Contrast paint help

[crimsondave]

Can someone tell me why this happens to me so often when I use contrast paint?  Sometimes it looks great.  Others it’s this garbage.  I don’t get it.  That’s Flesh Tearers red.  I’ve used it before with good results.

Spoiler

I just stripped it and will use regular paint.

[Grotsmasha]

This happened to me with Flesh Tearers red too. Specifically, when the pot was low, less than a quarter left, and left the lid open too long while I painted. I feel like it was / or had dried out.

If you have Contrast Medium, add some in and give it a solid shake, or, buy a new pot.

Additionally with Flesh Tearers, I regularly close and shake it during paint sessions.

 

[crimsondave]

27 minutes ago, Grotsmasha said:

This happened to me with Flesh Tearers red too. Specifically, when the pot was low, less than a quarter left, and left the lid open too long while I painted. I feel like it was / or had dried out.

If you have Contrast Medium, add some in and give it a solid shake, or, buy a new pot.

Additionally with Flesh Tearers, I regularly close and shake it during paint sessions.

 

I suspect you are right, but I did add contrast medium.  I guess not enough.

 

Dark Angels green is very hard for me to use too.

Edited April 21 by crimsondave

[Grotsmasha]

1 hour ago, crimsondave said:

Dark Angels green is very hard for me to use too.

 

It's one of the ones where the pigment settles after its sat for a while. I've added an agitator to mine and shake until all the sediment is no longer visible from under the pot.

[sbarnby71]

One thing I'm seeing in the picture is where a very thick area of paint looks like you pulled a brush through it leaving the dried raised bits. I've done that so many times. When I use contrast I thin it a lot and do 2 layers minimum and allow them to dry for ages in between. Another thing on a big bit like that cloak I would do it in sections based on the creases and make sure you don't get too much pooling before you move to the next section. Contrast is tough to get right (well for me anyway).

[tychobi]

Thin your paint with a touch of water and it should regain its ability to flow. Contrast needs mixing and thinning just like a regular paint. 

[crimsondave]

I mean, I poured contrast medium in it and have two ball bearings in the pot.  Grotsmasha has me thinking it’s just too old or I let it dry out too much to salvage it with medium.  I’m guessing the shelf life for contrast is a lot shorter than regular paint.

Edited April 21 by crimsondave

[TheArtilleryman]

I found the opposite with my first attempt at contrast. It was so thin I could barely see any colour. Had to use about 5 coats before I felt like anything was there. The paint looked blue but it just wouldn’t stick.

[sitnam]

On 4/21/2025 at 12:53 PM, crimsondave said:

I mean, I poured contrast medium in it and have two ball bearings in the pot.  Grotsmasha has me thinking it’s just too old or I let it dry out too much to salvage it with medium.  I’m guessing the shelf life for contrast is a lot shorter than regular paint.

 

I love and use contrast a ton, but it is definitely a bit trickier to use. I had hell with Magosa Purple(a staple of mine) that kind of ruined a Flesh Eater Courts model for me. I'm pretty sure I was just too close to the bottom of the pot

[Madao]

I almost always add airbrush flow improver to contrasts when painting flat areas. I haven't been doing it in the past so my Tau are patchy, but now I rarely have issues with it. It will prevent pooling though, so do not use it for recess shading (and it works best over pre-highlited base).

[Cleon]

I'm not sure it results in what you are seeing, but I also find Contrast very sensitive to an incomplete/thin undercoat - it hates touching plastic.

[crimsondave]

Definitely not a thin undercoat, but it is Wraithbone on that cape, which I find to be not so great.  Idk.  It turned out OK (other than a few grains of dried paint I chose to ignore after seeing it too late) the with good old Khorne red.

 

Spoiler

 

Edited April 26 by crimsondave