Questions from a noob

[mrxak]

Forgive me if any of these questions are prominently answered somewhere. I've been reading through a lot of materials here on the site and forums and learned a lot, but a few things I still didn't find answers on.

 

What is liner? I've seen several paints called liner but I have no idea what that means or how it's different from the other paints.

 

I understand washes and drybrushing, what they're good for and how to do them, but can somebody explain glazing to me? What should I be looking for in a glaze, and when should I use one? How should I use one?

 

When would one use an MSP HD paint instead of a regular MSP paint, and vice versa?

 

I've seen a lot of people extolling the use of wet palettes, and I've seen discussion on how to make one, but what exactly are they good for? Is there more to it than simply keeping paint from drying out on your palette? Does it water down the paint? What, if any, effects does it have on mixing, exactly? Do you still need another palette alongside it for certain things?

 

I also have a few more general questions that have no correct answer, but I'm kinda curious to get a few responses/opinions on, as somebody new to this hobby.

 

When you're doing a mini, how long do you typically paint for, not including drying time? What do you consider speed painting? When I see these incredible professional paint jobs, how long did those take to paint?

 

How quickly do you go through paint bottles? Does it make sense to get an extra bottle of one's most commonly-used paints, or do those bottles last a long time?

 

Do you personally use a sealer? Have you ever regretted not doing so?

 

What are your ten most essential paints, the ones you personally use all the time for whatever reason?

 

What painter do you think I absolutely must start being a fan of? What painter have you learned the most from since you started this hobby?

 

And, what the heck, tell me what your favorite Reaper mini of all time is. Has to be one you've actually painted. I think my favorite is 77021 Lindir, Elf Archer. I butchered the face, but it's a fantastic mini and I learned a lot from painting him when I was just starting out.

[BLZeebub]

Most welcome to the forum and the hobby!

 

Liner is king ( apparently--I've just bought a bunch, but haven't tried it yet).  It's designed to give a fairly crisp, slightly translucent line to section off areas of different color on a mini.  Much like lines in a comic book drawing.  A lot of folk here also use it simply as a primer on bones, as it is fairly thin and adheres well, and has the bonus of slipping into crevices, highlighting detail.

 

I use MSP and HD interchangeably, mixing them regularly.

 

A wet palette is sort of an advanced trick.  Done correctly it allows you to keep paint fresh/wet longer for one, but it also thins some of said paint to generally the perfect consistency for wet blending (think milk viscosity).  Usually it's the only palette you'll need at a given time as you can get undiluted paint from it as well.  Added bonus:  you can cover the palette and use it the next day or so even!

 

A glaze is basically just a wash over the entire surface to give the effect of a color shift.  For example, paint a cloth white, then glaze the entire thing with glaze or thinned blue to give it a bluish tint.  Also good for "aging" wood or just staining it (real wood and miniature proxies).

 

Drying time with acrylics is usually irrelevant, but for me I can finish a mini I'd be proud of (after vacillating on color scheme for days) in 3-8 hours for a great job, 1-3 for more tabletop standard.  Super speed painters are more like 30 minutes for tabletop....freaks.

 

Some of the real pros are putting in a full work week on those...  Check out Jeff Wilson (lives in my town still I think) for one, and most of the Reaper mini gallery photos.

 

I'll throw in a list and a favorite after work!

 

I always use sealer personally.  I paint a lot of commissions for GW armies, so I expect the minis to be abused.  For high level display case subjects, people will skip the sealer as it can distort the finished look a little--and there's little dust in a case.

[Gadgetman!]

Liner is a paint specially formulated to draw thin lines, I think?

All that most use it for is as a coloured primer, though, because it sticks really, really well.

 

MSP and MSP HD...

The HD paints(and the coming Bones paint) has more pigmentation and covers a lot better than the regular MSP. Great for basecoats in other words. Also from what I understand...

 

Wet palettes keeps your paint from drying out. They don't change consistency, either. It stays the same from the first till the last stroke of the brush. Sometimes days later.

Yesterday I was messing about on the WarMachines Vigilant mini again, and that means paint a colour on one part, then on another, and another, go back to the first part, add another layer and so on, thne add the second colour on all the parts. After the second colour is on, I go back to the first part again, and touch up all the slip-ups I did with the second colour, but because I don't have a wet palette, the first colour had already dried enough to be unusable, so had to pour more...

and if that first had been a blend of 2, it might have been difficult to hit the same result on the second pour. Or you'd need to use a lot of drops for what is a 1 drop job... (If the mix was 1drop black to 4 drops of blue, that's 5 drops of expensive paint)

It all adds up, so a wet palette drastically reduces annoyancies. It's on my 'to get' list...

 

I've now spent 10+ hours just painting on the Vigilant, and that's a pretty basic scheme, no highlights or fancy stuff. Maybe someone good at this can do it in an hour or two... if so, please don't tell me...

Fact is that most of us havee 'tons' of unpainted minis, not because we decided we didn't like them enough, but because there's not enough time.

 

How long does a paint bottle last?

Depends on the paint, and what you use it for, really.

I'm 1/3 through a 60ml bottle of Vallejo Gray primer. But I also use it on my 3D printed DragonLock 2x2" terain modules.

My biggest mistake was buying a 30ml bottle of Vallejo Gunmetal Grey. Particularly as there was an 18ml bottle in the Army Painter MegaKit I bought soon after. It'll take me years to make a dent in that bottle!

Paint lasts a long time!

 

Sealer/varnish...

USE THEM! Acrylics remain slightly 'sticky' forever and will trap dust and grime, so untreated minis will look awful after a few years if they're not kept in airtight containers and never handled.

 

Most important paint?

You're funny.

The most important paint is the one you've yet to buy. Because you'll pick up a new mini, look at it and say, I can't do this one because I don't have ...

[Glitterwolf]

A Glaze is THINNER then a wash.

 

A wash creeps in the nooks and crannies, and provides shadows.

 

A glaze is a very very thin coat of paint, you use it to blend or mute colours, still showing the original colour for a bit.

The more you glaze you more you change the colours.

 

Look up some tutorials on that.

If you try to glaze with a wash you could get the wrong effect.

 

Liner is very good to prime Bones miniatures with.

[Loim]

Wet palettes can keep paint usable for a long time, as long as you maintain the water level in them and take steps to prevent mold. I've got paint on mine that's at least a month old and is still very viable.

 

I have bottles of RMS that are 8 years old now, and they are still just fine. Sometimes you need to add a little water to them to get them back to a good consistency.

[mrxak]

Wet palettes can keep paint usable for a long time, as long as you maintain the water level in them and take steps to prevent mold.

 

What would those steps be, exactly?

[tiniest rhombus]

Forgive me if any of these questions are prominently answered somewhere. I've been reading through a lot of materials here on the site and forums and learned a lot, but a few things I still didn't find answers on.

 

What is liner? I've seen several paints called liner but I have no idea what that means or how it's different from the other paints.

 

Liner is magic, get some. If your planning on painting Bones miniatures, liner serves as an excellent primer. Bones don't really need a primer but if you plan on thinning your paints, the liner will help bring out the details so you can see them better and paint sticks to them like...magic.

 

I understand washes and drybrushing, what they're good for and how to do them, but can somebody explain glazing to me? What should I be looking for in a glaze, and when should I use one? How should I use one?

 

What Herman said

 

When would one use an MSP HD paint instead of a regular MSP paint, and vice versa?

 

I use msp and HD interchangeably but HD has a higher pigment concentration good for base coats.

 

I've seen a lot of people extolling the use of wet palettes, and I've seen discussion on how to make one, but what exactly are they good for? Is there more to it than simply keeping paint from drying out on your palette? Does it water down the paint? What, if any, effects does it have on mixing, exactly? Do you still need another palette alongside it for certain things?

 

I use a welled pallets for creating washes and glazes. Everything else goes on the wet palette.

 

I also have a few more general questions that have no correct answer, but I'm kinda curious to get a few responses/opinions on, as somebody new to this hobby.

 

When you're doing a mini, how long do you typically paint for, not including drying time? What do you consider speed painting? When I see these incredible professional paint jobs, how long did those take to paint?

 

Depends on the day. Yesterday, I painted for 8 hours. I'm still not done. I'm super slow. But I'm painting just for the joy if it. If I was painting for gaming. I'd just do these steps. Prime, base coat, wash, highlight.

For the pros- I've read some of those take anywhere between 40-100 hours. I really depends on the painter. Speed painting to me is a figure done in a couple days.

 

How quickly do you go through paint bottles? Does it make sense to get an extra bottle of one's most commonly-used paints, or do those bottles last a long time?

 

Paint lasts a long time. I've been painting for nearly three years. I use some colors of paints on every mini, still have a whole bunch left in the bottles.

 

Do you personally use a sealer? Have you ever regretted not doing so?

 

Use sealer. I do reaper brush on sealer, let that dry. Then go back over it with dulle coate. I like my minis to have a flat appearance. Reaper sealer is a satin finish and will help protect more than dull coate. Dull Coate is super flat.

 

What are your ten most essential paints, the ones you personally use all the time for whatever reason?

 

That's a tough one. Liner, dark skin triad, ginger cookie ( not available outside of 12 days of reaper promo) blue, red, green, golden skin triad, nightmare purple, linen white, dark elf triad.

 

What painter do you think I absolutely must start being a fan of? What painter have you learned the most from since you started this hobby?

 

Jessica Rich, Jen Haley, James Wapple, Corporea(on the forum) just to name a few off the top of my head. You know what's so fantastic about this hobby? I've yet to come across a painter who wasn't willing to help a fellow painter.

 

And, what the heck, tell me what your favorite Reaper mini of all time is. Has to be one you've actually painted. I think my favorite is 77021 Lindir, Elf Archer. I butchered the face, but it's a fantastic mini and I learned a lot from painting him when I was just starting out.

 

There's too many. I can't choose.

Edited February 12, 2016 by tiniest rhombus

[Doug Sundseth]

 

Wet palettes can keep paint usable for a long time, as long as you maintain the water level in them and take steps to prevent mold.

 

What would those steps be, exactly?

 

 

Copper in the water in the palette and changing the water every 2-4 weeks works for me.

 

I recommend stripped copper wire rather than pennies, since:

• Modern pennies have virtually no copper.
• Older pennies have limited surface area per mass.
• Copper wire is really easy to find.

(Copper is an antifungal.)

[Loim]

What Doug said. I also add a tiny tiny drop of dish soap to the water when I change it out. It doesn't have a noticeable effect on the paints. I live in a super humid area though. Since I started doing these things I haven't had any issues with mold.

[Inarah]

When you're doing a mini, how long do you typically paint for, not including drying time? What do you consider speed painting? When I see these incredible professional paint jobs, how long did those take to paint?

It can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days total time. If you need skeletons on the table for a game Saturday it's obviously going to be a lot less of an investment than that competition piece for Gencon next year. There's no right or wrong amount of time to spend on a mini. Some people can lay down amazing brushwork in minutes, and some take weeks to do a basic job. Do what works for you.

 

 

 

 

How quickly do you go through paint bottles? Does it make sense to get an extra bottle of one's most commonly-used paints, or do those bottles last a long time?

 

 

 

In the 10+ years I've been using RMS I've replaced 3 bottles. 1 black, 1 white, and just recently a color that I lost somewhere in the game room. I paint ~100 figures a year. You're only using dots of paint at a time so you're not going to go through it very fast unless you only have like 6 colors that you use on everything.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you personally use a sealer? Have you ever regretted not doing so?

 

 

 

Yes and yes. I seal everything that's going to be handled.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Inarah

[Keianna]

Forgive me if any of these questions are prominently answered somewhere. I've been reading through a lot of materials here on the site and forums and learned a lot, but a few things I still didn't find answers on.

 

What is liner? I've seen several paints called liner but I have no idea what that means or how it's different from the other paints.

Liners are dark colors that were intended as another option for black lining figures (putting a thin dark or black line between parts of a figure that are separate pieces such as pouches, weapons or clothing to help them stand out). Through trial and error people discovered that they work amazingly well as a first layer on bones minis. I thin mine about 2:1 water to paint, but other folks do it differently.

 

I understand washes and drybrushing, what they're good for and how to do them, but can somebody explain glazing to me? What should I be looking for in a glaze, and when should I use one? How should I use one?

I will let other folks who actually use glazes explain this one. I have switched over to two brush blending almost exclusively.

 

When would one use an MSP HD paint instead of a regular MSP paint, and vice versa?

Totally interchangeable. HD paints generally, though not always, give a bit better coverage than a similar color in regular MSP.

 

I've seen a lot of people extolling the use of wet palettes, and I've seen discussion on how to make one, but what exactly are they good for? Is there more to it than simply keeping paint from drying out on your palette? Does it water down the paint? What, if any, effects does it have on mixing, exactly? Do you still need another palette alongside it for certain things?

A wet pallet will help keep paint good longer both in the pallet and on your brush. You won't get as much paint drying on the brush with a wet pallet. It will water the paint a tiny bit, but usually not noticeably so. The biggest change was in how much paint I use with a wet pallet. Much less than normal. You don't worry about the edges drying out and you can actually use the full drop of paint. It is good for mixing because you can mix by the brushfull and it won't dry out before you actually use it. If I am making a wash I still use a welled pallet.

 

I also have a few more general questions that have no correct answer, but I'm kinda curious to get a few responses/opinions on, as somebody new to this hobby.

 

When you're doing a mini, how long do you typically paint for, not including drying time? What do you consider speed painting? When I see these incredible professional paint jobs, how long did those take to paint?

It varies so much...

Even between days, how much I get done can change drastically. As you paint more you will get a feel for how long it takes you. There is no amount of time that things are supposed to take.

 

How quickly do you go through paint bottles? Does it make sense to get an extra bottle of one's most commonly-used paints, or do those bottles last a long time?

I have been painting for several years and I have only used up one bottle of paint. It was blue liner and that was only because I decided to base one of the big dragons with a solid coat of blue liner. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

 

Do you personally use a sealer? Have you ever regretted not doing so?

Some people say you should never seal competition pieces. That would make me way too nervous. For things that will not be handled, a quick spritz of dullcote is all I do. Pieces that will get a layer or 2 of gloss sealer (it is thicker) and then a layer of dullcote on top of that.

 

What are your ten most essential paints, the ones you personally use all the time for whatever reason?

White, black, blue or brown liner, dusty rose, palomino gold, oiled leather, blackened brown, clear blue or anhurian(sp?) blue (the one from the metal gear line), Christmas wreath

 

What painter do you think I absolutely must start being a fan of? What painter have you learned the most from since you started this hobby?

I agree with what the other folks have said. I will try to find a couple of quotes that spring to mind later.

 

And, what the heck, tell me what your favorite Reaper mini of all time is. Has to be one you've actually painted. I think my favorite is 77021 Lindir, Elf Archer. I butchered the face, but it's a fantastic mini and I learned a lot from painting him when I was just starting out.

 

Tough one. Not sure I could pick a favorite. Let me get back to you.

[amuller33]

I generally go though 1 Nuln Oil from GW every painting session, But only becuase I eventually knock it over and spill the entire contents . No painst shoudl last you a good long time.

 

AJ

[amuller33]

 

 

What painter do you think I absolutely must start being a fan of? What painter have you learned the most from since you started this hobby?

 

Jessica Rich. She was actually registering her minis for reapercon right in front of me last year. just seeing what COULD be done with a mini was inspiring. PLus she taught a really relaxed above my head class later at the con. She has a some videos out there.

 

AJ

[Kheprera]

Forgive me if any of these questions are prominently answered somewhere. I've been reading through a lot of materials here on the site and forums and learned a lot, but a few things I still didn't find answers on.

I'll answer one at a time, and these are my perspective, so YMMV and others may have more experience than I in some things.

 

What is liner? I've seen several paints called liner but I have no idea what that means or how it's different from the other paints.

There are paints called Liners made by Reaper, but can be any paint you use to deeply darken the crevices between parts in order to "outline" them (such as where cloth meets skin).

 

The specific Reaper MSP Liners are excellent for priming on the hydrophobic Bones material due to their composition. When working with Bones it is recommended you wash the mini in dish soap first to remove any mold release agents (really should do this for all minis), then apply a coat of Liner for your primer.

 

I understand washes and drybrushing, what they're good for and how to do them, but can somebody explain glazing to me? What should I be looking for in a glaze, and when should I use one? How should I use one?

 

When would one use an MSP HD paint instead of a regular MSP paint, and vice versa?

I use glazes especially when doing hair in order to blend my highlights and shadows into the overall color of the hair without losing the highlights or shadows. It is a very thin coat of color used to shade and smooth out transitions.

 

The HD (High Density) line is a more vibrant and intense color, useful for glazes or for when you want a vibrantly colored model. Very good as a base coat.

 

I've seen a lot of people extolling the use of wet palettes, and I've seen discussion on how to make one, but what exactly are they good for? Is there more to it than simply keeping paint from drying out on your palette? Does it water down the paint? What, if any, effects does it have on mixing, exactly? Do you still need another palette alongside it for certain things?

I just got one and am in a place to toss it against the wall.

 

I paint using very thin washes, and wanted a way to keep my paint wet as I worked. Adding paint to the palette does not thin it enough for me when set up as instructed. When I thin the paint more, even a little, it goes all over the place as there are no individual wells to hold it all in place. So I'm still working out of my trusty ceramic palette as I figure this wet palette thing out.

 

I also have a few more general questions that have no correct answer, but I'm kinda curious to get a few responses/opinions on, as somebody new to this hobby.

 

When you're doing a mini, how long do you typically paint for, not including drying time? What do you consider speed painting? When I see these incredible professional paint jobs, how long did those take to paint?

Well...

 

I will sit and paint for hours at a time if allowed. I try and take breaks every 2-3 hours. As for finishing a mini? I'll let you know. My current project has so far been about 20+ hours +/- and I still have another 10+ hours on the mini itself. This does not include any basework, sculpting, and whatnot I've also done for it. But, I am admittedly slow, tedious, and exacting in my painting (because it must match my "vision") so do not use me as a benchmark for how long it takes an average person to paint something. I take forever.

 

If it took a day or less to paint, that's speed painting to me. (See above statement)

 

Everyone paints at their own pace. I've seen amazing paint jobs done in just a few hours. It takes some people weeks. Some incredibly skilled painters have art backgrounds (formal training in college or private classes) that has given them additional skills and speed.

 

How quickly do you go through paint bottles? Does it make sense to get an extra bottle of one's most commonly-used paints, or do those bottles last a long time?

I have paint over 20 years old. Do not buy brush-on primer or metallics in large amounts... they have a bad tendency to go bad more quickly due to their chemical composition, white primer especially.

 

If there is a color you use a lot, it is not a bad idea to get an extra bottle if you paint a lot. If you don't paint a lot, then wait.

 

If you suspect or learn a favorite color is going OOP (out of production), snag a few bottles while you can.

 

Do you personally use a sealer? Have you ever regretted not doing so?

Always seal. You can even seal between layers to "save" your work. Got your eyes done? Hit it sealer in case a stray brush stroke ruins them. You can go back over that "ruined" area with a bit of diluted isopropyl alcohol and remove the offense without ruining your great job!

 

What are your ten most essential paints, the ones you personally use all the time for whatever reason?

Oof. Huh.

 

Walnut Brown, White Primer, Red Liner, Green Liner, Nightshade Purple, Linen White, Leather White, Clotted Red, Yellowed Ivory, Imperial Purple

 

And that's just a guess. I use a lot of different colors depending on what I'm painting. My current project, for instance, has no Walnut Brown or Nightshade Purple.

 

What painter do you think I absolutely must start being a fan of? What painter have you learned the most from since you started this hobby?

Anne Forester. Bar none.

Pingo. Listen to her words of wisdom.

Corporeal

Tiniest Rhombus

Mrs Boots

Knarthex (amazing bases)

The Greats: Marike Reimer, Jen Haley, Michael Genet, Rhonda Bender, Michael Proctor, John Bonnot

EVERYONE ELSE ON HERE because you can learn so much!!!

 

I learned a lot from Anne, but honestly I learned the most (and am still learning) from everyone on this forum. We all have knowledge tucked away that we happily share. If you want to know how we did something, ask!

 

And, what the heck, tell me what your favorite Reaper mini of all time is. Has to be one you've actually painted. I think my favorite is 77021 Lindir, Elf Archer. I butchered the face, but it's a fantastic mini and I learned a lot from painting him when I was just starting out.

Hahahaha... painted and finished? Then only Egyptian Sorceress 02485 would count, but she doesn't as she fell and broke as I was putting the final coat of Dullcote on her. That was in August of 2003. I haven't finished a mini since.

 

I have a lot of favorite Reaper minis, though, sitting in my queue, waiting... staring at me with accusing eyes...

 

Shush Deathsleet. T'Char is next.

[mrxak]

Thanks for all your responses so far, guys.

 

Don't stress too much about my second set of questions. They're basically just a getting-to-know-you sort of thing.