Reddit mentions: The best art paints

Get a respirator with gas/vapour filters, the amount of paint you'll see on the filters after just a couple of uses will justify it! I got this kit: https://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/3M-6000-Half-Mask-Airbrushing-Pack-3M6000ABK.html and am happy with it!

I sprayed without it a couple of times and felt light headed afterwards, and was blowing paint out of my nostrils for a while after, I always use the mask since.

Because of the cats, an extracting painting station is a good idea if you can paint near a window or other outlet for the pipe, but you'd want to self build one with a really meaty fan (sealed bathroom extractor), as the generic kits you can buy tend to have a very low flow computer fan in them that simply doesn't do anything at all.

I have this: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Spray-Booth-Extraction-Filter/dp/B0050BQQUW

And the fan just is nowhere near strong enough. For now I run a normal household fan pointing at the painting area which is right next to an open window.... and hope for the best! At some point I will replace the fan as it really is not good enough right now.

At the very least, a cardboard box to catch overspray is a must.

As for the airbrush itself, I got this kit and its excellent https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JAJTKWQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

the compressor and tank are absolutely great, the airbrush is cheap but very cheerful, I may get another for more precise work later but for now it's plenty! Make sure to remove the plug from the bottom of the tank after every use to let condensation drain out and avoid rust.

Useful accessories:

• Cleaning pot: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01JRON3UI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  You spray cleaner through the airbrush into this pot as its a harmful chemical when atomised, the pot catches and collects the liquid cleanly and safely. Has a filter where the air comes out.
  
  
• Cleaning solution: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002X6BNYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Thinner: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002X6DTHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Add a couple drops before adding paint to the cup on the brush, then stir together. Makes your paint go further and apply neater - always thin your paints :)
  
  
• A turntable is helpful if you want to varnish using airbrush (would recommend). I got one bundled in with the extractor station.
  
  I hope that's all helpful :)

I think it's cool you want to pick up a hobby your father had. It will be a nice reminder every time you pick up the gun.

I use this 100% for miniatures, and it works great!!

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Alright, here is the list I bought. It's a bit more than you want to spend, but this will ensure you can get going right away, and not be frustrated. I did a fair amount of research on different forums, sites, and youtube videos. If you want to know why I chose something, feel free to ask. I was going to bold the ones that you absolutely need, but I would say everything in the first set are a must.

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• Airbrush - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQKFAI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Compressor - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TDNKBMC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (One of the quietest compressors - I use it in the house and my gf can't hear it kick on, and she sleeps in the room right above it.)
  
• Airbrush Hose - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BF7NJ78/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Moisture Trap - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQO8WY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Couplers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TFE7WK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Didn't need this big of a set, but if you end up with tools for the compressor they will come in handy.)
  
• Airbrush Cleaner kit - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y3MG6Z4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Respirator - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4EB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Extra Filters - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTP9MDO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  
• Cleaner - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TJA0S6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Thinner - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X6DTHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Improver - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QD780G0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  
• Primer I use for minis - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BMZVMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  For the compressor, I keep mine at about 18-20 while doing miniatures and it's perfect.
  
  I do 1 drop Improver, 5 drops thinner, and 6 drops primer and have perfect flow.
  
  ​
  
  Feel free to ask any questions! Good luck!
  
  Hvstle

You wanna be the best fiance ever u/vickicamfield?

Get him one of these.

His neck will thank you, his hands will thank you, his precision will thank you. Probably the best purchase I've ever made for minis. You can snag em at most hobby shops.

​

Bonus, if he wants to do detail work I recommend a cheap set of reading glasses. He won't have to strain his eyes as much and they are a nice magnifying glass....es... you get the point lol.

​

PS: I recommend bright white light for better color recognition and more akin to natural light.

Edit: Also if he is thinning with water, get this. I find it works better than water and mixes with metallics!

Edit 2: For brush care, dont forget to get some brush cleaner and conditioner. Maybe a wet palette for longer paint sessions. For brushes, winsor and newton are always a solid choice.

Edit 3: Folks are asking for essentials. Here is a short list:Vallejo thinner
Masters brush conditioner
Wet palette
Kolinsky brushes
Mini holder
Liquid cement for plastics
Vallejo paints
Citadel paints
Warhammer TV
Cheap airbrush for prime/basecoat

Not that you're looking for advice or anything, but an easy way to add some real nice detail and durability to minis you actually use in play is to use what's called the "dip" method. Essentially you brush on or dip your mini into either a wood stain or special dip product like this

https://www.amazon.com/Army-Painter-Quickshade-Miniature-Painting/dp/B004UVVTXM#customerReviews

The dark pigment works its way into the nooks and crannies of the mini, then dries and makes the details really pop. Then you spray a light coat of spray matte varnish on the mini which takes off the gloss from the dip.

Not only does this give your minis some added depth but the two layers also protect the paint so it doesn't scratch or flake off, making them way more robust in actual play. Plus it's super easy so you could do all your minis in just an hour or two. Just some friendly advice.

I've found that the best thing for controlling the amount of water to paint, is a dropper bottle. You can find sets of them on Amazon for pretty cheap.

Water is perfectly fine for thinning, so long as you don't over thin. Eventually water will reach a critical mass where it starts to break down the medium, causing the paint to start to separate, and that point changes between ranges, colors within a range, and sometimes even between different paint pots of the same color (You don't know how long that pot has sat on a shelf at the warehouse or store).

You can combat this by adding more acrylic medium, and for a long time, I enjoyed something like 5-10% matte medium to 90-95% distilled water ratio. This adds more medium for the pigment to bond to, and will make your paints go further. This, by the way is effectively Lahmian Medium.

I've since added flow improver to the mix (say 5-10 % medium, 30-35-ish % flow improver, and the rest distilled water), and have really enjoyed the results. Paints flow a bit better, and the flow improver also increases the drying time, so I have more freedom to play with my blends (and saves on how much dry time retarder I was using).

Also to expand on the thinning guide, generally, I'll use thicker paints for my initial base coat, and wet blends so around melted ice cream, as that will usually cover in a coat or two. I'll use thinner paints for my layering, so around skim milk. Also, if you haven't, look into making or buying a wet palette.

watercolors LINK

we starting to use it in art schools and continue to use them in art academy. they really are good. no need to dig deeper in more expensive, pro watercolors.

fancy watercolors (i personally love them, but really, basically fo fun, mixed media) LINK

watercolor pad LINK

that's my choice. would highly recommend this producer, really great absorption, thick paper, different formats available. anyway, it's really good.

brushes is really very personal choice, depends on technic and such. I like this one LINK great for miniature work. You can look for some squirrel hair brushes in local store orLINK , they are good for starters and for wet painting.

EDIT. fanart sample where all those stuff used at once :P

First off, Great work! As someone just starting you did really well!

As for things to look to do to improve that I noticed.

• Thin your paints, and use at least 2 thin layers. Duncan from Warhammer TV says this constantly). It really does make the colors and application come out better. If the water to paint ratio is tricky to maintain due to evaporation use a medium. I like Liquitex Flow Aid.
  
  
• Washes. Mainly for the metal bits Nuln Oil, eagles on the chest plate Seraphim Sepia, and robes.
  
  
• Fix up the details with a fine brush. It mainly shows on the shoulder pads, yet it is there elsewhere.
  
  
• Highlights. Simple yet tedious to do. However, it makes the model come alive so much more!
  
  
• Mold lines. Get an x-acto knife and just shave the parts off you don't want. Using the back end of it should work just fine.
  
  Warhammer TV is an excellent resource for figuring out how to do painting tecniques with a demonstration and walk through.
  
  A lot of what I'm sharing with you I ignored for far too long. I can tell you the model I am painting now looks far better than the model I was painting a year ago.
  
  This article is great inspiration for painters of any skill level.
  
  Keep it up, keep improving, and if you learn something don't hesitate to share it and how it works for you.
  
  I look forward to seeing your next model and/or squad you paint.

Realism is tricky, but I've got a few suggestions.

Value is a huge part of what makes a realistic piece look realistic. If you're painting from a reference, one of these can help you check your value: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SQ2MIM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2ES.Bb6TZE70G

Just isolate an area of the reference in the little holes then do the same to the painting to make sure they match. Your perception of value can be affected by what is around it. This lets you compare without your eyes playing tricks on you.

Next, avoiding chalkyness. Chalkyness is what happens when you lighten a color with white alone. You end up with a desaturated color, not just a lighter one. This generally looks looks a little unrealistic.

To avoid/fix this problem you want to change color temperature while changing value. The rule of thumb is warmer highlights and cooler shadows. For highlights, this usually means adding yellow (or occasionally reds, if yellow will make your color muddy). Or you can add a warmer version of the same color, which works very well in blues. For shadows it can help to add blue to make them cooler. It takes some trial and error to learn how to apply this in the beginning, but with practice omit becomes automatic.

Vibrant colors also take away from realism. In real life, most colors aren't as vibrant as the pigments we use in art. Bright colors are relative to what they are around. This video demonstrates it. https://youtu.be/6CpY3k0LHFk

To make your colors more realistic, you can mute them a bit. Add a touch of a color compliment or brown to take them down a notch.

Or you can use a mother color, which will mute your colors and add a nice unity to the whole piece.

https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-mother-color-2577647

So far this is a beautiful painting! Keep it up.

Hi, you are welcome to contact me at www.facebook.com/jujualters if you want to talk more about the best painting supplies for altering. While I'm not the greatest alter artist out there, I've made a point of knowing what the best alter artists use for materials and acquired them myself (mainly so I can be sure that the only thing holding me back is my own skill :)). The good news is that the best stuff isn't crazy expensive. Get hold of me and we can talk in detail about it.

If you can't be bothered getting in touch, here is the very short version:

• Paints: Golden Fluid Acrylics. I highly recommend this 10 pack for almost everything you need
  
  
• Brushes: La Corneille 7000 Round size 0. I picked these up after Eric Klug from Klug Alters (i.e probably the best alter artist out there, or at least the most revered) mentioned he used this brush almost exclusively. I found them on Brushesandmore and ordered a whole bunch of them, as they were fairly cheap. I've been very happy with them.

I’m new as well but I’ve done lots (maybe too much) research. What is your budget? From what I understand Windsor & Newton Cotman paints are a good student/hobby grade paint. They sell them in nifty little 12 pan kits that pretty much provide all the colors you need to make good mixes.

Here is a travel set for about $13:
Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Sketchers Pocket Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004THXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qq8Tzb8SY82G3

If you are willing to spend a little more on paint for artist grade I hear excellent things about these: St Petersburg White Nights Watercolour : NEW 12 Pan Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006FHNE3C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Gt8TzbT5PD01H

I’ve seen these really cool portable brushes: High-end art travel painting brush Synthetic Sable Round Hair Short Handle Brush for Acrylic Oil and watercolor painting 3Pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3VMDED/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5r8TzbVV97JR3

Or you can use a water brush: Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush Assorted Tips, Pack of 3 (FRHBFMBP3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AX31TZO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Os8TzbN7TW9AQ

As for Paper, I really want one of these myself: Moleskine Watercolor Album Sketchbook - 5"x8" (Spanish Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/8883705629/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vz8TzbWWMHY1M


I hope this helps! :)

Thanks for the detailed reply! I'm gonna run a few potential purchases by you if you don't mind. I'm looking at this Sakura Kai set. As a total beginner should I be looking for one with more/less colors? I also figured I'd need more than the single brush that comes with it so I was looking at these but I don't know if those are the right sizes. They seem to all be pretty narrow. And lastly was looking at this notebook. Seems to be a good size for me as I want to mostly try land/cityscapes or just objects.

To clarify, a watercolor pencil will allow you to sketch the shape which then disappears but you use a fountain pen which doesn't disappear right? Is that just so you can add bold linework before/after the watercolors? Both sound pretty cool but at the same time seem to serve different purposes.

This is all going on my wishlist by the way which is why I'm linking to amazon. My family is a bit odd in that everyone just checks amazon wishlists for gifts lmao. Practical if a little uninspired.

Alright i didn't really take any good photos of my work flow so ill do my best to put it in writing for you.
So Before I assembled any of the pieces they all got sanded in 120, 320, and 400 grit sandpaper. Then I joined all the blade pieces together with 3DGloop and filled as many of the joint cracks I could with Acryl Spot Putty. Then it was another pass with 320, and 400 Grit paper before the Blade got a coat with Filler Primer as for the handle I did the same sanding process for what I could but using a little 3DGloop and its included brush you can use it in light amounts as smoothing agent as well which helps a ton for the hard to reach areas on the handle. Then I joined all the parts together with 3DGloop, and applied more spot putty and sanded again. I gave the whole thing a few more coats of filler primer before going for color. I started color with gold hit those 3 spots, and after they dried I masked them off and hit the handle with purple. Once that dried i masked the handle and hit the blade with silver. For the "Dirt" in the cracks and recesses and the handle trim I used brown and light blue acrylic paint. I also used a little bit of Rub N Buff to give the blade a bit more of a shine. Once i did all that I shot it with come clear coat to lock it all in. Wow that was mouthful hopefully that helps you.

Hello! This is such a cute contest :) Here's my entry:

• Pattern: Good luck cat
  
• Yarn: Bernat Super Value Yarn in "white" and "rouge"
  
• Other materials: Stuffing, gold bell, felt in gold, red, black, and orange, and a black paint pen.
  
• If you decide to make the kitty, I would like these NYX pencils.
  
• Silly phrase =P: I am a yarnasaurus rex, see me crochet! (Except.. Not really, I can only make a long string.)
  
  Okay, hopefully you're open to doing a project that involves felt/a bell/non-yarn things, but if not I still think you should consider doing this cute good luck kitty sometime in the future! Thanks for hosting :)

My recommended buying list for a new painter is:

Tools

• Nippers
  
• Hobby Knife
  
• Thinning Medium
  
• Glue
  
• Glue Accelerant
  
• Brush Cleaner
  
• Palette
  
  Sprays
  
  
• Primer
  ○ Grey is standard, white if you're painting a majority of light colors, and black if the majority is dark.
  
• Matte Varnish
  
  Brushes
  
  
• Brushes
  ○ Round 0
  ○ Round 1
  ○ Round 2
  
  
  All in all it should be around $60 USD for the tools and about $40 USD for the brushes. However, this list gives you every tool you will need to get started and to continue with the hobby. Nt all of this is required, but it is nice to have.
  
  This is just what I like to have on hand, this does not reflect the "perfect list". I hope it helps :)

between those two, i support the cotman.

HOWEVER, please consider the white nights set. i dont have this myself but it's a palette i've had on my list for several months now. it's the same price but the white nights is artist-grade (professional) paint. also, this Schpirr Farben set is also artist-grade. i also don't have this myself but is on my list. you can find reviews on youtube.

PM me if you're interested in my in depth review of the cotman pocket box set. i have this one.


EDIT: i'd like to add some pros and cons. the white nights set is very well known and has been around for a long time. many artists will vouch for it. however, the pans aren't of 'standard' size. as for the schpirr farben, that one is quite new i believe but it has great reviews. also, the metal box it comes with is versatile.

also note that these two sets i mentioned, both don't have the colour white. so you get 'more' colour which is very good in my opinion.

I'd like the tools and space to begin live streaming while I paint. A new desk is paramount, but a bit out of the budget right now. To start I'm hoping for a small tripod for my phone/camera.

Supply wise I have about everything I need right now. Maybe some new brushes would be nice, but that would always be nice.

If you're looking for a watercolor set to add to your list, this is a great travel kit.

I've used Rembrandt (meh) and Derwent pencils - the Derwents are nice on the go, but my favourite so far is this:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Cotman-Colour-Sketchers/dp/B00004THXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491486681&sr=8-1&keywords=winsor+and+newton+watercolor

The Cotman sketchers kit. I have three tubes added to it - Payne's Grey, Ultramarine Violet and Leaf Green. There's three mixing spaces in the top, I just leave a bit of each colour squeezed in the top because it dries between uses, and I find it to be a good 'complete' colour kit.

If you want the 24 pan set, it's here: https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Water-Color-Metal/dp/B001M6VMTY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491486681&sr=8-2&keywords=winsor+and+newton+watercolor

I like the half pans for sketching, but if I'm doing professional illustrations in my studio, I usually use tubes (Holbein or Winsor and Newton are my faves). I do keep going back to the red in the Cotman pans though!

Good luck!

Well I am by no means an expert but here is what I got:

Paasche Talon TG-3f - It does the job. I am not painting eyes with it, mostly priming, and wide cloak and base colors.

I too had a compressor but needed to grab a Water Trap the compressor I have is super load and not 'made' for airbrushing 'per se'. So I need to regulate the water in the paint.

Then get a bottle of Air Brush Thinner. You can then use any paint you want through it (make it much thinner than normal skim milk painting consistency).

I did pick up some airbrush paints to practice with on cardboard and canvas ... figured the more I use it the better I will get. My intent is to use Vallejo Black/White primer through it. Save me from having to use so many cans of spray paint.

edit Also should mention a couple videos that influenced me/I am using to learn from: Tons of airbrushing stuff later in the video of this BIG resin kit, Tested beginners guide, more resin kit with an airbrush, and just for giggles how to clean it which in my humble opinion is the largest deterrent of the process.

https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Fluid-Acrylic-Assorted-Colors/dp/B0027A3GOI

This is pretty much all the paint you need, especially if you are learning it will help your color matching skills to mix with primaries for a while. You will pretty much only every run out of titanium white. You barely need any paint so the nice stuff like this isn't a big investment to pick up.

I do it to de-stress and I really recommend trying it out, I ruined a lot of basic lands at first while I learned but even that was fun. The end product is really just a nice bonus on top of the hobby, don't worry about your results, no one else will.

Awesome! Don’t be shy to share some pics!

If you’re not using it already, the [Pledge Floor Gloss](Pledge Floor Finish Gloss 27 Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YC438C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) definitely helps a lot for the dotting step so it’s worth tracking some down. As I mentioned in one of my replies above, the only way I can tell which of the models were painted with the catgutt wash recipe vs. GW Skeleton Horde is by looking at the dots. The first 5 I painted were without the floor gloss and the dots are not as neat because I was basically trying to paint them on vs. depositing a small bead onto the model.

If you can’t get that stuff where you are, I think you would get similar results using [Acrylic Flow Improver](Winsor & Newton Professional... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060KRGQA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share).

Let me know if I can be of any help as you paint yours up. Catgutt has been really helpful to me and I’m happy to pay it forward!

I don't know if they're the cheapest but I buy most of my paints from Miniature Market. Vallejo paints are $2.89 and shipping is usually $6 if your order is less than $99 (otherwise it's free). They have a pretty wide selection so you can pick and choose whatever you'd like. Reaper and Army Painter are a little cheaper per pot. Going this route might end up slightly (like a few dollars) more expensive than buying a bundle with Prime shipping, but you'll only get paints that you actually wanted. IF you're like me and end up buying a bunch, keep a spreadsheet to track which colors you already have. I've ended up with a few duplicates before I started tracking things better. Plus, you can pick up some inks, which if you follow someone like Sorastro (who will eventually be doing a Kingdom Death series), play a big role.

I'd also recommend you get a can of Army Painter Quickshade. The can isn't too big but it will last a long, long, time.

First some basics:

for miniature painting we use acrylic colours and there are a lot of different brands available some are more famous among miniatures and scale models (because they have specific colours available, like the one you linked is a palette fur US WW2 military colours) some are more often used by artists and all of them have their advantages. The same with brushes and in the end it is more about personal preference and availability (makes no sense to buy the brand people say it is good but you have to order it while something of equal quality is available in the store around the corner and for a beginner a more basic set with ~10 basic colours is better than such a specific one)

For the brushes you want something similar to this https://www.amazon.com/Detailing-Watercolor-Miniature-Ergonomic-Precision/dp/B004HHIO50/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=army+painter+brushes&qid=1550092128&s=gateway&sr=8-10

in addition to the one you linked because you need more straight/fine detail ones and some larger one depending on the techniques used (dry brushing for example)

​

The only thing that I really recommend is to use a caned spray primer as colours won't stick very well to the pure plastic surface and you already have a basecoat if you use a coloured one. But it need to be a Primer and not a spray colour. I prefer Army Painter but mostly because of the colours available

Another thin would be Washes which are kind of thinner colours that add a translucent layer to the model or are used for blacklining

https://www.amazon.com/Army-Painter-Warpaints-Quickshade-Wash/dp/B0714QL55V/

(I also prefer Army Painter over Vallejo here, but the link is more for the example pictures)

​

For a beginner, a coloured Primer and a Wash can already give good (and fast) results on models like Stormtroopers

​

If you're planning on doing more minis, don't mind spending a few bucks, and really want a quick easy way to shade for tabletop without having to mix your own washes, Army Painter's Strong Tone Quick Shade is awesome.

Put on with a brush, soak up some of the extra that drips onto the base, enjoy your awesome-looking, shaded mini. :)

To get the effect I mixed my white and blue 1:1 with THIS. Then painted it very thickly with white and dabbed blue dots into the white. Then with a ton of water I swirled as best I could, letting the pooling water do as much of the work as I could. I kind of made it up as I went...that youtube video looks like it might get overall better effects--I'm also not sure you need to use paint retarder, though it did keep it pretty thick so it didn't all just blend together. Definitely something I'd like to work with more!

If you plan on doing any sort of precision work, or plan on leaving clean spaces under a wash (like for text), and this is your first foray into water color, then you'll probably want some masking fluid. You paint this over areas you don't want paint on so that when you're painting close to them, any paint that gets on these areas is repelled. You either peel or rub it off once the surrounding paint is dry. It's not a necessity, but it may make your life easier.

EDIT: Since this is your first time using watercolor, you might want to invest a weekend in tutorials on YouTube. Just search for something like, "beginner watercolor," "watercolor techniques," "watercolor basics," etc. You'll want to know about how to do things like stretching your paper, and basic painting methods. Watercolor is a really cool, fun medium. Lots of people hate it and say it's really difficult, but I've always enjoyed it because I think of it as a study in negative space, and realized that it's more subtractive than additive (my own terminology--I think). By that I mean, you need to think less about what to put on the paper, and more about what to leave off the paper.

Have fun!

I'm partial to using Liquitex Airbrush Medium to thin acrylics - http://amzn.to/Ui4x1T. You can use water or alcohol or other thinners, but I actually have a much easier time with the medium. I'm pretty sure that it's because you're getting a better distribution of pigment particles. Also, with thinners it's possible to overthin to the point where the paint just doesn't want to do anything but bead on the surface. It's nearly impossible to do that with medium.

Just my 2 cents.

Thinning your paint will help! I use a drying retarder to extend workability of the paint on a model.

https://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-Professional-Slow-Dri-Retarder-Effects/dp/B004M559I2/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1500388700&sr=1-1&keywords=paint+retarder

Also! Try using Shades! They'll really bring out the recesses of the models! If you're not comfortable with them, you can also try something like a dip! Very easy to do models quickly! (Thin it a bit with a mineral spirit, though.)

https://www.amazon.com/The-Army-Painter-Strong-Quick/dp/B004UVVTXM/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1500388817&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=quick+shade+army

Cheers!

I am very amateur, but I highly recommend Strong Tone Quickshade, that stuff is amazing and was the easiest part of the process. This is how they came out.

Looks like she's using acrylics? We don't know what she already has, so it's harder to make suggestions. If she's using student grade acrylics, she'd probably be super happy about artist grade.

You could also get her a pretty badass set of professional watercolors and paper for that price if you think she might like that kind of medium.

Or oils, or markers....

I used these bottles

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BQID78C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Expensive but best I’ve found

These funnels

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071CFKPRD/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This flow aid

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KNPM46/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These mixing balls

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F253780474878


Process

I added a mixing ball to the bottle, added 5 drops of flow aid into the citadel paint pot and shook

Tipped the paint into the bottle via the funnel.

Added another 5 drops to the citadel pot and again shook it.

Tipped the remaining paint to the bottle via the funnel

Advantage of this method, is that your paints get slightly thinned down


Just noticed funnels not available so these might work as well
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alohha-Stainless-Funnel-Essential-Bottles/dp/B01N6J3STP/ref=sr_1_30?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1536002027&sr=1-30&keywords=Funnels

Reaper has a couple of great starter kits to get you started that not only contain paints, brushes, and some minis to practice on, they come with an instructional booklet packed in a handy case. They're honestly a great starting point and their paints are just as good as Vallejo or Citadel.

https://www.reapermini.com/paints#LearnToPaintKits

Army Painter and Vallejo also sell basic color sets that are just fine to start with. Search on Amazon and pick one you can afford - or check out your FLGS.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714QL55V/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_VccMDbHF0F90Y

If you need to buy brushes b/c you didn't get a reaper kit, 1-2 cheap sets of miniature detail brushes will be fine. You will ruin your first brushes, but nontheless look up brush care and when you've progressed you can decide if you want fancy brushes.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CJ7MBD1/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_iacMDbMBJJPAK
Get yourself some brush soap too:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027AEANE/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_0bcMDb4S2QDPN

You don't need a million paints to start. All the primary colors (you know: red, blue, yellow, white, black, etc.) will let you mix your own colors to start. Just go slow and thin your paint with droplets of water.

> I saw on BGG about wash painting them. How hard is that?

Pretty easy. Buy a wash, slather it all over your minis, let them dry for a day or two, done. If you're totally inexperienced with painting, your best bet for this is probably Army Painter Quick Shade. You just dip the minis in the pot and that's it. Make sure you check out examples of the results before you commit to the quick shade variant over the traditional brush on wash.

> Also, if I do that then decided later to try and actually paint them will I be able to over the wash?

Yes, definitely. Washes are designed for you to be able to paint over them. You can either paint over it directly, or I'd recommend stripping them with simple green and giving them a base coat from a rattle can spray primer. You may even want to do this before you wash them in the first place but it's not absolutely necessary.

Army painter washes are some of the best in the market for sure. With the smattering of brushes.. Is it a bunch of random brushes? You could get her a set of nice brushes as well or even a paint collection set which Army painter also has and it contains some washes as well

For the Model Color, use the Thinner Medium. You just need 1 or 2 drops of this thinner for a drop of Model Color. Too much will make your paint have a watery/runny consistency.

On the other hand, use the Airbrush Thinner for the Model Air. It works best with a Retarder Medium. Vallejo's air brush thinner is quite tricky to use though. You have to get the right paint to thinner ratio that will work best with your air brush. Try out different combinations on an old kit or a plastic sheet before painting your models.

EDIT: There's also an air brush flow improver from Vallejo.

thank you!

I'm @grimbanana on instagram so hit me up :D
The set is St. Petersburg White Nights with 24 colors. They're really nice, super pigmented and look lovely when dry. I bought them from a local shop but the full set is on amazon for like 70 bucks.

For sketching or outlining you can use 2B or HB. It is actually not that relevant just don't press very hard because creates dents in the paper. (I do this all the time and it's bad practice.)

I use layering and usually go with 2B for the darkest shades then add a layer of HB then layer of 2H. Using layers is better than pressing hard because it does not smooth the paper. You can even do few layers with 2B to get a darker value. I use 4H for softening the edges.
A grayscale value can help you to decide how dark to go in different areas:
https://www.amazon.com/Color-Wheel-Scale-Value-Finder/dp/B007SQ2MIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504839331&sr=8-1&keywords=grayscale+value+finder

Also the paper you use matters. If it is very smooth then it is even harder to get darker values. The one in the picture looks like it has a bit of a tooth to it which is good.

So in attempt to whiten my Ultra Boost I fucked them up with bleach and yellowed the foam. So I decided to make them white again and honestly it's really easy. Just buy some Angelus Leather dye, paint and Mink oil. Start with two coats of dye, then two coats of paint, let it dry for 8 hours or so and then spray on a coat of Mink oil. Bam you got new boost for a cheap price.

Here's some more pics - https://imgur.com/a/9ynNq

Angelus Brand Leather Dye w/Applicator - 3 oz

Angelus Acrylic Paint 1oz

Angelus Genuine Professional Mink Oil Conditioner Spray

no brushes needed because both the dye and paint come with a small one that worked out good for me.

Edit: oh yeah and I tried every solution before going this far. I tried two types of alcohol and vinegar with baking soda with no luck

Edit 2: it may look a little sloppy in the middle bottom right side of the sole (left pic). It looks like I painted the black part there but the actual boost foam started peeling a little from the thin black traction piece, so I ended up putting my brush in there but it's not on the actual black at all.

So this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Citadel-Shade-Paint-Games-Workshop/dp/B00KOD3FM8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519681521&sr=8-4&keywords=paint+wash

or this?:

https://smile.amazon.com/Nontoxic-Miniature-Washes-Dropper-Bottles/dp/B0714QL55V/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1519681988&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=army+painter+wash&psc=1

For primer is there a benefit to using paint on, vs spray? I think the bases will be separate from my pieces. So I would think a spray can of like, white, grey, and black would be my best bet?

Hmm, it sort of varies with a lot of stuff, but Prima is pretty portable, as is White Nights. Sennelier makes good stuff as well.

Here is the palette that I use but it's a bit excessive for someone that is just starting out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnb0o11huV2/

For beginners, I would recommend Sakura Koi's watercolor set.

https://www.amazon.com/Sakura-XNCW-30N-Assorted-Watercolors-Sketch/dp/B01BKABXOA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539787027&sr=8-3&keywords=sakura+koi

It comes with a waterbrush which is great to start off with. For the book I use this:

https://www.amazon.com/Pentalic-Art-PTL-018036-Watercolor-Journal/dp/B01MDU3WJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539787075&sr=8-1&keywords=pentalic+aqua+journals+7x10

I don't really frame my work because I'm too broke. I just leave it laying around my pad, to be honest.

You're fine using brush on primers. I used some Vallejo primer after seeing your brush on post and liked it as well. On the topic of paint drying on the tip, Vallejo (and many others) have a product called acrylic retarder which specifically is made to extend drying time. People mainly use it to do wet blending. But it could help you as well. You'll want to start very small (like 20:1 or 10:1 water:retarding agent) and test it out to see how much is needed.

An example of what I'm referring to.

Vallejo Acrylic Paint, Retarder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PH9JP0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3f3GzbXDFMQM7

You're welcome! I appreciate that you're open to suggestions - it's easy to get attached to a plan. Since you seemed receptive I'm going to elaborate:

I ordered KD:M and then this Vallejo flesh tone set and this Vallejo basic colors set, which got me going. Like I said, i had to supplement with a lot of citadel paints from my LGS that ended up being frustrating, so I wish I had gotten some more saturated base colors in the beginning, maybe something like this, that comes with purples and oranges.

Ok, that's alot to comment on:

- For airbrushing, you actually want to dilute the paint with a thinner rather than just water (random example not an advertisement: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vallejo-Model-Air-200-Thinners/dp/B002X6DTHK/ref=asc_df_B002X6DTHK/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309862953042&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7411493572982788503&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006595&hvtargid=pla-434590355698&psc=1&th=1&psc=1 ) as they change the properties of the paint in slightly different ways (you'll end up with more pooling and a less smooth coat with water). For brush painting, using water to dilute is fine.

The standard response on how much to thin is to get "the consistency of milk", which is always a bit of an odd way of looking at it. It'll also come down to how much pressure you're using (psi) and how far away your airbrush is, it's sort of a triangle of effects. I generally dilute with 1 part thinner to 2 part paint, bit I'm no expert.

- If you want to use green as your main colour go for it (I'm slightly biased, green is my favourite colour). Use a contrasting colour (such as the suggested grey) to pick out certain panels to give the models a bit of interest.

- Unless you have issues with close-up seeing I wouldn't say you need a magnifying glass. The croc clips are occasionally useful but be careful they don't leave dents in the model (i.e. clip to a less important bit or use a layer of padding).

Take your time when cleaning mold lines (especially when using a knife!!) - they're super annoying to find after you've already started.

- Another thing I'll mention is primer - the initial coat of paint on a model is recommended to be this as it has a slightly different chemical properties to stick to the model and provide a smooth surface for other paints.

Eh, I personally recommend not buying bundles even-though they seem like a better deal. I started by just buying paints that I would need for a particular model and continuing from there. Before I knew it I had a full range of paint from all different companies.

Buying a set of paints will only save you a little cash, but I'd bet that the big sets will include paints you will never really touch so you aren't actually saving any money buying them.

If you really want to go the paint route on Amazon then I will admit that I did in fact buy these sets when I was starting painting on a set of Zombicide minis:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EKCOE2/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487690557&sr=sr-1&keywords=vallejo+paint

https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Face-Colors-Paint-8-Colors/dp/B000PHCPTM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487690721&sr=8-1&keywords=vallejo+paint+flesh

And the award for most boring exercise goes to...

• Value Scales: The easiest and best way to do this exercise is to start by getting yourself one of these; they're cheap and durable, and useful no matter what your skill level might be. (I keep mine clipped to my easel.) If you've got a good printer, you can just print one out, though. There are scales with different numbers of steps; 7, 9, and 10 are pretty common. Whichever one you pick, take your paper / canvas / whatever drawing surface, number out some squares right next to one another - the edges should be touching one another, with no white paper in between - and try to replicate it as closely as you can with whatever tool it is you're using. Not all tools will be able to do all the steps, and that's okay! A graphite pencil won't go as dark as pure black, and if you're heavy-handed and using very soft charcoal you might not be able to go as light as nearly-white. Just replicate as many of the steps as you can; knowing how light or how dark you can go with a specific tool is worth knowing all on it's own! As you're working, stop and squint hard and often at your scale. You should still be able to clearly tell the difference between each step even when squinting; if you can't, you didn't make the step big enough between them.

If you want some better looking fresh blood spatters I'll let you in on a secret:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TT856HG
That stuff is THE shit.

>Hey guys noob here trying to get into the hobby. I've just been adding up some prices and it's getting ridiculous... am I doing something wrong or is this the entry fee we're talking about? Here is my math.
>
>TOTAL
>$29 - Chaos Black Spray
>$11 - Agrax Earthshade
>$6 - Lamenters Yellow
>$6 - Flash Gitz Yellow
>$6 - Yriel Yellow
>$6 - Ardcoat
>$11 - Agrellan Earth (x3)
>SUBTOTAL $97
>
>$6 - Kantor Blue
>$11 - Coelia Greenshade
>$6 - Lothern Blue
>$6 - Sotek Green
>$6 - Temple Guard Blue
>$6 - Ushabti Bone
>$6 - Screaming Skull
>$6 - Balthasar Gold
>$6 - Gehenna's Gold
>$6 - Khorne Red
>$11 - Carroburg Crimson
>$6 - Wazdakka Red
>SUBTOTAL $82
>
>Paints $179
>Start Collecting! Seraphon $140
>Essential Citadel Brush Selection $87
>Mouldline Remover $19
>TOTAL: $425
>
>^ This paint is for bases and Saurus Warriors only, haven't even calculated the cost of paints for the Cold One Knights and the Carnosaur yet because it was already getting out of control and this is supposed to be my intro into the hobby...

It hurts my pocket book to see people pay $11 for black primer and clear coat when you can buy the same quality of spray for ~$3-4 each.

And $6 for single colors is ridiculous. But then I don't use GW paints. I prefer army painter shade washes, and Vallejo model color or game color for regular colors. I use Rustoleum black, grey, and white primer and always have great experiences with it as long as you follow the use instructions (like don't spray when too hot or too cold or rainy). And I thought my Testors Dull clear coat was expensive at ~$8.

[Vallejo basic model color] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009162PWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7xLcAbSVVT1V1) 16 basic colors for $42, which is a ton better than $6 per color.

Army Painter Quickshades 11 washes for $27.50

And if you like army painter paints which they are great paints there is the starter set: Mega Paint Set by Army Painter 50 paints includingbasic colors, shade washes, and a few metallics for $90.

Don't buy into GW's propaganda, their regular paints aren't any better than other common brands like Army Painter and Vallejo, and they are a fraction of the price, usually about half the cost.

Personally I used to use exclusively GW paints and wish someone would have told me this stuff early, I would have saved a lot of money. When I started using other products I realized I didn't even like the GW method for most things. Base paints are too thick, and layer paints are the exact same as army painter or model color paints. Then you get things like acrylic medium, airbrush medium, and glaze medium which you can buy in big bottles from other companies, like Golden, which is the same gunk that GW sells for $6 per pot that you can buy from Liquitex or Golden 8 oz bottlrs for ~$10-$15.

If you're worried about getting studio colors without using GW paints then the community has you covered with the paint conversion chart.

Save yourself some money if you're worried about cost and don't overpay for GW materials when it's the same stuff across the board.

My grandma's 92nd birthday was October 27. I bought teacups and a porcelain pen and decorated a teacup for her. I mailed it to her with some nice tea since she used to make me tea whenever she took care of me as a kid. I'd highly recommend getting the set of six since I practiced on a couple and messed up a bit before I got one that I liked.

You can try this stuff. Not sure how it holds up on exterior surfaces but I had good luck with it on interiors.

https://www.amazon.com/Rub-Buff-Metallic-Silver-Leaf/dp/B013PYR4WO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1493060266&sr=8-4&keywords=rub+and+buff

Of course :D

Inks are basically pigmented water, so they flow better then layer paint, while not pooling as much as washes. They're used in glazing, as you mentionned.
Glazing is a more advanced technique which is used to get really smooth transitions between colors. There was a post a while ago that really showcased what glazing does (see here). It's a very time consuming process, where you take a range of colors and go back and forth applying this layers of it to blend and smooth your colors.
If you want to get into glazing, then you'll need to buy some retarder medium. It's a type of liquid that will slow down the drying process of your paint so you can take your time and mix it up on the model while it's wet to get those smooth blends. Someting like this should work. You add a tiny bit of it to your paint as your apply it.

I originally got the stuff at an industry event for the car audio industry, it was in a pen form as a tester and made to dye things like ABS plastic to make glowing subwoofer panels and the like. It was in the pen to show as a tester but normally came in gallon containers.

The name wore off years ago so I am afraid I cannot tel you a brand name.

But you can find blacklight reactive acrylic paints for pretty cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Assorted-Blacklight-Reactive-Fluorescent-Acrylic/dp/B0083FOB54

What kind of finish are you going for? If you want a glossy finish you will need to use a primer and multiple sessions of wet-sanding and re-priming where needed.

This Han Solo Blaster was my first experience with sanding/priming/painting. I didn't want it glossy smooth, so it was a good first project.

This is primed with Rustoleum filler primer and dry-sanded with 800-grit paper. Then airbrushed with acrylic paints. I added silver Rub N' Buff on top of the paint to create the wear effect. Finally I sprayed with rattle-can matte lacquer.

Vallejo acrylics, mainly used this flesh tone pack.

Additionally, their washes as well. Used a couple fine detail brushes that I picked up at a hobby store. Harrop's tutorial for painting faces on Youtube was a huge help.

Oh Aquarelle is so much faster ! Yes I use that sort of tiny cake thing haha kind of like this

I currently use Golden and have heard great things about Citadel. Of course they come with a higher price tag. Michaels consistently has 40-50% of coupons for a singular item. I went in and bought a box of 10 acrylic paints for under $40. The link below is for the same box that Amazon is selling:

https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Fluid-Acrylic-Assorted-Colors/dp/B0027A3GOI/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3DTHNODVFQWHG&keywords=golden+acrylic+paint+set&qid=1569989249&s=gateway&sprefix=golden+acrylli%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-4

This is a really popular starter set. If you get in to it you'll definitely want to upgrade at some point, but tough to beat the price.

That plus a watercolor sketchbook/paper are all you really need to get going. Doesn't really matter too much what brand you get, as long as it's one that is made for watercolor. I really like this one, though it's a bit more expensive than some other brands.

Have you considered using LEDs inside the balls so their path can be more easily followed? Or if weight is an issue, how about reactive acrylic paint with a bunch of black lights around the structure so they glow? Could produce some really interesting effects.

Technically, a primer is just a medium to help the paint adhere, where as a base coat is a covering in a a flat colour to give you an even start.
Practically, especially with spray primers they are the the same thing.

Citadel 'Base' paints, are intentionally higher in pigment to give a better coverage.

As a practice I'd recommend always using a flow improver as it reduces the surface tension allowing the paint to flow more smoothly.

For my figures flesh tones I use Games Workshop’s Citadel Kislev Flesh which works VERY well with their Cadian Fleshtone.

I've been eyeing Vallejo's Face/Skin Colors Paint Set for awhile. It's 8 colors that'll help add a bit of variety. Amazon Link

I used to paint on my converse with Acrylic paint and it held up surprisingly well. Just make sure you use thin, slightly watered down layers and let the layers dry completely between applications. You can try Angelus Acrylic Paint, its meant for painting on leather shoes so its high quality and should stand up to typical wear and tear. People use it for custom paint jobs on really expensive shoes all the time.

​

I love this set. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FHNDH4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 St Petersburg White Nights Watercolour : 36 Pan Set

The best way I know how is to start by masking the trees with a masking fluid like this one and then painting the background first (you can drag your horizon line all the way over the dry masking fluid so it looks more continuous). Then you take up the masking fluid with something like a rubber pick-up block like this. And then paint in your trees at the end. I also prefer this way so that if I'm trying to do a flat or gradient in the sky or ground, I can assure that the gradient or flat wash is the same all the way across the paper easier.

Otherwise, the way you've done it works fine if you've got a steady hand and good pencil guides. You could also potentially start with the background and just leave the tree spots empty to start (requiring a good pre-sketch) but you can run into the same troubles with wonky, not quite lining up horizon lines.

I don't think your piece looks all that silly. I like the color scheme you've got going.
One thing I just thought of, if you continue to do without masking fluid for now, consider a bit of the principles of atmospheric perspective and that things farther away from the viewer generally get lighter and lower contrast. Part of what draws the eye to the horizon line so much and highlights the fact that it doesn't match up quite right is that it's one of the areas of highest contrast. Either make that blue lighter as you get closer to the horizon line, or the purple sky darker as you move towards it to draw the attention to other parts of the scene instead.

Been doing some reading and hear this stuff can be used on the rubber portions. If you have a steady hand I think they will turn out well.

https://www.amazon.com/Angelus-Leather-Paint-Oz-White/dp/B0196T961O

Honestly keep it simple, people are suggesting quite a bit of different things on here which can be overwhelming.

Pick up a Koi watercolor set and some watercolor paper. I suggest 100% cotton paper, but get whatever you'd like. 2 links below should be everything you need.

Sakura XNCW-30N Koi Field 30 Assorted Watercolors with Brush Sketch Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKABXOA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_P6mWDbWD23SV6

Arches 140 Lb CP Watercolor Pad 12 Sheet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EQHJH10/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_P7mWDbKZR4QNA

I'm loving your watercolour portraits! My advice would be to avoid the white for highlights and instead using something like masking fluid for small parts without colour. This way you can also go a bit more crazy with the watercolors and use layers if necessary. I would also suggest trying out some less obvious colours - blues would suit this style v. well and look suitably lacrymose!

Army Painter has some some really nice washes as well.

You're already on the right path and looking great. Base silver, mask and spray on top.

First thing stop using toothpaste, go to Micheals, Joanns, or hobby lobby and pick up some liquid latex masking fluid and silicone brushes. Having the right tools will make your job much easier.

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Masking-Fluid-75ml/dp/B005P1ROEY

https://www.amazon.com/MEEDEN-Artist-Professional-Silicone-Brushes/dp/B078XZ1WZ9/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=silicone+paintb+brush&qid=1568208585&s=office-products&sr=1-2-spell

The amount of control you'll get will just be so much better. and that masking fluid will last you a LONG time,

Then study the way paint chips on metal and boba's helmet. You want to make sure you're not just chipping down to bare metal, but in some places chipping down to the color underneath, this will give you some extra depth.

Last is give it a grime wash. Multiple ways to do that, youtube tutorials are your friend as you can see exactly what to do. I take a brown acrylic paint, mix a little black until I get a used motor oil color, then water it down a lot, like whole milk consistency. then I paint the entire helmet with it, let it dry, then lightly sand it off with 320 grit sand paper and repeat. It causes the grime to end up collecting in the recesses, I can control where I want it dirtier by not sanding as much in certain areas, and it scuffs up the paint a bit to give it a more worn in look. Note that your helmets will look cleaner in pictures than they will in person.

Here's some of my stuff for the look I end up with.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvp2yROlKE3/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvxcD9AHiCP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvl7KVxnObg/

This paint and this light to go with it. Then you can have pretty light shows!

You should definitely look at some washes/shades to really bring out the details, especially on the faces.

It's amazing how much of a difference a little wash makes. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube if you want to see how washes work.

I prefer Games Workshop washes, but Army Painter washes work well and aren't super expensive.

I dabble in watercolor now and then and I have this Windsor Newton set and I love it. I'm a fan of pans over tubes as I find I waste much less paint and I don't have to worry about my colors getting dirty. I mix pretty sloppily and when i need a pure hue i just give the pan a wipe with a damp paper towel . It comes with a nice color range but is compact.

You can purchase it at most hobby/art stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's. Here's a link to what I use on Amazon. If you read the reviews, some of the reviewers posted pics of how they used it in some of their art pieces. https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Masking-Fluid-75ml/dp/B005P1ROEY/ref=sr_1_3?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1503581563&sr=1-3&keywords=masking+fluid

I prefer citadel over all. I use the citadel Colour app to help with the color choice and how to apply. I do use Vallejo when I need an air brush version of a color that Citadel doesn’t have or for priming.

I understand the stance you have on the pricing with citadel, but you can make that line of paint last longer.

Head to amazon and order these items
15ml dropper bottles
1ml needless syringe
flow aid
small stainless steel ball baring

By following the steps in this video on YouTube I was able to transfer all my base and layer paints to dropper bottles. Now I can limit how much paint I’m wasting to a minimum. Because like you said, they can be expensive

Looking at the photos, I'd say that you need to thin your paints a little bit more on the GW figures. Two or more coats may be required to get full coverage, but your results will look smoother.

How's the humidity where you live? We're moving into the summer months and that can affect how quickly paint dries. If it's drying too quickly, it may pick up some extra brush strokes. And if that is the case, you can either thin it farther or add some retarder medium to your stand water. I use Vallejo's. A wet palette can also help.

This stuff: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TT856HG/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_apa_W2uPAb9TB5ZX2

Its actually a translucent red acrylic paint. You can get pretty much any color you want. Put two coats of it on the backside of the "glass".

Thanks! I use this Winsor & Newton set. (I use barely half of them!)

First of all, you need to use a flesh wash for flesh. Black will only ever work in a zombie situation. Secondly, wash does not work on flatter surfaces like that cloak. When using washes you need to mop up the areas that have pooling going on with a clean brush.

To fix this mini, repaint the cloak and the flesh, use a flesh wash (in my experience you need to get this right in one wash because multiple flesh washes looks bad), and use either a feathering/glazing technique (more advanced techniques) or a drybrush technique (easy as pie technique) on the cloak (paint the dark red base, heavy drybrush medium red, lighter drybrush light red, ultra light drybrush yellow). I think you should drybrush, honestly.

If you don't have the washes you need, I cannot possibly recommend the army painter quickshade set more. Their paint kinda sucks, but their washes are a must have. https://www.amazon.com/Army-Painter-Warpaints-Quickshade-Wash/dp/B0714QL55V/

Just dabbled in this myself.

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Used Tamiya clear red to replicate Scotty paint after some research.

https://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-X27-Gloss-Clear-Red/dp/B00TT856HG

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If you are only doing letter paint fill enamel paint may prove slightly tougher

They look awesome. But I think I know whats missing. The reds are just orange. Get some Tamiya X27 Gloss Red. It makes very vivid blood effects. I think adding that in places would really bump up the contrast.

https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-Acrylic-Gloss-Clear-TAM81027/dp/B00TT856HG

Koi from Sakura is a good travel pack.
Sakura XNCW-30N Koi Field 30 Assorted Watercolors with Brush Sketch Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKABXOA/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_pjokzbQK1GYFJ

You want to use flow aid to thin paints. This will dilute the color without thinning the paint.

To tell the truth, you'll want both as flow aid will make paint more glossy. You can either add matte medium or varnish it with matte finish to counteract.

I was looking at the are these a good set to start with. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000PHCPTM/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

About two hours and only around 20 bucks! Here the the links to what I used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KNPM46/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007IK9M4K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01COLW9IS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (10ml bottles, good enough but next time I might spring for 30ml)

See if retarder agents might help with that. http://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-VJ70597-Retarder-17ml/dp/B000PH9JP0

Hey!

If you're using water, sometimes you gotta keep mixing it up so the pigment actually stays in the mixture. I recommend Lahmian medium, or Flow Aid for thinning down paints. Also try a wet palette!

To blend colours you want to glaze the highlights. You can do this by snagging a glazing medium, or just thin the shit out of your paint and go over the levels of highlight. Normally you'd want a mix of your darkest and lightest colour when doing this.

I try to paint the entire model, but don't bother with things that will never see the light of day. I paint for tabletop quality, so that's that.

If I'm disappointed I try again! That's why test models are important.

The Army Painter Warpaints Quickshade Wash Set - Miniature Painting Kit of 11 Dropper Bottles with Fluid Acrylic Paint Color Washes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714QL55V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Ay-JDbGNRG16A

This is what I got and I like it a lot. Plenty of washes and not too expensive.

I was also wondering when I saw that palette in a YouTube video recently. I guessed it was Cotman and did a search and I think it is, it looks like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Cotman-Colour-Compact/dp/B00004THXH

But they also have it with the Professional paints, this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Professional-Colour-Compact/dp/B000N85WVQ

Not a bad idea

Scorpions glow under a blacklight, why not 'nids?

This was hand brushed. I felt that I would fork out for an airbrush down the line if I was serious about picking up the hobby. Originally I planned to use some Mr Hobby colours I got off Ebay. Unfortunately I realised too late that most of the colours I had purchased were gloss and I read that they don't do well for parts that are not meant to be glossy! I then settled on some Vallejo Model colors off Amazon, this and this set. In my very limited experience they seem quite easy to work with, water based, easy to thin down and apply.

What putty would you suggest using? I tried using some Milliput Epoxy putty and a bit of vaseline so the parts wouldn't stick together, but I found that I was either not mixing it in the right proportions so it wouldn't set or that it still stuck the parts together despite using vaseline.

I did not use a funnel. I did use some flow medium but only like 1-2mm to make it run smoother.
Vktech 50pcs 15ml Empty Plastic Squeezable Dropper Bottles Eye Liquid Dropper LDPE https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D1GUAHS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_Ju5Jyd4sZrHKA
Liquitex Professional Flow Aid Effects Medium, 4-oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KNPM46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_Eg3tMY5uA5Hla

I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Masking-Fluid-75ml/dp/B005P1ROEY

Some artists suggest that you split the difference of the bottle once you own one so that you can save half for later and avoid drying out the whole bottle as it tends to react to air very poorly, speeding up the drying process of the contents inside when uncapped during use.

https://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-X27-Gloss-Clear-Red/dp/B00TT856HG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510068044&sr=8-3&keywords=tamiya+clear+red&dpID=51%252BjaWDTQ-L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

this?

Add a few drops of this to your paint

Iwata Revolution, Vallejo Paints. I have this exact problem. And I am just now heading out to the local hobby store to pickup some redarder if they have it in stock.

I will report back how that goes.

It’s a Russian brand. It is known for its quality. The closest I could find in the US, is this:
watercolor

https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Face-Colors-Paint-8-Colors/dp/B000PHCPTM/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=flesh+tone+acrylic&qid=1568523918&sr=8-10

https://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-Professional-Flow-Effects-Medium/dp/B000KNPM46/ref=asc_df_B000KNPM46/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167130062341&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17550406855758447522&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033614&hvtargid=pla-83844654326&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Assorted-Blacklight-Reactive-Fluorescent-Acrylic/dp/B0083FOB54

Known as masking fluid.

I am a beginner so I bought this and replaced the water brush with two travel brushes.

Sakura XNCW-30N Koi Field 30 Assorted Watercolors with Brush Sketch Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKABXOA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Uq37CbTT9CHPQ

If your already thinning it to that ratio I don't think you should go any further. Vallejo has there own brand of retardant specific to their paints.

https://www.amazon.ca/Vallejo-VJ70597-Retarder-17ml/dp/B000PH9JP0

You need some of this.

https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Airbrush-Improver-200ml-Paint/dp/B00QD780G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482515101&sr=8-1&keywords=vallejo+airbrush

Then maybe add a few drops of retarder...

https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-VJ70597-Acrylic-Paint-Retarder/dp/B000PH9JP0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482515136&sr=8-1&keywords=vallejo+retarder

These as well....

http://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Cotman-Colour-Compact/dp/B00004THXH/ref=pd_sim_201_12?ie=UTF8&dpID=512TWrgNLIL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=022KSFV67AGEWZ2JQV49

http://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Cotman-Water-Pocket/dp/B000ILZAXI/ref=pd_sim_201_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51p-DBlKY-L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0RMRT7ZRKCD7BQ3W88SR

And yes.... It's for painting in my Moleskine

Vallejo makes their own retarder. But using a wet palette should be enough.

It's probably the same thing, but the one I bought was: Flow Aid

Masking fluid is this stuff that you paint over parts of your watercolor that you don't want to get painted. You rub it off your painting when you're done. I just started using it myself.

I dont know what colors GW would have used, but the Vallejo face/skin tone set has a few options that should work, I've tried a couple of the darker tones on my Star Wars Legion rebels to good effect. Link is a bit long below, I'm on mobile and in a hurry so it's the first link I could find.

https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Face-Colors-Paint-8-Colors/dp/B000PHCPTM/ref=asc_df_B000PHCPTM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309765208504&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10430058833642169688&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023889&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-436757734711&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60439471103&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309765208504&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10430058833642169688&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023889&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-436757734711

I used a mix of Vallejo and P3 paints to paint each color on the figure -skin, clothes, weapons, venom sacs, etc. I then brushed on a dip, specifically Army Painter Strongtone to give them shading and a dirty dark tint.

All the materials might be pretty pricey if you were buying them just for painting up Myth, but it's all stuff I already had lying around from painting other minis games, so...