Octopus Overlords

My (unsolicited) advice is to spend time learning to paint unique miniatures (like your MoM characters) and then use the contrast paints for games that include multiple copies of minions/bad guys/cannon fodder. I find tremendous enjoyment in painting unique, individual minis. I'm over needing to paint 37 varieties of a monster for a single game. I'm hoping my recently acquired contrast paints can speed up my ability to deal with this type of painting, allowing me to focus more on the heroes/characters and get more painted minis to the table quicker.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:23 pm My (unsolicited) advice is to spend time learning to paint unique miniatures (like your MoM characters) and then use the contrast paints for games that include multiple copies of minions/bad guys/cannon fodder. I find tremendous enjoyment in painting unique, individual minis. I'm over needing to paint 37 varieties of a monster for a single game.

And I'll pile on to say that painting those first dozen guys with traditional methods will help you out way more than diving right into contrast paints. Helping you to learn brush control, shading, drybrushing, painted highlights (which I still can't do.)

Contrast paints were great for those mobs of rome where I had to get about 20 figures painted in a very short period of time. I'm trying to decide if I want to use the contrast paints for the Marvel Crisis Protocol figs or not...those figures are kinda daunting, especially when you see the paint jobs that some folks have been putting out for them.

hentzau wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:29 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:23 pm My (unsolicited) advice is to spend time learning to paint unique miniatures (like your MoM characters) and then use the contrast paints for games that include multiple copies of minions/bad guys/cannon fodder. I find tremendous enjoyment in painting unique, individual minis. I'm over needing to paint 37 varieties of a monster for a single game.

And I'll pile on to say that painting those first dozen guys with traditional methods will help you out way more than diving right into contrast paints. Helping you to learn brush control, shading, drybrushing, painted highlights (which I still can't do.)

Contrast paints were great for those mobs of rome where I had to get about 20 figures painted in a very short period of time. I'm trying to decide if I want to use the contrast paints for the Marvel Crisis Protocol figs or not...those figures are kinda daunting, especially when you see the paint jobs that some folks have been putting out for them.

Thanks to both for the advice. It makes a lot of sense. Might use them for the Journey in Middle Earth minis or Imperial Assault minis, but they are way down on my list. If I get Mansions of Madness finished before summer, that'll be great. Just in time for a small pile of Kickstarters to arrive...

Highlights are next on my list. First time I tried, I was way too far off on the color and it looked like I blobbed random paint on the mini.

I just started experimenting with highlighting just before we moved (and the last time I painted) back in the spring. Using a wet palette was critical as it allowed me to add just a tiny, tiny bit of white to the color I was using to highlight and then brush along edges. I think you can kinda see that here if you look at the edges of the blue dresses on the mages and a bit on their boots.



Doesn't really seem to photograph well but I can notice a difference when they're on the table.

I like the Reaper Triads. A midrange color, a highlight and a shadow. It’s why I have a lot of paints.

The Reaper triads are fantastic. They're basically what you achieve with mixing, but are ready to go out of the bottle, perfectly matched, and you can get consistent colors across multiple pieces. I'd really like to try contrast paints, but the price has prevented me from experimenting.

Finished up Jace, Captain of the Black Mariah for Core Space. Hope to finish his crew tonight.

Is that one of the crew packs? If so, are they worth the price? I'd be tempted to add one to an international order to combine shipping if I have to order dice and/or rulers.

More on topic, I was out of town today and stopped by a game store that sold contrast paint and was able to pick up four or them to experiment with: a flesh, a yellow, black, and white. I like shading and highlighting the old fashioned way, but being able to power through massive numbers of so-so figures for board games would be a godsend.

No, he’s captain of one of the crew in the base set.

So the crew sets are good to give you more options for the crew, plus new items and events.

Looking really good - love how the pants came out.

Smoove_B wrote:Looking really good - love how the pants came out.

Space Wolves Gray Contrast Paint.

Any highlighting or shading afterward? White primer?

Blackhawk wrote:Any highlighting or shading afterward? White primer?

Wraithbone primer, one coat of SWG, no highlight or shade.

Malificent wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:45 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:33 pm I just got about a baker's dozen contrast paints, new brushes and a can of contrast primer (wrathbone white i think it's called) using some amazon gift cards I got for Christmas. Now it's time to try out this new paint and see if i can finally get all my mins table ready, dagnabit.

I would love to hear a report on how the contrast paints work out...

Okay, I just painted up some ghouls for Fallout since they're pretty easy.

My first impression is, you'd damn well better make sure the primer is applied EVERYWHERE on a fig. Because if it's not, the paint will just be repelled from that spot. I missed a couple of hard to reach spots on a couple of the figs I worked with just now, and I'm going to have to find me some paint on primer so the contract paints will adhere to those areas.

Also, even when the primer is there for the paint to cling to, it's still more watery than I expected. I think I ended up applying TOO much paint in more than one instance.

I do like the highlighting though when the paint gets on there correctly. I may use it for a base on some of my figs, then do the detail with regular paints.

And yes, I'm sure that's an affront to real painters. However, I have two options in this life: paint 'em quick, or don't paint 'em at all. That's how the hepcat rolls, my friends.

A guy on reddit did some 3D printing so he could see what the Citadel Contrast paints look like for future painting reference.

Excellent, thanks! I was thinking I would need something like that just a little bit ago!

Glad to help.

And the crew of the Black Mariah is finished. (Except for cutting off the bases and mounting them on clear bases.)

Isgrimnur wrote:A guy on reddit did some 3D printing so he could see what the Citadel Contrast paints look like for future painting reference.

I should do this...I’m getting pretty acquainted with the pallet but sometimes it surprises me.

And last one for the weekend...Captain Sondar of the Cygnus.

One tip from a newbie contrast paint user: if you apply one coat and it looks like it didn't cover anything, either look at your work with better lighting or (preferably) wait until it dries and check it. I have a couple of figs from yesterday on which I used a brown (Snakebite Leather I think it's called) and slathered it on at the time because I didn't think it was taking. Today I can see it's on the figs way too thick in areas. The watery viscosity of these paints makes it easy to think you're not getting coverage when you really are.

AWS260 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:08 am

Those are...

What I've learned with Contrast Paints so far...

• You need to start with a great primer coat. Start with a well cleaned mini, and a thorough light prime in a light color. Use minis primers, do not just grab a can of matt white spray paint and think you'll be OK. Airbrushes work well here. I haven't tried a brush on primer but I would be concerned about incomplete or splotchy coverage. I've used the the GW contrast primers, Army Painter, Armory, and Vallejo Airbrush primer, all to good results.
• Shake well! Shake the pot, then when you think you're done, shake it some more, and then when you think you're done again, shake it one more time. The pigment and the contrast medium separate like crazy when they sit for more than a day or so.
• Use the paints directly from the pot. I know this goes against all normal rules of painting minis, but I've tried using a standard pallet and I just end up wasting the stuff. Do not use a wet pallet!
• When using the paints from the pot, BE CAREFUL! Those pots tip over easily. I have tipped over two pots so far, and at $8 a pop, that hurts.
• Use a largish brush that is loaded with the paint. I normally dip my regiment brush in the pot 3-4 times to get it loaded before I start. A sharp point is a must.
• Apply liberally. More than what you think. Because of the viscosity of the paint, it will pull back from your edges, so I would normally put the paint on, set it down for about a minute, and then see where I have overly white spots coming up. Look at where the paint is pooling, and then take your brush after you have wiped all of the rest of the paint off and soak some of it up. But only for the largest pool areas...you want to keep some of the pigment in the recesses for shading
• Try and not put one contrast paint next to another that is still wet. It will very easily wick into the other area and the stronger paint will take over. I work inside out, but I will usually try and work on differing parts of the model if possible.
• Have a matching pot of paint to your primer color. You will make mistakes, and you will need to fix them. Painting over does not work, you have to find the mistake, apply the brush-on paint, dry thoroughly and then apply the contrast.
• You can detail using contrast paints, but it ain't easy. I fall back to standard paints for this, especially for metals. It is a different look, but it works usually.
• You can achieve an interesting look by applying contrast paints over metallics. I'm planning on airbrushing my Iron Man from Marvel Crisis Protocol in a bright gold color, and then doing the rest of the panels in Blood Angel Red. I'll post pictures when I get to it.
• I can't really speak to mixing the colors, so I refrain from commenting.
• Contrast paints SUCK for large flat surfaces. You get tons of streaking and blech. So, I don't recommend contrast paint for flat terrain pieces. (It's brilliant for things like wood boxes and timbers and stuff that has a texture though.

If I come up with anything more, I'll add it to the list.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:22 pm Paint shaker reviews

I have one of those nail polish shakers. It's terrible.

Thanks for those tips! I just did a test of one of the Core Space Harvesters. Primed with brush on (Stix) then used the same contrast colors you did (yellow and black). I'm quite impressed at how fast it all was and with just another few minutes I could spend dabbing in red eyes and/or giving them some minor additional details, absolutely would be a time saver. Brush on primer is not my choice (so easy to miss spots), but the time saved on the other end by just slathering on this contrast stuff is rather impressive.

I have the Spider-Man mini from Crisis Protocol primed with a gray gesso (experimenting is fun!) and I'm going to contrast paint him next.

hentzau wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:04 pm
[*]Have a matching pot of paint to your primer color. You will make mistakes, and you will need to fix them. Painting over does not work, you have to find the mistake, apply the brush-on paint, dry thoroughly and then apply the contrast.

I'm already running into problems I need to fix. I used the wraithbone primer for contrast paints. Should I use the wraithbone base and paint over the mistake, let it dry, then reapply the correct contrast paint? Or do they sell wraithbone primer in a pot? I couldn't find it if so.

hepcat wrote:

hentzau wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:04 pm
[*]Have a matching pot of paint to your primer color. You will make mistakes, and you will need to fix them. Painting over does not work, you have to find the mistake, apply the brush-on paint, dry thoroughly and then apply the contrast.

I'm already running into problems I need to fix. I used the wraithbone primer for contrast paints. Should I use the wraithbone base and paint over the mistake, let it dry, then reapply the correct contrast paint? Or do they sell wraithbone primer in a pot? I couldn't find it if so.

Use the pot of Wraithbone base paint. Water it down a little so it doesn’t obscure too much. They don’t make a brush on wraithbone primer.

Cool, thanks! My paint jobs still suck, but I feel a badly painted model is probably better than an unpainted one.

hepcat wrote:Cool, thanks! My paint jobs still suck, but I feel a badly painted model is probably better than an unpainted one.

Absolutely. And the more you do the better you’ll get.

I wish. I’ve been painting on and off since high school and I still suck.

hentzau wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:27 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:22 pm Paint shaker reviews

I have one of those nail polish shakers. It's terrible.

My wife and I both have hand issues/injuries, so I bought the Robart Hobby Paint Shaker. Its works very well for me. I just tested a contrast paint I had sitting for months, apothecary white, and it had separated into this dark black color and a small corner of whiteish stuff. I dropped it on there for about a minute, flipped it and did another minute. The paint turned the normal grey color it's supposed to be. (I probably didn't even need to flip it or leave it for so long, but I heard the contrast paints need extra love, soo...

I’ve painted a few more minis, one from Mansions of Madness, a couple from Clank Legacy. I finally figured out how to change the f/stop on my iPhone and now taking the photos, I’m noticing the spots I missed. Grrr.

Also, can I say how much painting eyes suck?

Yep. I gave up on the eyes years ago. Can’t see them on the table anyway.

Nice work on that top figure, BTW. Great color choices and very tidy painting.

Malificent wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:34 pm I’ve painted a few more minis, one from Mansions of Madness, a couple from Clank Legacy. I finally figured out how to change the f/stop on my iPhone and now taking the photos, I’m noticing the spots I missed. Grrr.

Don't use photos to judge by. Miniatures are an inch tall and meant to be viewed at arm's length. The best looking miniatures can look awful when blown up to eight inches high. It's like trying to judge oil paintings by looking at them with a magnifying glass up close. That's not right for the medium.

In regards to eyes, I've tried about a hundred techniques. This one is the easiest by far.

I have painted many thousands of military miniature. Some as small as N gauge (about 10 mm). My individual soldiers do look rather second rate up close but when I put out hundreds or thousands for each side on a wargaming table they do look a lot better.

Two more Cygnus crew knocked off...Chit and Satiene. One more to go.