Okay, here’s the sitrep. I took my beloved Stug IIIb and thought that I was doing her one step better by using earth tone pastels for road dust. I (this is where I get in trouble) thought that I was applying a light coat and it turned out to heavy for my liking. Now I have not, repeat, I have not applied a sealer on her yet (I have read before that this is the only way to keep the pastels from coming off) because of wanting to remove the aforementioned pastels. Can I just wash these off under warm running water? Or is there any way to do this safely. Oh, these were applied by drybrushing over a flatcoat of Testors “MM” laquer. Thanks, oh she did place first in German armor and best of class in all armor with this finish, but I still think it’s too heavy a dusting. Thanks again. 
And this is before pastels albeit, different lighting
Doc,
It’s my understanding that pastels can be washed off. But, my experience tells me that there will be a remnant of color, especially if the powder have been applied over a flat coat.
On another note, I don’t think that your pigment work is too heavy. It looks a tad red, though it could just be the lighting. I think if it were more brown/tan, it wouldn’t appear as stark. I learned the hard way that pigments can change hue when applied to different base coat colors after a nice M4 paint job gave brown pigments a red clay appearance.
Great work, btw. Congrats on the win!
Your work is just stunning[bow] and the under belly WOW all that detail now I’m taking note’s.
So you guys actually think she looks okay as is? This was my first attempt at using pastels. I just think that I went to far with them. Thanks for the comments.
I would still like to know the safe way to remove them, if not then reduce the effect to a more suttle apperance.
Beautiful StuG and congrats on the win. If anything, I might follow up with a light, selective dusting with a lighter toned chalk dust, much like you’ve done on the paint shading but only lighter in touch. Just a taste here and there to modulate the dark brown and grey.
I think it looks perfectly appropriate. The dirt IS a bit reddish, but you could tone this down by just adding a bit of dusty brown or dried mud.
Congrats on the trophy as well!
Beautiful StuG. Heavy or not, it works. Congrats on your trophy.
Thanks for the comments and all the sugestions guys. I have got to tell you, this forum has got to be one of the best, if not the best for knowledge and support on the web and I only have about a zillion of them on my favorites list!
If that were my StuG,I’d be very happy with the result.Leave it alone.It looks great.
The pastels do look good but if you do want to remove them water works well. Usually what I do is get a cotton swab or q-tip and wet it, then remove some of the pastel. However, this will not completely remove the pastel and there will be some color left behind. I would do a test on mayby the underside of your tank with different amounts of water or other things so you can see what it will look like after you remove some.
You’r stug took a first and a best of,IMO dont mess with success.
Congrat’s Doc[#toast]
I wouldn’t suggest trying to remove the pastels with any liquid medium. Cpuld try a large, flat, dry, soft sable brush to remove some of it or good 'ol lung power. However, your tank looks great to me as is.
Thaks again guys for the positive comments. Manstein, your suggestion was the first thing that I tried, but alas the flat finish won out by retaining like a magnet. I guess I will leave well enough alone. Thanks again!
You could also try using compressed air (not too high psi)…Are the pastels oil-based or dry like MiG pwders? Honestly, I think the finish looks great as most refs showe just the amount of dusting on the Eastern front that you have portrayed (oftentimes even heavier)…a lot of guys would kill for that finish…
I agree with Manstein, you are oner incredible modeler if you get that good a finish by accident when I have worked for years to get that good a look and still haven’t succeeded!
As for the redness of the powder, that looks like the red soil that is typically found in Russia; so this conceiveably could be a veteran of the Eastern Front during the spring and summer offensives.
Way to go on such a great model and congrats on the wins! Like someone else said, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”!