Twelve months of painting with Caedrus!

[Caedrus]

Greetings, fellow painters!

So, as I was looking through my unopened / unpainted / incomplete collection, and I happened upon a project that I never quite started, despite all sorts of good plans to do so. I decided that 2019 was the time to ressurrect the idea.

This year, alongside the hundreds of Malifaux miniatures to paint, I’m going to paint twelve miniatures. Nothing too exciting there. However, these twelve miniatures will all be the same miniature (a GW beastman), and I’ll be painting them in twelve different ways.

https://i.imgur.com/ChGzfwm.jpg

So, once a month, you’ll see a new version of the same beastman. To try to get a bit of comparability, I shall be using the closest possible versions of the same colour scheme each time. Obviously, different techniques need different colours.

 

So, wish me luck on this little adventure. Hopefully, I can finish it, and even make it a worthwhile read.

Caedrus!

 

[Caedrus]

January

So, in January, I'll be starting where so many of us start: in the manner of the Games Workshop Heavy Metal style.

My usual painting manner is to paint one region, or one colour area, to completion. However, I thought I'd base-coat the entire miniature just to see how the colour palette would look. Here it is:

From a primed base, that took about an hour. The hooves and horns are a little pale. The blue is a little bright. The fact that there is blue, pink, green, yellow and red is a deliberate thing: What better way to look at different painting styles than to sample most colours?

The heavy Metal style isn't really big on shadow painting, mostly emphasizing washes.

So, the next steps will be (1) many types of washes; (2) reclaiming some of the base colour; and then (3) edge highlighting.

See you on the next update!

Caedrus.

[Nikodemus]

This will be interesting

[Butch]

I like the idea very much.

[Caedrus]

Caedrus,  checking in with a very brief update.

I've started the washes, going with GW's own 'painting mastery in a bottle', Agrax Earthshade.

While I'm here, I thought I'd mention a tip I picked up years ago.:

When you do a wash, hang your miniature upside down to dry.

If you assume that most miniatures are lit from above, it makes sense that the darkest shadows will occur directly below overhangs (noses, chins, breasts, brows). Hanging a mini upside-down makes the wash collect under those overhangs. Have a look at the image below (the left image shows it hanging, the right image is the left image, rotated for better understanding).

Right, time to bath this beastman in more colours.

Caedrus.

[Caedrus]

January Beastman complete!

I found this a hard style to do, nowadays. The very harsh highlighting, and the highlighting being in the wrong place, lighting-wise, didn't quite gel for me.

On the other hand, it was quick, only taking a few hours. Doing batch-work like this (as GW is often all about) would of course be quite efficient!

The colours were very bright.

In short, I'm glad I painted like this, and now I'm glad my style has changed.

See you in February!

Caedrus.

[Nikodemus]

Looks quite nice so long as I don't zoom it up. More than acceptable for a gaming piece. Especially with the amount of grey I have to face sometimes. Eager to see how future models will contrast with this one. Particularly interested to see how you will vary your use of lighting. It's something that I'm still not quite 100% comfortable with, even though I quite enjoy my work.

[Caedrus]

@Nikodemus: Yeah, zoomed up, the highlighting (on the flesh, particularly) looks awful. It's totally tabletop standard, but (and I'm about to sound like a princess) I have to do more with a mini nowadays. In terms of lighting, I tend to go with the "If it's not OSL, then it's universal lighting, with stronger intensity over the left shoulder" standard. It's easy, consistent, and it works.

Caedrus.

[lusciousmccabe]

I think he looks great! He's a beastman, you could tell from 9 yards away, in a dark room, underwater. 

Also brings funny memories of how painting bases that alarming shade of green was once normal for people who weren't like 10 at the time. Loving the cowpats on the base by the way, thinks it's a class little detail.

[Caedrus]

Greetings, All!

Well, February is here! It's the shortest month, so I thought I'd use the fastest possible painting technique for the February Beastman.

Strap yourselves in, because we're about to use one of the most derided, unpopular, polarising techniques in all of painting. We're going to be using ... a dip.

For those unfamiliar with dipping techniques, a quick Google of 'Army Painter Quickshade', or 'Quickshade vs. Minwax' will tell you everything you need to know. In short, you do your basecoat, and then dip / coat your miniature in this pigmented varnish. You wait 24 hours, and then you dullcoat it. Miniature done.

Now, many folks don't like it. You don't need to develop skills in shading, highlighting, glazing ... and some people love it for the very same reason.

Me? I think that a technique that you enjoy doing, and a miniature that you're happy to play with is the ultimate end goal. Having said that, I am proud of what small painting skill I have, so my theory is this: It's called Army Painter for a reason. If you're painting a whole bunch of zombies (like Sorastro is, here), then it's perfect. I use it for the bulk troops and monsters that I want painted, but don't want to spend too much time on.

If you want to try a dipping technique, there are five things I'd suggest:

1. If in doubt, buy a cheap can of furniture stain, and try an experiment like this one.

2. Don't dip it; put the dip on with a big, cheap brush. Do not use a brush that is so cheap that it will shed hairs all over your miniature.

3. Spend at least twice as long mopping extra varnish off your miniature as you do putting it on. Trust me: the more you mop off, the better.

4. Consider hanging your drying miniature upside down, for the reasons given in January.

5. This one is important: Basecoat your miniature in a substantially lighter colour than you think, because the varnish will darken everything.

So, with no further ado, here's my basecoated Beastman for February. As you can see compared to my January 'standard' basecoat, I've essentially used the 'highlight' colours as my basecoat.

 ... and then, an immediate dip into the Quickshade! After the inital, quick mopping, it looks like this:

...let's see how it dries!

Caedrus.

 

[Nikodemus]

Shiny 😎

[Butch]

Yeah! I'm a fan of Army Painter too. As you said the goal is important. And I'd rather see dipped miniatures than a grey tide.

Dipping is a tool. And it's always better to have the right tool for the right job in your toolbox. I know a lot of very skilled display painters (some of them pros) and none of them ever said anything negative about quickpaint techniques.

[lusciousmccabe]

4 hours ago, Butch said:

Yeah! I'm a fan of Army Painter too. As you said the goal is important. And I'd rather see dipped miniatures than a grey tide.

Dipping is a tool. And it's always better to have the right tool for the right job in your toolbox. I know a lot of very skilled display painters (some of them pros) and none of them ever said anything negative about quickpaint techniques.

Apparently it gives a very tough finish as well which is nice for boardgame minis or other things you don't want to be too precious with.

[Caedrus]

February Beastman Complete!

(well, except for the base)

So, gentle reader, here's what it looks like now!

There's a little frosting on the dullcote, most visible on the halberd.

This is basecoats, dip, dullcote - and that's it.

For the incredibly little time spent on this miniature, I'd call it a great result. By my eyes, it's totally acceptable tabletop quality.

With the exception of their somewhat-inconsistent dullcote, I'm a fan of Army Painter's products (though interestingly, I haven't used their actual paints!).

So, if you have been scared to try the dip technique, this is what you can achieve in very little time. Give it a go!

I'll have a mess with the base in a while, but until then, have an awesome February, and keep putting pigment to plastic!

Caedrus.

[Nikodemus]

38 minutes ago, Caedrus said:

I'm a fan of Army Painter's products (though interestingly, I haven't used their actual paints!).

Generalising, they lack the opacity I get from say Vallejo Model Colour, or 'Extra Opaque' subset of Vallejo Game Colour. Probably what makes them so cheap. But they're fine for general painting. No issues thinning them down to a wash or glaze. Washes are great. Metallics are fine if you're not comparing to Vallejo Metal Colour. I find that overall Model Colour paint does what AP paint does but better, for a bit of extra cost. That extra cost is worth it to me. I still use my old AP paints, but as I run out I replace with other brands.

Edit: As for the Beastman, very impressive for time spent.

[lusciousmccabe]

Frosting is the eternal nuisance. So many factors that can cause it, most of which you can't control.

One slightly useful fact is reapplying varnish usually reactivates it, so you can sometimes fix frosting that way.

I eventually gave up on spray varnish after trying everything short of ritual sacrifice to avoid frosting and failing.

 

[Nikodemus]

Brush priming and varnishing all the way! ...if I had the room for airbrush I would. But for now brush-on is an acceptable substitute.

 

 

@Caedrus I know you said this month is rough, and there's still week and a half to go, but how's that beastman coming along?

[Caedrus]

@Nikodemus: He's nearly done! This month's theme / technique is going to be blacklining, but with a side order of SENMM!

Pictures very soon!

[Caedrus]

Caedrus, reporting in!

As promised, here's my March Beastman.

I messed around with SENMM on the halberd. In retrospect, it needs a greater gradation in the sky effect, and a more saturated green at the earth effect.

My blacklining was a touch more muted than some I have seen.

This guy is more muted, and darker than previous months, but that suits the miniature, I think.

I deliberately didn't blend my colours much. I was going for a somewhat comic-book effect. I don't think I nailed that.

I have a few ideas lined up for the next few months (despite being crazily busy), but if someone out there would like to see me try a particular technique, let me know!

Have a great rest of March, and I shall see you for the April Beastman!

Caedrus.

[Nikodemus]

On 3/22/2019 at 6:27 AM, Caedrus said:

I deliberately didn't blend my colours much. I was going for a somewhat comic-book effect. I don't think I nailed that.

Gonna agree there. Really digging the look, but doesn't strike me as "comic" style. Never tried going for that myself, but from what I've seen and liked online, I think you pretty much want to go for pure black in your blacklines and whatnot.

Whatever the style, yours looks smashing. Hmm... how about Blanchitsu beastman for April?Do what you like!

[Caedrus]

Caedrus, reporting in for April.

Here's the very start of the April, Blanchitsu Beastman!

Updates soon!

Caedrus.

[Caedrus]

Surprisingly, here's an update sooner than expected!

I clearly have no idea what I'm doing.

Caedrus (nervously) out.

[Nikodemus]

That faded out quick

[Caedrus]

Caedrus, reporting in with the April Beastman!

My Blanchitsu efforts are done!

There's a certain art to painting the somewhat Grimdark style of Blanche without it becoming messy. Yeah, you can just Agrax everything to within an inch of it's life, but there's more to it than that. Given my self-imposed restrictions on colours, I was happy with the result.

Having said that, I didn't enjoy painting in this style at all. I tend towards more saturated colours, and less contrast. So, while this was a good learning experience ... nah, not for me.

As always, feedback and comments are welcome!

What's to be the May project? Some proper comic book style? Only airbrush? Desaturated? Monochrome? A frenzy of glazing?

I shall keep learning, and keep experimenting!

Caedrus.

[Purple Mist]

I used TAP Quickshade sometime on Malifaux models, but guess it's a powerful tool when you have to paint a lot of  minis in a short time.  Age of Sigmar cought me when I was on the way to complete an huge army of Warhammer Ogrees. My disappointment with the new rules (or the absence of serious rules) was great to the point I never finished removing the shining from Quickshade from my Ogrees adn they are till laying unfinished in my stockpile of the shame.