Whizard Hlavaz

Morgramen, What do you mean by this? Do you never shade/highlight a basecoat of metallic paint with another metallic paint? Or do you mean you never abut two metallic paints without delineating with a black line? I'm just curious. I frequently shade/highlight basecoat metallics with other metallics and to good effect (if I may say so myself). However, if you were referring to two side-by-side metallics, then agree--that's a no-no without a line of ink. As I say, just curious. I was confused by what you meant. -The Whiz.

Oh, yes. I would also direct you HERE.

Goddess, You are going to find that everybody has their own technique for doing faces and especially for doing eyes. Some do the eyes first as they are a focal point on the face, some do them last. It's all up to what you find most comfortable. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment. That said, HERE you will find a number of articles detailing several techniques. Read on and enjoy. Personally, I do the eyes first with a combination of brushes and sometimes a pen, but my technique is more about fixing mistakes than being precise. Like my father always said, "It's not how you screw up, but how you recover." Though his language was a bit more colorful. Hope this helps. -The Whiz.

Oh, and I second the call for more dungeon critters. More critters in general. I have more paladins, thieves, wizards, and clerics than I know what to do with. :p Now I need something for my hordes to battle besides each other! Start on page one of *any* monster compendium and go through straight to the end.

In scanning this thread, I don't think I saw anyone mention a tavern set. How great would that be? A few tables and stools, a long bar with a cask or two, a bartender like ol' Barleyman, big in the belly with a purse to match, his curvaceous daughter, carrying drinks, a bard in the corner by the hearth, a sneak in the shadows, the town drunk. You know -- Your classic beginning to any adventure. Just a couple of *sitting* patrons with a frothy mug in hand would be nice Now, admittedly, you can basically put this together with a few blisters sans the furniture, but as someone mentioned, it's a lot easier to explain one box to the girlie than a baggie full of packs. That and a nice Throne Room scene with a regular old king and queen seated on a dias would be nice. A couple of pillars with some heraldry, a minister or two, a pair of surly bodyguards, some subjects bereft of their land, that old hat. That's my two cents. -The Whiz

I'll need try that, Ter-or. I do like brushing different areas with different finishes. How dull is it? -The Whiz.

*Very* Helpful, milady. Thank you so much. The Duncan finish -- where can I find that? Online anywhere, by any chance? Is that the full name of the product and/or do you have a product number? Again, many thanks. -The Whiz.

OK. Good stuff here, folks. Thank you all very much. In regards to what brands I have used and been unhappy with: I've used Krylon matte finish much to my displeasure. In fact, I found it gave a pretty high sheen to my mini moreso than the Liquitex matte varnish I've since settled on. There was another can of some strange brand that I've since thrown out in rage. Can't recall what it was. And there may have been another. At any rate, the Liquitex varnish has been in use for the past few minis. I'll have to look into all these other products that everyone has recommended. Thanks so much for the info, gang. :) And by all means, should anyone think of anything else, please let me know. I'm always open to suggestions. -The Whiz.

What brands? I wish I could remember (shhh--I'm at w-o-r-k right now...) I'll have to check when I get home and let you know. I knew better than to post this without listing the brands I'm unhappy with, but just couldn't wait.... No patience, but I am part of the fast-food generation, after all.

Greetings, all. New member. Glad to be here. So far, very much thrilled by this forum. :D :D :D While I'm still poking about and getting the lay of the land, I thought I'd ask one of the most pressing questions on my mind of late as I haven't had much luck with the search engine. What do people use for a *flat* matte finish? I just recently took up miniature painting again after a several year hiatus and I haven't been able to find the sealer I used to use (don't even remember the name of it). As such, I've been trying out different products and have been *much* displeased with the results of the so-called "matte" finishes. Each seems to have a bit of a gloss to it, more like a satin than a true flat matte. Thus, I'm hoping someone here can point me in the direction of a good *FLAT* matte finish, spray or varnish. Specifically, I'm curious about Winsor Newton's spray matte finish. I have yet to try it, but after three strike outs to date, I'm a bit loathe to pay $10 for a can of spray that may or may not give me the effect I desire. :( Thanks. -The Whizard Hlavaz