Wumby

I'm reaching the point where I would like to invest in slightly higher quality brushes. I know all the recommended brands and what not, but before I do so, I'm curious as to the best way to store brushes between sessions. I typically, rinse out my brushes after each session, clean 'em up with the Masters Brush Cleaner and Restorer, rinse back out, place a little plastic "sleeve" over the bristles and plop them handle down/tip up in a jar. Anything else recommended? I've made some brushes that are low in quality and recommended away from last a loooong while by doing this, and some of them are now leaning toward a dovetailed natural state, hooking, and splaying out a bit. Thank you folks.

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try next go around.

Thank you Glitterwolf. I like how autocorrect "fixed" his name from Denethal to Dental...and the fact that I missed it.

Painted this little fella up a few years back...before my skills became rusty. Now trying to get back into the game and learn new things outside of dry brushing. Either way, enjoy.

Thank you Glitterwolf.

Heisler, I have General's Kimberly watercolor pencils. Cheap, multipack I picked up a few years back. I mainly use these on hard line panels like on the WizKids Transformers, or CAV type of minis. May consider weathering pencils. You've been helpful, thank you.

Practiced some glazing and using transparent paints on this one. I am pleased with the outcome, yet C&C welcome. (I have a light-box/photo box on the way, so my lighting has washed him out a bit.

Finished Lou up. Posting the final product in the "Show-off" forum. Thank you for your help again.

Thanks Heisler. I'm painting the WizKids Transformers models right now...using Reaper Paints, and I couldn't get a sense of depth on the hard square panels. I noticed as I worked around touching up some places here and there that the water color pencils easily rubbed off...wanted to prevent that. Once again, thank you.

Any of you who happen to use water color pencils to make "extreme" edge highlights, have any of you also then sprayed down with a matte varnish afterwards? If so, does it negatively effect the pencil lines?

Next step. Went with the clear blue. Liked it, darkened things up a bit so I did a lot of glazes also of varying shades of purples and blues. Not the effect I was originally going for, but this turned out quite all right for my skills. Still need to do more shading and a bit more highlighting too...and other areas to "finish" him up. I have been dry brushing a light aqua blue and a light "pea" green color and have been happy. I think in the end I will also gloss coat him or use water effects to make him appear slimy.

Thank you. I do have transparent paints, including a blue. This is my first foray and I'm mentally prepared to strip as necessary. I do think as I continued to slap paint around onto it last night, that I inadvertently did some wet blending. I'm at a point in my hobbying where I want to pay attention to what I do as I stretch my "tool box". I got base coat, wash, and basic highlighting down...as well as dry brushing too. Just stretching now and being intentional with new stuff. Thanks to all and once I give some more effort, I'll post more pics along the way.

Playing around trying something new. I'm fairly rigid with my thinking and just trying to do something where colors that don't blend really fade into others is stretching me. Would a glazing technique work here? Or does that really only work when one color and doing highlights/shading?

Thank you. I've tried it with spray primers...not a lot of control on the white part. I don't own an airbrush, so I shall try brush on.

Do you have a link to how you do your black/white priming? I've tried without getting decent results. I'm sure I gave up too easily, but am wanting to get some pre-shading/highlighting done on the primer level myself. Thank you.