Cerridwyn1st

Another good trick is to keep Plaid Brush Cleaner in a GW mixing pot and have a piece of foam insert, or something similar. Make a small hole in the foam and poke the brush through handle-first until just a little of the ferrule is poking out one end. Open the paint pot lid and let the brush soak in the brush cleaner, using the foam as a support so the brush isn't touching the sides or bottom. I've used this method to de-gunk messed up brushes for friends. I also use this method just to give my own brushes a very thorough cleaning on a regular basis. I often coat my brushes with the cake brush soap, shape the bristles and let them dry. Works to keep your nice brushes from getting the splits, and re-trains them on the off chance that the hairs start to stray.

If you are trying for a reddish hue, why not do as I discribed except using flesh wash for the final instead of walnut stain? Post some examples of your work, and maybe someone can be of help.

Woodgrain: Paint your surface a light brown, like Beasty Brown. Add narrow streaks for a dark brown, like Charred Brown. More streaks with Bonewhite. Then wash the whole thing with a brown ink. I actually don't use ink, I use Plaid Walnut Varnish. Cheap and just the right color. The monk in this pix has woodgrain like I mean: http://www.coolminiornot.com/50122 And you can see the woodgrain on the back of the Earl's shield: http://www.coolminiornot.com/56071 My woodgrain isn't as nice as Glyn's (Zaphod), but I never claimed to be as good a painter as him, either.

That was a heck of a first post, Mike. Welcome aboard! I'm still getting a kick out of running around, pointing to your name in the May White Dwarf, and saying, "That's my mentor!"

If you haven't seen the visual chart of how Thierry does his NMM, here it is: (oops, my server must be down. I'll paste the image as soon as I can find it) I got an email from him and the Dwarf Skin is exactly as the listing on the chart here, which also has other effects: Thierry's Paint Chart (if you don't get the chart, try again later. Server seems to be on the blink)

Oh, do I hear you. I painted by myself in almost complete isolation, physical and creative, for the first two-three years. Even now I don't get to work with people as much as I'd like, since there's rarely anyone in the immediate area. My 'regular' group is two hours away by train and if I get out there once a month they're shocked. My work improved almost overnight, and by leaps and bounds, when I discovered what was available on the Internet. Not only did I finally get solutions for problems (the stuff every beginner can find in several FAQs), but just seeing the range of miniatures, colors, and ideas outside the GW universe...ah, that was really what convinced me to hand off my soul to the Dark Painting Gawds. I've found I work hardest, and best, in response to challenges and critiques--anything from seeing the Latest Confrontation Wonder, to Anne Foerster goading me for avoiding certain colors or techniques. Last year's Emperor's Champion sprang from her teasing me that I Couldn't Paint Red and Didn't Do Detail Work. What would I do without friends? Right now, between message boards, conventions, the 'local' group, and the infrequent teaching at my place/painter friend visiting, I do get the minimum of painting contact I seem to need. Not as much as I'd like, of course. Where are you geographically? I had been under the impression you were in the UK for some reason. Don't know why. First off, Jen, your Emperor's Champion is FANTASTIC. Bet it would have rocked even without the marble base. Though I have to admit, it's a brilliant choice for basing the mini. Beautiful and simple at the same time, with colors that offset the mini spectacularly. Wow, that sound SO much like what I've been through! (Minus the Golden Demons, of course.) I've been painting about two and a half years now. I was pretty much stagnant until September of last year, when a friend/client clued me into CMON. I also started "surfing" myself and entered the VIC 9 showcase. I saw where Mike Dodds (AKA Dragonsreach) was working on the same piece, and contacted him via CMON. Mike's been my mentor since about October of last year. That may be where you get the idea that I'm in England, since he's from there and sometimes a little "English" slips into my usage. I'm in Jacksonville, FL. Mike encoraged me to enter in the Golden Demons in Atlanta this year, and held my hand while I prepared my piece. The result is the Lucrezia Belladona on CMON, my best work to date. I also corresponded with Thierry Husser. One look at his first auction piece, and I was hooked. I bugged him SO much that eventually he sent me to the Confrontation board to ask my questions, so everyone could benefit. The result of that is the chart that I put on my website of the colors Thierry listed to get the NMM effects he creates. With Thierry's tutalage, my NMM has progressed exponentiallly. I also spent about six months working on the face technique you elaborated on your website. That may sound like a lot, but the combination of the right equipment, brush technique, and paint viscosity takes some time and practice. The technique I have now is the result of having the chance to correspond with some of the best painters on the planet, and I'm really greatful. The people I've mentioned by name here are not the only people who have helped me, they've just suffered through more of my attention than the rest. I've started my own painting group so I can inflict, ur, teach, this stuff to others. BTW, Jen, bet you'd like to have a dollar for every time someone looked at one of your pieces and said, "More work than I want to do!"

Again, Cerri... Unless I'm living a double life that I don't know about, I think you have me confused with someone else. Or else... There's an imposter Whiz about! I'm sorry, Whiz, I do have you confused with a different Wizard. My bad. It could be worse. One time, I called Glyn a girl. As to the subject at hand - I bought the entire Game Color line for about $136 with shipping. That saved me over $50 over retail. For Model Colors, I've gotten a 16-color boxed set (Steam Era Navy, I think) that I've been very happy with. I also purchased quite a few when they were on sale at www.minimad.com. I doubt I'd buy the whole VMC line and one whack, even if I could get a steep discount. I just don't think I'd get enough use out of all the colors to be worth what I'd spend. Conversely, it isn't that hard to get at least some use out of the VGC, because there just aren't as many of them. If you are used to mixing your own colors, the 60 paint set would probably keep you busy quite a while.

I think a coffee filter would take out some of the pigment paricles as well, and soak up a lot of the ink. A tea strainer would probably be better, especially a very fine one. Reaper makes an ink extender. A bit pricey, since it's the same price/size as a bottle of ink. It has the advantage of being made to thin Reaper inks. Your LGS should carry it along with the other Reaper paints. You can also get Plaid extender at Michael's. Well, my friend claims you can get acrylic extender at Michael's. I gave up and traded him a bottle of magic wash for mine. It's a fairly large bottle (about 6 oz) of a clear liquid. That would work fairly well with ink. I'd be afraid of mixing magic wash with ink, as it would change the drying properties, where straight extender wouldn't. Good luck.

One of the frustrating things for me, in painting, is the lack of people to "hang out" with. I love to paint minis, but doing it by yourself all the time gets very dull. In addtion, I know I get better when I have people to talk to about paiting. The online painting thing has helped me immensly. As a matter of fact, my painting has advanced dramatically since I've been using online discussion boards. I have a mentor via the internet, someone I'd never have the chance talk to regularly in real life, as I live in the US and he's in the UK. But I still want the chance to see and talk to real people. Does anyone else share my frustration? What, if anything, are you doing about it? I've been running a painting workshop at my LGS since November of last year. That's helping a lot, since I'm building a "crew" of people who regularly attend. That's my answer to what to do about my "painting loneliness".

That's a very nice thing to offer, Jen. I noticed that the "special" blister minis from GW have four bases in the pack, where you only need one. If you tend to put your minis on your own base, instead of the plastic GW ones, I bet you have a lot of them after a while. I haven't been painting very long - only about 2.5 years. A friend who's been painting a lot longer than I have gave me a gallon-sized ziplock filled with extra bases. I was in heaven! Jen, you might take a couple bags with you to the next ReaperCon - bet you'd really light up a few newbies with a bag of those babies. Glyn, your Paladin is awesome! Where is the information on making basis like that to be found? Could you post a link? Your stuff just keeps getting better and better.

No. We'll wait. Don't worry. I haven't even assembled mine, yet. I've been working on a few other pieces. Rock on, Heisler. Glad you're in. Excellent! Welcome aboard. You're right, I'm thinking of a different wizard. Anyway, hope the chart helps.

Check out the Collaborative Project Category here on the boards. We'll be beginning soon, so order yourself up a Pilzenbhir! I'm there, Whiz. Also posted the link to Thierry's Paint Chart in the thread. I look forward to working on Pilz with the rest of you.

OK, guys, I'm in. I've just gotten off the phone with my LGS, and they are holding a Pilz for me. If you want to see how Thierry does a lot of his effects (including dwarf skin) check Thierry's Paint Chart BTW: Wiz, please tell Tracy to ignore the email I just dropped her requesting she buy a Pilz for me.

Wow, Fynn, your improvement in NMM is fabulous. I really have to go to the next ReaperCon. :) Awong: his name is Thierry Husser. He is known as Ark on the Confrontation English Forum and Arkaal on CMON. In addition to working for Rackham, he has won multiple Golden Demons. On top of being a good painter, he's just plain nice and regularly posts information on his painting in the Confrontation forum.

Copy that. My Pilzenbhir is superb. Have a Sin Assyris on order. Expecting it to be even better. Cerridwyn... You totally have to participate with us in the Pilzenbhir Project. I know you admire Thierry's work. I can tell you he's absolutely flattered to have us studying his work publicly. I'm sure he'll check in from time to time to share with us. Please join us. It'll be a good experience, I'm sure. I'd LOVE to! Where do I report for duty, Wiz? We can look at each other's stuff IRL in July at Grail Quest.

I really like the skirt on this fig. I started with a light gray base and then worked up to bright white on the highlights. If you want a warmer white, you might start with Citadel Beastial Brown, (or VGC Beasty Brown) and work up to Bleached Bone (VGC Bonewhite) and continue blending up to white.

This is pretty cool, a chart of the colors used by Thierry Husser for different metal effects: Thierry's Paint Chart It also has a link to Thierry's blending chart, showing how he did an NMM sword with two Vallejo Model Colors. NMM Steel

Not all colors in the model range are muted. You could get by with just model colors. Last I heard, Ark, an amazing ex-Rackham painter, used exclusively model colors. Look up his stuff on CMON. I could not see myself using only game colors. The line isn't big or diverse enough. You would have to mix a lot of colors. Model color range has both muted/natural colors and bright greens, reds, blues, etc. I recommend using mostly model colors and certain choice game colors. Close, Cade, but no cigar. Thierry uses GW Beasty Brown as a base for Brass, Dwarf Flesh and one Leather effect. He says he has a few Citadels, but I've never heard him mention any of them in discriptions of things he's done. For a list of the colors he's talked about using, check Thierry's Paint Chart He NEVER uses inks. Dilutes only with water, never paint additives Uses #0 or #1 Raphael Kolinsky Sable rounds Does NMM on everything Thierry's stuff is absolutely amazing. I've got a couple of familiars I bought from him and they look even better IRL than they do in pictures.

Try a train or plane modeling store. Those guys have the coolest modeling stuff - puts what us fantasy and Sci Fi painters use to shame. Get some Tamiya Smoke while you are at it. Black where the VMC Smoke is black/brown. Both are great, IMHO.

Does anyone else use Tamiya Fine Primer? I love the stuff - way smoother surface than GW, and it goes on like a dream. I do have one problem, however. Sometimes it seems like the first layer of paint kind of shimmies and beads on the surface if it's too thin. Aftter the first layer of paint, eveything is copacetic. Someone suggested that it might me left-over mold release messing up the surface of the primer, but I've scrubbed my minis (not just washed them) and still had the same problem. One help for mold lines - look at the bottom of the mini. See where the mold line flows across the base. Follow that line all around the surface of the mini. Oh, and your Reaper Master Brushes will not be over the top. They will help your painting a lot. I've got a couple Master Brushes and Windsor and Newton Series 7 brushes, and it's hard to say which is better. I'll probably get hammered for that last statement, comparing a RMB to a WNS7, but hey, that's my story and I'm stickign to it.

Eek, I should have checked the boards before skipping off to ReaperCon... Honestly, I rarely underpaint the mistakes unless it's really contrasting (say dark brown ink on blonde hair area). Given the coverage of Vallejo and Reaper paints, by the time I get the 'upper' basecoat smooth and opaque, anything beneath it is usually hidden. I'll cover stuff that contrasts, too. I rely a lot on the under color to get my top color, if that makes any sense. That, and I guess I'm just a persnickity git, too.

If not thinking while you paint helped, I'd be a whole lot better. I will try that technique - a few months of screaming bouts of frustration and I'll probably get it. Worked for copying the way you do faces. I think you hit the nail on the head with it being a quickie job, too. Sometimes spending a long time on something doesn't make it better. Some of my best stuff has come from just slapping on the paint and letting it go.

Really? Where did you hear that? Hmmm, Model colour does have a tendency to rub off before you have time to seal it On the Vallejo website. They also say you can use alchohol to take off stray bits of paint. Don't do it. It will take off the stray bits, but also the color underneath.

I've been working on Sister of Battle figs with similar issues. I recommend swearing. Lots and lots of swearing. Doesn't help the painting any, but you feel better. Paint the entire eye socket dark brown. Slap in your eye white color inl the socket. Paint a vertical line down the middle of the eye - don't bother trying to get a nice, neat dot. Then clean up the eye socket with your original brown. After that, paint in the fleshtone, leaving a dark rim around the eye. Pretty much how I did an SOB with a tight helmet, though I didn't think to do the vertical line thing. Wish I had, it would have been easier.

First off, Model colors were developed for the Historical Modeling crowd, while Game colors were made for, well, gamers. Game colors are meant to be analogs of Citadels. They even have similar names for the paints. Also, Game Colors are formulated with an agent that gives them a hard shell when applied to plastic or metal miniatures. Because they are meant for Historical modelers, railroaders, and folks like that, Model Colors have a lot of colors that can be used for historical uniforms. I guess that's why they are less bright and cartoony, because they are used by people trying to create a "realistic" affect. Model colors do not have the hard surface additive. Neither range has inks, though there is a range of transparent colors in the Model color line. If you don't get anything else, buy the Smoke. Lovely stuff for aging metal. Can't comment on the difference between alchohol based and acylic metalics. I don't have an alcohol colors. I've got the GC metalics, but prefer to use Testors Fantasy Acryl metalics. They have the finest metalic grain I've seen in a model paint. Flesh tones are wierd. The do look orange under incandescent light, but look great under muted florescents, just like you'd find in a game store or convention hall. They photograph beautifully. I'm jonesing for the new Reaper master colors. I love the colors, but hate the consistancy. Can't wait to lay my hands on higher-quality paints in the fleshtone color range I love. Which should you get? If you are used to Citadels, go with the Game Colors. The transtion from one to the other will be easy, since they are colors you are already familiar with. You will want some of the model colors eventually, but start with what you know. What do I use? I've got the full range of Game Colors, 30-odd Model colors, Tamiya Smoke (another cant-live-without paint), Testors Fantasy Acryls (mostly metalics), Reaper (mostly fleshtones and pearlescents), and Citadel (mostly inks). Oh, and don't forget craft paints and Liquitex Basics. One tube of Windsor and Newtons Payne's Gray. Will probably get some artist acrylic metalics - there are some paints with REALLY fine metalic grains. With all that damned paint, you'd think I'd be a better artist.