Shooting for the next level

[chaplaincliff]

Hey all, so a few painting questions, I am really trying to get my painting to a new level, but with that I will need to get a few things straightened out with my current techniques to start upping my level...

 

1) Firstly is 'ard coat, what the heck is it for, I managed to get a pot about 2 years ago for .50 cents (along with about 20 other pots) but I have yet to figure out what it is for and would like to know if it would help me somehow.

 

2) The next is inks and washes, I get washes and use them extensively, but inks seem to baffle me a bit, I mostly use them to put a shine on a place, like an optical sensor or power sword, is a wash just a watered down ink, or are they different, in fact the wash almost seems like a watercolor, are watercolors useable as washes?

 

3) The number of paints for an army, I am currently using 31 for my Black Templars, is that insane? I just laid them all out in a sort of sample sheet with the names and a line of paint to see what I am using and maybe put aside the many pots I have spare, and it seems like I have a lot but they all seem to be used, I can pick out where all of them have a point of use.

 

4) Brushes, I know a lot of people use very specific kinds, but I have been using the 3050 series by the Princeton Art & Brush Co. I love them alot but wwhat else is there to look at or are these pretty good?

 

5) watering down paints, how much, when, why? I do it sometimes for a better flow, but I seem to not need it so much, why do so many people do this all the time, it seems like it is a waste a bit for me, or am i missing something huge here, I get whites, I have to do that for a smooth coverage, but since I am slowly converting over to Reaper Master Series Paints I am finding they flow fine with very little to no watering down.

 

6) dry brushing, I can do it ok, but there seems to be a bit that I am missing, I am not sure what I am doing wrong so please help.

 

I know this is a lot of questions, but I really want to enhance my painting, everyone says I am pretty good at it, but I think I am pretty bad really, what to do... so I come to you all here and humbly ask for your help, fell free to look at my work so far on my gallery here on the B&C to give some added tips.

 

thank you all,

 

-Chaplin Cliff

[Razblood]

1. Ardcoat is Gloss Varnish.

 

2. Inks and Washes are very different as Inks tend to have a stronger pigment. It sounds like your using Inks in a way that works for you so stick with that.

 

3. If it takes 31 paints to get the effect you want then that is how many you should use. I use around 25 - 30 myself :lol:

 

4. If the brushes you are using work well for you then stick with them, saying that though I can recommend the Army Painter Brushes.

 

5. When thinning paints you want a consistency akin to semi-skimmed milk, The reason behind this is that although some paints feel as though they flow well enough they will never layer as smoothly as they would if thinned. Have to admit that I sometimes don't thin if I think I can swing it.

 

6. Trial and error is the only thing to do when it comes to drybrushing, although when you think you've wiped enough paint off the brush you should always give it another wipe just to be on the safe side is the best advice I can give.

 

Hope this helps :lol:

[Jacinda]

1. 'Ard Coat is basically a protective varnish. It is also a high gloss finish. Put it where you want a polished shine. Most people never use this at all and just use a matte clear coat spray so the whole model is dull with no shiny spots.

 

2. Inks and washes are polar opposites. Where washes are a little bit of pigment in a thin suspension, inks are almost pure liquid pigments. Also, washes will tend to darken and mute the under color where inks are bright and will make the area where you use them visually pop. Inks were all the rage briefly in the 90's but have been relegated to use as glazes when thinned down now.

 

[edit to add] Here is a quick trick for one way to use ink. Paint a power sword's blade boltgun metal. Over that, lay a few lighting bolt lines in skull white along the blade. Once dry, give it a wash with slightly thinned blue ink. One or two coats is enough to give it a sharp glowing blue look. The blue ink over the white paint will shine bright. The ink will also pool like a wash on the sword edge and along the little power probe near the hilt giving those edges a darker cast. Quick way for a nice power sword effect.

 

3. Actually that sounds about right. A simple painting scheme will have 3 paints per color. The base color plus one shade different higher and lower for shadow and highlight. While the idea of a 3 color mini is common for tournament play, that same model will actually have more than 3 base colors. Take an ultramarine. First off you need blue and yellow. Red for the weapon. Boltgun metal for the barrel and receiver. Green for the frag grenades. Black for the weapon grip. Grey for the soft point in the armor. White for skulls (and there are always skulls somewhere). That's 8 colors and we have not even started on washes or highlights. 31 colors for a chapter is up there but far from being OTT.

 

4. Use whatever brush you are comfortable with is the primary rule for picking a brush. Some of the newer synthetics are very competitive with the sables at a lower price. I like Lowel and Cornell. They are very soft bristles and I have used them for makeup for years so they sort of fit my hand better than most now. Windsor & Newton are another popular choice. Master Touch, Army painter, there are several brands that are better quality for the same or lower price as the GW brushes.

 

5. Watering paints. Different paints need different amounts. Also, there are different ways to thin your paint. Tap water works, distilled water is better. I like to use an artist Matte Medium like has been used with acrylics for a long time. I also use a flow control paint additive with the medium. The medium helps thin the paint without loss of opacity. The flow control breaks the surface tension of the paint so that it lays flat, seeps into crevices and covers smoothly.

 

On average, I thin the paint 1:1 with my mixture. Blood Red and Dark Angel Green I mix at 4:1 paint to thinner. You should be able to tell which ones need thinning most just by shaking and opening the pot. Does it stay piled up in the lid and sort of flow slowly down like chocolate syrup over ice cream? That needs to be thinned. NEEDS to be thinned. If you dip your brush in the paint and it bulbs out around the brush when you pull it out, that's too thick. It will act the same way on the model, clinging to ridges and filling in all those pretty details making your cool Grey Knight purifier look like a 2nd Edition "plastic pill" marine.

 

6. Pics would help see what you feel is wrong but I can give you my "less than pro" tips.

For the old school, model tank drybrushing, it is pretty much what is sounds. I use an old GW tank brush for this. Dip just the tip into the paint -- no need to thin this paint, leave it thick. Then, on a paper towel, punch the tip down a few times. Go about half; you do NOT want to bottom out on the burl. Then flip the tip around in circles on the paper towel until it quits leaving marks. Then on your model, drag the brush back and forth across and hard edges you want to highlight. Start with very light pressure and move the brush quickly back and forth like you are dusting the model with the brush. This will leave some paint on edges and corners and light streaks on the flat surfaces.

 

Another way of dry brushing uses a flat, wide bristle brush. Again dab just a small amount on the tip but do not stab the brush like we did in the old school way. Instead, just flip the brush back and forth on the paper towel until you see very little to no paint coming off. On the model, hold the brush at a steep angle and pull it across where you want the dry brush effect. Hold it like you are sweeping the floor and use gentle pressure at first. This has the advantage of going only where you want it unlike the over all dusting you get with the big round brush.

 

Either way, the key is to rub off all the paint before you start on the model. If you still see paint coming off on the paper towel it is too wet. You should err on the side of too dry. If the brush is too dry, you can get more paint. If it is too wet, you just screwed up your base paint job. When in doubt, it is too wet.

 

Hope that helps.

[chaplaincliff]

thank you both, I have now been trying the ink a bit differently and gotten some fun effects, as well as just today purchaseing some matte medium and flow improver, and a stippling brush. the help is great, if anyone else has some tips i am all ears!