May and June in UMS Agram
We had a busy schedule in May and June. Let's start in chronological order:
1. Miniature Painting Workshop – Bretonnia
2. Kup Zagreb
3. Train Exhibition by KZMZ
4. Svet v Malem 2024 – Pivka, Slovenia
5. ITTD 2024 - Jalžabet
6. PSMK 2024 – Budapest, Hungary
7. Wednesday's Hobby Corner
8. Agram Group Build
And in this article, we will bring the impressions of our volunteers from all the actions that we have organized, as well as in which we have participated - either as visitors, competitors or as presenters...
Miniature Painting Workshop - Bretonnia
The workshop was held over two days (May 4 and 5) and participants painted a Bretonnian knight on horseback for the Warhammer The Old World tabletop strategy game. The focus of these lectures was coloring several miniatures at once, but the knowledge from the workshop is equally applicable to coloring armies for boardgames and a collection of figures for pen&paper rpgs. Each participant assembled his own knight with a spear, shield and ornamental helmet as well as a horse according to his own discretion. The workshop presented colors and accessories, preparation of figures, several techniques for painting miniatures from basic to more advanced, as well as techniques for placing stickers, and finally basing the figure. Water-based acrylic paints were used as part of the workshop.
The workshop included the following thematic units: 1. Planning and preparation and assembly of miniatures 2. Processing of miniatures before painting 3. Basic colors 4. Shading and highlighting techniques 5. Placing stickers without gloss 6. Basics of freehand
Kup Zagreb
The Zagreb Cup, a modelling competition organized by ZMMS, was held this year over two days on May 18-19, 2024. in the Family Mall. The organizer asked us to participate by presenting our programs and projects, to which we responded with pleasure.
Mario: "I consider the Zagreb Cup a successful representation of Agram. I had fun talking to the people who came to the stand and I managed to paint the helicopter from Heavy gear. Plus, I got myself a little Jeep Grand Cherokee from the car show waiting for a diorama.”
Kruno: "This year's Zagreb Cup will remain in my memory because we represented Agram in direct contact with the visitors. I was surprised how many people are also interested in our hobby, they just didn't know that someone was "organized" into it. I can also say that I am satisfied with the result achieved in the competition. I am sorry that the number of exhibits is relatively small, but I believe that this will also change in the future."
And we ended the competitive part with the harvest of medals and special prizes!
Train Exhibition by KZMZ
On Friday, May 24, at the invitation of the organizers of the KZMZ, we visited the Train Exhibition, which was also held in the Family Mall.
Svet v Malem, Pivka, Slovenia
Svet v Malem, a model competition show was held at the Museum of Military History in Pivka, Slovenia on May 25, 2024. We also presented our programs and activities at this competition. For the first time, our Norwegian member, Sebastian, went with us, for whom this was also the first competition abroad in which he participated.
In addition to the competition, traditionally, our Slovenian partner Back to Basics and Miniatures.si organized miniature painting workshops. Our Marko was also invited to hold one - quick painting of the Bretonnian Man-at-Arms.
Kruno: "Traditionally, there is a lot to see at the SVM from exhibited works, shops and museum exhibits. This year I finally dared to cross paths with other competitors and I am quite satisfied with my success. The ambience, atmosphere and exhibits (museum and competition) are still impressive and I recommend everyone who hasn't been yet to dare to go."
Sebastian:” We left Zagreb for Pivka early in the morning on Saturday 25ht of May, and soon found ourselves leaving Croatia. Driving through Slovenia, to Pivka, was very nice, with lots of rich, green, tranquil landscapes, and mountains in the distance. It was my first time at the event, SVM (Svet v malem) and I was excited. Kruno and Marko have been before, but since we all had brought entries for the competition, I think we were all curious to see what the day would bring. “
„First of all, the location of the event is perfect for a miniature convention. The Park of Military History in Pivka has an interesting story, and learning about its historical and geographical importance, as well as Yugoslavian military history at their museum, was certainly interesting, although the best part of the place for me was the large airplanes, helicopters, tanks and cars hanging or standing around the venue. This brings a perfect complement and contrast to all the tiny miniatures being exhibited. The exhibition mostly consisted of military and historical vehicles, dioramas or displays, but the three of us entered in the somewhat smaller categories of "Wargaming", "What If (Sci-fi)", "Movie scenes", "Bust" and "Figures all scales". Even here though, there were some pretty good entries. But most impressive of all were some of the dioramas displaying historicial military events (also complementing the museum exhibits and several historical artefacts to be found there), such as Winter Relax, Alsace 1944, the "Best of Show" from Moson. This large, spinning diorama, complete with well-lit interiors and a completely realistic winter scene of vehicles, soldiers and equipment, was mindblowing to me so we awarded it the BEST OF SHOW by UMS AGRAM award and presented the award to the author Giampiero Bianchi. “
“ There were a lot of people at the event, but we had more than enough time and space to take in the full exhibition. I did it twice, and was glad as I got more out of it the second time. There were a few interesting workshops (one held by our Marko), several booths to buy hobby equipment as well as a plethora of Revel kits and other brands - mostly vehicles, military and civilian. A lot of people came by our humble UMS Agram booth, chatted with us, showed interest, and took our fliers. When the award ceremony finally came around, we had seen everything we needed to see - the exhibtion is not very large, and is easily taken in in an hour or so - and we just wanted to know if we would get any awards, and then go home to Zagreb. Thankfully our work was appreciated, and Marko won two medals and got two commended, Kruno one medal and two commended, and I got commended for my only entry, a Necromancer diorama (keep an eye out for an article on the making of this diorama soon) I had been working on for a month, specifically for the Pivka exhibiton. This added an extra layer of excitement for me I think, as I didn't bring several works I already had at home, but rather put all my eggs in one basket, and just made one work. It was a relief to finish it in time (I glued my last spider the night before), which filled the day with extra good vibes for me, but also left me more disappointed than I expected at not receiving a medal. Although now a few days later, the disappointment is gone, I'm happy with my commended plaque, and with the great day the three of us had in Slovenia, and have already moved on to my next project. Also, we had a great meal at Reset Brewery in Brezice on our way back to Croatia - an awesome place for beer and grill if you find yourself in the area.”
International TableTop Day 2024, Jalžabet
On June 8, we organized an interactive miniature painting workshop as part of International Tabletop Day 2024 in Jalžabet near Varaždin.
Our Mario, with the help of the local viking Sebastian, led the miniature painting workshop, which according to the program was supposed to last for two hours, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. However, due to great interest, the duration was extended until almost 5 p.m.
PSMK 2024, Budapest, Hungary
Parallel to the workshop in Jalžabet, our second delegation went to Budapest to defend the colors of UMS Agram at the international model competition PSMK 2024. Our team, Kruno and Marko, went there on Friday and stayed until Sunday, although the competition itself was a one-day event.
Upon arrival in Budapest, we joined the miniaturist team for a welcome dinner with Hungarian specialties. Throughout the weekend, it was a pleasure to exchange experiences and knowledge with world greats such as Margot Crombeecke, Chloe Plattner, James Zhou and Miklos Bute.
On Saturday morning, we arrived at the competition and set up our stand (which later won a "We Like It" souvenir from the organizers. Then we placed the exhibits in the corresponding categories and the competition could begin.
During the competition itself, we thanked one of the organizers, Miklos, for the invitation, but also for the help in promoting our Black Queen, and we looked at the exhibits and answered various questions about our activities next to our stand.
After a short deliberation, the decision to award the BEST OF SHOW by UMS AGRAM was easy to award to Chloe Plattner's wonderful display.
After a whole day of socializing and shopping, it was time for the awards ceremony. To our surprise, we won several awards and recognitions which filled us both with pride.
Wednesday's Hobby Corner
During May and June, on Wednesdays, we also continued with our gatherings in our space at Trg žrtava fašizma 14. It is nice to see that the efforts of our volunteers are paying off and that with each new week the number of users increases - as well as new members of the association who recognize the work Associations. There are more and more requests for one-on-one Workshops, so we have reactivated on that front as well.
Agram Group Build
In addition to informal socializing with the hobby and once again included one-on-one workshops, there was also time to work on our Agram Group Build. For the next project, we chose to work on the Musketeers (in the fabulous form of dogs).
Finally, we invite you to join us every Wednesday during the summer. In this part of the program, the association will work all summer non-stop due to vacations. (the administrative part will not work from July 10 to August 1)
Latest articles
- Painting Faces at Tabletop Level Marko Paunović, 20th May 2026
- Pigmentation principles: why do the colors look the way they do? Dunja Singer, 20th May 2026
- Painting a Floral Kimono Ivan Knezović, 5th May 2026
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Pigmentation principles: why powdered pigment doesn't work
- • Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) — IR around 2.7 → excellent coverage, strongest white pigment
- • Zinc oxide (ZnO) — IR around 2.0 → good coverage
- • Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) — IR around 1.59 → poor coverage, filler
- • Calcium sulfate / gypsum (CaSO₄) — IR around 1.52 → almost transparent in a binder, filler
This means that gypsum and chalk, although white as a powder, become almost transparent in the formulation of a coating or mass. They do not compete with the pigment — they are subordinate to it. That's why a small amount of pigment easily and evenly colors a gypsum or chalk-based mass, while the same amount of pigment in a mass containing TiO₂ would be barely visible.
3. Agglomeration — the enemy of even color
Pigment powders do not exist as perfectly separate particles. Due to electrostatic attractive forces and surface tension, the particles spontaneously group into clusters called agglomerates or aggregates. Agglomeration is particularly pronounced in: fine particles (the smaller the particle, the higher the surface area to volume ratio, so the attractive forces are relatively stronger) pigments with a high specific surface area, such as carbon black high temperature or humidity conditions When pigment powder is mixed with filler or binder powder, the agglomerates do not break down—they remain as compact clusters. The visual result is an uneven color: dark spots where pigment particles have accumulated, and pale areas where they are absent. The user then concludes that "more pigment is needed"—but this is not true. The problem is not a lack of pigment, but its poor distribution.
4. Dispersion — meaning properly dispersed pigment
Dispersion is the process of breaking up agglomerates and evenly distributing individual pigment particles throughout a medium (water, oil, binder). A well-dispersed pigment means that the particles are as evenly distributed as possible — each filler or binder particle "sees" the pigment, not just the neighborhood of the agglomerate. Dispersion is achieved by mechanical and chemical means:
- • Mechanical: mixing with high shear forces (mixers, mill aggregates, ultrasound). Mixing with a spoon or spatula is not sufficient to break up agglomerates.
- • Chemical: the use of dispersants and surfactants that adsorb to the surface of the particle and prevent it from re-adhering to neighboring particles.
5. Why liquid colorant works better than powdered pigment
Liquid colorants are not just pigment dissolved in water. They are ready-made systems that contain: Pigment — already dispersed to the level of individual particles or very small clusters Dispersants and surfactants — which keep the particles separated and prevent re-agglomeration Liquid medium — which allows the pigment to be evenly distributed throughout the material being colored before that material begins to set or dry When a liquid colorant is added to the mixing water (e.g. in gypsum, concrete, mortar), the pigment is already in an ideal state of dispersion. The same amount of pigment is evenly delivered to each part of the mixture. The color effect is therefore much more intense than with dry-mixed pigment — with a significantly lower total amount of pigment. The same logic applies to paints and varnishes: pigment pastes and dispersed pigments provide better coverage and color uniformity than pigments that have not undergone the dispersion process.
6. Practical application — gypsum example
Gypsum is a good example because it illustrates all the above principles at once. Because it has a low refractive index (~1.52), it is not a true white pigment — it does not resist staining when mixed with a binder. This means that a small amount of black pigment can easily and evenly color the gypsum mass. Why then does it happen to many people that they have to add a large proportion of pigment in relation to the mass of plaster? Because they mix the pigment in powder form directly into the gypsum powder. Pigment agglomerates (especially Fe₃O₄ or carbon black) remain intact, the distribution is uneven, and the result is disappointing. The conclusion "we need more" is wrong — we need better.
Correct procedure:
Add the colorant (or pigment dispersed in water) to the mixing water Mix the water with the colorant well Only then add the gypsum and mix until a homogeneous mixture This way, the pigment is distributed throughout the entire mass before the gypsum begins to set. The result is an even, intense color with a much smaller amount of pigment than with dry mixing. For those who do not have access to professional colorants, a good alternative are liquid pigment additives available in building paint stores — usually in the form of small bottles intended for tinting wall paints. It is the same principle: the pigment is already dispersed in a liquid medium with additives that prevent agglomeration. Added to the mixing water, they give a more even result than powdered pigment with a significantly smaller amount.
Conclusion
The intensity and uniformity of color in a mass depend not only on the amount of pigment — they depend on how well the pigment is dispersed. A pigment powder mixed with a powder of another material almost always gives worse results than a pigment that has been previously dispersed in a liquid medium, in the presence of dispersants. When you encounter the problem of "the pigment does not color enough," it is worth asking yourself: is the problem not in the way it was added — and not in the amount.
" ["content_hrv"]=> string(9431) "Ovaj tekst nastao je nakon druženja srijedom na kojem se razvila rasprava o pigmentaciji gipsa. Kako nisam uspjela sve objasniti na licu mjesta, odlučila sam to složiti na papir — a principi o kojima je riječ ionako vrijede šire od samog gipsa.
1. Što je pigment — i što nije
Pigment je tvar koja daje boju tako što selektivno apsorbira određene valne duljine vidljivog svjetla i reflektira ostale. Crni pigment apsorbira gotovo sve valne duljine; crveni apsorbira plavu i zelenu, a reflektira crvenu. Važno je razlikovati pigment od punila. Punila su bijele ili neutralne tvari koje se dodaju u boje, premaze i mase kako bi povećala volumen, poboljšala teksturu ili snizila cijenu — ali same po sebi ne daju snažnu boju ni dobru pokrivnost. Tipična punila su kalcijev karbonat (kreda, CaCO₃), kalcijev sulfat (gips, CaSO₄), barijev sulfat i slični materijali. Razlika između pravog pigmenta i punila nije samo u boji — leži u fizikalnom svojstvu koje se zove indeks refrakcije.
2. Indeks refrakcije i pokrivnost
Indeks refrakcije (IR) opisuje koliko se svjetlost lomi i raspršuje kada prolazi kroz neku tvar ili nailazi na njezinu površinu. Što je veći, to čestica jače raspršuje svjetlost — i time djeluje neprozirnije, "pokrivnije". Nekoliko usporednih vrijednosti:
- • Titanijev dioksid (TiO₂) — IR oko 2,7 → izvanredna pokrivnost, najjači bijeli pigment
- • Cinkov oksid (ZnO) — IR oko 2,0 → dobra pokrivnost
- • Kalcijev karbonat (CaCO₃) — IR oko 1,59 → slaba pokrivnost, punilo
- • Kalcijev sulfat / gips (CaSO₄) — IR oko 1,52 → gotovo transparentno u vezivu, punilo
Ovo znači da gips i kreda, premda su bijeli kao prah, u formulaciji premaza ili mase postaju gotovo prozirni. Ne natječu se s pigmentom — podređuju mu se. Zato mala količina pigmenta lako i ravnomjerno oboji masu na bazi gipsa ili krede, dok bi ista količina pigmenta u masi koja sadrži TiO₂ jedva bila vidljiva.
3. Aglomeracija — neprijatelj ravnomjerne boje
Pigmenti u prahu ne postoje kao savršeno odvojene čestice. Zbog elektrostatičkih privlačnih sila i površinske napetosti, čestice se spontano grupiraju u nakupine koje se zovu aglomerati ili agregati. Aglomeracija je posebno izražena kod: sitnih čestica (što je čestica manja, veći je omjer površine i volumena, pa su privlačne sile relativno jače) pigmenata visoke specifične površine, poput carbon blacka (čađe) uvjeta visokih temperatura ili vlage Kada se prah pigmenta umiješa u prah punila ili veziva, aglomerati se ne raspadaju — ostaju kao kompaktne nakupine. Vizualni rezultat je neujednačena boja: tamne mrlje tamo gdje su se nakupile čestice pigmenta, i blijeda područja tamo gdje ih nema. Korisnik tada zaključuje da "treba više pigmenta" — ali to nije točno. Problem nije nedostatak pigmenta, nego njegova loša raspodjela.
4. Disperzija — što znači pravilno dispergiran pigment
Disperzija je proces razbijanja aglomerata i ravnomjernog raspoređivanja pojedinačnih čestica pigmenta kroz medij (vodu, ulje, vezivo). Dobro dispergiran pigment znači da su čestice što ravnomjernije raspoređene — svaka čestica punila ili veziva "vidi" pigment, a ne samo susjedstvo aglomerata. Disperzija se postiže mehaničkim i kemijskim putem:
- • Mehanički: miješanje s visokim smičnim silama (mikseri, mlinski agregati, ultrazuk). Miješanje žlicom ili lopaticom nije dovoljno za razbijanje aglomerata.
- • Kemijski: upotreba dispergirnih sredstava (dispergatora) i surfaktanata koji se adsorbiraju na površinu čestice i sprječavaju njezino ponovno lijepljenje za susjedne čestice.
5. Zašto tekući kolorant radi bolje od pigmenta u prahu
Tekući koloranti nisu samo pigment otopljen u vodi. To su gotovi sustavi koji sadrže: Pigment — već dispergiran do razine pojedinačnih čestica ili vrlo malih klastera Dispergatore i surfaktante — koji drže čestice razdvojenima i sprječavaju ponovnu aglomeraciju Tekući medij — koji omogućuje da se pigment ravnomjerno rasporedi kroz materijal koji se boji još prije nego što taj materijal počne vezati ili sušiti Kada se tekući kolorant doda u vodu za miješanje (npr. kod gipsa, betona, žbuke), pigment je već u idealnom stanju disperzije. Svakom dijelu smjese ravnomjerno se isporučuje ista količina pigmenta. Efekt boje je stoga mnogo intenzivniji nego kod suho miješanog pigmenta — uz znatno manju ukupnu količinu pigmenta. Ista logika vrijedi za boje i lakove: pigmentne paste i disperzirani pigmenti daju bolju pokrivnost i ravnomjernost boje od pigmenata koji nisu prošli proces disperzije.
6. Praktična primjena — primjer gipsa
Gips je zahvalan primjer jer ilustrira sve navedene principe odjednom. Budući da ima nizak indeks refrakcije (~1,52), nije pravi bijeli pigment — u smjesi s vezivom ne pruža otpor bojanju. To znači da mala količina crnog pigmenta može lako i ravnomjerno obojiti gipsanu masu. Zašto se onda mnogima događa da moraju dodati veliki udio pigmenta u odnosu na masu gipsa? Jer pigment miješaju u obliku praha direktno u prah gipsa. Aglomerati pigmenta (posebno Fe₃O₄ ili carbon black) ostaju netaknuti, raspodjela je neujednačena, i rezultat je razočaravajući. Zaključak "treba više" je pogrešan — treba bolje.
Ispravni postupak:
Kolorant (ili pigment dispergiran u vodi) dodati u vodu za miješanje Dobro promiješati vodu s kolorantom Tek tada dodati gips i miješati do homogene smjese Na taj način pigment bude raspoređen kroz cijelu masu još prije nego gips počne vezati. Rezultat je ravnomjerna, intenzivna boja uz višestruko manju količinu pigmenta nego pri suhom miješanju. Za one koji nemaju pristup profesionalnim kolorantima, dobra alternativa su tekući pigmentni dodaci dostupni u trgovinama građevinskih boja — najčešće u obliku malih bočica namijenjenih nijansiranju zidnih boja. Radi se o istom principu: pigment je već dispergiran u tekućem mediju s aditivima koji sprječavaju aglomeraciju. Dodani u vodu za miješanje, daju ravnomjerniji rezultat od pigmenta u prahu uz znatno manju količinu.
Zaključak
Intenzitet i ravnomjernost boje u nekoj masi ne ovise samo o količini pigmenta — ovise o tome koliko je taj pigment dobro dispergiran. Prah pigmenta miješan u prah drugog materijala gotovo uvijek daje lošije rezultate od pigmenta koji je prethodno dispergiran u tekućem mediju, uz prisustvo dispergirnih sredstava. Kada se susretnete s problemom "pigment ne boji dovoljno", vrijedi si postaviti pitanje: nije li problem u načinu na koji je dodan — a ne u količini.
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