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Started this back before I realized the translucent figures benefitted from an undercoat of clear varnish. Finally finished for RCL.

In a post Bones IV world there are lot more translucent miniatures in circulation. You may have had the same reaction I had, where I thought they were neat, but had no idea what to do with these things. Well, today was the day I decided I was going to try a few different experiments with painting these things to see what would happen. I did try an experiment once before with some purple translucent modes from bones 3, where I put a black wash over them. I was not happy with those results. They turned out looking opaque black with purple highlights from a distance, and translucent against a light or if you looked real close. Not a strong enough effect for table play. So this time, I did a bunch of research (mostly on this forum) and was told about using a clear coat and ink to add definition and maintain translucency. Looked good in the pictures, so I thought I would try some variations on that. First thing I wanted to experiment with was testing something I read here that said something to the effect of "the clear coat actually makes them more translucent, because it changes how they reflect light" so I thought I would try a matte clear coat and a gloss clear coat and see how they compared. The following are a very light black ink wash (from the Reaper Ink triad) and then Tamiya X-22 gloss clear (on the left) and Tamiya XF86 gloss matte (on the right). These models were not very translucent to begin with, but both coats did really make them appear more clear. The gloss was very shiny, had a distinctive wet look, and makes the model look like a clear piece of hard candy. The matte coated model appears to let about the same amount of light through, but is less reflective than it was before I coated with anything. With less reflection the model looks a little less ethereal, but also less like a plastic toy. I decided that I didn't want wet looking spirits, so I decided to go with a black ink wash and the matte coat. Here are those results: Much better than my last attempt, which were only transparent when held against a light. They are still reflective, but less than out of the box. I also tried a red ink instead and it had a very striking effect of red against the blue (the colors didn't blend at all like I thought they would) but it wasn't what I was looking for, so I washed it off. Here is a comparison of a painted and unpainted model: So really, I would say not painting them at all is totally viable. I like having the details show, but if they are ghosts, maybe it is okay that it is hard to see without taking a very close look. I also did a matte coat on some crystals (no ink) and it improved the translucency greatly, though it is hard to capture in a photograph. I learned I prefer that matte coat to clear, (but both are cool). Inks work well, where standard acrylics did not last time. Clear coats do make them more clear. and they transparent models look ghostly and cool already, so painting them isn't giving you that much really, if they are only intended for table play. maybe this information will be useful to someone. I wish I could have found it all in one place when I was puzzling over what to do and what to purchase.

Hello everyone, here are pictures of the 77452 Invisible Ranger I painted last night. I'll be using this translucent model as a marker whenever I make a hide check. The other model is the metal version of 02909 Nienna, Elf Ranger sculpted by Werner Klocke. The character I'm playing is a multiclass; ranger, rogue, sorceress. I painted the base with Reaper MSP paint and used only inks on the model itself. More pictures of my painted version of 02909, Nienna the elf ranger.

Decided to boost my painted minis numbers in January by speed painting some translucent fire spell effects. Bones 77080 and 77081

I got these guys painted sometime last year, but I'm just now getting around to showing them off. They were spray painted with a glow in the dark green spray paint, which I was expecting would tinge them with a spectral look from above, and it didn't work, so I just sprayed the whole mini, then inked them, dry brushed them, and then did the painting on the bases and weapons and such. I'm pretty satisfied with them overall, though I think the eyes aren't as obvious in the photos as they should be. Oh! And they glow in the dark a bit, though that's hard to photograph...

I ordered the new wraiths that were just released that were part of the Bones 4 KS. I thought they were going to be opaque (that's how they were first posted), and was bummed when they arrived as translucent. Mostly because I have never painted a translucent before. So I ordered up a couple other green guys to try out some technique. After botching up the Spirit figure with AP green quickshade, I moved on to this Grave Wraith. I used Muddy Brown on the ground, Mountain Stone on the gravestone and Bronze Dragon on the sword. I liberally used AP strong quickshade as a base on the wraith, and then highlighted with the Green Clear Bright. I think it looks pretty good. Any suggestions or comments welcome. I really want a creepy Nazgul look on my B4 wraiths, and this turned out better than I thought it might.

I recently painted a pack of passed-away pea-green pirates that you can practically peer through, and posed the party for some pictures. Pithy painting prose on the particulars posted for perusal: http://allbonesabout.blogspot.com/2019/05/ghost-pirates-bones-4-figures.html I ordered an additional set of the pirates so i could have a unit of 10 for gaming purposes.

Here's a WizKids translucent Hell Hound: Primed with gloss acrylic medium. Base colors with Badger Ghost Tints. Spine, claws, teeth, metallics, and eyes done with various opaques. Some black used to pick out details in the flames.

At this point, I've done enough Arena Rex that I should probably just dedicate a single thread to collecting them. So here we go.

Here's my 2018 Ghoulie Bag translucent smoky grey 77636, Death Shroud. I simply did a blueish highlight and painted the base on this Dark Heaven Bones model sculpted by Julie Guthrie.

Hi everyone, here's a simple paint job on a translucent version of 77096, Labella DeMornay. This model was sculpted by Julie Guthrie. I painted it with green ink and acrylics.

While you enter the dark corridor leading in a gloomy room, you feel your strength slowly drains from your arms. You realize with terror that you are not alone here. Shadows dance around you and dark grimacing faces appear to torment you... Here's a translucent 77369, Shadow, Dark Heaven Bones sculpted by Dennis Mize.

This past week I decided to paint the Kristianna figure from the Bones 2 "Heroes I" set. I had recently seem someone post online somewhere (was it here?) some figures they had done with the clear weapons from Bones 3 weapon sprues; where they had painted parts of the clear piece, and left others see-through; and I had decided I wanted to try something similar with this figure. I'm really happy with the results. For the full conversion and painting article, please see my blog: Kristianna Conversion

The next round of my experiments with Bones Translucents and the Tamiya Clears. The blue translucent Bones are not as receptive to the Tamiya Clears as the clear and purple are. First up, untouched. You'll note there are two here. That's because Reaper changed their color slightly at some point. The one on the left is the older color, the one on the left is the current one. The reason I post both is because my Water Weird done with the Tamiya Clear blue was done on the older color. All the other clears used the newer figures. First up is the Clear Blue: Here's my original Weird with the Blue, and the two untouched minis before I used the Clear Gloss on them: Here's the two previously untouched after I hit them with the Clear Gloss: With Clear Yellow. As you can see, unlike the purple of the shadow demon, the blue still shows through, meaning I got more of a greenish tint: Likewise with the Orange. It's rather ugly: And the Clear Red. I like this effect - it makes it look like blood. This water weird is going work well when paired with a demon: The Green came out well: Here's with the Smoke: Here's my four favorites - Blue, the two clear gloss and the smoke. These will work well together - all look like water, and yet are different enough that it will be easy enough to tell them apart: And finally, here is all of them together: Final assessment on the Clears and Blues - the Blue and Clear Gloss work well. The Green and Yellow will give a nice green, at least on smaller pieces, thinner pieces, I don't think it will work well for thicker pieces. Orange is ugly. Red works well on the Water Weird if you want some sort of Blood Weird. I'd avoid Red on the larger pieces.

Howdy, Here is one of the slimes with different color glitter paper cut to the foot print... Kev!

As a test of the clear paints, I am attempting to work on some of the green and purple translucent figures. Here is the Spirit #77098. I used the Clear Green for the main part of the body. The head and hands were done with Skeleton Bone & Sepia Wash. I'm not sure if I can call this done or if further detailing needs to be done with the "body". Suggestions?

Howdy, Sh!t's on fire, yo!... Kev! P.S. This is fine...

Howdy, Something stirs at the waters edge... Kev! P.S. Gurgle...

I purchased the Shadow Hound in Kentucky and was painting bits of it while in the hotel. The initial plan for the mini was to paint half of it and leave the other half translucent. Now that I have a base coat and some colors on it, I'm not too sure. Perhaps if it was clear translucent instead of purple it could work? Please let me know your thoughts.

I picked up the clear Kyphrixis from Bones 3 with the full intent to make it a White Dragon while leaving the wing membranes translucent,which is what I did. I did wind up deciding to do a wash on the membranes, but otherwise, really love the effect.

All I did was cut off the integral base and glue them on painted bases from CMON. Another 4 done! Reaper Bones: Invisible Rogue 77449 Invisible Wizard 77450 Invisible Cleric 77451 Invisible Warrior 77453

I'm getting ready to paint my Kyphryxis Dragon in the Translucent Bones, and wanted to test how the different colors of the Tamiya Clears looked on the Bones translucent material. So I picked up some of the 77306 Translucent Slimes. These are literally quick paints - I just slopped on the Tamiya Clear on each one. I'm posting them here not to show off, but for your convenience and reference. Warning - Pic heavy First off, a plain, untouched translucent Bones slime: The Tamiya Clear Gloss really makes the Slime translucent: The effect is much more noticeable when you see them side by side: Next, painted in Tamiya Clear Yellow: Next in Tamiya Clear Blue: Tamiya Clear Green: Tamiya Clear Smoke: Tamiya Clear Red: Tamiya Clear Orange: And finally, my actual test piece, which I'm calling a "Fire Slime". I will probably be using a similar scheme for my Kyphrixis: As you can see, the Tamiya Clears are really good at literally changing the color of the translucent Bones material, while maintaining the translucency. At some point, i think I'm going to try and pick up multiples of some of the other translucent colors, and do similar test pieces. I already know from the fire elementals that it will change the tones of the red/orange Bones.

This will be the last of my experiments, at least until the Grey Ooze in Bones IV is released in retail. First off, as it appeared in the Burning Sphere ones - the Orange translucents are not as friendly to the Tamiya Clears as the other colors. Also, I didn't do a full color range test with this one. The only reason I did it is my FLGS had one in stock when I was there on Saturday. Again, I'll start off with untouched: The three of these here are part of my original experiments with Tamiya Clears a couple years back. I'm showing them all together, because I honestly don't remember which was painted with which. I'm not sure if there is one of each - Yellow, Orange and Red, or if I did one in Orange, and two in Red. The Red, Yellow and Orange clears do work fairly well with the orange Bones - I used them to tint my large fire elementals originally. But the tinting is subtle. Since I only had the one untouched figure to experiment with, I chose to see what the blue would do with it. Not real pleased with the results: It doesn't really retain the translucence, unless you hold it up to the light, in which case I ended up with a sort of purple splotchiness. I tried to get a shot of that, but it doesn't show up on the camera very well: Assessment of Tamiya Clears and the orange translucents - you're not going to get the nice color changing effects that the clear, green and purple Bones get. Stick with the Red, Orange and Yellow Tamiya Clears for these Bones.

Next up in my Tamiya Clears experiments - the Green. The Green behaves much like the purple does, meaning that the clears can almost completely recolor it, if the piece is thin enough. First up, untouched: With the Clear Gloss. Again, it really brings out the translucence: With the Smoke. Out of all the colors I've tested so far, the smoke works best on the green. With the Green: With the Red: With the orange: With the Yellow. This one seems to have the hardest time with the green: With the blue: And all of them together:

This one is cool, IMO. Ever wished that Shadow Demon came in a different color than Purple? Once again, presenting my experiments with translucent Bones and Tamiya Clears. Warning Pic Heavy First off, an untouched Shadow Demon: With Tamiya Clear Gloss: Untouched next to the one with the clear gloss: Tamiya Clear Red: Tamiya Clear Orange: Tamiya Clear Yellow: Tamiya Clear Green: Tamiya Clear Blue: Tamiya Clear Smoke: All of them, in all their glory: As you can see, the Tamiya clears can actually change the color while maintaining the translucency on the smaller and thinner parts. The only one that doesn't do this to the same degree as the others is the Smoke. Hope people find this useful.