Tools of the Trade:A general hobby advice thread

[Boshea]

It depends on what you want. I highlight dark colours before washing and bright colours after. Mostly personal preference. There is also no exact science to thinning paint. I usually just spread some out then dip my brush in water and mix it in until its a consistency I like.

Rule of thumb is smooth but not runny.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Boshea

[zFiend]

Alright. So off to learn more. Just got my Seamus crew today. I'm just a bit afraid to start painting it with my current skills because I want them to look good. Then again you never learn without painting.

[Borthcollective]

Being metals, you can always strip them easily if you don't like the end results.

[Boshea]

Being metals, you can always strip them easily if you don't like the end results.

They may be a pain to maintain when done, but they're great for testing things on since they strip so easily.

[zFiend]

That's true, like said before here I had some problems with metal figures before.. Well let's see what comes of them. I should finish my Lynch at some point, I got Lynch and Graves almost ready but I got so discouraged painting Mr Tannen I took a break from those three and painted some more for my Blood Bowl team.

Btw, do you paint one or more figures at a time? I have been painting more than one at a time. For example Lynch, Graves and Tannen because they had the same colour scheme.

[Wings]

What Blood Bowl team are you painting? I started out painting BB minis - sadly they're now relegated to an untouched shelf (along with everything else at the moment).

I tend to paint minis one at a time as this allows me to pay lots of attention to each one. But if you have a uniform colour scheme and want them to be done quickly then batch painting is the easy way to go. It all depends on what you enjoy doing.

[Boshea]

Its personal preference. If I'm doing a lot of similar models I'll paint them assembly line style. Basically lets you keep a steady pace by not having to wait for paint to dry. Larger models, or more detailed/characterful I'll do one at a time.

Reminds me I should finish my skaven team. They're in the painting queue somewhere.

[zFiend]

I'm actually painting and building two BB teams, Orcs and Humans, human team is one player short of being ready and the orcs need some more work, I have the basic players ready but still need the black orcs and some stars, the troll proxy is somewhere here unpainted. I'm moving at the end of the month so it's a mess.

[i_was_like_you]

Alright. So off to learn more. Just got my Seamus crew today. I'm just a bit afraid to start painting it with my current skills because I want them to look good. Then again you never learn without painting.

Paint the belles first, then work your way up to Sybelle, Copycat Killer, and Seamus himself. At least that's the advice I gave to my gf and a few friends. Start with the support models, get some practice with the paints and control over the brush, then tackle your crew's master.

As far as one at a time or batch, I'd have to say I go with the ever-expanding batch paint jobs. For human or undead models, I start with a layer of dark flesh watered down as a wash, then I apply a skin tone appropriate to the model. If undead, I'll then layer on rotting flesh. If it's a living model, they'll receive some highlighting instead. [GW / Citadel color names, at least the previous versions of them.]

Then it's on to painting clothes, by color. So if I have a bunch of them needing the same colors, I'll go through all of the one, then all of the other. Gives me plenty of time to decide on haircolors for models I've been unsure of or that I want to try to get a mix to look just right. After that, it's usually just the weapons, belts, etc., that need painted, usually in only a couple of basic colors. Beyond that, it's all a matter of basing, which I may have already done first, depending on the models.

I was using the assembly line approach to muscle through my Ten Thunders models, while marathoning episodes of Babylon 5. Still need to go back and finish the weapons and accessories, and their bases. Should be able to get started on them in the ephemeral soon, now that I have a dedicated new painting station (reclaimed manicurist station) to use.

[zFiend]

Great thanks! With my Lynch crew I went ahead and started with Lynch and Graves.. :/ should have done exactly the opposite. I am finding I destroy my brushes everytime I paint. I think I have one unused but other than that, all the other ones are either dried up with paint or have too many tips

And I find it, I hate painting faces and especially the eyes, oh the horror.. And skin in general.. Painting clothes and Hair, I love it. Suppose I need to build an army of withcling stalkers as for undead skin / belles, zombies etc I think I'll enjoy more, don't know why

[i_was_like_you]

Nearly every time I'm at a store with a craft section, I pick up more brushes, even though I don't really go through that many.

For me, it's a matter of using certain brushes for certain tasks. The good brushes (as in still in good shape, not necessarily any more expensive than any other brushes) eventually wear out, no matter how careful I try to be with them. So they then get relegated to use for drybrushing, which is tough on brushes. If they wear out beyond that use, I can trim them down to use for correcting mistakes. Just dab them in water and use them to lightly scrub off errant paint marks right after they happen. [There was a brief tutorial video on one of the wargaming sites.]

As for faces and eyes, well, there are quite a few approaches.

At tabletop scale, you wouldn't be likely to see much, if any, detail on eyes so doing a layer of white across the eyes and then painting the flesh around them, leaving just the eye, itself, white, works wonders. Maybe add a dot, with either a very fine tip brush, or with a fine tip marker / pen. Someone on here (maybe Mako) had a tutorial on this method. This way is probably the easiest. I'll probably give it a go on my next go round of models.

Since it's so hard to make out details, some folks go with leaving the eyes shadowed, if it looks appropriate on the model. Wearing a hat, face would be shaded, can't see the eyes.

Painting the face and then adding a bit of white / off-white also works. Less is more, unless the model's eye is clearly defined. Making the white smaller accounts for squinting and other eyelid positions. Take a look at people. You won't often find most of their whites showing.

[nagash13]

some good information here, but thought i'd throw in a few tips i've picked up across the years. sorry for the giant block o text.

1) resins and metals need washing before glue/primer. this is easier than it sounds, i just put dish soap on the free toothbrushes the dentist gives me every visit, and scrub with room temp-warm water.

2) if your resin model is warped, do not panic, let it soak in hot water, or a plate of salt heated up, then straighten and plunge into cold water to set the new position.

3) metal models are by far the easiest to strip old bad paintjobs off. never worry "i'm not good enough to paint this guy yet" with a metal model. we only get beter by practicing.

4) an overnight soak in simple green is safe for plastics, and will generally remove pain down to the primer level.

5) many thin coats takes lots of time, but looks much much better.

6) in humid climates you may find a small 3-4" desk fan on low will help speed up drying time of washes. too strong and it will blow the ink out of place.

7) when using a spraypaint primer, several light coats is very important. if you try for 100% coverage in one shot, it will fill up the detail, and in areas where the paint is too thick, the outside will dry and the inside stays gummy. you really do not need a 100% coverage at all for primer. its just there to boost the other paints ability to adhere to the model. if you spray when its too cold, the aerisol paint droplets can freeze on the way to the model and you get "fuzzy" effect. same with super dry super hot places. the droplets can dry before hitting the model and end up adding unwanted texture to the model.

8) pick your primer color based on the model color scheme. white prime makes for bright colors that pop, black primer for darker grungy evil models. grey primer is an all around safe bet.

9) drybrushing will kill a brush. you arent doing it wrong, its just what drybrushing does. you want shorter stiffer bristles on a drybrush. games workshop makes a couple sizes. if your stores sell them, look at them, feel them and then look around for cheaper ones, or buy the gw ones.

10) after years of trying just about any brush in art stores that was size 0 and below, (painting since 97) I have finally found a favorite brush.

http://www.amazon.com/Raphael-Kolinsky-Sable-size-0/dp/B004Z7743U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1375235995&sr=8-5&keywords=raphael+kolinsky+sable+brush

I use a size 0 and a size 1 for all my detail work. the natural fibers hold paint better than any synthetic, and these are made so the natural curve of the fur forms a point. this really helps maintain that quality point for detail work. cheaper brushes are cut to a point, and will fray out and weird angles very quickly. cheaper brushes are fine for washes, and the first color on a model, where coating a big area quickly with no worries of paint getting into areas already painted is a concern.

11) when painting details, or lines, I find you have far more control if you start at the top and pull the brush down towards you instead of the opposite. like start with your brush between thumb and pointer finger while they are straight, and then stroke the brush by pulling your fingertips towards your palm if that makes sense.

12) you can get great fast highlights along the edge detail on a model (dress hem, bottom of jacket, brim of hat) by using the side of your brush instead of the point. this will give you a generally universal thickness line, where using the brush tip the line can waiver with any shakey hand.

13) almost all models have what is called a "mold line" this is where the 2 halves of the mold meet and you can find a slight ridge along the model at this point. before you prime, it is best to file it down to smooth on metals, or in plastic you can scratch it away with an exacto knife. hold the blade perpendicular to the surface and you will scratch the line off without the blade digging into the model. on a resin model the exacto can be too rough and snap small parts, but a cheap fine grain nail file works great, just dont breathe too much of the dust. if you ignore the mold line, you may find you models parts do not fit as tight as they should, and when you paint, any drybrushing or washes will really make the line stand out. a little work before you paint makes a huge difference in the end.

14) paint in patches or paint one at a time. everyone is different. do what you enjoy. i tend to reward myself for finishing a unit or squad with a big character model or vehicle.

15) just try. we only get better by putting brush to model and doing. dont let others intimidate you. every great painter was new once. hell i'm still learning new things all the time.

16) never leave you brush tip down in a cup of water. it will ruin it. try to keep paint away from the ferrul(sp) the metal that holds the bristles. if it gets up in there and dries, it iwll force the bristles to spread. small amount of paint on the bottom 1/3 of the bristles is plenty. if your bristles look dirty or are not a good point anymore, you can try putting it in a small bit of rubbing alcohol and rolling it back and forth. the alcohol breaks up the paint binders and dried paint will come free. just remember to wash the alcohol out with water after. brush soap would be good as well. if you use natural fur brush like the one i linked, remember it is hair, and once a month or two take the time to rub a little bit of hair conditioner on it. take care of your brushes and they will last a long time. my current one has lasted about 18 months so far.

wow that got long. hope that helps someone.

---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:29 PM ----------

forgot to add, when choosing your colors, plan out the model before you start. I like to figure out my main color scheme, then pick 2-3 points of pop color on the model. whenever possible i like it to be the color opposite on the color wheel of the main color.

when painting something like a jacket or cloak with goof ridges and folds, i paint in these steps:

1)base color

2) wash entire area to create shading

3) base color again but leave deepest recesses dark

4) first highlight same idea as step 3, but cover less area sticking to raised areas leaving some of the base color visible

5) second highlight. even lighter, and less coverage.

6) very fine lightest edge highlight

7) last a glaze. this helps pull all the layers together and makes them feel like they flow together better. it also richens up the color. games workshop makes a really nice line of washes and glazes. i'm sure there are other brands out there, but i have the most experience with these.

[zFiend]

Thanks for writing that up! I got a huge amount of good info!

[Lussuria]

Haven't had a chance to go through this entire thread yet but just read your list, nagash13. Thankyou so much! Such useful hints which I plan to be saving to my computer and using often! Thankyou thankyou~ *grin*

[Boshea]

4) an overnight soak in simple green is safe for plastics, and will generally remove pain down to the primer level.

14) paint in patches or paint one at a time. everyone is different. do what you enjoy. i tend to reward myself for finishing a unit or squad with a big character model or vehicle.

Expanding on these points.

4) If Simply Green fails go to Castrol Super Clean. Basically a harsher, less environmentally friendly, harder to dispose of version. I've had the same tub of it stripping models for close to a year now. Wear gloves though when using it, since it can cause a chemical burn.

14)Saving your characters and centrepiece models for last is the best way to batch paint. It breaks up the monotony of paint many simpler models, and it is a nice reward to look forward to. Its really hard to paint your grunts when all your cool stuff is already done.

[Ciaran]

Nagash, I've been in this hobby for a long while, and that is one of the best "tips lists" I've ever read. Thank you!

[nagash13]

good to hear people felt it was useful and not a bulky block of text that was too dry to read.