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[NeoBiggs]

Hey everyone, I wanted to take some time to post some painting tips and products that I use and have picked up from other sources around the web (including top painters in the business). Overall, I hope some of you are able to take away from this and begin moving forward in your painting abilities.

Thinning your paints

This is the major game changer which will elevate your painting alone by itself. So what do I mean by thinning your paints? If you have any experience using Games Workshop paints, you will know that they go on quite thick and can often obscure details or give a "caked on" look. By thinning your paints, you will be able to get the coverage without losing any of the details but there is a catch... It will take more coats of paint to cover a surface but rest assured, the extra effort is worth it in the end. Rather than covering a surface in one or two coats, it may take 3-5 coats of paint, but you will lose little if any detail in the process. Depending on the paint, it may take more or less coats, so it really varies by color.

First off, I must state that I use empty eye dropper bottles which I purchased off ebay (50 bottles for like 8-9 dollars) which are invaluable for mixing thinning and paint recipes, etc. If you have the coin, invest in these, you won't regret it.

On to how to thin your paints...

1. Water - This is the easiest and cheapest method you can use for thinning your paints. If you are unable to use any of the other methods I point out, then by all means go this route.

Now, what is the ratio?
You want to get the consistency to that of skim milk. Now as you progress you will understand what I mean, so for now, I use a ratio of about 2:1 (paint:water) depending on how thick the paint is, you don't want it too thin, but thicker paints like foundations require more than regular paints. This is where having the dropper bottles will also come in handy as they allow you to precisely measure your drops to get accurate ratios. If you use GW paints, things will get a little more trickier and you will have to eyeball it to get the consistency. Again, having the dropper bottles, you can transfer all of your paint from the GW pots into dropper bottles which will allow you to measure out your paint, and the dropper bottles will not dry out your paint like the GW pots do.

2. Water/Flow Improver - This is one of the thinning recipes that I use. The brand Liquitex makes what is called "Flow Improver" and it makes the flow of the paint much smoother and breaks up surface tension which literally eliminates paint strokes and any other brush marks while painting.

Ratio? I mix the two in a dropper bottle at a ratio of 20:1 (Water:Flow Improver) as this is state on the Liquitex product itself. Using the ratios mentioned above, I often use this as my primary thinning recipe. I also use Bottled water which is free of minerals and other contaminants which can have an effect on your paint. I bought a jug of filtered water for like 2 dollars and I still haven't put a dent in it yet, worth the extra couple dollars!

3. This is the recipe of Jen Haley who is a professional miniature painter and multiple Golden Demon winner. Her recipe is as follows...

50% water - 25% Flow Aid (Liquitex) - 25% Slo Dri (Liquitex)

Again, these are pre-mixed in a dropper bottle. The Slo Dri is a fluid retarder and what I mean by that is, it keeps the paint wetter for longer.
This is great for blending colors together on the surface of the model and is more of an advanced technique, even one that I struggle to master still.

I will also use this in the ratios stated above (2:1 paint:thinner)

There are other products you can use as well....
Matte medium - this is essentially paint without pigment (color) it is just this white looking goo and when added to paint, it makes it more transparent (much like thinning does) but does not break down the thickness of the paint. I am not much of a fan of using matte medium for thinning in comparison to the other methods stated above.

Vallejo Thinning Medium - Vallejo makes a thinner in their own dropper bottle which is decent. The problem is that you will go through it more quickly and costs the same as a bottle of Vallejo paint (between 3-4 dollars). I have a few bottles but do not use them much and would only really use them if I ran out of the other recipes which I won't.

If you don't have access to the "flow improver" you can always go into your kitchen and take your dish soap, and add it to some water at a ratio of 20:1 (water:detergent) as the flow improver is essentially the same thing. Add it to the water, not the other way around, or else you will get a nice bubbly bath, which is what you don't want.


Paints

I primarily use Vallejo Game Color. This is a direct competition to GW's lineup of paints and I prefer them because of the dropper bottles which allow me to measure my paints and they do not dry out. I bought the suitcase online which comes with 72 colors for about 165 dollars but I was lucky and got a great deal on it. You can generally see the set going for around 200-240 dollars. I have a printout chart which shows GW's color names and what Vallejo's equivalents are. Every color that GW makes, Vallejo makes so it works out great!

Next I use Vallejo Model Colors which have a larger amount of colors available and are a primary favorite amongst military modelers and other hobby enthusiasts. The paint is far more delicate so I really only go for colors I cannot find in the Game Color range.

Next I use Vallejo Model Air Colors. These are paints specifically designed for use in airbrushes without any thinning needed prior to use. The selection is limited so if I need to use a color in the airbrush not found in the Model Air lineup, but found in my Game Colors, I mix the paint with "Liquitex Airbrush Medium" at a ratio of 1:1 before putting it into the airbrush.

Last, I use GW paints. I have almost the entire set but they really don't get much use in comparison to Vallejo's paints. I don't care for the pot design nor do I care for the drying out factor especially considering the cost. GW gives you 12 ml of paint per pot which dries out if not used properly, while Vallejo gives you 17 ml per bottle and a nice screw down dropper bottle which is perfect for measuring paint for thinning, mixing colors, etc.

For metallics, I use the silver colors from GW (they did a good job there) but for golds I use the alcohol based Oro Liquido by Vallejo, and are by far the best gold paints you can buy.

I do use foundation paints as well (thinned) as they provide great coverage.

Primers - I use Vallejo surface primer through my airbrush to prime all of my models but for those who do not have an airbrush, I would use Krylon spray paint. If you can find "Krylon Fusion for Plastic Flat Black" then by all means go that route. It is specially formulated for plastics, but I have used the regular Krylon with zero issues many of times. You can use the GW stuff too, but it is quite pricey. It does have good quality though.

Sealers - The only sealer I use and swear by is "Krylon Crystal Clear Flat." This stuff will knock the shine/gloss off of anything and leave a nice flat finish. Even some "matte" sealers leave a semi-gloss coat which I dislike to a great extent. Testors makes a "dullcotte" which works very well, but you get such a small amount for the price, try to stick with the Krylon stuff if you can, I promise you'll never use anything else.


Washes

GW Washes - these are pretty straight forward and most commonly used to bring out details on models. My only advice is to take the time to clean up and major pooling that occurs from using the wash as it will dry and leave paint rings and other unwanted effects on the model. I do think they are decent when used properly.

Custom Washes - using Vallejo paints and Vallejo glaze medium, I mix at a ratio of about 10:1 (glaze medium:paint) and this creates a very thin wash consistency. Glaze medium is used to create transparent paint which when applied to a surface changes the color or hue of the surface. The term "glazing" is a more advanced technique that I recommend looking up videos on youtube for a better understanding.

Oil Colors - Using oil paints and turpentine you can create a wash as well. I would advise against going this route unless you absolutely know what you are doing. The turp will wreck your models if they are not properly sealed, and you will get high as a kite or possibly die if you are not in a well ventilated room. I rarely use this method because I do not have proper ventilation and therefore refrain from this method for the time being. You can achieve some really cool results, but using the previous methods will do just fine.

Tip - When using washes, coating the model with gloss varnish prior will allow the wash to flow much easier into the crevices. When you seal the model with satin or matte varnish (or in my case Flat) it will flatten the gloss finish so you aren't left with a glossy looking model.


Brushes

Having a good set of brushes is another big step in the right direction. Having multiple brushes of different sizes will allow you to accomplish different tasks. I use somewhere between 3-7 brushes when painting a model. The brand of brush is important as well. I use Kolinsky Red Sable brushes for competition level pieces (these are expensive at 10-15 dollars per brush, yikes!) and for tabletop painting I will use brands like Winsor and Newton acrylic brushes.

Taking care of your brushes is equally important. I use "The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver" to clean and reshape my brushes after painting. Since I pay a decent amount of money for brushes, it only makes sense to try and stretch as much mileage out of them as possible. This is especially important for fine detail brushes to maintain that fine point.


Misc

Pigment Powders - Pigment powders are just that, powdered pigments. You add them to tank tracks, rivets, metals (rust and oil), etc. to give realistic weathering effects. The military modeler scene has been using these for years and with great results. I currently use "Vallejo Rust and Oil" pigments and "MIG Earth and Sand" pigments. They are somewhat pricey, but produce great results.


The best advice I can give is to go on youtube and watch tutorials on how others paint models. I spent the last two years watching tutorial after tutorial until I could paint models in my sleep lol. The knowledge you learn from seeing it in action is more valuable than reading about it and having to guess at what is being described.

Most of all though, don't be afraid to try new techniques. The only way you will improve is by practicing and trying new things. Having a couple practice minis never hurts either ( I practice on all my tactical marines form the black reach starter set).

I hope you are able to gain something from this, if I think of anything else I will post it. I apologize if some of the descriptions are vague. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability or point you in the right direction! Good Luck!

[JC 042]

I offer some 'eavy metal painting experience as well name a colour and I can replicate the best wayto paint it, however there are colours i dont have experience with like purple yellow and green. But the stuff I do know are styles I always use all the time. Example: Gold
A basecoat of Catachan brown (name might be wrong, its the brown foundation)
Layer of Dwarven bronze
Layer of Shinning gold, avoiding reccesses
Thinned down Devlin mud wash
A highlight of Mythril silver
A wash of Gryphon sypea, slightly watered down
This gives a shiny and tarnished metal look, the kind you would see on a large section of armour, not a tiny peice of jewellery.

[Darkanis]

Awesome man, I recommend using a wet pallet also. Keeps your paint from drying out and helps thin it. I bought a wet pallet the uses wax paper but you can easily use a damp paper towel.