What are people buying?

[Jeremy]

Looks like I should just bin them now then?

[Etranger]

Quite possibly, Baron.

Those pencils look like they're similar to the pastel 'crayons', or indeed 'pencils' that you get from art shops (and usually a lot cheaper!).

[Jeremy]

Quite possibly. But unlikely to be cheaper overall as I’d have to buy entire sets

[goat major]

They’ve always looked interesting, I’d be interested in how you get on using them Jeremy. I guess they offer a slightly different texture to either enamels or pigments and may be handy for small touch ups I’ve found good rust effects come with combining a variety of colours so the range looks good.

Semi-grase means semi-grease paint. No idea whether that’s a good thing or not but they are water based so would be interesting to know how they work in practice. I’m guessing it makes them closer to makeup pencils than artists pencils.

[Jeremy]

Yeah. I do like the enamels and oils for weathering, but they can be tricky and messy. I see these for use in hard to reach places or for fine detail I can’t really get right with a brush

[Shahbahraz]

and since i found a source in Glasgow selling them for a fiver a set, it would have been rude not to pick up two or three.. damn you all...

[Etranger]

Quite possibly. But unlikely to be cheaper overall as I’d have to buy entire sets

Locally they're sold individually. I'm surprised that you can't do the same.

The potential shortcoming with these is that the colour may come off with handling, so they'll need a varnish over the top, which might itself affect the colour. I look forward to seeing your endeavours.

[Jeremy]

Yup. I expect to hit them with a spray of matt varnish, but I do that anyway. It does remove the step of having to gloss varnish the model to use the enamel and oil weathering paints though.

You certainly can’t buy them individually in lockdown as the shops are closed. Maybe some of the local art shops you can when they reopen.

[Shahbahraz]

they are on sale online individually at about £1.50 per pencil from various sources. I bought three of the sets..

And I finally cracked, and since I am on the wagon after VL5 and will save myself a tidy sum in the next month, bought a 3d printer. This is likely to be a source of fresh disasters, but I am keen to start designing some of my own stuff, especially game aids, scenery, things like telegraph poles, lamps etc.

[Peeler]

... handy for small touch ups...

I've heard about chaps like you.