OK, so the last thread was interesting and it seems like this thread would be better served to redirect our energies and focus.
What setups are you using, brushes & paints, and how are you going about painting your minis?
Post progress and anything else you deem relevant. Post minis that you're working on and try explaining what you did, how you got there, and where you're going.
Infographics appreciated.
Good idea. If only fags wouldn't automatically assume painting miniatures = games workshop stuff. There were times when miniatures were made of something different than plastics. Can't stand all this WH aesthetics desu.
Ral Partha catalogues #1 (no pdfs it seems): http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/index.php?title=Catalogs_%28Ral_Partha%29
Ral Partha catalogues #2 (some pdfs): http://www.paintedminiatures.ca/catalogs1.html
>>45821395
Damn straight. So sick of every thread being 'HAY /TG/ DO YOU LIKE MY SPACE MARINE SCHEME'.
It's so 40k dominant that even seeing GW fantasy stuff feels unusual and special.
I'd mainly like tips on how people decide on a colour scheme without painting it first, I'm a total newbie and I have a squad of primed but otherwise untouched Steel Phalanx infinity miniatures and have the Dropfleet Commander kickstarter arriving not too far in the future and I just want to see how people start with an untested scheme?
I'm thinking of a Bronze/White scheme for my Steel Phalanx, to go for a Classical Greek look, with purple or bright blue highlights for tech/tron lines, but I have no idea if it'll be a complete waste of time.
Also, how thinned is too thinned? I don't want to end up spending forever to paint my model, but I don't want to waste the fine detail on the infinity models, and I don't want to get tidemarks.
Finally, I have a size 1 brush, I've read that's the smallest you really need, and sizes 0 and lower are a bit of a waste. Any other essential eqipment? Is a wet palette really that useful? I'm just worried I'll fuck everything up and not be able to get the detail I want, my job involves a lot of fine dexterity, but still I have no clue about the techniques for certain effects.
Pic is an example of the painted miniatures.
>>45824799
Infinity stuff is mostly metal if I'm not mistaken?
In that case, it's super easy to strip and redo them, so don't worry too much.
Thinning comes with practice. I've been painting for years and I still occasionally fuck it up, and you will want slightly different consistencies for different applications. People say 'the consistency of milk', but that's always seemed like a really unhelpful piece of advice to me.
Better to go too thin than too thick, but probably the most dire mistake new people make is just heaping too much paint on their brush. Make sure you have a nice tip on the brush before applying any paint, make sure your brush is a little bit wet. That'll go a good way to preventing any disasters.
>>45820383
I've been meaning to make an infographic that shows how to paint a space marine from Dark Vengance from start to finish, including everything you need, listing all the materials. But what are some things you guys also think are essentials?
Not near my hobby stuff atm but from memory my setup is:
>set of files
>x-acto knife with 50 pack of replacement blades, those things get worn out fast
>sprue clippers
>plastic, PVA, and super glue
>can of spray primer
>brush on primer for small parts that don't warrant wasting spray
>spray base coat, colored spray primer that combines priming/base coat would be good but haven't tried yet
>a good lamp, preferably 2, one at the back, and one at the side of where you're painting. I bought a couple of small chinese lamps from family dollar for $12 total
>bigger brush for heavy duty like drybrushing, varnish, etc, small detail brush and even smaller detail brush
>sand and static grass for simple bases
>brush on and spray varnish. I like to brush on first to know I got everything and then spray to get rid of the shine since even "matte" brush on is still shiny sometimes
>greenstuff or some kind of modelling epoxy
>liquid greenstuff. it actually is good for filling gaps contrary to conventional wisdom, the problem is it shrinks so it requires several coats, maybe there's a better way idk
>paints: I use GW so base, layer, wash, any technical paints you need. It's vital to know the purposes of these as base and layer paints are quite different
>paperclips and hobby drill for pinning
>modelling saw
>masking tape for straight lines
>non-acetone nail polish remover and toothbrush for stripping, this is a whole ordeal itself which would require another tutorial
>bowl for water
>wet pallet, you can make one or buy premade if you don't feel like the hassle like I did. the PP one is alright but $20 is several times the cost of making one yourself
That's all I can think of atm but I'm probably missing something.
>>45824799
>Also, how thinned is too thinned?
If you get brush marks, obscure detail, make smooth surfaces not smooth, or something like that, then it was too thick.
When it's no longer too thick, further thinning will make it too thin, as coverage suffers. Unless of course you're actually using the semi-transparency, in which case you thin it to whatever point is just right for that.
With sufficient practice you'll get a feeling for it.
>Finally, I have a size 1 brush, I've read that's the smallest you really need, and sizes 0 and lower are a bit of a waste
That depends a lot on the brush. My high end sable brushes have tips, and can do detail work, easily matching a cheap brush two sizes smaller. Now a #1 sounds damn big unless it's a really pointy one. Either way, you'll probably want a few more brushes, one size does not fit all. Which sizes exactly is something you'll figure out as you paint, based on the specific brush brands you use and personal preference.
>Is a wet palette really that useful?
A lot of people seem really fond of them. I haven't tried one though, and I manage anyway.
>I'm just worried I'll fuck everything up and not be able to get the detail I want
You won't, not for a few hundred hours of painting or so. Or a few thousand, depending on what details exactly it is you want.
>but still I have no clue about the techniques for certain effects.
You can start looking up such when you've gotten the basic brush&paint control down to some kind of degree. Then it's a lot of experimentation and practice to make those techniques yours.
Any idea how to reverse engineer these game boards?
http://depotdelaguerre.com/EN/gallery/gallery.htm
Just different colors of flock?
>>45821916
Very nice.
>>45821395
>>45823737
Well. Being more vocal and posting more of your own projects would be a good start.
>>45825372
>I've been meaning to make an infographic
Do it. Infographics are the best.
>>45826762
Looks like two different types of flock.
>>45820383
Can people post their gaming tables?
>>45821395
>good idea
>it's literally what the WIP general is for
>OP's image is filled with GW stuff
>>45833963
This is the WIP general, just with a different prompt. The last one 404'd.
>>45833963
bump
Ral Partha's old three-headed Ettin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNwQcVqoR4Q
This may sound a little disillusioning, but for me the key to good painting is: let a woman do the job. I cannot paint for shit, I know that, because I tried numerous times and it just didn't work out. Yes, I know, one will get better by trying, but to be honest, there simply is too much a difference in skill to make up for the level of skill a decently talented girl comes up with by default.
My gf once painted the whole set of Planescape miniatures (AD&D) and I mean all of them boxes (no blister packs). It came out to be a very, very good overall result. Till then I stick to the plan.
I'm going to give you guys a literal magic bullet to solve every one of your painting and modeling-related issues. The preface is that it WILL cause you to cry and throw a tantrum, and you'll probably ignore it and take it as a personal attack.
Ready?Accept that your work is shit, and do it better. And remove the phrase "good enough" from your vocabulary. If you ever, ever consider something to be "good enough", you should stop bothering because you'll never get better.
Congrats. You've just overcome the mental block that keeps 99% of people from becoming better at things.
>>45820383
I like that case. Any blueprints or anything like that? Looks simple enough to build, but I figured I'd ask before I draw up my own.
>>45836061
Frontier Wargaming sells them.
http://frontierwargaming.com/?product=paint-case
>>45836233
Seems very expensive for what it is. Then again every buyable tray or case is fucking ridiculousy expensive.
>>45836318
From what I can see you could design a clone from laser-cut MDF easily enough, as that appears to be what this case is made of.
>>45836407
Probably could use nicer wood and hand it for cheaper.
>>45836439
If you have the skills to do so, yeah very likely even.
>>45836467
It's just cutting panels out of a board. Sanding it and applying an oil or stain or varnish.
>>45820383
Xuron Pliers, Flush Cutter and Sprue Cutter
Photo etched saw blades for very precise cuts
Drill bits
No 6 Scalpel, 25A blades
Modelling tweezers
Pin vise drill
Super glue
Testors plastic cement (MEK glue)
ProCreate putty
Clay shapers and a couple of sculpting tools
Couple of quality files
Modelling saw
>>45820383
>setup is terribad because I travel from house to dorm
>paints are mostly gw except for some vallejo colors that I find better (ex. vallejo yellow)
>for source light I use a 10LED plug-in desk-type, pretty light and small so it's easy to fit it in the suitcase
>for brushes I use gw ones plus some cheap brushes for big areas, I'd like to find a better product but I survive
>for tools I use italeri or old gw ones
>for greenstuff I use the gw one but I am thinkiung about changing it since I was told it's really hard compared to other greenstuffs
>for primers I use gw or tamiya
>for glue I use super attack and revell plastic glue
>for water I use water
pic related is one of my latest paintjobs
does greenstuff world provide good products?
>>45820383
Putting something non-GW
>>45837064
And it's shit, you should have bought some Astra Militarum™ from Games Workshop® to play Warhammer 40000®
>>45836736
Where did you get those fancy charcoal holders?
>>45837986
Those are not charcoal holders I think, but sculpting tools (clay shapers to be precise), the black tips are the sturdiest variety if I recall correctly.
>>45824799
Get familiar with color theory and pick up a color wheel, I can't stress that enough. Once you get gud at making up schemes, pick up artist grade paints and design your own pallet, since you want the best mixing, durability, blending and least amount of color shifting. Remember, any paint that doesn't list it's pigment load, lightfastness and color shift means it isn't a selling point.
Think how the primer color works with your color scheme: warm, cool, dark or light etc. Most chemical etching primers only come in black, grey and white, although Warpainter does offer colored ones, but if the model is toothy enough the primer can just be a thin coat of normal paint. Most acrylics dry very matte when thinned, so airbushing is a great choice for something like Reaper's Bones. Grey is a good catch all for newbies, pure black or white can be very unwieldy if you don't know what you're doing. Gesso also works as a primer, as well as a sealer. For example, a light teal primer would be ideal for a cooler model with touches of red for contrast.
When it comes to paint viscosity, it's better to have thicker paint to start with than thinner; as you can always thin paint out on the fly, but it's a total pain to make it thicker. Miniature paint shouldn't hold paint strokes or obscure details but you don't want it to be runny, somewhere between milk and heavy cream is what I like. Get or make your own paint thinner, unfiltered tap water is pretty shitty and causes tons of problems. Liquid Mediums can also be used to thin heavy body paints quite a bit, but too much matte medium will cause cloudiness and desaturation.
Helicopter, pretend there's helicopter blades on the end of your brush, and you're trying to keep it balanced-- if you go on too strong of an angle it'll crash; relative to the surface you're painting on of course. Best advice I ever got for using a brush.
