Custom coloring static grass fibers?

[ednadolski]

Has anyone tried or heard tell of custom coloring (dyeing) of static grass fibers?    It seems that most commercial colors are rather unnatural looking, or just plain hard to get anything with the right tones to be realistic or accurate.

Looks like Lance Mindheim has done some blog entries, but it would be interesting to know if anyone else has had any successes (or failure stories) to learn from.

https://lancemindheim.com/2019/01/earth-toned-grass/
https://lancemindheim.com/2019/01/earth-tone-static-grass-jan-16/
https://lancemindheim.com/2019/01/earth-tone-static-grass-1-20-19/
https://lancemindheim.com/2019/02/earth-toned-static-grass-2-4-19/
https://lancemindheim.com/2019/01/measuring-powdered-dye/

This guy makes it sound rather dicey tho:
 

(Seems MR also has a similar article by LM in a recent issue, but knowing MR I would just presume it is basically a watered-down version of the same content in LM's blog.)

Cheers,
Ed

[dem34]

I just airbrush my static grass after application. Never felt I could get the color variation I wanted trying to mix fibers or get specific colors of blade.

*Variation is more pronounced under better lighting*

[JeffB]

I wet and dry brush static grass with acrylic craft paints after application...  Works well enough and you can get some good color variation.

Jeff

[nscalbitz]

Yeah I can't see 'static' grass working after an inert coating of whatever gets over it.
Better to wave a light dusting or dry-brush highlights when in place.
FWIW, d

[Maletrain]

Yeah I can't see 'static' grass working after an inert coating of whatever gets over it.
Better to wave a light dusting or dry-brush highlights when in place.
FWIW, d

I don't think it is a "coating" so much as a penetrating, chemically fixing dye for natural fibers (both plant cellulose fibers like cotton and animal protein fibers like wool).  See Proceon MX dyes at https://prochemicalanddye.net/pro-mx-fiber-reactive-dye.html .

That said, dealing with 0.4mm fibers in pots of water, strainers, and cloth bags in driers sounds like a way to get those tiny fibers into every aspect of my life for the foreseeable future.  Not convinced I want to do that.

But, I am convinced we need much better colors for our grasses.

[peteski]

Static grass manufacturers likely dye the fibers before chopping them into small pieces.  How about contacting the manufacturers and requesting that they produce more realistic colors (while providing them with reasoning for those colors, maybe even including some photos of the "real" grass, or of layouts that have realistically colored grass)?

[Chris333]

Silflor makes grass fibers that match their tufts.

[wazzou]

I think the only color I’ve really never found good representation of, is a true late Summer West Coast grass color.
You know, the super light yellow/tan color from lack of rain or any irrigation.
Honestly, I think Woodland Scenics has the closest.

[ednadolski]

I think the only color I’ve really never found good representation of, is a true late Summer West Coast grass color.
You know, the super light yellow/tan color from lack of rain or any irrigation.
Honestly, I think Woodland Scenics has the closest.

They do have some better colors in their newer "Field System" line, tho (like most everything else) it targets HO scale and the shortest length is 2mm.

Ed