Questions from a noob

[DixonGrfx]

Wet Palette:  I like the idea of them. I have tried several variants of them. Making my own, buying one. My problem is that I still live in Texas and the paint still dies out faster than the palette can re-hydrate the paint. I've tried all kinds of different papers from different producers and if I can find a paper that lets enough water through and it keeps the paint wet, it deteriorates while I am working with the paint and fibers end up on the mini...   ERG... They have been a bigger hassle than help for me.  In the end I ended up going back to a well palette. So my wife bought me a nice ceramic well palette this last Christmas. And I am much happier now. It cleans up pretty easy and it has a ceramic lid to help extend the life of the paint when I need to get up for a few mins. That's my personal experience with different paint pallets. for what it's worth.

 

 

My favorite painted mini...  that I painted

 

[dsmiles]

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 primer for BONES. Well, technically, it's a very dark, but still pretty translucent, paint, that's used for darklining minis. Lining is the practice of painting thin lines between areas to differentiate them. Not everybody uses it.

 

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?

A glaze is thinner than a wash. I use mostly ink glazes which I apply in a 1:10 or 1:15 ink-to-distilled water ratio. I use them to "tone" a color, or, from time to time, paint an entire model with. It's a very long process, the way I do it. (As an example, if I highlight red with white to get some extra "pop," I'll go back over it with a red ink glaze to tone it away from pink.

 

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

Depends on the amount of coverage you're looking for. I mostly use HD paints for basecoating. They have a higher pigment density, and get better coverage even after thinning.

 

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 don't use one yet, but I'll get there one day. I understand that it cuts down on the actual amount of paint that you use, and you can keep a blob of paint active longer. Beyond that...experimentation is the key to success.

 

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?

Speedpaint for tabletop? Hour-and-a-half to two hours, not counting drying time, or the time I spend on other minis. I usually have 3-5 minis going at a time when I'm painting for tabletop.

Better quality paint jobs take me longer...

 

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'm still working my way through paint pots that I bought in 2006... The ones that I use the most of...black, white, certain grays and browns, and P3 Blighted Gold, I've probably replaced twice in that time.

 

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

I'm a hardcore sealer. I put on two coats of Liquitex Gloss Varnish, followed by enough Liquitex Matte Varnish to kill the shine. MY MINIS ARE INDESTRUCTABLE!!! (Except when they're not.)

 

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

In order:

P3 Blighted Gold (I'd be lost without this one.)

Black

White

RMS Pumpkin Orange

Liquitex Burnt Sienna

Liquitex Payne's Grey

Liquitex Prussian Blue

P3 Pig Iron

RMS Linen White

RMS Nightmare Black

 

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?

Tough one. My personal favorites are Marike Reimer and Corporea (right here on the forums).

Who have I learned the most from? Jessica Rich. Her DVD set from Dark Sword was the first one I bought (and actually watched...I have the Marike set, but haven't found time to go through it yet).

 

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.

Tie between 03357: Golgoth the Ancient and 10006: Gauth. Ol' Golgoth is soon to be replaced by the Froghemoth, of course.

Answers in red.

[mrxak]

Another few questions just for fun.

 

I'm a writer, and writers have this saying, "nothing's ever finished, merely published". I get the definite impression a lot of you feel a similar way about minis. So... when do you do personally decide it's time to stop painting and "publish" your mini, whether or not you think it's "finished"?

 

How do you personally go about choosing what to paint next? For me, it's what I think I'll be able to use in a tabletop RPG. I have several homebrew campaigns I run with different groups, and I kind of know I'll need a certain number of goblins, a certain number of halflings, a certain number of crazy frog guys... I also know the sorts of classes my players tend to play and focus on those for hero minis. For those of you painting for art's sake or just for fun, what makes a particular mini especially appealing to you?

 

How many minis do you paint a year?

[Gadgetman!]

Wet Palette:  I like the idea of them. I have tried several variants of them. Making my own, buying one. My problem is that I still live in Texas and the paint still dies out faster than the palette can re-hydrate the paint. I've tried all kinds of different papers from different producers and if I can find a paper that lets enough water through and it keeps the paint wet, it deteriorates while I am working with the paint and fibers end up on the mini...   ERG... They have been a bigger hassle than help for me.

Was your wet palettes airtight boxes?

I mean, REALLY airtight...

[Glitterwolf]

Wet Palette:  I like the idea of them. I have tried several variants of them. Making my own, buying one. My problem is that I still live in Texas and the paint still dies out faster than the palette can re-hydrate the paint. I've tried all kinds of different papers from different producers and if I can find a paper that lets enough water through and it keeps the paint wet, it deteriorates while I am working with the paint and fibers end up on the mini...   ERG... They have been a bigger hassle than help for me.  In the end I ended up going back to a well palette. So my wife bought me a nice ceramic well palette this last Christmas. And I am much happier now. It cleans up pretty easy and it has a ceramic lid to help extend the life of the paint when I need to get up for a few mins. That's my personal experience with different paint pallets. for what it's worth.

 

 

 

 

 

I use a large piece of foam, as a sponge, baking paper and that works great.

 

Just make sure the sponge is real wet when it is hot.

 

Love the tiger btw.

[amuller33]

Another few questions just for fun.

 

I'm a writer, and writers have this saying, "nothing's ever finished, merely published". I get the definite impression a lot of you feel a similar way about minis. So... when do you do personally decide it's time to stop painting and "publish" your mini, whether or not you think it's "finished"?

 

How do you personally go about choosing what to paint next? For me, it's what I think I'll be able to use in a tabletop RPG. I have several homebrew campaigns I run with different groups, and I kind of know I'll need a certain number of goblins, a certain number of halflings, a certain number of crazy frog guys... I also know the sorts of classes my players tend to play and focus on those for hero minis. For those of you painting for art's sake or just for fun, what makes a particular mini especially appealing to you?

 

How many minis do you paint a year?

When is it Finished? I find there is a point of diminishing returns where the effort I put into an element will require more corrections and won't substanially increase the overall value. For example at a certain Point i give up on eyes. The amount of work to try .. then fix and fix aagin is just too much for eyes that are OK. Better to spend the effort on the next mini ( Says the guy that Bought teh entire Bones 1 and Bones 2 line) 

My choice is usally based on what skill I work with. If I want to work on eyes I will get a half dozen simple figure but with clear faces, If I want to work on shading I will get some robed figures. At the same time I will usually fill in requests of fellow players for tabletop.

 

194 minis in 16 months since I started painting or 12 a month. Mind you that is skewed with a LOT of Skeletons, rats and furniture I did in mass painting firs :)

 

AJ

[hammer570]

 

Another few questions just for fun.

 

I'm a writer, and writers have this saying, "nothing's ever finished, merely published". I get the definite impression a lot of you feel a similar way about minis. So... when do you do personally decide it's time to stop painting and "publish" your mini, whether or not you think it's "finished"?

 

How do you personally go about choosing what to paint next? For me, it's what I think I'll be able to use in a tabletop RPG. I have several homebrew campaigns I run with different groups, and I kind of know I'll need a certain number of goblins, a certain number of halflings, a certain number of crazy frog guys... I also know the sorts of classes my players tend to play and focus on those for hero minis. For those of you painting for art's sake or just for fun, what makes a particular mini especially appealing to you?

 

How many minis do you paint a year?

When is it Finished? I find there is a point of diminishing returns where the effort I put into an element will require more corrections and won't substanially increase the overall value. For example at a certain Point i give up on eyes. The amount of work to try .. then fix and fix aagin is just too much for eyes that are OK. Better to spend the effort on the next mini

 

 

Totally agree here.  I could've spent many more hours on each of the minis I've done and my experience pales in comparison to AJ and other board members, but at least speaking for myself there comes a time when you just feel it's done.  It's like "Well, I *cooooould* keep pouring more work into this guy but will it really make a worthwhile difference?" (edit:punctuation)   Diminishing returns is a very fitting way to describe it.

Edited February 12, 2016 by hammer570

[Kheprera]

Finished...

 

 

What does this word mean?

 

j/k

 

It is finished when I can look at it and the shadows and midtones and highlights are done and smooth and the fiddly bits are done and it looks finished and I am comfortable enough to set it down and stop fiddling with it.

 

Yes, I really can finish a model, but it takes me time and once I get an idea stuck solidly in my head about it that image has to come out. My current project has been hard because there is a lot to I have never done before and I chose a hard mini with difficult colors.

[DixonGrfx]

Thanks for the wet palette suggestions. I appreciate it.

 

 

I'm a writer, and writers have this saying, "nothing's ever finished, merely published". I get the definite impression a lot of you feel a similar way about minis. So... when do you do personally decide it's time to stop painting and "publish" your mini, whether or not you think it's "finished"?

 

 

I could fiddle with a mini for almost forever. But at some point the pleasure of painting gets replaced with boredom, or frustration. It's at that point when I'll put a mini down and move on to the next. I always have it in my mind that painting minis is my hobby that I do for fun. When it stops being fun, that's when its time to stop. 

 

How do I pick my next mini to paint?  Whatever tickles my fancy at the time. "OOOhhh,  that looks like it would be fun to paint!"

 

Mow many do I paint in a year?  Not nearly as many as I would like. Mostly between 6 and 10 projects.  And I would count a small group of similar mins as one project. But last year I tried flexing my creative talents by sculpting a bunch of hens and a couple of rosters. That was a fun project. Cut into my paint time tho.

[Doug Sundseth]

Wet Palette:  I like the idea of them. I have tried several variants of them. Making my own, buying one. My problem is that I still live in Texas and the paint still dies out faster than the palette can re-hydrate the paint. I've tried all kinds of different papers from different producers and if I can find a paper that lets enough water through and it keeps the paint wet, it deteriorates while I am working with the paint and fibers end up on the mini...   ERG... They have been a bigger hassle than help for me.  In the end I ended up going back to a well palette. So my wife bought me a nice ceramic well palette this last Christmas. And I am much happier now. It cleans up pretty easy and it has a ceramic lid to help extend the life of the paint when I need to get up for a few mins. That's my personal experience with different paint pallets. for what it's worth.

 

IME, purpose-designed palette papers are designed for tube paints, which have a low-surface-area to volume ratio, so don't need much hydration. Additionally, our thinned paints tend to flow down through the paper into the sponge below much more than I would like.

 

I have gone entirely to baker's parchment rather than palette paper, which doesn't break down like the palette paper does, is really cheap and easy to find (so I don't mind throwing it away) and keeps my paint in better condition.

 

FWIW, I live in Denver and regularly paint in the winter when indoor relative humidity is in the single digits.

[ub3r_n3rd]

 

Wet Palette:  I like the idea of them. I have tried several variants of them. Making my own, buying one. My problem is that I still live in Texas and the paint still dies out faster than the palette can re-hydrate the paint. I've tried all kinds of different papers from different producers and if I can find a paper that lets enough water through and it keeps the paint wet, it deteriorates while I am working with the paint and fibers end up on the mini...   ERG... They have been a bigger hassle than help for me.  In the end I ended up going back to a well palette. So my wife bought me a nice ceramic well palette this last Christmas. And I am much happier now. It cleans up pretty easy and it has a ceramic lid to help extend the life of the paint when I need to get up for a few mins. That's my personal experience with different paint pallets. for what it's worth.

 

IME, purpose-designed palette papers are designed for tube paints, which have a low-surface-area to volume ratio, so don't need much hydration. Additionally, our thinned paints tend to flow down through the paper into the sponge below much more than I would like.

 

I have gone entirely to baker's parchment rather than palette paper, which doesn't break down like the palette paper does, is really cheap and easy to find (so I don't mind throwing it away) and keeps my paint in better condition.

 

FWIW, I live in Denver and regularly paint in the winter when indoor relative humidity is in the single digits.

 

Yep, this!

 

I live in Las Vegas and I use my wet palette most of the time. I also use Reynolds Parchment paper. As Doug says, it's very cheap, easy to use and doesn't break down.

Edited February 12, 2016 by ub3r_n3rd

[knarthex]

It does break through, however. ..

[Doug Sundseth]

It does break through, however. ..

 

I throw it out long before that's an issue. Since I use paper towels instead of a sponge (mostly) and parchment, I can switch out the entire contents of the palette every couple of painting sessions without much loss, which also keeps mold down.

[ub3r_n3rd]

 

It does break through, however. ..

 

I throw it out long before that's an issue. Since I use paper towels instead of a sponge (mostly) and parchment, I can switch out the entire contents of the palette every couple of painting sessions without much loss, which also keeps mold down.

 

I should start using paper towels. I have a few sponges that I rotate (wash the dirty ones in with towels and let air dry).

 

ETA: I use the parchment paper for probably 4 days to a week at a time depending on how much painting I'm doing, usually I'll re-use it 2-3 x by just rinsing off the old paint in the sink.

Edited February 12, 2016 by ub3r_n3rd

[robinh]

I use the parchment as well.    My wet pallet is a games workshop plastic box that had terrain in it (comes with a very good seal able lid)  into which I place1/2 a paper towel folded up which is soaked to the point of dripping.  To this I add my parchment paper and then the paint on top.  Once I am done with the colors I just toss the small pieces of parchment and add another.  (the paints will stay workable for days).    I highly recommend it.