At this point, you will destroy the dusty effect of the pigment and you may as well airbrush a dust-colored paint instead (which is a perfectly viable technique by the way). Pigment fixers are solvents & binders that are specifically formulated to have a minimal impact on the appearance of the pigment. Again, though, minimal doesn't mean zero.

 Nodri wrote:
Pigments are applied after the clear coat if a clear coat is applied at all. Wargame minis, due to handling, are generally clearcoated to protect the paint. Display models are often not clearcoated because varnish changes the underlying color.

If you clearcoat over the pigment, you will be adding solvent & binder to pigment. Pigment+binder+solvent=paint. At this point, you will destroy the dusty effect of the pigment and you may as well airbrush a dust-colored paint instead (which is a perfectly viable technique by the way). Pigment fixers are solvents & binders that are specifically formulated to have a minimal impact on the appearance of the pigment. Again, though, minimal doesn't mean zero.

Oh my, I'm glad you jumped in, I had no idea myself, so I would have felt terrible if my advice harmed their mini

Thanks for all of your help, guys, very informative. I think ill lool at adding a clear coat, the pigment and then a fixer.

 Nodri wrote:
At this point, you will destroy the dusty effect of the pigment and you may as well airbrush a dust-colored paint instead (which is a perfectly viable technique by the way).

I don't think this is entirely true. You'll modify the appearance of the pigments, but you won't change their behavior. You'll still get things like settling in the small recesses of tank tracks, which would be impossible to duplicate with an airbrush (or conventional brush). So it can still be worth using them even if you know the varnish layer is going to be necessary.

Ideally, You would use a pigment binder, but you can also use hairspray as a fixative if you don't want to buy the binder.

What I do (just because I was impatient once and didn't want to wait for a fixative shipment, so I tested it and seems to work well for me) is mix a slurry of pigment and matte medium.

 Peregrine wrote:

I don't think this is entirely true. You'll modify the appearance of the pigments, but you won't change their behavior. You'll still get things like settling in the small recesses of tank tracks, which would be impossible to duplicate with an airbrush (or conventional brush). So it can still be worth using them even if you know the varnish layer is going to be necessary.

Excellent point.