Vaitalla

Hi guys! I just wanted to drop a note that several ReaperCon instructors, myself included, will be teaching at KublaCon in the San Francisco Bay Area in a few months! If you're in the area, the Con is Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd through the 27th. Here's a link to their site: KublaCon main site I'll be teaching two classes; a revision of my Color Theory class (Friday at 12:15 pm), and the Blending, Layering & Glazing class that I taught at ReaperCon this past year (Sunday at 11:15 am). Matt DiPietro, Michael Klieman and David Diamondstone will also be teaching, as will as Justin McCoy of Secret Weapon, who have all taught at past ReaperCons. You'll want to look specifically for the Master Class Series classes. Thanks all and hoping to meet a few of you who maybe haven't been able to make it to ReaperCon yet!

Thanks for remembering, Haldir! Yeah, I really got hung up on the neck texture and bottomed out for about six months after that. It was a texture I tried to copy from the computer modeling and it was REALLY counter-intuitive to do freehand--I'm sure if you have a 3-D paint/modeling program it's super easy! So then I started just inching back into it, and then eventually just made a hard run at finishing him because I'd promised myself I would. Totally got me re-jump-started on painting a lot again, though!

Hey there guys! I realized a lot of you might not know that I had a new web site and/or might not have seen these on Facebook so I decided to post them up here. Those at ReaperCon or who followed the competition might remember Soldier, who I'd been working on, on and off, for about two years. He's a statue that came with the Collector's Edition of the Overwatch computer game, about a foot tall (1/6th scale), and he took me about 140 hours to paint. The base statue comes black with a drybrush of bronze to make it look like a statue, but I wanted to paint him in his traditional colors from the game. All textures and weathering are purely paint--the statue is a plain sculpt (though very nice as most Blizzard stuff is). You can also jog over to my web site (paintingbig.net) and there you will find, in the blog section (scroll down past the Leman Russ ones, I'm still trying to figure out how to make it display them all separately in a sidebar), two work in progress blogs filled with photos and notes on the process I went through, almost from start to finish. If you have questions ask in thread and I'll be happy to answer. Realized I could link to the specific work-in-progress blog entries here, duh. :) Soldier:76 WIP blog episode one Soldier:76 WIP blog episode two! --Anne :)

That’s really weird. The Nut Brown base isn’t anything particularly special or unusual and the additives and pigments in that color are also used in many others. Is latex one of the allergies she has? Because most paint bases are blends of acrylic resins with either vinyl or latex resins. Usually that’s a contact allergy but you never know...still, it’s odd. I’m really glad she’s okay, I had an allergic reaction like that once and it was super scary.

Thanks guys! Clearman, we do like that the Core line is slightly different than the Bones line; otherwise we may as well cancel Core entirely and roll everything into Bones, which we don’t want to do. Also, reworking the formulas for over 300 colors would take...a very, very long time, for little benefit in my mind because Core still sells better than Bones. I don’t have that time, as all of the paint sells well and it’s a battle for me to keep up with existing production as is! Personally I use mostly Core colors with a sprinkling of Bones and enjoy both lines.

Can you tell me precisely which brown it was? I ask because I want to know what the base was...Odd that she had never reacted before.

You can thank Reaper Ron for concepting the Dungeon Dweller Colors. I just matched his swatches!

Pathfinder has some really nice colors in it so far, the folks at Paizo did a great job constructing it! Some really unique stuff. :)

Correct! Pathfinder is being formulated in the style of Bones, and the Dungeon Dwellers also, as their SKU numbers imply. :)

Also, the second tier of my Patreon is literally all about the paint, guys. Reaper doesn’t have me do too many paint videos for Reaper Live, and I don’t have time at Reaper to write about the paint as much as I’d like; I’m too busy making it. So I’m doing it in my side-hustle. Link is in my sig line. I’m happy to answer simple stuff here when I have time, though! Just use the grumpy-werewolf-signal and if I have a sec, I shall endeavor to answer. (Hmmm not sure why above text is bolder. Unintentional; Reaper forums, you are weird.)

Good morning! All of the Bones metallics except one, I think, use the new metallic flake. The one had to be done with old flake because the color wasn’t available in the new flake, but I did mess around with the base on that one to retain more shiny. When I say “New Tech” I mean both “relatively new to the overall paint market” and “stuff that is new for Reaper”. I don’t have a lot of time for active R&D anymore (though I do fit it in here and there), but I work with a marketing guy and paint chemist who is very good at fetching me options when I tell him I need an X that does Y, and he also has been to Reaper, toured our factory and keeps his eyes open for interesting new stuff. Binder and fluid medium did not change for non-metallic Bones, though I did begin working with a new additive. How can I put this...with any craft, you’re going to get a much better idea as you work with things as to how far and in what ways you can push the envelope while still retaining or enhancing the qualities you are looking for. This Bones line is the culmination of 14 years of Anne learning and pushing envelopes. Bones paints I reach for most often for general use: Dragon Red, Heraldic Red, Lantern Yellow, Candlelight Yellow, Dragon Green. But I’ve been on a red/yellow kick lately. Colors I consider very unique in the line: Ruddy Flesh, Ebony Flesh, Youthful Flesh, Ancient Oak, Skeleton Bone. As far as a signal, I have had a grumpy werewolf of one sort or another as my avatar for all of my Reaper tenure, so let’s go with Grumpy Werewolf! Loim I am here to appeal toward the side of every painter that loves to purchase tiny, brilliant bottles of paint...it’s painter candy, you know it is!

Okay I was summoned via bat-signal to set the record straight on this, so here I am. I guess a bat signal works, I am pretty squeaky, but I'm definitely not nocturnal so maybe we need a new signal... but I digress. Reaper Bones grew out of our CEO Ed's desire to have a Bones-branded paint line. Because good coverage was a priority with painting Bones (for the initial coat at least) we went with the base formulation and high-density pigments of the old HD line (recently canceled) for better coverage. There is new tech in the Bones paint line, specifically in the metallics range which use a new type of flake that's shinier than our original flake but still non-toxic. There are also several colors I'd been wanting to put into production for quite a long time, but they weren't a good fit for triads. Bones was perfect for those interesting "one-off" colors. (Some of the hidden gems in the Bones line include the dark skin tones (Ebony and Ruddy) which mimic natural African skin tones better than anything we've previously produced. The yellows also rock, and Sunrise Orange is possibly the best orange I've made. Just sayin'...) Otherwise, the thing that makes the Bones line different is just that it's the culmination of everything I've learned over the years about making good miniatures paint. It's completely useable on everything that Core MSP is, mixes with it just fine, can be airbrushed with just like Core, etc. It's also the line I am proudest of making because I think it turned out really well! Otherwise, differences are usage-based. Bones is not in triads, and does not contain specialty colors like Liners, Clears, Additives, Primers, and Sealers. They are all unique formulations; even the white and black are different from the Core white and black. Okay, any other questions? Other than "is there actual blood in the blood colors triad". I'm not answering that one. --Anne

Was that a bat-signal...? Hmm oh well, I guess I'm here. I can respond on science-y aspects of Bones paints in a new thread, might take me till tomorrow, though. I've run out of time this evening! You can blame textile companies for the "acrylic ink" (not really traditional ink, which is made with dyes not pigments) fad. I did some research into it when I was playing with the Daler Rowneys. Textile manufacturers wanted to dye cloth but hated the impermanence and bleed and lack of vivid staying color with traditional dyes, even modified. So they figured out how to add chemicals to make pigments "fix" like dyes in fabric. A new line of hybrid pigment-dyes was born, and the art industry stole the idea and figured out how to monetize it. --Anne

Here’s my start on my frost giant queen. We shall work on skin tones next!

Thanks for the plug TripleH! I'm sure we'll get the technical issues straightened out. I love this model so I'm looking forward to painting her as part of the mentoring. When I get a second I'll snap a photo of mine and put it up on here too!

This was a pretty-much-flawless piece in person. Thanks for posting up the link and the photos for those who didn't see it before! My favorite parts are the movement on the flames and the teensy-tiny spell books.

Hey there guys! I wanted to let y’all know that new classes have been added to the ReaperCon schedule, including two taught by myself. :) I haven’t really taught for the last couple years except for fill-ins, but decided to do a Blending (layering and glazing) class on Thursday at 1 pm, and a Painting Textures (using paint to mimic texture effects on large models, when you see what I’ve been painting lately you will understand) class on Sunday morning at 10 am. The painting textures class I’ve put down as intermediate/advanced; you’ll want an understanding of paint consistency and light, good brush control, and some really fine brushes to take full advantage. Here’s a quick link to just my classes. ...but please take a look at all the new offerings. :) —Anne

I typed all this out for a person over on our Facebook but it is also useful info for this group, so I'm bringing it over. :) The concept of painting using CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black/white) has enjoyed varying degrees of popularity over the years. Though it seems like it should work, in reality the two systems (CMYK vs pigments) are fundamentally as different as different mediums--which, essentially, they are. Here's my response post after another party mentioned the difficulty of getting good browns with CYMK. "...speaking as the person who actually creates the Master series paint line...the reason mixing browns doesn't work so well with CMYK is that you are utilizing two different color systems with two different properties. CMYK deals with inks (dyes) which are completely solvent and transparent. Paints deal with pigments, which are particulate, not fully-soluble and have varying degrees of opacity [Anne's note: thus, two different mediums]. In addition, CYMK theory ignores that in pigments, there are both warm and cool red, yellow and blue, so you will have a lot of trouble mixing certain hues. The Clear colors were created to assist with this--they aren't perfect, but Clear Blue will give you a red-phase blue instead of the green-phase blue of the Cyan, for example. You are also lacking an orange-phase yellow. Not sure which red you chose, but Clear Red is your best all-purpose. [Anne's note: yellows are either green-phase or orange phase. Magenta is actually an extreme blue-phase red, which makes mixing a good orange with it difficult.] Sorry for the novel. :) I myself carry only about 20 to 24 paints when I travel these days--colors to mix from and also colors I like and use enough that I don't want to mix them every time. :) For browns, in addition to your CYMK I would pick up 9072 Rust Brown (Red oxide), 29830 Ruddy Brown HD (Brown Oxide), and Umber Brown HD (29848 or 49 I think?). Have fun!" Bottom line: pigments are different from inks. You can get close, but you'll never get the full color range from trying to limit yourself to CYMK paints only. Instead, you'll be painting with a limited palette, which is actually very enjoyable and can lead to unique color combinations--but it can also be frustrating if you don't know WHY it works like this. :)

Awww, thanks guys! I had a very nice birthday, even though I am getting pretty ancient.

Ahhh, yes, the "not enough light for the camera to function properly" issue. That's definitely fixable next year. Thanks!! :D I'm glad that overall you guys had fun and still learned well. I was a bit worried about going to larger class sizes but most con-goers mentioned that the plus of being able to actually get the classes they wanted out-weighed any lessening of personal attention from the instructor. Now get painting! I want 600 entries at the competition next year!! ;)

Those of you who had the experience with the instructor who had a hands-on class but didn't teach one--please PM me on here so I can see who it is and make sure there wasn't a misunderstanding (and that, if so, I don't repeat it next year!). Those of you who had an issue with the class description not being what was actually taught--same goes. I thank you all for this thread because, as the person who actually contacts (and contracts!) the instructors, arranges subjects and times and specifics, and tries hard to make sure that the description says what the class will be about, I usually only get as much feedback as people offer me in person at the Con regarding instructors and classes. For the record--our instructors are not paid to teach. Their payment is for Reaper to fly them in, pay hotel and most food, and take care of their needs while they are here. This is ENTIRELY different from all other Cons (to my knowledge) where the instructor must pay their own way and then charge enough for their classes to make ends meet. I think that our way allows for that "painting/sculpting carnival" feeling instead of instructors being stressed about whether they will make enough to pay for their trip. Likewise, whether to provide a hand-out is left up to the instructor. Many instructors take the time to make one…many equally do not. As we are not paying them, we do not require a hand-out from them in order to teach. I personally have been one of those people who never had time to put together a hand-out (understand, please, that doing so takes many hours for extensive documents like Rhonda (Wren) gives out). Bottom line: always bring a notebook. Always ask for websites/resources that you can find to fill in if there is no handout. Always be ready to take some notes. Be very appreciative if there IS an exhaustive hand-out…producing those takes time and effort that the instructor is not paid for. I suggest thanking them and giving them glowing reviews. ;) There were several new instructors this year and hopefully now that they know how things work there will be no panicked hand-priming at the last minute. :) At least I'll try hard to address that in advance! Thank you very much for the feedback, I really appreciate it. We try to make things run smoothly but with over 30 instructors this year we did have some hiccups! The cameras were a new experiment this year and experienced many technical difficulties…that said, we and the instructors learned a lot from this year and I suspect that next year things will go a little smoother. :) Many instructors actually liked the cameras once they got them to work so I'm hoping they can become an effective teaching tool for larger classes! The layout of classrooms…very much an experiment this year! Rows of tables not being conducive to instructors walking around, noted. Will try to put things in "U" shape next year which may make things easier. :) Yes, we put specific ability levels in the class descriptions and no, we can not limit classes to those students who fit that description. :( The best I can do is make instructors aware of the dichotomy and ask them to keep to the level of the class as posted. Thank you again for letting us know that this is an issue. The person who "audited" the class without buying a ticket…thank you for the heads-up. We had no idea this had happened. I will make sure that ALL instructors are aware for next year that this is NOT acceptable. I thought it was obvious that people who had not purchased a ticket weren't allowed to sit. Apparently I was wrong. Ah well…there are always things to fix. :) Did I forget to address anyone's specific concerns?

Hello folks! A little bird named Heisler told me about this thread. I'm happy to inform you that water comprises less than 25% of the Reaper washes. Let me tell you a story... Once upon a time, several years ago, a (different, and not-so-little) bird named Gus came into Anne's office. "These new (insert other company here) washes are fantastic!" he raved. "I bet you can't do anything as good as this." The Paint Goddess raised an eyebrow. "O Really," said she. "Produce these washes, I bid thee." Thus did the Gus order a set of the new (other company) washes, and presented them to the Anne. "See!" he said, "Awesome!" The Paint Goddess said merely, "Hmmm." A period of R & D ensued... Two weeks later, the Paint Goddess did present the Gus with a new Formulation. "Test these, I bid thee." "OMG," said the Gus, "These are wicked good," (or something to that effect). *** The moral of this story is that I work best when challenged with a "You can't possibly do this" but also that much thought went into the Reaper MSP wash formulas. You can rest assured that they are not merely "add water to paint." To do so would mean that they would separate and break down far too easily, as Heisler said, and we don't settle for lesser quality here in the Reaper Paint Department if we can instead exceed expectations. To summarize without releasing too much proprietary info, the Reaper washes are formulated off of a base that is primarily a water-soluble acrylic, giving them the necessary body; then additives are employed to enhance flatness, flow, and translucency. Also, I may have been reading too much Victorian fiction of late. Humor me. p.s. Heisler can cast the spell "Summon Anne" twice per week, at 10th level. I assume he's at least 10th level. How else could he be our ReaperCon auctioneer??

Yes, Reaper will be glad to forward you the MSDS sheets for the paint; contact [email protected] and if you do not hear back there, email [email protected] directly. Reaper MSP's were spot-tested by spectral analysis by the same lab that found cadmium and mercury in the Vallejo paints, and found to be free of those materials. No one should be surprised about finding cadmium in Vallejo; they use artists' pigments to make their paints, and that includes cadmium reds and yellows which we do not use. The mercury, though worrisome, was I believe no fault of Vallejo's but an issue with the pigment manufacturer they used at the time, and has since been rectified (to the best of my knowledge). I would like to point out, Willen, that you should always wear a proper ventilation mask no matter what paint you are airbrushing. though fine-ground silica and resins are perfectly non-toxic if you get some on your skin while painting, none of it is good to breathe!

I'll /poke Heisler to look at this when he has a second, because I don't have one right now--thanks for the heads-up Cash, our web people are absolutely swamped so I imagine we just forgot to take an older section down when the new was updated.

Hmmm. There may also have been some Brown Liner. Can't remember. What about you guys? Do you have any unusual colors you like to use in your shading?