Marker tinting

[buzz1941]

This basic trick is pretty common among graphic artists, but I was asked to explain it in another modelling forum so I'll repeat it here — using colored markers with air cans. For me, it's mostly useful for tinting ground cover on display bases.
Basically, you use a dust-off type can of compressed air or a hose from a compressor, angle the blast across the tip of an artist's marker, which wicks off the dye like an air brush. There's very little control, so don't expect to get fancy.
Using three or four colors of green and brown, you can get grass and dirt to look a little more natural and less like a billiards table. Since it's a dye, it doesn't clump up the texture of the static grass or ground cover.
Below, a base with ground cover glued on, how it's sprayed, and then afterwards, with muddy areas and oil spatters on the grass.

[Mr_Flibble]

That's actually a very interesting technique. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm doing a little terrainbuilding for my tabletop wargames.