Painting handout feedback

[Dark Trainer]

I'm running a newbie paint group at a hobby store and wanted to give a handout with some tips on it. I'd love feedback on the content. This will be a double sided half page basically. Ignore the formatting, just more interested on what i might be missing. Remember, this is about keeping it SIMPLE.

Page 1: 

Mini assembly & painting techniques

Tools:

1)      Hobby knife

2)      Sprue clippers

3)      Tiny file

4)      Glue (super glue OR plastic weld for minis, and Elmer’s glue for basing)

5)      Fine general detail paint brush

6)      Less detail (slightly bigger) paint brush for dry brush, wash, etc.

 

Model assembly:

1)      Use clippers to get clean cuts to remove pieces from sprue

2)      Strip mold lines with a hobby knife by scraping the line away (pull, don’t push if you can avoid it)

   a.      Careful not to confuse with detail of mini

3)      Use super glue or plastic weld to bond pieces

4)      Consider if basing material will be painted on top of, or be put on after fully painted (i.e. painted stone/sand vs grass tufts)

 

Base coat painting:

1)      Consider primer color (light, dark, or army painter base primer)

a.      Prime when temperature/humidity is right, bring inside to dry in a room with a fan

b.      Duplicolor auto primer White, Black, Grey is great

c.      Airbrushes are great, but not recommended until more skilled

2)      Paint from the deep recesses upwards (i.e. start in folds and finish with raised edges)

   a.      Pull don’t push your brush, keeps the tip sharp and unbent

   b.      Multi thin layers is better than one thick layer of paint

   c.      Good lighting & use an old CD as a paint palette if one is needed

   d.      Wash your brush frequently

   e.      Recommend one cup for metal paints and one for non-metal paints

   f.       Roll brush tip while pulling along a paper towel to keep sharp edge while drawing out the water for next paint application

   g.      Use distilled water to thin and restore paints (water dropper can help to control amount)

3) Base coats will always look unfinished by the time you’re done. Washing and Highlights will fix this later

 

Page 2:

 

Details and finishing:

1.      Washing:

   o   Washes are very watered down paints which are meant to allow the pigment to sink into the corners/recesses. This offers depth and shadow affects to your mini. This is the 1^st layer of depth

   o   Use correct less accurate brush

   o   Don’t be afraid to be generous just avoid heavy pooling on open/flat areas (unless you want shading)

   o   Light browns are often better than a harsh black wash, depends on your goal (smoky or dirty)

2.      Dry brushing:

   o   This method is an easy way to gain raised edges being in a lighter color.

   o   Use a lower quality brush as this will wear out brushes

   o   Apply the paint to the brush and wipe off as much as you can back into the pot or palette. Then generously wipe off most of the paint on a paper towel. Once the brush has minimal paint left, start smacking the brush in a single direction on raised edges (i.e Using a yellow on top of an orange shoulder to give the effect of light)

   o   Drawback: Dry brushing is great, but can waste a lot of paint

3.      Highlighting:

   o   Highlighting’s goal is similar to dry brushing, except you actively paint the edges/lines. Again light paint in the brush, but not dry

   o   Drawback: Requires significant brush control (where dry brushing is very forgiving)

4.      Sealer when paint is finished:

   o   Sealers are optional, but highly recommended to prevent chipping.

   o   Use Glossy or Semi glossy sealers for wet or shiny metal. This looks good on a shiny robot or a wet slimy bug. This does not look good on an army man in fatigues as he wouldn’t really be shiny. This is where matte sealers come into play.

      - WARNING: Matte sealers will destroy metal paints and make them look gray rather than shine. Consider a gloss or semi-gloss sealer first, then light scratch of matte if you don’t want the wet/shine look. (i.e. Army man might carrying a shiny metal gun).

[Guest]

It's simple until you get to the painting steps, which just are overloaded with suggestions and helpful hints. I suggest picking a suggested route for painting at each step, rather that giving suggested options or hints of how to do it. You wanted simple.

35 minutes ago, Dark Trainer said:

4)      Glue (super glue OR plastic weld, and Elmer’s glue)

^ this one seems a tad jumbled and I had to read it a couple of times to understand that you meant Elmer's Glue AND either super glue or plastic weld. I suggest making this one into two points, one for model glue and one for flock glue. I fear that a person skimming could buy only elmer's glue for model assembly...

 

[Ish]

1 hour ago, Dark Trainer said:

b.      Duplicolor auto primer White, Black, Grey is great

Rust-Oleum Specialty Camouflage Spray Paint is a fantastic primer and base layer for anyone who wants to have an “earth tone” as their base color.  Bonds great with both plastic, pewter, and FW resin; gives a great matte finish that takes layer paints and washes very well; you can do a whole platoon of Guardsmen with one 16 oz can; and it’s cheap.

You’re only options are various shades of brown or green, but that covers a lot of potential armies.

I’ve done Dark Angels, Death Guard, Tau, orcs, goblins, dragons, centaurs, treemen, elves, undead, and more Imperial Guard than can be counted with these things over the years...

[WestRider]

Krylon Fusion (matte finish only) and Krylon Camo also make great primers.

Also, there's a good indexed guide to painting terminology here. Thor has a number of other good tutorials on there as well, some of them aimed at those just starting out.

[Dark Trainer]

Thanks everyone, great feedback so far! This will help alot. Good tips on the primers!

[Ish]

The Warhammer TV YouTube videos with Duncan and Citadel’s base/layer/wash system and their technical paints. I’ve been painting miniatures for many years, but those two things have seriously improved my painting game. 

I’m sure that there are better ways to do things for that top notch, contest winning sort of painter... But for someone who just wants a really good looking army for playing the game? Duncan is the man.