[Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pics!)

All discussions regarding Board, Card, and RPG Gaming, including industry discussion, that don't belong in one of the other gaming forums.

Moderators: The Preacher, $iljanus, Zaxxon

Post Reply
User avatar
Punisher
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:05 pm

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Punisher »

I can't see any pics. Can anyone else?
All yourLightning Bolts are Belong to Us
User avatar
Daveman
Posts: 1757
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:06 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Daveman »

I might have messed up my image hosting... although I checked on a different device than I posted from and I see them there too. Do these work?

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image
User avatar
Lordnine
Posts: 6034
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:09 pm
Location: Burlington, VT

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Lordnine »

The monsters look good! I would probably add a little more color variance/detail in the marines but not bad. A third color, even black, would make them pop.
Last edited by Lordnine on Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Punisher
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:05 pm

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Punisher »

repost works Daveman!
All yourLightning Bolts are Belong to Us
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Zarathud »

Monsters look great. I also think the marines would look better with a two main colors in the armor rather than the second color as accents. You could paint the shoulder or breast plates the character color. The shoulders are probably easier to highlight.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Say what you will about citadel paints, their metallic paints are amazing!

Here is my Stormcast Eternal from Warhammer Quest: The Silver Tower. He may be my best job yet.

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image

The base is still a work in progress. I am using the Astrogranite texture paint by Citadel (it is drying). I got a little on the skulll, but it does sort of look like mud sloshed on the skull, which is acceptable.
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Isgrimnur »

That's a nice-looking thumb.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Isgrimnur wrote:That's a nice-looking thumb.
I have all the best thumbs. I assure you, there is nothing wrong with their size. Amazing thumbs. All of your thumbs. Disasters. Only a hater would not like my thumb. Losers.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

My latest painting dilemma is basing. I'm about to start doing some heavy painting soon, so I need to make a decision. I'm going to write out my thoughts in order to clarify them to myself, and perhaps get some input. My history of basing:

For the first year or so of mini painting, back in the late 80s, I just went with whatever bases they had built in. In 1991 or so I started playing Warhammer. Warhammer uses standardized bases (a standard humanoid was always 20x20mm, a horse was always 25x50mm, etc.) I used this up until I went on my painting hiatus around 2000. When I started painting again, I'd abandoned Warhammer for Reaper's Warlord system. I also uses a standardized base system, although a little different from Warhammer's. You can tell when I painted any particular piece from the size of its base.

Here's the thing: I don't play Warhammer or Warlord anymore. I don't know a single person who does, as my Warlord friend moved out of the area. It's kind of annoying trying to squeeze miniatures onto bases that are either too large or too small. All I paint for now is RPGs, and I'd much rather be using a simpler system. The problem is that if I go and use round/integral/clear bases for everything and someday get the opportunity to try a wargame again, none of my miniatures will be usable for that. Even though the chances of that seem pretty remote, I hate eliminating the possibility.

In any case, I'd really like my miniatures not be mismatched anymore. I'm tired of having three or more base styles on the table at once.

So my decision is between the standardized square bases:

Image

Pros:
~I have lots of blank ones. Hundreds.
~I have a lot of practice
~I have a vast amount of material for basing terrain

Cons:
~Standardized isn't really needed anymore (a con for standardized, not necessarily for square)
~Square doesn't always work as well in RPGs where movement and facing tends to be more organic
~Standardized doesn't always fit the models (note these hobogoblins' feet.)
~They are a lot of work, and require removing any integrated base or sculpting around it.
~Terrain can detract in some situations where it doesn't match the scenario or surface
~If I don't want my pieces to be mismatched, I'd have to re-base my old stuff, which would be hundreds of projects (although about half of some of the other options, as only my older stuff would be off.

Round, decorated RPG bases:
Image

Pros:
~All of my basing experience and materials will translate directly across
~More organic for RPGs

Cons:
~If I don't want my pieces to be mismatched, I'd have to re-base my old stuff, which would hundreds of projects.
~I don't have many round bases, so I'd have to pick some up (although I have enough that it wouldn't be immediately necessary)
~They are a lot of work, and require removing any integrated base or sculpting around it.
~Terrain can detract in some situations where it doesn't match the scenario or surface

Simple RPG bases:
Image

Pros:
~Very simple and quick to do.
~Since they are just black, the eye tends to discount them, so they don't clash with the scenario or distract
~More organic for RPGs

Cons:
~Less interesting
~I don't have any, so I'd need to buy a selection to get started
~Remind me of the pre-painted stuff, which would probably annoy me
~If I don't want my pieces to be mismatched, I'd have to re-base my old stuff, which would be hundreds of projects (although simpler than the decorated options.)
~While they are simple to finish, they still require removing any integrated base to mount them.

Integrated bases:
Image
Pros:
~The cheapest and easiest, as all you have to do is throw paint at them.
~More organic for RPGs

Cons:
~I can't rebase hundreds of miniatures back to integrals that were discarded decades ago, so I'd have to deal with everything being mismatched
~For some pieces (Bones), I'd still have to weight them, as they are so light they tend to topple
~Different manufacturers handle their basing differently, including some that use square or round by default, requiring one of the other techniques and more mismatching.
~Some pieces don't come with integral bases at all, leading to more mismatching


or clear bases (which seem to be all the rage) (not my work):
Image
Pros:
~Invisible bases show whatever terrain their on, which is great for using maps with RPGs
~Very simple, as there is no painting involved
~Probably the most organic option for RPGs


Cons:
~I have zero experience with them, which means learning curves and mistakes
~I don't know how durable they are. I'm guessing everything would have to be pinned and glued, and cyanoacrylate glues and clear plastic don't mix.
~They look like they would scratch with extended use
~I have none, which would require an investment in not only bases, but materials to use them
~If I don't want my pieces to be mismatched, I'd have to re-base my old stuff, which would be hundreds of projects (although simpler than the decorated options.)
~While they are simple to finish, they still require removing any integrated base to mount them.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Lordnine
Posts: 6034
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:09 pm
Location: Burlington, VT

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Lordnine »

If money and time was no concern I would do all of mine with clear bases…but I have yet to find a source that would be cost effective for the hundreds of minis I have at this point. For that reason, I always stick with the standard round base painted black.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Lordnine wrote:If money and time was no concern I would do all of mine with clear bases…but I have yet to find a source that would be cost effective for the hundreds of minis I have at this point. For that reason, I always stick with the standard round base painted black.
Check Litko. $14.99/100 1" at 1.5mm. I've done business with them before, and they're a go-to when it comes to acrylic gaming accessories.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
hentzau
Posts: 15092
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:06 am
Location: Castle Zenda, Ruritania

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by hentzau »

So oddly enough, a clear plastic base sticks out to me more than a mismatched terrain base (like ground in a saloon, or something like that.) It just looks...weird...to my eye.

For my cowboys, I pretty much have standardized on flat fender washers. Dirt cheap, and heavy. Does require a bit of work with tabbed minis, but I just snip off the tab and clean up the bottoms of the feet and then superglue them to the bases. So far they all have held perfectly.

For boardgames with minis (which I never really intend to paint, like Shadows of Brimstone) I just use the supplied bases.

All of the pirate minis I got from the Blood and Plunder kickstarter have integrated bases with texturing that looks like a deck of a ship. Those I'm going to keep as is, they're nice and stable.
“We can never allow Murania to become desecrated by the presence of surface people. Our lives are serene, our minds are superior, our accomplishments greater. Gene Autry must be captured!!!” - Queen Tika, The Phantom Empire
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Zarathud »

I like simple wooden round bases painted black. They're easy, don't distract and match pre painted figures. After running out a year ago, I picked up a bunch from Gale Force 9 at GenCon at a great price.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
hentzau
Posts: 15092
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:06 am
Location: Castle Zenda, Ruritania

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by hentzau »

Oh, didn't mention that I also terrain the fender washers. Don't just leave them bare metal.

But for an RPG, I can see any of your options working well, BH. I might go with the path of least resistance (and effort) and just do the black painted bases.
“We can never allow Murania to become desecrated by the presence of surface people. Our lives are serene, our minds are superior, our accomplishments greater. Gene Autry must be captured!!!” - Queen Tika, The Phantom Empire
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Yeah, I'm really leaning away from either the clear or integral, and I'd prefer round over the square, honestly.

I just can't decide whether I want to use the plain or decorated versions. There's something to be said for simplicity, but decorating the bases is fun, too.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Smoove_B »

I feel your pain as I've gone through a similar mental exercise for miniatures. Mine are used in RPGs but only as part of board or miniature gaming. It really became an issue for me when I realized I had my military combat guys based for outdoor scenarios but now in using them for indoor maps, they look silly. I do like the clear bases for the Mansions of Madness figures mainly because they don't obscure the tile artwork.I was thinking of using clear bases for my Shadows of Brimstone characters for the same reason. My only issue with them is if you have a difficult figure to base (tiny area available for contact), you invariably end up schmearing the glue outside that figure's footprint (so to speak) and in trying to accelerate the drying by breathing on it, I now have a few clear bases that are actually clouded. The answer is probably to use an accelerant, but other than that, it's been straight forward and easy.

I admire the work that people put into bases and some of the detail is amazing. If you know they're only going to be used in a specific way or it doesn't bother you to have someone with plants and rocks at their feet inside an office building, I guess have at it.

I do use the fender washer bases for my Bolt Action figures, mainly because of the weight the add and how nicely they fit with metal figures. Because they will be used in outdoor environments only, I base them with green and brown flocking. I suppose if I ever decide to run a winter theme WW2 campaign I'll go crazy. Or Africa.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Isgrimnur »

Image
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Just be aware that most clear bases these days are going to be acrylic or polystyrene. Acrylics and polystyrene are usually glued with cements designed specifically for them that work by melting each piece slightly so that they actually meld together, a little like welding them. The problem then becomes that they're not designed to adhere to other materials - like metal or polyvinyl chloride (Bones.) Cyanoacrylates (like super glue) work on both, but are famous for causing clouding. It's why they use it for finding fingerprints.

I spent years struggling with gluing metal and plastic miniature feet to plastic, wood, and cardboard bases, only to have them get knocked off the first time they're used, as the glue doesn't really adhere to one or the other properly.

If I did go with clear, I'd almost certainly be pinning them to ensure they stayed put. I'd have to research exactly what glue to use, but I'd guess a clear epoxy might work best.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

I am not a huge fan of the clear bases. That said, most every mini I have painted has come with its own base that works well. The GW bases are good and I thought the Shadows of Brimstone bases were fine. I would prefer round bases to square, but I guess it depends on what your board/map looks like. Square bases would work well with grids.

That said, I have gone the somewhat lazy route of using Citadel texture paints to do quick and lazy basing and decorating. It is thick, has sand and microbeads in it to be textured or comes with a formula that "cracks" like dry mud as the paint dries. It comes in various "chunkiness." I got the less chunky astrogranite and I think it looks good. You slap it on, let it dry for a few hours, do a quick wash and then go back and quickly drybrush. You can see the effect on my above picture (although I had not washed and drybrushed it). If you wanted, you could add some rocks or flocking to it before it dries. I like the effect quite a bit and it saves me the time.

Here is my latest mini. This was the first one I have actually gotten blending to work. I am quite happy with him!

Enlarge Image

Enlarge Image
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Also... FYI - Army Painter paints are thick and terrible. I would not recommend them.
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Smoove_B »

Alternatively, I love Army Painter paints. It's all about personal preference, I guess.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Zarathud »

Just received a box of the Army Painter Quickshade Inks. Looking forward to trying them out.

I should not have added up the last known values for the prepainted miniatures I've been collecting for the past 15 years. I haven't inventoried it all but it's pretty shocking. Recent returns on purchases have been 160%.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
hentzau
Posts: 15092
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:06 am
Location: Castle Zenda, Ruritania

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by hentzau »

Smoove_B wrote:Alternatively, I love Army Painter paints. It's all about personal preference, I guess.
Ditto. All I use now.
“We can never allow Murania to become desecrated by the presence of surface people. Our lives are serene, our minds are superior, our accomplishments greater. Gene Autry must be captured!!!” - Queen Tika, The Phantom Empire
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Out of curiosity, what do you all love/hate about them? I've never tried their paints (although I swear by their primers.)
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Let me preface this by saying that The Army Painter shade/washes are amazing - I love the soft shade for skin and the darker shades for other things.

The paints, however, I am just not liking. I may have gotten an odd batch, as they are the ones made for Shadows of Brimstone and specially shipped for them (so this could make them abnormal). My paints are extremely thick - I would compare them to craft store acrylic paint. They come out in globs (always too much paint), tend to get all over the brush and make it overly saturated, and really show lots of brush strokes as I paint. I have a hard time not making the model look "goopy" instead of smooth. The thickness also makes it harder to get a nice line for me. The only real advantage is that the paint covers well, so you do not need to have a lot of layers.

Some colors I have are better than others. The blues and purples are more usable but the white is so think it obscures detail. I am just not particularly pleased by the inconsistent... er... consistency of the paint. Compared to Reaper, which flows well and still manages to cover well, I just do not care for them.

That said, I would be willing to give them more of a try. I like their brushes and shaders. It could be that these particular bottles are off.
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Smoove_B »

I agree with that general assessment - that some colors are really thick and others are oddly thin - but I prefer working with thick paint, which again I know is my personal preference. I think the colors I usually have problems with are in the yellow / taupe / tan spectrum (in terms of being thin and needing multiple coats). I haven't tried keeping a small glass bead in them to help mix, so that might be part of the problem too. It also might come down to painting technique - which is why I like thicker paints as I like to work fast. My buddy is OCD and prefers (I think) the Vallejo paints.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Some paints in any line tend to do that (I have blues from Reaper, grays from Citadel, and browns from Vallejo that are like toothpaste), but not a majority. I really dislike thick paints like that (I even thin the thin ones down to the consistency of milk), although they are easy to thin. I use Winsor & Newton flow improver diluted about 1:20 with distilled water (20 parts water.)
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Yeah, I have some homemade flow improver (using the same recipe with liquitex brand I think) but I haven't used that since I got the higher quality paints. I like the "paint out of the bottle" paints best. I hate to admit it, but so far I am finding Citadel paints to be superior in quality, flow, and color. Their metallics are unparalleled. I am worried about the drying out issue with the pots though - I do not paint from the pot and I am obsessing about pushing down the tops. Also, I feel like you get less paint, but it could just be that the droppers allow more control.
User avatar
Punisher
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:05 pm

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Punisher »

Update on my progress.

This is final. Everything quickshaded and then dry brushed the wings with a beige color to soften them up a little. Did not want to change the color completely since my wife liked the yellow and her opinion trumps everyone elses.. :)
I also put some grass flock on it to see how it looked.
Spoiler:
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Forgot to take progress pics, so this is the finished version.
Had trouble finding pics of this guy in greenish colors (everyone seemed to like it in blue) so I YOLOed it. Picked up a green Vallero color I liked and used that and some black to finish it. Also picked up a textured mud paint from Citadel. I really liked the mud effect and added it to the model itself.
Realizing it is nowhere near what some other people have shown, I REALLY like how it came out and was pleasantly surprised.
Spoiler:
Image
Image
Overall I like how this turned out, but think I may have given it a too dirty look. This was practicing dry brushing..
Spoiler:
Image
Image
So I YOLOed this as well. This is Phil from Zombicide and one of the main reasons I decided to take up painting (I generally pick Phil for Zombicide because he starts with the pistol, but he is the same color as the zombies so everyone either keeps trying to kill him or moves him during the zombie phase. Don't think there will be confusion now..) Again, very surprised at how much I like how this turned out.
Spoiler:
Image
Image
Most likely final as well. dirtied him up as well and dry brushed some silverish paint to bring out some detail and look like scrapes. May look into figuring out how to make good blast marks or something.
Spoiler:
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
this was just to test the basing materials. Probably wont do much more with this except for practicing other techniques. Not a fan of the model itself.
Spoiler:
Image
Most of the final ones have been given a coat of matte antishine from army painter.

Things I have learned.
1) Stop when it becomes a chore.
2) need to slow down on some things. There were a few mistakes made because I rushed things. Although some of the mistakes led to other discoveries.. like the mud. I originally tried just doing the base, slipped, and thought, yeah, the boots and what not should be muddy.
3) I am not entering contests, so I shouldn't stress over any mistakes. take a break and move on.
4) As a complete n00b, the quickshade stuff is something of a miracle to me. I really can't believe how much difference it makes. I haven't painted for over 25 years and that was mostly just doing a few basic colors and thats it. no washing, dry brushing, etc.. prime, paint as best as I could and move on. Plus QS does help cover up some n00b mistakes.

I'll probably pick up more of the citadel texture paints and some more basing materials. Anyone have recommendations for good brushes? The ones I have are working, but The ends keep splitting and for the tiny details seem too big or too messy. not sure how to explain it..
I will probably start picking up some more paints once my tax refund shows up.
I think my next step is to bite the bullet and start on the rest of the survivors for Zombiecide. Our weekly game is tomorrow, so priming will be after that most likely. The I'll have to just get started..
I can say that I was very nervous about all this and am quite happy with my results now.. Perhaps some day, I will work into contests of some sort, but for now, I'll just have some fun and keep practicing.
I do need to keep working on my coverage.. I generally have a bunch of unpainted areas that QS helps cover, but would like to get better at that.
Also need to practice on thinning the paints and working in layers.

As always any comments/observations are welcome.
All yourLightning Bolts are Belong to Us
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Thoughts and tips, not criticisms, as you're doing great.

You're drybrushing with way too much paint on the brush.
Everything quickshaded and then dry brushed the wings with a beige color to soften them up a little.
Try drybrushing first, then shading, then doing an even lighter drybrushing afterwards. you'll end up with three tones that way, which smoothes things out.

Make sure you're cleaning mold lines before you prime. They're pretty visible on the soldier.

If you're going to use flocking on the bases, give the tops a coat of colored paint first. Go with whatever color flock your using, but a couple of shades darker. It looks a lot better, hides the white peeking through, and gives it a sense of depth.

#s 1-4 - absolutely agree on all. You have no idea how many mistakes I mask with washes.

RE: brushes. Ends splitting apart, unless it is simply a defect, is usually because of one of a few things:

~Improper cleaning can cause a 'paint ball' to form in the brush near the ferrule, pushing the bristles apart. Are you using a brush cleaner? If not, get some The Masters as a priority. It can make a mediocre brush that starts out good, but goes bad quickly last much, much longer.
~Improper storage. Keep them pointed up with nothing touching the tips when you're not using them. A $1.99 toothbrush holder from Wal-Mart holds a lot of brushes.
~Never force the bristles in any way other than straight away from the ferrule. Don't push the points down like a house painting brush to wash them, don't mash the bristles down. Think of them as petting a dog - only pet with the flow of the hair.
~Don't drybrush with any brush that you expect to be able to do anything but drybrush with. Drybrushing kills brushes. Get stubby, short-bristled brushes that don't cost too much for drybrushing, then toss 'em when they start to look the Bride of Frankenstein before her curlers.

Beyond that, my comments on the previous page are still what I'd suggest, although the more I read, the more I'm thinking I need to experiment with synthetics.

Layers is something for down the road. It's a very powerful technique, but get your basic coverage and drybrushing down first. If you decide to start doing layering, you'll probably want to steer away from Quickshade, too, in favor of specifically colored inks. A lot of thought and effort goes into choosing the right shades to layer with and getting them to just the right intensity and locations. Quickshade would mess with that, and part of layering is glazing anyway (which is a variation on manual washing.)

Two final thoughts:
~Never judge your own minis based on giant photographs. These things are meant to be viewed at one inch. Giant photos make any miniature look much worse than it looks in your hand.
~YOLOed it? You hip kids and your kooky words!
~Awesome job so far, keep it up.
~I can't count to two.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Punisher
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:05 pm

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Punisher »

Thanks for the feedback.

Starting with brushes.
I have a $6 paintbrush rack from amazon that I use to store the brushes bristle side up.
I am cleaning them in warm water by swirling them around and rolling along sides of container. Been very careful not press down on them. Also the splitting issue was happening with brand new brushes.
I'll look into the cleaner thing.
Drybrushing: Yeah I figured I was using too much on and off, particularly the wings. That ended up almost re-coating them. I'll look for a different brush as you suggested because I was using a bigger fluffier one.

Layers: I may have misspoke. I think I really meant multiple coats of the same color. I have been expecting that I brush on the paint in one coat, but some videos I looked at seemed more like multiple coats of thinner paint. I tried to find some real-time instructional videos, but all the ones I saw sped up and/or made jump cuts. I guess it might be boring to watch in real-time, but that would have given me a better understanding of the different techniques so I could see if I'm going to fast or too slow.


Photos: Yeah. I saw your previous post on that, but I AM looking for every little thing wrong since when I paint, the minis are zoomed in. From a distance these mini's do look really good to me. Plus I see some of the closeups here and see that it is less the pic and more the way I paint that brings out the little quirks. :)

and since I have a 26 year old son, I am far from a hip kid, but I do work with some and we use YOLO all the time here.
:)
All yourLightning Bolts are Belong to Us
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Smoove_B »

Punisher wrote:I'll look into the cleaner thing.
It's one of those things (like using craft store paints) that I wish I could go back in time and change. I think I was painting for 3+ years before finally giving in an picking up the Masters Brush cleaner. I figured soap and water was fine, what was the big deal? I was wrong - so very wrong. I have no idea what the cleaner is or if it's shortening my life span by using it, but it's worth it.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16433
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Zarathud »

I would recommend either of the Army Painter brush sets. You get a detail brush, a base coat brush and a dry brush in each set.

I went back and finished two more models last night. I just have to finish the eyes on one and paint on the sealant.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Isgrimnur »

Material Safety Data Sheet for Masters Brush cleaner.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

Punisher wrote: Layers: I may have misspoke. I think I really meant multiple coats of the same color. I have been expecting that I brush on the paint in one coat, but some videos I looked at seemed more like multiple coats of thinner paint.
Aha, you stumbled onto a technical term. Layering is a form of smooth highlighting. You base coat, then use progressively lighter shades thinned so much that they're almost transparent. You can barely see when you paint with it, but it builds up over eight or ten coats (blowing on it dries the coats in seconds.) Eventually it results in very smooth highlights.

Layering is how I did the highlights on this piece:
Spoiler:
Image
You're right about the base coat, though. Multiple thin coats gives a much smoother base with less loss of detail than one thick coat. I highly recommend it, at least for pieces that deserve the detail (I paint boardgame miniatures to a much different standard than metal character minis, for instance.)




Punisher wrote: I tried to find some real-time instructional videos, but all the ones I saw sped up and/or made jump cuts. I guess it might be boring to watch in real-time, but that would have given me a better understanding of the different techniques so I could see if I'm going to fast or too slow.
:)
GirlPainting (it's like a painting class with Mrs. Doubtfire!)

Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic

Two of my favorites.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Something to think about - the technique you use can depend on what you intend to do with the mini. If you are trying to quickly paint a bunch of soldiers or zombies for a game that will have a mass of soldiers or zombies, sometimes tossing a basecoat down, then quickshading and doing some drybrushing can be ok. If you are painting heroes for a GW game or a game where you intend to look at a single mini - then utilizing layering, multiple drybrushing rounds, and ultra close detail is more appropriate.

I am terrible at telling myself this. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and layer and detail all my minis. What this means is that my minis take 3-4 hours each to paint. That is fine for the occasional hero, but I am sitting at 52+ GW minis that need painting (many of which are duplicates meant to look the same). There is no way to take that long on each if I ever want to finish.

As BH said, the minis are meant to be looked at from 1 inch away but to be used from several feet away. Agonizing over details that literally no player will see is usually not necessary. I also find that a nice darker wash helps to obscure slight detail issues. I literally say to my self - "It all comes out in the wash!"
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

baelthazar wrote: I am terrible at telling myself this. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and layer and detail all my minis. What this means is that my minis take 3-4 hours each to paint. That is fine for the occasional hero, but I am sitting at 52+ GW minis that need painting (many of which are duplicates meant to look the same). There is no way to take that long on each if I ever want to finish.
I'm right there with you (and I try to mention that once every few pages.) I've really had to force myself to cut back on the painting when it comes to board games and random non-spectacular monsters. I've been brushing up on my airbrushing to get ready to try to force myself to speed paint several large sets. For characters I still go all-out.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
baelthazar
Posts: 4365
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by baelthazar »

Games like Acradia Quest and Blood Rage are terrible for me because all of the models are unique and the monsters are spectacular. The chibi style of AQ also means you can see the details a lot better. That said, I make fewer mistakes with those models.

I shudder to think about painting the Cthulhu Wars "minis."
User avatar
Punisher
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:05 pm

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Punisher »

Well, my current goal is to paint all the hero figures from zombicide. I want to do these first in case I end up losing interest and have to take an extended break.
I will probably do some touch ups on Phil's base as Blackhawk suggested as well, and I just primed the rest of the Season 1 heroes' so I will start on those this week hopefully.
Since I like how Phil came out, I will probably paint the rest the same way. IE: only some basic painting things. I will probably use another test figure to try out layering.
All yourLightning Bolts are Belong to Us
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43488
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pi

Post by Blackhawk »

I gave myself a goal for this month. If I don't have a painted miniature for a particular need, I'm fine using an unpainted one, but I have about a dozen miniatures, both Bones and metal, that weren't really usable because they came in multiple parts. My project was to get all of them straightened, de-flashed, washed, assembled (including pinning), the gaps filled, and primed.

I combined this with finally learning to prime with my airbrush, which solves the Indiana humidity and temperature problem (there are only about three hours a year that fall within spray can recommendations for both.)

I finally finished that project up tonight. Everything at least works on the table now. That includes the large metal dragon I got years ago, which I'm really happily to finally see together. It does not include Kaladrax, the huge undead dragon from Bones 1. He's a months-long project in and of himself, and it's unlikely that I'll need a party-wiper just out of the blue.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
Post Reply