edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Now that I've been messing with flow improver some more, I'm thinking that I might try making my own washes, honestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Ah, messing with flow improver? How's that going? Took me a while to get used to using all the additives I use now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 So far pretty good. I haven't tried it with drybrushing yet, but with everything else it seemed to work well. Boo! I'm expecting a couple packages today and the wrong one showed up. Terrain is all well and good, but I wanted to read the Paradiso fluff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Heh, always the way! It's not SU useful in drybrushing I find, it makes it a bit too watery. For that kind of thing I find matte medium is a bit better, dilutes out the colour without making the paint thinner. But it's all a matter of personal preference lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yeah, I was thinking that for drybrushing it'll be a good example of diminishing returns. But it definitely does make it easier for mixing paints and getting a longer life out of them before I need to mix up a new batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underdog6750 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 On the subject of flow improver/making washes, what is the ideal ratio of matte medium to paint/water? Ive been recently trying out aditives and started using vallejo retarder aka baby jake. I found it great for blending and wish id tried sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Honestly, there's a lot of stuff out there that tells you there's a perfect ratio. But the advice I got from some really top end painters that I found the best, is that the ideal ratio is whatever you make it. How much you need of anything like that changes depending on your painting style and what you're trying to do. As I go up my highlights, I usually add more matte medium, less drying retarder, and about the same flow improver. If I'm doing freehand effects, I use more flow aid, the same retarder, and less matte medium. The trick is to actually sit and work out what you want your paint to be doing, and fiddle with mixes until you get that to happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Wait, you use three different additives for painting all at the same time? O.o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underdog6750 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Cheers. Its all a learning curve that im loving since starting malifaux. I like been able to spend time on a single mini and know i dont have a mountain of models to follow soon after lol. Im still trying to get to grips of nmm. Getting there slowly but surely. Im just finding it harder on larger surfaces at the moments as they are less forgiving for mistakes lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yeah, but only because it's how I can get the paint to behave how I want it to. It takes a lot to get used to the triple mixing thing. It's worth it if you can't do what you want because the paint won't do it (so anyone with reasonable brush skill), but when I see absolute beginners being told to do it I flinch - its better to learn how to use paint and brush before messing with that kind of thing! I know a few people that won trophies at golden demon using three sable brushes, paints, and some tap water. They're handy, but they ain't necessary. I'd guess you've found that a bit Ed, it's good for making paint behave just how you want it to, but you need to know what you want it to do first! Which you do, since you can paint. ---------- Post added at 08:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:53 PM ---------- Ugh, NMM is a total mare. I recommend finding shiny things and referring to them. Or cheat like me and use NMM style with metal paints, TMNMM *grin* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePandaDirector Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Thanks a lot Dustcrusher, now I've got Warzone to worry about on top of Wild West Exodus. Even though I'm now limiting myself to straight pledge levels (no extras), I still can't resist the lure of a new game and miniature range =P I've never been one for using all these aditives and such, and the first time I tried one to stop my paints drying it didn't go well. I certainly feel comfortbale just using water since it seems to work for Eric Johns and the McVeys. That said I need to clear a space and buy some new paints before I need worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underdog6750 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I guess i still have a long way to go before im winning golden deamons lol would be nice to achieve something prestigious like that though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Heh, this is true. I'm coming into it with 13 years of painting experience without using additives. Granted, most of my innovation has been the last few years, but that's not a bad thing. And honestly, I don't think that I need to go messing around with other additives. For me, just the flow improver is enough for me to be able to do a lot of different things that I hadn't. Definitely want to try freehand now that I've got a better handle on brush control. ---------- Post added at 02:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:58 PM ---------- Thanks a lot Dustcrusher, now I've got Warzone to worry about on top of Wild West Exodus. Even though I'm now limiting myself to straight pledge levels (no extras), I still can't resist the lure of a new game and miniature range =P I've never been one for using all these aditives and such, and the first time I tried one to stop my paints drying it didn't go well. I certainly feel comfortbale just using water since it seems to work for Eric Johns and the McVeys. That said I need to clear a space and buy some new paints before I need worry about it. Reaper Triads! >.> <.< I'm a big fan of them now... How's it going, Panda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yup, if you don't feel like they're necessary or useful, don't use them! I slowly started using them to get specific effects, these days my painting style has changed and they work well for me, but I'd never tell anyone the need them. All you really need to kick ass with painting, is good brushes! (Insert advert for rosemary and co. brushes here lol) Closest I've got is finalist pins at GDUK, never won a trophy. Maybe one day, but since I don't really do GW models I doubt it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yeah, the new brush that I got from Secret Weapon Miniatures (not their brushes, but it's where I got it) has made a huge difference. Whole worlds of techniques and theory suddenly make sense now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yup. Brushes that hold a good point are like having your skills amplified twice over. Why do I now want to sculpt a bunch of raccidgeons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underdog6750 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 (edited) Ive actually started painting an old gw inquisitor captain just for the hell of it out of boredom and wanted to try practice some nmm on him as well as some blending. Thats about all they are good for these days as i no longer play lol Ive receny invested in some decent brishes and some cleaner. I never bothered cleaning my brushes before or having very good ones for that matter due to the requirement to mass paint identical models Edited February 15, 2013 by underdog6750 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Mako, do you really need another project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Erm... Yes, yes I do. *pushes list and pile of projects under the sofa with his foot* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Heh, how much have you got now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Twenty things on the list, though they range from one model to paint up to dozens of sculpts. Oh, and twenty canvases (counting as one of the twenty projects). Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePandaDirector Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 A good brush makes all the difference; I got W&N but they were faulty, might go for some R&Co next time. I find it extremely hard to paint without a proper point, its like writing with a pen after taking it out of your pocket and its got fluff caught on the tip. Then again, I'm pretty anal when it comes to the hobby side full stop (paranoid and easily put off). I want to return to regular painting though. Want to try grey primer (got a halfords less than a block away) and devote myself to glazes and extra thin layers (a test in patience as much as thinning paints). Since I've got over 100 grunt models for Sedition Wars, I have plenty spare models to test on =] It can be annoying telling a new gaming group you have all these models for all these games, but none are so much as assembled. I suppose I keep buying in the hope that one will eventually push me over the edge. I think I need to start a list of things I need to do, which is itself is the first thing I need to do (would that go on the list though?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 and the novel, is that on there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Lol, the list I made was a classic 'spend so long doing the list, you could have finished a task instead'. Luckily I did it in work downtime, so I didn't actually waste any time *wink* Nope, the novel is separate, I work on that when I can't do painty sculpty things. Mostly during breaks at work lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePandaDirector Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 (edited) Oh yes it certainly is =P I've been thinking a lot about it, while also looking for books to read so I can get a better fix on what's already been done. My story used to have a whole "Winter is coming" element, representing a second Ragnarok, but I decided to change it. Now there's no prophecy of doom, but since the doom has been and passed things aren't going to get any better either. And ever since I had the idea for remembrance being the core religious theme, I've been thinking about how to implement that in the very structure of the society. A lot of world building remains ahead. Until that's done, I might write other stories... maybe that one about an adult sized teddy bear... Edit: Oh and Mako, I do lists like that all the time - including army lists, paint schemes, story ideas, etc. If I spent half the time actually doing something, I'd be a published golden author demon winner =P Edited February 15, 2013 by ThePandaDirector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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