Popular Post MrDeathTrout Posted May 18, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 I've decided to start posting pics of my minis. Its not that I'm a great painter, but I'm hoping it will inspire me to paint better. Once I'm done with a model if look at it and don't want to post any pics then I'd better keep working. Since I've started posting Pics I've got a few questions about how I paint, so I'm adding some instructions to some of the pics. Since this is the first post in this thread I'm also adding some general tips I can refer back to from some other photos instead of posting the same instructions for X over and over. This page is a work in progress. If I get more questions I'll probably collect more and more techniques on this post to keep them more or less centralized. First up the guild hounds. Can anyone guess the theme? Someone asked me how these where painted so here are my best guesses. I'm not sure I will get all of the colors 100% correct, its been a while since I painted these guys. The Pale Dog (four feet on the ground) was base coated with Vallejo Game Color Bone White (BW) and washed several times with GW Agrax Earthshade (AE). The wash was thinned with water and applied several times in very thin coats. A little bit of GW Nuln Oil (NO) was added for some of the darker recesses where there were creases (like around the eyes). After washing I highlighted back up with BW and BW mixed with a little bit of white. The White Dog (leaping over a bush) used the same process as the Pale Dog, just sub in Vallejo Game Color Wolf Gray for the base coat and GW Nuln Oil for the washes. The Red Dog, sorry, but none of the colors I have match the base coat here. My best guess is mixed a custom color starting with a light to medium brown and mixing in a bit of orange. A dull rather than bright orange would be best, but I don't remember for sure. Then I washed with - you guessed it - GW Agrax Earthshade (AE) and highlighted up the base coat again. Do do some final highlights I'm guessing I would have mixed in some of the original light brown or some Vallejo Game Color Bone White (BW) into the original orange mix. The "white" parts (the muzzle is visible here, but the belly and insides of the legs are also "white") use the same colors and technique as the Pale Dog. The Black Dog uses the same base, wash highlight as the pale dog buy with Vallejo Game Color Heavy Charcoal as the base and GW Nuln Oil (NO) as the wash. The Red parts used the same colors and techniques as the Red Dog. I'm pretty sure I used more or less layers of wash to give it a more brown than red look.The Brown bits see Brown Bits in General Tips Below. The Silver bits see Silver in General Tips Below. The Leather bits see Brown Bits in General Tips Below. I'm pretty sure the base coat here was Vallejo Model Color English Uniform. Mounting these guys to the base was a challenge. They have such small contact points and super thin legs I was very concerned with how to attach them to the base that would be both sturdy and look good. The black dog was also just super glued, because he was first and was kind of the catalyst that made me reconsider how to attach the rest. The pale dog with all four feet on the ground was just super glued since four points of contact should be good. The white jumping dog is pinned to the "shrub" he's jumping over. The base of the shrub (made from several roots glued together) goes through a hole drilled into the base. The red dog is on small foot. The cobble stones on my bases are sculpted from putty, so I cut out the stone the dogs leg is on and replaced it with a piece of plasticard carved to match the stones on the base. Then the dogs foot was glued to the plastic stone using plastic glue which makes a much stronger bond than super glue. The Theme (I don't think anyone has even hazarded a guess at this point) is the four dogs of the apocalypse. The colors vary depending on your source, but the colors of the horses ridden by the four horsemen are red, black, pale and white. General Tips Back and Forth - I'll often say I painted that color using base coat A, wash B and highlight C, then highlight D, etc... While that is generally true it is often a bit more complicated. Highlighting may come out a bit brighter than I wanted to I give it another thin layer of wash, then the ears are too dark so I highlight them again, then... The point is I do follow the general steps of base, wash, highlight back up but often I will repete a lot of the steps over again on a much smaller scale over and over going back and forth until I get the effect I'm looking for. Washes - I use a lot of washes when I paint. Washes give a color depth removing the flat look of a pure color. I apply them in VERY thin coats, often deluded with water at a 1:1 ratio, and I make sure there are no pools. When I wash a model it is usually 4-6 coats of same very thin wash applied several times. I'll usually go back and paint in some wash where I want it the darkest. For these follow-up targeted washes I'll sometimes add in a bit if a darker wash as well. If you are applying a lot of thin layers of wash make sure they fully dry between layers and once you get up to 4-5 layers makes sure the wash has time to dry thoroughly before doing more layers. Once layers of wash start to build up you can easily wipe off the whole "stack" with your brush leaving a perfectly clean stripe. Sometimes I'll give it coat of sealant and let dry over night before continuing. My default color for a wash is GW Agrax Earthshade. Its a medium/dark brown that gives a "realistic" look to most colors when applies sparingly. If I'm not going for a super clean look I'll probably use Agrax for the wash. If I want it a bit darker I'll mix in a bit of GW Nuln Oil. I use almost exlusivly GW washes. For the easy of use and effect I've never found any brand that matches up to GW. If anyone can point to other good washes I'd love to hear about them. Targeted washes, when I use this term I mean just putting the wash where I want it, like painting a bit of wash just in a seam line between a pair of lips, to darken that line. Like all my washes these are very thin and will probably take several coats. I never do a targeted wash anywhere that hasn't already been washed with the same wash or a very similar wash. If you don't aready have this foundation you'll get a line at the edge of where the wash stops. By a very similar wash I mean the same colors in a different ratio or maybe a little bit of a new color added in, usually GW Nuln Oil to darken the wash since I'm usually putting this in area I want darker. Metalics in General - When I apply metallic paints I drybrush them on keeping my brush strokes in the same direction as mush as possible. I've found this gives a more natural metallic look. I have a hypothesis as to why; most metallic model paint is ground aluminium in a medium with pigment to give it color (none for bright silver, yellowish for gold, red-brown for copper, etc.). If you put this paint on wet like you would any other paint or if your brush strokes go in all different directions the aluminum particles are in a jumble. If you "drybrush" it on with brush strokes in the same direction the particles lie flat and are aligned giving you a nicer looking metallic. I also often use Air brush paints for matallics since the particles are finer they give a smoother less sparkly look. I also do not use an airbrush to apply metallics, they always look sparkly to me. I don't know if this is my lack of skill, the jumbled particles I talk about above or both. Dull Coat gives a nice matte finish, which I like, but it dulls down the shine on the metallics. So after the final Dull Coating I do one final highlight get the shine back. Silver - I do most silver about the same. Base coat with Vallejo Game Color Heavy Charcoal then cover with Vallejo Model Color Gunmetal Gray (GG). I highlight with Vallejo Model Air Gun (Gun) and then with Vallejo Model Air Aluminum (Aluminum). Then I wash with GW Agrax Earthshade (AE) and GW Nuln Oil (NO). If I want a dirtier look I use more AE in the ratio, for a darker look I use more layers of wash. Then I'll highlight with Gun and very sparingly with Aluminum, just a few bright spots and edges; too much and the effect is lost. See Metalics In General above as well. Brown Bits - For leather or brown cloth I start with a medium to light brown like Vallejo Model Color English Uniform or Vallejo Game Color Heavy Brown and wash it repeatedly with GW Agrax Earthshade (AE) with a bit of GW Nuln Oil (NO) mixed in. This is a lot of very thin washes, done over period of days. I just keep going untill I have the tone I want. When you are putting on this may layers you need to let the dry well or pretty soon they start dissolving again ant id make a huge mess (see washes in the General Tips Below). Sometimes I'll clear coat them and let them sit over night before continuing the wash process. Some times I'll do a little bit of highlighting with the base color and some edge highlighting with an even lighter brown. I find this technique gives a lot of depth to the brown and you can base coat several areas with the same brown and by varying the number and AE to NO ratio on different parts of the model end up with different colors of brown. Toothy Maw - I paint most of open mouths full of teeth about the same. Base coat with a dark reddish brown like Vallejo Panzer Aces Shadow Flesh or Vallejo Game Color Terracotta and give it a wash with GW Agrax Earthshade (AE). Then a heavy highlight with the base color and then some light highlights with a "pure" red. Next I start on the teeth I'base coat them with dull yellow-tan like Vallejo Model Color Yellow Ochre (YO), then cover 80% of the YO with an ivory like Vallejo Game Color Bonewhite (Bw), leaving the base of the teeth yellowish fading into the Bw. I might use a little pure white on the tips of the teeth. I'll usually do a very light targeted wash at the base of the teeth with AE with a little GW Nuln Oil (NO) mixed in to give a nice sharp division between the teeth and the gums. Priming - Heated primer works great. I heat up some water to near boiling in a bowl, I shake up my primer and put it in the bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes before using it. The primer comes out of the can like its propelled by a jet engine, even when you are down to the dregs it still comes out easy. The primer seems better mixed, gives a more even coat and of a better consistency then when I don't heat it up. Clear Coating - There isn't much to say about clear coating other than I like Testors Dull Coat, and I will often coat a model several times during the painting process. I'll get to point I like and I'll seal it to protect what I've already done. I'll usually dull coat after I've done a lot of thin layers of wash or after I've done some airbrushing and I'm going to start doing some brush work, since both of these apply thin layers of paint that are easier to rub off with a brush than a typical brushed on layer of paint. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ress is More Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Nice and vibrant colours, looks great hope to see more from you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lusciousmccabe Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Does one of those dogs have steampunk goggles on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted May 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 On 5/18/2016 at 9:49 AM, lusciousmccabe said: Does one of those dogs have steampunk goggles on? Yes, they look like a pair of domed metal sieves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted May 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 I already posted this in a different thread, but I want everything on one place. So... I wasn't able to find an Avatar of Dread on-line anywhere so I started making this for a friend. But then someone clued me into a FLGS that had one (thanks again if you are watching). So he got his Avatar of Dread and I get to keep this one. Two happy gamers. This is my progress so far. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudgeDread Posted May 24, 2016 Report Share Posted May 24, 2016 always impressed with your basing skills. do you custom make those rocks or are they some third party maker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted May 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2016 On 5/24/2016 at 9:10 AM, JudgeDread said: always impressed with your basing skills. do you custom make those rocks or are they some third party maker? Thanks. The cobble stone bases are custom. Using Miliput putty. They are pretty easy to make, but a bit time consuming. My original plan was to make themed bases for each faction. I decided on the cobblestones for TT (my faction). That was before I understood how much crossover there was between factions, especially TT. So I ended up doing all my bases like this. Probaby wouldn't have done something so time consuming if I'd realized I'd be doing every Malifaux model like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MrDeathTrout Posted May 27, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted May 27, 2016 Finished my first TT bro. This is one of my the model I like best of any thing I've done recenlty. I haven't figured out a color scheme for the other two yet. I think I'm going to work on the brewmaster next. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Warlock Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Loving the blue for his mask The tassels on his garment are also pretty rad- the blue and gold really make him pop 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted May 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2016 Brew Master is done. Very happy with him. Best job I think I've every done painting eyes. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudgeDread Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 On 5/27/2016 at 3:49 PM, MrDeathTrout said: Finished my first TT bro. This is one of my the model I like best of any thing I've done recenlty. I haven't figured out a color scheme for the other two yet. I think I'm going to work on the brewmaster next. so well done, if you feel so inspired you COULD add some Chinese symbols to his mask. i am debating on what to do for wong's bases. Maybe order the Zen garden inserts, any ideas? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted May 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 18 minutes ago, JudgeDread said: so well done, if you feel so inspired you COULD add some Chinese symbols to his mask. You overestimate my skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted May 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Wesley "done". I say "done", because minis are never really done. You can always go back and find something to improve. I'm not sure I like the color of the trim, but I haven't figured out anything I like better and after three colors I decided to stop for now. Maybe once I finish the moon shinobi I'll decide on something I like better. I've also noticed with this camera the contrast is a bit low. So the difference between the highlights and the shading less than true life, but the blending is a bit smoother than real life. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Moon Shinobi one complete. I think I might change the trim color on Wesley to match, but I'm not sure yet. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted June 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2016 All I have left of the brewmasters boxed set is the Fingers now. Then on to the wiskey golem. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted June 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 Wiskey Golem is done. You can't tell very well in the photos, but I replaced the wiskey sloshing out of the "head" gremlins mug and the stream running into the "drill" gremlins mouth are translucent. I clipped off the opaque plastic and replaced it with dried clear glue and give it a light coat of sepia wash. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted June 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2016 The first Oiran is done. I painted her feet red before I realized she has open toes shoes. I might go back and fix it, but you need a magnafying glass to tell there are supposed to be toes there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigmar3 Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Lovely work overall. Gremlins are great, nice colour choices. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted June 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Mercury is done for now. He's too plain. I want to add something to the unitard, I'm just not sure what it will be yet. I'd also like to add tatoos, but again not sure what to add yet. I replaced the plastic bar since I dropped him one and one side snapped off. I really wish wyrd would design their models be to a bit more durable for play. The dumbbells don't seem that week, but the first one I got was almost snapped off when I opened the package. The replacement was white with stress. Not completely happy with the Lone swordsman's eye, but I think it is as good as I can do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted June 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2016 Something a little different today. This is my hobby area. I thought I'd share some of the things I've done to make it convenient to paint. Hopefully some of you find it useful and hopefully some of you can add some to this. Lots of light, as you can see. I didn't want to drill a bunch of holes in my desk so I mounted a 2x4 to the back (the light strip running the length of the desk in the back). Everything that needed to be attached to the desk is attached to this. I drilled holes in the 2x4 for the lamps bases to sit in. All of the wood (2x4 on top of the desk, the "peg-board", the verticle MDF board) are all attached only to the 2x4. All of the lights, my hair dryer (for fast drying minis), etc are all plugged into the power strip (on right) mounted to wall, so I can turn everything off by turning the power strip off. I ripped a 2x4 length wise making a 45 degree cut making a triangle and drilled a bunch of holes in it for a drill bit, cutting wheel, etc, holder. The white tubes are PVC pipe (2" diameter I think) glued together, glued to some MDF and then screwed down to the 2x4. This makes a excellent holder many items as you can see. I think I'm going to make another of these. Here's a close up of the paint shelves. They are made of 1/4 wood. They are held together exclusivity by glue and screwed to the wall. If I can fit a pin in a mini's foot I pin it to the base using a paper clip. So I started leaving the paperclip in and bending the end to make a hook. I used some bamboo kabob skewers to make a little hanging rack for work in progress. This is a very convenient. You can also make a "S" hook to hang misc bits like the hat still on the spru in the middle. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted July 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 Pro tip I just heard about. The faction symbols on the Malifaux boxes are just about the right size for 30mm markers. I used a 30mm base as a guide and cut these out with an exacto knife. I ran a very thin bead of super glue around the edge for some durability. You can flip them over and draw corps and scrap markers. I've also been cutting out key parts of the photo for misc markers. Von Schill looks like an Informant to me. I plan on doing the same thing on my Rider boxes with a 50mm base so I'll have some markers for when the riders arrive in SL Campaigns. Seems redundant since I'll obviously have the riders, but then won't have to carry the models just in case we fill that Weekly Event that night. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted July 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 WIP Female Trapper. I have second Hired Guns box so I'm making a second Trapper, Specialist and Librarian by bashing all the bits so the seconds will be distinct from the first. This is what I have so far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDeathTrout Posted July 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2016 Trapper build is done (probably). I haven't decided if I want to put a cape on or not. If I do it won't be the standard one. I'm thinking of a gillie suit of some sort. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmod Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 12 hours ago, MrDeathTrout said: Trapper build is done (probably). I haven't decided if I want to put a cape on or not. If I do it won't be the standard one. I'm thinking of a gillie suit of some sort. Amazingly cool! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haychdee Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 Nice work all round! Love seeing some conversions coming through in Malifaux. The trapper looks good but to me her right upper arm (pictures left) looks a tad too long. Might just be the perspective though. Keep up the good work hd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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