Tinted ground filler?

[The Gonk]

What's your recipe?

I have normally used spackle/wall compound to create small hills or fill areas on my terrain, but I've found that as they get chipped through wear, the original white shows quite boldly.  I'm looking to change my technique to include something that is tinted my ground color through and through, so that the little chips and dings won't show.

[Svennn]

Add paint to it before applying. Just use the cheapest emulsion you can find at the DIY/home depot store. You can buy it already coloured but its a lot more expensive.

[The Gonk]

Add paint to it before applying. Just use the cheapest emulsion you can find at the DIY/home depot store. You can buy it already coloured but its a lot more expensive.

You mix the paint with the spackle?  I haven't tried it yet, but isn't it a little thick for that?

[Svennn]

Yes - I mix emulsion paint and water to the consistency I need it. Speckle? I have a rough idea of what this is and it is definately in the same area of types of products but I am more familiar with UK lines. I use Polyfilla (and cheaper brands) wall filler, the stuff used to fill small cracks in walls etc. but with the more prevailent dry walling sysyem used in the states it may be different stuff?

[Aaron]

Spackle is the same thing as polyfilla. I usually thin it down a bit myself, but you can add a bit of paint to it even without thinning. I have added Liquitex concentrated artist's acrylics in the past.

[fastolfrus]

We sometimes use emulsion (or even cheap acrylics) to actually water down our filler, sometimes we use Tetrion pre-mixed wall filler, but we picked up some Pollyfilla pre-mixed when Woolworths closed down and sold everything at a significant discount.

Later on as it gets thicker in the tub we water the mix with water, but it already has paint mixed in so it's no longer white.

We also sometimes mix in sand or even small (pet shop) gravel.

[Hammers]

I have tried mixing Celluclay (paper mache) with both artist pigment and wood stain both with very good results.

Linky

Wood stain is a VERY potent pigment and I think it could work well for spackle but expect longer drying time since it dilutes the spackle.

[Captain Blood]

Emulsion paint + sand + PVA. Sets rock hard. Make it thick or thin as you like. Any colour you like. Overlay over any base material you like - foam, wall filler, whatever. It sticks like a leech. Easy to work while wet. Costs peanuts.
Why doesn't everyone use it? 

[Hammers]

Emulsion paint + sand + PVA. Sets rock hard. Make it thick or thin as you like. Any colour you like. Overlay over any base material you like - foam, wall filler, whatever. It sticks like a leech. Easy to work while wet. Costs peanuts.
Why doesn't everyone use it? 

My dear Blood, I would never lower myself nor The Hobby by using products available in bulk in a common DIY store when I can get them repackaged in smaller parcels and repriced properly for a gentleman of leisure at a GW store. It's just how it is done.

[white knight]

Emulsion paint + sand + PVA. Sets rock hard. Make it thick or thin as you like. Any colour you like. Overlay over any base material you like - foam, wall filler, whatever. It sticks like a leech. Easy to work while wet. Costs peanuts.
Why doesn't everyone use it? 

What do you use to apply it with?

[Captain Blood]

Emulsion paint + sand + PVA. Sets rock hard. Make it thick or thin as you like. Any colour you like. Overlay over any base material you like - foam, wall filler, whatever. It sticks like a leech. Easy to work while wet. Costs peanuts.
Why doesn't everyone use it? 

My dear Blood, I would never lower myself nor The Hobby by using products available in bulk in a common DIY store when I can get them repackaged in smaller parcels and repriced properly for a gentleman of leisure at a GW store. It's just how it is done.

Ah - that Swedish sense of humour. Hits the spot every time... 

What do you use to apply it with?

Just paint it on with an old brush. It's so cheap and easy it's absurd. 

[The Gonk]

That sounds good, but what I need is something I can put on thick.

Here is some tinted spackle.  It works okay in small doses, but you can see the big pieces shrank and left quite big cracks in the surface.

[Gluteus Maximus]

I use an ad-hoc mix of DIY filler [spackle? - I'm British, so not completely sure they are the same] plus PVA glue, sand and dark brown paint. It dries hard, has  good texture for dry-brushing, the PVA helps it to stick to mostly anything and the filler gives bulk and allows a decent degree of terrain sculpting. The paint is "watered down" by the filler and gives it a pleasing light earth shade when dry, which can be dry-brushed for  temperate jungle or desert finishes.

I've never had a problem with shrinkage on terrain pieces. The PVA probably helps to stop cracking etc, as it remains pretty elastic when dry.

[sepoy1857]

Emulsion paint + sand + PVA. Sets rock hard. Make it thick or thin as you like. Any colour you like. Overlay over any base material you like - foam, wall filler, whatever. It sticks like a leech. Easy to work while wet. Costs peanuts.
Why doesn't everyone use it? 

That's what I use :-D

[gamer Mac]

Me too.
Cheap and easy.