How to... ( miniatures)?

[Tewligan]

Vallejo is cheaper and nicer than GW paint and packaged most conveniently. They have over 200 colors to choose from and are available on a lot of places on the web and in stores.

This bears repeating. Vallejo is easily the best paint I've used so far. You don't get the problem with gummed-up cap threads (Citadel, I'm looking at you...), and I just find the paint consistency to be better. The only thing I can think of that people might consider a negative is that they come in a dropper-type container, so you need a palette of some sort to put the paint on. Great paints.

 

[pogre]

This bears repeating. Vallejo is easily the best paint I've used so far. You don't get the problem with gummed-up cap threads (Citadel, I'm looking at you...), and I just find the paint consistency to be better. The only thing I can think of that people might consider a negative is that they come in a dropper-type container, so you need a palette of some sort to put the paint on. Great paints.

And nearly every one of those great sites Cthulhu's Librarian pointed out is going to suggest you thin your paints - therefore the dropper will be a big plus. Just make sure you shake the heck out of them.

 

[Desdichado]

Expensive "miniature" paints are a waste of money. Not only are they not better quality, the pots they come in are prone to allowing the paint to dry out quickly and become useless.

I buy all my paints from craft stores -- the acrylic kind like AppleBarrell, Folkard or Americana. You get a lot more for your money, you have a lot more options, and the packaging is way better. Not only that, I've always had consistently good results with the paint. I've also bought fairly cheap brush sets, but I replace them fairly regularly.

Some other advice? Prime the minis first. Black is my favorite color, since if you miss any small areas, you don't really notice them. You often have to re-undercoat lighter areas with white if you do, though.

After you paint a fairly large area with a certain color, get a darker color and thin the paint with water considerably. With a larger brush, apply the thinned paint and let it flow into the cracks, crevices and detail of the mini. Let it dry. This will create the illusion of shadow. Go back lightly over the area with the main color again to get the true color back, but make sure and leave the darker shadows in the recesses of the mini. Go back again, even more lightly, with a lighter version of the main color to get highlights.

Use static grass, flock or "railroad ballast" to give the base of your mini some texture and color. A mini looks unfinished without the base done as well.

If you're going to use the mini for play, be sure and spray it with some kind of clear coat that will protect the paint from chipping and flaking; although a good coat of primer will help alleviate a lot of that as well.

Be sure and have a very fine brush -- 00 or smaller -- for fine detail like eyes, jewelry, tattoos, etc.

Anything else? I paint a fair amount, and although it can get tedious if I do too much at once, I've been at it for several years. I'm hardly competition winning in quality, but I've got the best looking minis around locally, for what it's worth.

I don't really use them for D&D though -- I play Blood Bowl, and I also just collect minis because I like'em.

 

[pogre]

Expensive "miniature" paints are a waste of money. Not only are they not better quality, the pots they come in are prone to allowing the paint to dry out quickly and become useless.

Gosh I wish this were true!

I guess we will have to just disagree.

Expensive paint and expensive brushes are worth it and they certainly are better quality. I cannot believe anyone who has tried Vallejo brushes and Windsor & Newton brushes would disagree. I have never had a Vallejo "pot" dry up and I have owned some for at least three years. I am even arguing they make painting easier and more enjoyable, because you will achieve nicer results more quickly.

By all means experiment with paints and use what makes sense for you - I bet you become a Vallejo customer

 

[Wombat]

I'm with Joshua on this one.

A small pot of Fill In The Name Designer Modelling Paint often costs more than a whole tube of good ol' Liquitex (and is always more expensive ounce for ounce!) and the quality is no better. Really. I have talked to many non-miniature artists and miniature painters both -- in this cast you don't get what you pay for.

Now brushes can be another matter entirely. There are many poor quality brushes out there. Don't bother. Plastic, acrylic and the like "hair" are not as good as reliable camel hair brushes. There are many manufacturers of these, but go for real hair brushes. It is worth the difference.

But ultimately if you are really interested in painting, get thee to a craft store or a artists shop instead of a gaming store. More variety, better quality, and usually a lower price. The up-front outlay may be a bit higher, but in the long run you will save yourself money and can deal with paints that more readily mix.

Honestly.

I've been painting since about 1972 -- including the college days when I really had to watch the shekels! Get acrylic, get hair brushes, buy from a craft and/or art store. It will be worth it.

 

[Piratecat]

I'll slide this over to the miniatures forum!

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I agree with needing good brushes. A brush that loses its shape is useless.

The specially formulated miniature paints however are generally not any better than Americana or Ceramcoat. (I would avoid Apple Barrel and Folk Art however, they have poor pigment saturation, and Apple Barrel in particular is well, rather particulate.)

There are some colors that are worth getting as figure paints. Many metals in particular are unavailable otherwise, and until I tried Americana craft paints I would purchase figure paints for any greens. Reds are another problem color.

And yes, the bottles that craft paints come in are better for storing your colors than the pots GW and Polly S come in. Valejo paints on the other hand come in very nice pots, and these will keep very nicely.

For a palette may I recommend going to Wendys and ordering a Taco Salad? The lid makes a very nice palette, and you get to eat the salad!

For thinning paints there are two choices other than water that work well. If you need deep color saturation try using an ink of the same color as the paint you are thinning down. By using a deeper color you can also use this for shading. The problem is the mixture tends to dry very quickly compared to using water. And Future floor wax also works well, and can extend the life of your paints to boot. Future can also be used on a finished miniature on any high gloss areas like teeth and eyes.

The Auld Grump

 

[pogre]

One other thing -

If you can talk an experienced painter into sitting down with you for a session of two or painting you can really learn some things quickly. Even an adequate painter will have some ideas on how to dry brush, layer painting, blending, and so on. Listen to their ideas and develop your own style.

edit: who wants to bet PC hit the wrong button

 

[tetsujin28]

There is no subsitute for high-quality paints and brushes. I like Vallejo paint (by far the best), and Windsor and Newton brushes.

If you don't like the effect that water has while thinning your paints (reduces contrast and thins pigment), you might want to try flow release, which makes paint more "slippery" without fading the colour.

My favourite primer is made by Floquil. It's no longer available in the States. Primer is not really paint, so just about any will do -- I recommend Krylon for its durability and low cost. The debate of white vs. grey vs. black primer goes on forever. Me, I don't like grey. White is good if the figure isn't "carrying" too many metal objects (armour, weapons, etc.). Black is good for heavily-armoured figures, although you will tend to get darker flesh tones from going over the black. Some folks like to give black-primered figs a light dry-brush of white, to make details easier to see.

I've used a lot of inks from various companies. GW ones tend to be a little dark -- I usually thin them with water before applying. Windsor and Newton inks (used traditionally by comic book colourists before computers came along) are intense, stain everything, and make the most beautiful colours imaginable, provided your colour theory is solid. They are not very light-fast, so I would recommend storing figs you use W&N inks on in a miniatures case with a lid, rather than in a glass case in your living room.

 

[Bloodsparrow]

Wow, a lot of great info about materials. So I guess I'll concentrate on technique.

My first model was a Barbarian that I won from a "name that monster" contest at a Game Keeper. (It was a beholder)

He turned out really really well, possibly because I had a lot of experience painting props and sets. (Drama Geek... That's me.)

I didn't use most of the techniques I list below, mostly because I didn't know about them. Instead, I got light and shadow by using my darkest shade as the primer then drybrushing the base and the highlights...

It turned out very well, better then I thought it would, but he has a ... somehow... very stylized look to him... As opposed to most of my minis now, which are more... Organic.

I think.

Anyway... On to my advice about actually painting a mini.

Stages of painting...

Prime: Completely coat the mini with one base color of paint. Keep in mind that, even though this coat gets covered, it will affect the final outcome of the mini. A white primer turns out a very bright and "upbeat" looking figure. Black tends to give a "darker" feel. A green base will make the figure look vaguely "sickly". Somewhere, I have three identical minis, painted identically, except for the base coat... I'll see if I can find them and post a picture later. Experiment with different color primers. (Spray primers are good, but you usually only find them in white, grey, and black.)

Base: Paint parts of the mini the color you want them to be. Paint the fleshy parts flesh, paint the clothing, weapons, armor, and what-have-you whatever colors you want them to be.

Highlight (aka-Drybrush): Take the colors you used for the bases, lighten them with white. Dip your brush in this lighter shade, then tap it on a paper towel, or whatever, to get most of the paint off. Lightly brush the mini so the raised places get just a trace if the highlight.

"Ink": Take the colors you used for the bases, darken them up a bit. Usually with black, but try using other colors as well. Then add a good amount of water to the paint so that it's, well, like ink. Gently brush the ink onto the mini. As the water evaporates, the paint will concentrate into the deeper parts of the mini, giving a great sense of depth.

Seal: Games Workshop sells a good, matte, spray seal. This helps keep the paint from chipping or rubbing off. This step is totally optional, but it helps keep your minis nice. I have also used spray seal that is sold at art stores for "fixing" pastels and charcoal to good effect... However, even though it looks matte on paper, it tends to be rather glossy on minis... This can ruin the affect you've been working so hard for.

It really doesn't take that much more effort to paint like this... And sometimes, I look at one of my minis and it doesn't really look to me like I've done this... But boy oh boy... Can I tell when these steps HAVEN'T been done.

More later...