Mixing paint

[Kol Saresk]

I do and don't get this. I sort of get the concept of 2 parts of this to 1 part of that but how big is a part? And how do you tell if the ratio is right? Do you just go "Well that blob of Kantor Blue is two times bigger than the blob of Regal Blue I'm mixing it with so it is 2:1, Kantor to Regal." It's just confusing is all and I really wouldn't mind it if someone explained it to me.

[Durus]

Well, a part is a relative measurement. The thing is the parts have to be of consistent volume in order to get the right ratio each time you mix something. You can mix 2 parts of Kantor with 1 part of Regal Blue using buckets or drops, depending on how much paint you want to mix, the resulting colour should be the same. The important part is consistency within each instance of using a recipe.

 

I usually take paint out of the pot and mix it with the back of my brush handle. So that's the relative amount of paint I use to recreate certain tones. Unless you use a dropper or someting like that there's always a bit of eyeballing involved.

 

Hope that helps. :)

[Brother Nihm]

but how big is a part

as big as you want. It depends on how much paint you will be using.

 

Me,

I eyeball it, and start small.

 

2:1 ratio for me could mean 2 drops of the first, 1 drop of the latter.

 

And how do you tell if the ratio is right?

When the paint hue is as you want it to be when it goes on to the model (and has dried).

Remember, even though you have mixed your paint the final colour can still be changed based on the colour of the underlying basecoat, the thickness of the paint you are using (say - if you thin it with water), etc.

 

In short, personal experience.

[Gurth]

how big is a part?

A "part" is whatever volume you want it to be. If you mix two pots of Kantor Blue with one pot of Regal Blue, you've mixed two parts to one; if you mix two brushfulls of Kantor Blue with one brushfull of Regal Blue, you've done the same. What "so many parts this to that many parts that" means is simply the ratio of one to the other: whether you measure in brushfulls, drops, millilitres, paint pots, litres or whole buckets doesn't matter.

[GumbaFish]

I do all of my mixing on a wet palette so I place the first color, then the second color next to it as opposed to directly into the first color. I find this helps me better eyeball the ratios as I can compare the size of each component. If you are really fussy you could write down notes like "one size 1 brushfull of paint a: one dab of paint b" if the drop sizes arent the same etc... I find the more experience I have the less I worry about exact formulas and the more I rely on eyeballing it. Droppers do make things easier, but even different manufacturers have different sized droplets, or depnding how hard you squeeze the bottle, or if it gets an air bubble, well you see where I am going =) Ultimately you probably cant tell the difference between 2:1 and 1.9:1 and there will always be a little guesswork to get it right unless you use something ridiculous like a micropipette!

 

In essence yeah it is this blob is 2x the other so its 2:1 ratio.

[Lorenzen]

ratios become easier if you use dropper bottles as you can then mix 1 drop to 2 drops etc.. thusly vallejo ftw.

[Warbringer]

I just 1ml syringes from work as that helps to get things measured nicely

[Kol Saresk]

Okay thanks guys. i haven't messed with it yet and I've read all sorts of things from GW, people on here and elsewhere where people are just pumping out ratios for mixing paint and I just wasn't sure if there was some sort of standard system to it or if it was simply a mix of personal preference with personal experience. So thanks again.