Pollen - Pink

Pink flower grain

Pink is one of the most rewarding flower colors on a model, because it stands off the green of the foliage and reads even from a distance. The manufacturer lists this shade for fuchsias, bougainvilleas and hellebores, that is for the plants that usually frame a fence, a pergola or a house wall on a diorama.

The jar holds 29.4 cm³, which is 1.8 cubic inches. The powder is exceptionally fine, so it can be dosed a pinch at a time and does not clump on a crown. That is exactly what sets flower grain apart from the coarser turf used for grass.

Where it works best

A bougainvillea climbing a gable wall, a flowering hedge along a path or a lone bush by a driveway are the typical scenes where pink works. Over a large area it pays to mix it with white or with a deeper shade so that the growth does not look flat. It is sprinkled onto a thin layer of diluted glue and the surplus is swept aside once dry.

The material has no scent and no sheen of its own, and once dry it stays matte. The color is stable, so the scene will not fade to gray after years under a lamp.

Before you start

Prepare the armature of the plant and the glue in advance. The loose component will not make the shape of a bush on its own; it is the last layer, the one that gives a finished mass its flowering look. It pays to work over a sheet of paper from which the unused powder can be poured back.

Storage needs no care at all. The jar closes with a lid, so the rest of the material will keep for years without caking or losing saturation. If the powder settles after standing a long time, a shake of the jar is enough.

While working it helps to keep tweezers and a soft brush at hand to settle the grains before the glue dries.