General painting tips

[Vaxillus]

Figured since we've been getting some tutorials 'n stuff I'd throw down some of my own tips. I've been painting for over seven years, so I probably know what I'm talking about (I hope ). This is a general guide, so add your own input. I'll be updating it as well if I remember anything or learn anything new.

Priming: Lots of people actually don't know what primer is. Priing doesn't just mean painting your minis black or white. It's a special kind of paint that really clings to the mini and makes sure the paint you apply does the same. It's very gritty, and to reduce the chances of loosing the detail it's recomended you use spray primer (you don't need to get the nooks and cranies becaue you don't need to worry about these chipping).

The Undercoat: It's recomended that you paint the miniatures either black or white after you prime them. It's not necessary, but it can determine how the overcoats appear. Also, if you're speed painting Black lets you ignore the nooks and cranies, since they'll be left black. Also, Black primers are often rather grey, so it can look ugly if you paint right on top of them. There are also grey primers though.

Basecoats: When you paint a surface, you start by painting it a slightly darker shade then it will end up. This is called a basecoat, and will give the lighter coats something to adhere to. Paint is just slightly transluscent, so painting a surface grey before painting it white can save you a lot of trouble and layering. Some choose to basecoat the entire miniature before moving on, while people like me prefer to do one surface at a time.

Highlights: Since miniatures are smaller than life, their shadows are less exagerated. It is thus important to manually make the higher surfaces lighter and the deaper darker. After you've basecoated a surface, either lighten the color by using white, off white, or yellow, or simply use a lighter shade of the color. Paint the raised surfaces and those surfaces that get hit by the light the most with the lighter color. Water down the paints to acheive a smooth application and to allow you to layer on successive highlights. Keep highlighting until you're happy with the surface. Make sure to admire it from afar as well, what looks good up close may not even be visible on the gaming table.

Shading: this is rarely necessary, but its essentially the opposite of highlighting. Paint the recesses with a darker shade of the basecoat. Keep the paint very wet for this, as it's help it flow into the recesses.

Watering Down Paint: most paint lines supply paint that is thicker than necessary. In this case it's good to use water, a thining agent, or even saliva to water down paint. this allows for a smoother transition when highlighting and better control. It's a bit tricky at first, but it makes things much easier in the long run. Try and get the paint about the consistency of milk.

Blending: This is a fancy work for really smooth highlighting or transitioning from one color to the next. Just use lots of highlights that have been watered down heavily. Another technique is to paint each of the extremes of the surface their prespective colors and then blend the middle by mixing the two. This allows for you to better control the highest highlight of the color. Both work just fine though.

Drybrushing: This is a very easy way to highlight things but the results are a bit messy. Take a large brush and coat it with paint. Wipe what you can off on the edge of the paint pot or pallette and then wipe off more on a paper towel. Then quickly brush over the desired surface of the model. The paint will adhere to the raised surfaces and never touch the recesses. Make sure not to water the paint down though, or it may run a bit or simply not come off the brush.

Sorry I have no pictures, I need a camera . More techniques and tutorials to follow though.

Edit: Changed the title, slapping my name on something and then asking others to contribute is no good.

[SpawnovChaos]

just thought id throw up my favorite technique

layering: layrering is done in stages similar to highlighting, but in much broader strokes and in larger areas. Layerings is ideal for skin and for fabrics, but can be applied to both armor and faces. The key to layering is getting a feel for where it is the light would hit on the surface, and the position of the reflection.

that all sounds complicated, but a basic layering pattern works like this

1.basecoat

the basecoat should be the darkest color in your chain of successive colors
this layer should be provied liberally over the surface, and neatness really doesn't matter, basically its the basecoat of the layer. This should be done in broad strokes, covering everything.

2. dark transition

the dark transition should, basically, be the next lightest color. This color should be applied over ALL the raised areas of your surface, leaving the dark basecoat only in the deepest recesses. This step is key as it will shape how your final product will look. Basically the dark transition lays the ground work for the next few steps. This should be done in broad strokes over the basecoat, but make sure to leave the basecoat in the deepest of recesses, as that will yield to the transition.

3. main color
this is the actual color you wanted for the fabric, so this is the medium shade. Whne deciding on color, this shoudl be the first color chosen, then the basecoat, dark transition, and highlight should be based off of this main color. Apply the main color over the dark transition, leaving a thin line of it vissible near the recesses. When you look at your model, you should be able to see your original dark color, and some of the dark transition, but the main color should be the most prominent of shades on the model. This should be done in slightly thinner strokes, as you want to leave the basecoat untouched in the recesses and some of the dark transition visible.

4. highlight. This is a shade lighter than your main color. The highlight is where light comes into play. If you are working with skin, you should apply the highlight on ridges, bumps, muscles, and all other raised surfaces, as that will be the first place the light will hit. Now. For fabrics, this should be done in thin lines in accordance with where the light would hit. This should be done in thin strokes, as the main color still needs to be the most prominent color.


hey vax, Im working on some step by steps for this technique that i can get up later on, as im sure when people read this it will be hard to visualize.

layer is my favorite technique as it yields nice results without having to be able to blend like a god

-Shane