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How is Vallejo gloss varnish when it comes to protection? Should I be buying some Testor's glosscoat and just using that anyway? I have Vallejo gloss, satin, and matte varnishes but I don't mind dropping 5 bucks for the best possible protection. When I am done with a mini I want it to be final.
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Jul 19, 2014 19:33
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Honestly, gloss is gloss. I doubt Vallejo of all companies would gently caress it up.
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Jul 19, 2014 22:10
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If you own an airbrush there's basically no reason I know of to not use Future or the local equivalent, shits indestructible once it cures.
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Jul 19, 2014 22:57
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Its been a while since you've posted stuff. Your stuff is god drat fantastic.
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Jul 19, 2014 23:01
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OneTrueBru posted:The gloss provides a lovely, smooth surface for any following layers. Additionally, as El Estrago Bonito posted, matte varnish alone is pretty iffy when it comes to protecting a paintjob. Can you describe in detail how you apply these?
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Jul 20, 2014 04:56
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Is there a good source for this in the states? I'd like to compare it against testors for the thread.
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Jul 20, 2014 07:06
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mr. stefan posted:If you own an airbrush there's basically no reason I know of to not use Future or the local equivalent, shits indestructible once it cures. You don't even need an airbrush, Future is self leveling so you can just brush it on if you need to. BULBASAUR posted:Is there a good source for this in the states? I'd like to compare it against testors for the thread. Future? I got mine from Amazon because I didn't want to go hunting for it locally in every Walmart and hardware store around here. Unzip and Attack posted:Can you describe in detail how you apply these? It's very simple. Spray (or brush) gloss varnish on your model until it looks wet, let it dry; maybe siphon off any pools of varnish with a q-tip. Obscuring details on 28mm models won't be an issue with gloss varnish, it's self leveling and excess will just run off the model. Matte varnish you really need to get a feel for it yourself to find your brand preference and how matte you want your miniatures to be. If you spray it on like gloss you WILL frost your varnish. Spray too sparsely and you won't cut enough gloss. Spray in the wrong weather environment and you might end up frosting your miniature as well. Different brands of matte have differing "matteness" levels as well; Testors Dullcote is super matte, Krylon Artists Matte for canvasses isn't very matte at all.
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Jul 20, 2014 07:25
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Pacheeco posted:Obscuring details on 28mm models won't be an issue with gloss varnish, it's self leveling and excess will just run off the model. Caveat: it (at least Future) will web up in corners/across small gaps if you give it a chance, but it's very easy to fix this by checking on the model before it dries and wicking up any excess with a brush or something until it follows the model's surface smoothly.
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Jul 20, 2014 07:29
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OneTrueBru posted:It's honestly mainly the varnish (and the lovely ipad camera helps). Once I'm finished painting I give everything a heavy coat of gloss before blasting it with matte. Matte vanish helps, but your brushwork is about as good as it gets for what you do. Your washes are also really clean. What brand oil paint and what brand thinner are you using?
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Jul 20, 2014 08:04
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The good part about matte varnish is that all frosting is reversible. Respraying will reactivate the varnish and give you a chance to reset the varnish if it has frosted. I use a number of protective varnishes for my minis. Generally I use Future because it's so cheap and easy to get but sometimes I use Patricia Nimock or Windsor and Newton if I can get good deals on them at Michaels. I had a bottle of a brand called Grumbacher for Matte that I bought because I had a gift cert for the local art store and it was decent but then I went back to Krylon, testors and/or Folk Art. I have a friend who works as a painter for a miniatures studio's painting team and they use Lascaux which is supposed to be the best poo poo ever but it's, uh, a little out of most peoples price range to put it nicely.
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Jul 20, 2014 08:14
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I don't see humidity fall much below ~50%, can I varnish in that with matte spray?
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Jul 20, 2014 08:47
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El Estrago Bonito posted:The good part about matte varnish is that all frosting is reversible. Respraying will reactivate the varnish and give you a chance to reset the varnish if it has frosted. Does this count with brush on varnish as well?
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Jul 20, 2014 08:54
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El Estrago Bonito posted:I have a friend who works as a painter for a miniatures studio's painting team and they use Lascaux which is supposed to be the best poo poo ever but it's, uh, a little out of most peoples price range to put it nicely. $30 for 250ml is a high price, but not insane considering how little is used per model. http://www.dickblick.com/products/lascaux-uv-varnish/ Lascaux isnt some super high end brand, but im sure your friend thinks so. Its just a foreign product that is marked up for international markets. We all fall victim to buying all the specialist tools to make up for perceived shortcomings in talent. People have been doing excellent work with lovely tools and mediums for decades. Fauxtool fucked around with this message at 09:50 on Jul 20, 2014 |
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Jul 20, 2014 09:41
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Gareth Gobulcoque posted:Matte vanish helps, but your brushwork is about as good as it gets for what you do. Your washes are also really clean. What brand oil paint and what brand thinner are you using? I mainly use the Winton student oils - if they're good enough for Forgeworld, they're more than good enough for me (and they're reasonably cheap). The thinner is just DIY white spirit, "Focus Basics" brand. The bottle must be at least 10 years old and the stuff reeks, but it seems to work just fine. Unzip and Attack posted:Can you describe in detail how you apply these? Pacheeco covered this perfectly. I can spray the Klear/Future/Multi-surface wax with wild abandon because of its self-leveling properties. If I spot any pooling, I just wick it away with a brush. No thinning required, the stuff works prefectly out of the bottle with my cheapo Chinese airbrush (model HS-30). I do have to thin my matte to about 3:1 varnish:water, as it's a bit viscous otherwise. The Winsor & Newton stuff seems to be fairly well-behaved and doesn't frost easily, although it's a pretty weak matte honestly. If you're looking for a perfectly flat, non-reflective finish, it's not going to do the job without a million layers. You can probably see that my models tend towards a satin finish - that's the Klear still showing through two coats of matte!
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Jul 20, 2014 11:29
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What do people here use for NMM gold? Hopefully of the Vallejo variety. I'm looking for both a richer mix and a duller mix. Don't know which will work better for sci-fi engines but I'm guessing a rich blend due to how cold the bluish grey steel tends to be.
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Jul 20, 2014 15:52
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OneTrueBru posted:I do have to thin my matte to about 3:1 varnish:water, as it's a bit viscous otherwise. The Winsor & Newton stuff seems to be fairly well-behaved and doesn't frost easily, although it's a pretty weak matte honestly. If you're looking for a perfectly flat, non-reflective finish, it's not going to do the job without a million layers. I've been using Liquitex Matte Varnish through an airbrush for about a year and I swear on it being the best matte I've used thus far. It will absolutely kill the gloss, and doesn't require any thinning unless you're spraying at a particularly low PSI.
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Jul 20, 2014 17:18
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Slimnoid posted:I've been using Liquitex Matte Varnish through an airbrush for about a year and I swear on it being the best matte I've used thus far. It will absolutely kill the gloss, and doesn't require any thinning unless you're spraying at a particularly low PSI. I'll probably pick up a bottle to try out in that case. I've been wanting to to pick up an Infinity model or two to paint and while the satin effect of the W&N stuff works fine on power armour, I have to admit it makes cloth/skin look a bit strange.
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Jul 20, 2014 17:52
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The wife got me a new mini-lightbox for my miniatures. I'm still trying to get the hang on it, but it beats taking on-the-fly photos at my desk.  It's going to take a while to get the light balancing down, but it's a decent start.
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Jul 20, 2014 19:43
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My workmates and I are setting up a Necromunda campaign, however we're currently using proxy miniatures and numbering them in the absence of actually displaying the weapons we have as well. I'm looking at fielding a Cawdor gang, but unsure of what minis to use that fit their theme of cultists. I've come across these chaps (http://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/Miniatures-of-the-North/House-Crowmantia) and was wondering if anyone had any experience with these models and their suitability for being converted using 40k weapon bitz? I don't want to splash out and wait weeks for int'l shipping to find they're not going to work.
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Jul 21, 2014 01:50
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OneTrueBru posted:I mainly use the Winton student oils - if they're good enough for Forgeworld, they're more than good enough for me (and they're reasonably cheap). One of these days I'll figure out oil washes. I love using oils for filters, blends, and weathering, but every time I attempt a wash it all goes horribly wrong very quickly. It seems like washes should be the easiest thing you can do with oils, but I guess not for me.
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Jul 21, 2014 02:29
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After spending a week on a big mek, I decided to do a quick piece that I could take out in a day. I just got a reaper triad of purples that I wanted to try out, so I decided to make a sneaky kommando. After throwing paint on a few parts (the gas mask) it really was reminding me of the saints' colors which made me want to up the flashyness and pimp it out. The natural choice therefore was to slap some camo inspired by Zairian leopard print camo on it. The casting on the axe was a little messed up (this is an old metal model, I bought it primed) so I used some pigments to rust it out (with a cleaned blade that was sharpened right before battle). I'm pretty pleased with how it came out.    
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Jul 21, 2014 02:59
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Gareth Gobulcoque posted:One of these days I'll figure out oil washes. I love using oils for filters, blends, and weathering, but every time I attempt a wash it all goes horribly wrong very quickly. It seems like washes should be the easiest thing you can do with oils, but I guess not for me. It's really just getting the right ratio of oil to mineral spirits, and it helps to have a good mineral spirits meant for oil paint. I've used Mona Lisa brand thinner and it works like a charm, though the trick is to err on the side of caution and put more spirits in there. If the wash is thin, so what? You can go over it again with another pass, or with a different mix, or just clean it up and try again.
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Jul 21, 2014 03:08
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My bargain basement mineral spirits are definitely part of the problem I think. I slowly add mineral spirits and without fail it goes from too thick to really thin with one brush of mineral spirits. For me if the wash is too thin then it results in a grainy mess when applied. My bargain basement oil paints probably don't help either. I think I've got a good feel for working with oils, but my stuff falls apart once I hit wash consistency.
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Jul 21, 2014 03:21
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Gareth Gobulcoque posted:My bargain basement mineral spirits are definitely part of the problem I think. I slowly add mineral spirits and without fail it goes from too thick to really thin with one brush of mineral spirits. For me if the wash is too thin then it results in a grainy mess when applied. The first time I made an oil wash, I used cheapo hardware store low odour turps (same as what you would've used, just one of the numerous names this stuff has depending on the region) and it came out just fine, at least to my eyes. I did use W&N Winton oil paint though, so it may just be your choice of paint in this instance. Someone posted in this thread about mixing some Alkyd medium in with the wash as a binder to help prevent the pigment breaking apart. I've bought some to try as it makes sense to use this like I do with acrylic matte medium in washes using Les Bursley's recipe, but haven't done so yet. Perhaps this will help with your current issue if you want to stick with the paints you have, though I have no idea. My experience with oil paints are limited only to these washes.
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Jul 21, 2014 03:48
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Fauxtool posted:$30 for 250ml is a high price, but not insane considering how little is used per model. He says it's really good and I believe him. I'd put him in the top ten painters employed by any games studio right now and if he says its good, then trust me, it is. From what I understand it goes on extremely even and thin. He's used a lot of commercially available varnishes so I trust him on this one, prior to working where he does now he used Xtracrylix which is another varnish a lot of military model people swear by but its strictly airbrush only while the Lascaux is rattlecan.
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Jul 21, 2014 04:32
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Danoss posted:The first time I made an oil wash, I used cheapo hardware store low odour turps (same as what you would've used, just one of the numerous names this stuff has depending on the region) and it came out just fine, at least to my eyes. I did use W&N Winton oil paint though, so it may just be your choice of paint in this instance. Yeah, that's my trick. If you want your oil wash to clump and act 'sticky' in the cracks like a GW acrylic wash, you'll want to use an Alkyd medium along with the spirit. If you want it to act more like a filter or a pin wash, then just using spirit is fine. -Maimeri White Spirit -Grumbacher Alkyd Oil Painting Medium
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Jul 21, 2014 06:16
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Chill la Chill posted:What do people here use for NMM gold? Hopefully of the Vallejo variety. I'm looking for both a richer mix and a duller mix. Don't know which will work better for sci-fi engines but I'm guessing a rich blend due to how cold the bluish grey steel tends to be. I have a fairly dull mix that uses Tin Bitz as a base, then I do an overbrush of Skrag Brown, and drybrush Balor Brown (more concentrated towards the light source) and a drybrush of Tau Light Ochre on the very edge. I hit it with a wash (Usually Badab Black for a darker, more subdued look or Agrax Earthshade for the more natural shading) and a final drybrush of Tau Light Ochre to finish it off.  The vented section on the arms of my Stormwall is an example of the method I use, to give you an idea.
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Jul 21, 2014 07:56
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OneTrueBru posted:It's honestly mainly the varnish (and the lovely ipad camera helps). Once I'm finished painting I give everything a heavy coat of gloss before blasting it with matte. You're being far too modest. Varnish does help colors look crisp and get a model to look "finished," but look at the lines on your plasma cannon coil, they're so straight it's like a robit painted them. Not to mention all of your edge highlights. Just 
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Jul 21, 2014 08:33
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serious gaylord posted:Don't do this. Unfortunately it was already too late for this post, the minis are already bare. I've got a different approach this time. My major problem was that I had left the skin until after everything else was basecoated, which then made the skin impossible to get to without messing a lot of other parts up. Is there any sense in leaving some parts to be glued after the base coat is on? Its real difficult to get to the back of arms etc.
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Jul 21, 2014 10:00
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I'm looking to start using weathering pigments, and I'm wondering if there's any major differences between manufacturers? Or should I just buy the best amount:cost ratio (probably Vallejo). Also, should I buy a "fixer" or is that just an overpriced branded version of something else? e: While I'm at it, would Liquitex Matt Varnish in a spray can be a suitable alternative for those without airbrushes? ijyt fucked around with this message at 12:08 on Jul 21, 2014 |
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Jul 21, 2014 11:59
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BigHandsVince posted:Unfortunately it was already too late for this post, the minis are already bare. You can do this yes, but don't fall into the pitfall of leaving everything off just because. When I paint, I normally only leave bits off if they 100% have to be to get at them. Guns on space marines because they block a lot of the model etc. Also do the small but important details first, like faces and then just be neat and careful when painting around them.
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Jul 21, 2014 12:09
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Anyone have any experience with Gundam markers that know things I should watch out for using them over/next to acrylic paints? This is not for miniatures of course, but terrain. I am gonna try to paint up my BattleZones terrain like Gundams. Also, sanding this plastic because I got glue on some flat surfaces I'd prefer not to have glue. What should I be using to sand plastic? Is there a certain grit or material I should be going for in sandpaper? I know seriously nothing about woodwork or plastic or whatever.
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Jul 21, 2014 15:17
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I use 1500 grit wet & dry sandpaper for a smooth finish.
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Jul 21, 2014 15:29
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I've been working on painting up all my Britannia ships in a dazzle camo pattern for Dystopian Wars and while the masking takes forever, I think the final result is pretty great. I recently took a detour after coming across the neutral transport ship you can use in the game and made it into the RMS Titanic-esque, complete with bonus rigging!   
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Jul 21, 2014 15:34
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serious gaylord posted:Don't do this. Augh I bounce between being super laid back and 'eh whatever it's done' and being extremely anal retentive and 'IT MUST BE PERFECT' and painting minis is making me ridiculously anal retentive  In other news, I've been listening to a newbie intro podcast for Warmachine and one of the things they talked about for assembly and painting is dealing with release agent and about cross-hatching your model's joints - of my first couple models I did neither of these and now I'm worried about it  Should I try to pop my dudes back apart, clean off the super glue, clean them, and re-assemble them or am I okay? I'm considering popping my plastic ones apart anyway so I can re-do them with Acrylic glue but figured I'd ask people who know what they're doing before I go crazy with some hare-brained scheme like trying to take apart and re-assemble my models. Like if there's actually decent odds that having not washed my models will weaken the joints enough that they'll pop apart while I'm in a game I'd rather just re-do it, but if Warmachine warjacks and casters (specifically the Menoth and Ret battle boxes, for anyone with experience with those) are sturdy enough that I don't need to worry about it, I won't. I just had no idea release agent was a thing when I first got these and never thought of cross-hatching my dudes.Also, can you effectively cross-hatch pewter minis? Or should I just jump to pinning them? I'm having a devil of a time getting the arm on my Mage Hunter Assassin variant sculpt to stay on because the arm is decently weighty and has a weapon in hand and the joint to the body is absolutely miniscule. Even with green stuff I feel like if I tap this goddamned model the arm will fall off. (specifically it's the model's right arm, the joint area is like 3-4mm by 3-4mm and is extremely aggravating to deal with) Any advice for dealing with absolutely itty bitty joints like that? Finally, wrt pinning, in some pinning blog I read I saw something about a 'red dot technique' for lining up your pinning holes properly. What is that? If I had to hazard a guess, I'd guess it's putting a tiny, tiny dot of paint on the model and tapping the limb to it in appropriate alignment to mark where you'll drill on each to have it line up properly. Magres fucked around with this message at 16:34 on Jul 21, 2014 |
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Jul 21, 2014 16:29
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Magres posted:In other news, I've been listening to a newbie intro podcast for Warmachine and one of the things they talked about for assembly and painting is dealing with release agent and about cross-hatching your model's joints - of my first couple models I did neither of these and now I'm worried about it I answer this with a series of questions: 1- Are you too far along in your painting to do this without loving up a paintjob? 2- Did you pin? 3- What kind of glue did you use? signalnoise fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Jul 21, 2014 |
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Jul 21, 2014 16:32
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Commissar Canuck posted:I've been working on painting up all my Britannia ships in a dazzle camo pattern for Dystopian Wars and while the masking takes forever, I think the final result is pretty great. I recently took a detour after coming across the neutral transport ship you can use in the game and made it into the RMS Titanic-esque, complete with bonus rigging! Those are awesome, I'm about to start a small group of French ships in a blue stripe camo, and I'm trying to figure out how hard it's going to be to mask them up. Added difficulty because they're all skimmers, and I'm planning to go traditional deep red below the waterline.
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Jul 21, 2014 16:32
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signalnoise posted:I answer this with a series of questions: No (my models are all entirely bare so far because I need to :justpaint: and haven't gotten around to it), no, cyanoacrylate. I'm planning to go get a pin vice, some bits, some wire, and some acrylic glue as soon as I get off work today.
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Jul 21, 2014 16:35
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Magres posted:No (my models are all entirely bare so far because I need to :justpaint: and haven't gotten around to it), no, cyanoacrylate. If you are too far along with a paintjob, gently caress it. If you pinned, gently caress it. If you used cyanoacrylate glue, eh, they'll come apart when they're good and ready, and then you can do whatever to them. Something to keep in mind with your glues and plastics is that, by my reasoning anyway, plastic models don't need glue to be as strong as metal ones, and using plastic glue or acrylic cement or whatever is kind of a bonus "this must survive the ages" solution. Plastic weighs less than metal and will therefore inherently have less stress on the joints in regular use. If you drop the mini on a glued limb, a plastic model will have less kinetic energy in it than a metal one. If you haven't really started on your paint job though and it's going to bother you, then you can stick minis in a freezer to weaken cyanoacrylate. Since you answered so quickly please refer to the last sentence. If it's going to bother you, sure, why not? Get some plastic glue and go hog wild. My newbie advice from a newbie to a newbie
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Jul 21, 2014 16:37
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That's pretty fair, I'll probably run home during my lunch break to pop them in the freezer for no reason other than "it irks me that I could do this better and haven't" and re-do my plastics with acrylic and my metals with pinning. My FLGS does warmachine wednesday nights and I can easily reassemble my battlegroup tonight and tomorrow night. I'll probably do my torso joints tonight, my first limb joints tomorrow morning, my final limb joints tomorrow night, and have everything good to go for Wednesday night. Any advice for pinning really, really goddamned small joint areas on metal minis other than just using a smaller wire? I'm kind of afraid I'm going to just demolish my mini's arm.
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Jul 21, 2014 17:00
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