[Miniatures] Painting tips and progress reports (with pics!)

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:26 pm

My additional paint from Reaper came today. I had used the 'note' field on the order form to let them know I'm looking forward to receiving my Vampire set soon. They included a hand-written note with the paint telling me that they are looking forward to shipping them 'in the very near future.'

Cylus Maxii · Post by **Cylus Maxii** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:39 pm

Nice and classy too. Which additional paint did you get?

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:17 pm

Cylus Maxii wrote:Nice and classy too. Which additional paint did you get?

9018
9035
9038
9049
9051
9052
9054
9090

From the core colors set.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:58 am

Heh, many of those are the exact same ones I purchased after the Kickstarter was over.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 1:50 pm

Been painting the zombie figures from the original Zombicide over the last five or so days. While I'm not going to win any awards, I've also determined that even my weak attempts to apply paint still end up looking better than gray plastic figures, particularly when the figures are so tiny and the level of detail just isn't there (at least, at my level). So for anyone worried about quality, I think you can do a respectable "quickie" paint job for relatively little investment. It's also strangely relaxing to paint. Not too much room to think about anything else when you're so focused.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:15 pm

Smoove_B wrote: It's also strangely relaxing to paint. Not too much room to think about anything else when you're so focused.

Oh good lord, yes. I was worried when I started having this desire to play a minis game (Malifaux) a few months ago that it would end up being an exercise in frustration. I thought I'd get annoyed with my beginner's quality paint jobs and just stop. However, I've found that when I'm painting I go into a "zone". It's almost zen. I may not be doing a great job on my figures, but they're perfectly fine for what I want to do (which is play the damn game).

I do find myself hanging out more at my local game store and spending 20 minutes agonizing over two shades of purple though.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:52 pm

At least with miniature figure modelling, you don't find yourself wanting to purchase a $100+ fan deck of Federal Standard colors so that you can make sure you mix the exact right shade of Air Force Blue.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:23 pm

hepcat wrote:I do find myself hanging out more at my local game store and spending 20 minutes agonizing over two shades of purple though.

It's ok. I just painted a zombie with black shoes and a brown belt. What was I thinking?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:56 pm

That he was a fashion victim first?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:01 pm

Good lord, I need to stop. I'm new to this hobby (well...tabletop miniature gaming) so I've got to start from scratch. But I've seriously spent about 300 bucks in the last month on figures, paints, tools, etc.. Granted, Malifaux specific stuff (figures, rulebooks) is less than one third of that cost and the rest is paints, supplies, terrain, etc. that I can use with anything, but sheesh almighty.

The upside is that I've discovered that painting minis is really quite relaxing for me. It puts me in a great mood every time. So I guess 300 bucks for something that does that for me is a pretty small price to pay overall.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:05 pm

We've apparently tapped into the same thing then. I'm now done with 20 Zombicide figures. Haven't put a sealant on them or bloodied them up in any way, but they're functional. And yeah, not cheap, but you can definitely spend money on worse things.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:28 pm

My problem is that I keep "touching 'em up" after I see a picture of someone else's paint job on a gaming forum.

While they are looking better, the process needs to end someday. At this rate I'll have worked on a damn gunslinger for 87 man hours. But in my defense, the handle of his gun COULD be a darker shade of gold. Or not. Wait...could.

...or not.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:33 pm

I've considered occasionally using miniature painting as a means to help subsidize itself as a hobby. I've seen numerous people auction off painted copies of games on BGG for 2-3 times retail price. There are obviously people out there who really want painted minis in their games, but either aren't willing or able to do it themselves.

Sometimes the time investment is just too large - I recently painted my entire Wrath of Ashardalon set, and it took a couple of months of work to get through them all. I'd have a hard time selling that, even for $150+. However, I recently saw a painted copy of Spartacus go for $75 on BGG. That's four miniatures in a $25 game. A few hours of work to pay for $50 worth of paints, brushes, etc.? That doesn't sound too bad.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:37 pm

Boudreaux wrote: However, I recently saw a painted copy of Spartacus

aaaaannnnddddd my next project presents itself.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:13 pm

Yeah, I was going to wait for the Reaper Kickstarter delivery to start painting again but I'm about ready to paint my copy of Spartacus too. I could knock out 4 minis in a few days.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:31 pm

Just finished the first tray of S1 Zombicide figures. First time I ever tried painting and I'm pretty happy with how they came out. No blood added (yet) and I was toying with a dip in wood stain to grime them up a bit, but other that that they're table ready. Thanks to everyone for posting tips and info in this thread and encouraging me to give it a whirl.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:57 pm

Nice. Once I get some primer, I plan on starting my Zombicide set too.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 3:27 am

That looks pretty good as a basecoat, but you really should add a bit of shading. It'll make an enormous difference with almost no effort at all. Your best bet would be this:

Here's a repost of the before/after pictures of some of my Zombicide minis when using Quickshade (strong tone):

The difference is huge, and it took very little work. As an added bonus, the Quickshade doubles as gloss varnish that will protect your minis from wear and tear, both on the gaming table and in the box. You might want to finish up by spraying them with matte varnish unless you like the gloss effect though.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:03 am

Yup, that's the plan, though I do want to add some blood first. I also don't know that I'm going to get a miniature shading product - I was planning on using a satin finish wood stain. What I didn't know is whether or not I'd try literally dip them in or paint it on (I know you can do it either way). But yes, it makes an insane difference. I might have to wait a few more weeks until it warms up or find space in my garage. Unlike the painting which I can do at my desk, the next step is probably going to get messy (and stinky).

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:04 am

I showed your zombicide minis to my wife and she told me I'd never have the patience to do that.

Yeah, she's probably right.... dammit.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:09 am

A suggestion on the blood: Thin it down considerably until it is very transparent going on. Give each of them a large-ish blot, then go back and put a second (or even third coat) in a smaller area. It gives the impression of liquid that has spread rather than just a big streak of red.

If you're feeling elaborate, mix a little brown into the color for the large blot, then use plain red for the second+ coats.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:14 am

coopasonic wrote:I showed your zombicide minis to my wife and she told me I'd never have the patience to do that.

It actually didn't take nearly as long as I thought. The hardest one was the fatty (I think) because of all the extra surface area. Being able to paint the same figure 4x really made for quicker work using an "assembly line" method to apply the paints. By the time I finished, the first figure was usually dry enough to start the next coat. Seriously - there wasn't a bigger skeptic than me with this stuff. I have a new level of respect for the insanely detailed figures, but to just slap colors on these models was way easier than I thought - and I'm hoping the wood stain punches them up to the next level.

Blackhawk wrote:A suggestion on the blood: Thin it down considerably until it is very transparent going on. Give each of them a large-ish blot, then go back and put a second (or even third coat) in a smaller area. It gives the impression of liquid that has spread rather than just a big streak of red.

If you're feeling elaborate, mix a little brown into the color for the large blot, then use plain red for the second+ coats.

Thanks - my issue with the blood stuff was that the figures are so damn tiny it's seemingly impossible to get to that level of detail. For the guys with white shirts I was considering dipping a fan-shaped brush into thinned paint and then giving them a Dexter-style blood flick.

Zurai · Post by **Zurai** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:33 am

A worn out old toothbrush makes some amazing-looking blood spatters. Make sure not to have anything nearby you don't want lots of little red dots on, though.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 12:04 pm

The varnish makes me nervous...mostly for dipping the figures in. I can see accidentally letting go. I am hoping to use some thinned down ink to wash the figs with a brush instead.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:04 pm

I didn't actually end up dipping but slathering the figure with a cheap brush. I would say the difference between a painted and dipped figure is insane. That was taken about 15 minutes after the stain was applied, so it's still wet. Can't wait to see how it looks when dry.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:10 pm

I dub it "Prison Break Shrek".

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:17 pm

On my own notes, I'm working through spraying the body of my "test" model. I masked off the majority of the car to get the black applied by airbrush to the rear window and highlights around the front fender. The front fender areas are going to need some brush work to touch up, as I didn't get the complete areas nearest the hood coated. After that, I've masked off the areas low on the body for the gloss white, done from Testors spray can. Next up after that cures will be to do the metal flake green, also from Testors spray can. I have a rear area that needs to be chrome silver, which I will likely apply by brush to finish up the first painting pass.

After that, it's the application of some decals along the lower side panels and application of smaller painted pieces. before moving onto the larger decals.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:09 pm

Smoove_B wrote:I didn't actually end up dipping but slathering the figure with a cheap brush. I would say the difference between a painted and dipped figure is insane. That was taken about 15 minutes after the stain was applied, so it's still wet. Can't wait to see how it looks when dry.

That looks a bit strange, actually. Compare to the after-pictures of my fatties. It looks like your mixture maybe isn't thin enough, as it appears to not have really sunk into the cracks and crevices the way it's supposed to, instead appearing as a semi-random layer of dirt. There's a little bit of shading there, but it's not the way I would expect it to look.

Maybe it's just me. I'm no expert on this kind of thing anyway.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:23 pm

I've never used those dips or wood finish, but in my experience with other washes that use the same basic principle, the difference is one of surface tension. Too high and it just colors the miniature, too low and it pools and splotches.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:26 pm

I don't really know what to expect and I don't think I can make a straight comparison unless they used the same product in the same way. I might try rigging up a coat-hanger around the base to actually full-on dip it in for the next one and then try just thinning out some black paint with water and doing the same thing to see what happens. I figure if it burns up a few fatties, no big deal. Lord knows I have enough...with more on the way from the S2 Kickstarter.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:43 pm

Black isn't great for shadows. It is too 'black', whereas shadows are actually just deepened variants of the existing colors (IE - shadows on orange are dark orange.)

Try a deep brown instead.

Or, do what others have suggested and google for a video on making Les's Magic Wash. That stuff is great.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:51 pm

Geez, I'll need to set up a titration lab in my garage to make some of the Les wash. I never really thought about how the viscosity of the material impacts the final product. If I was a home-schooling parent, I guess this would be a good lesson in chemistry and fluid physics.

Science!

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:59 pm

Which recipe did you find? The one I use (the original) is just 50/50 flow improver/acrylic medium, plus some drops of ink.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/po ... 61541.page" target="_blank

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 6:51 am

Or just get some Quickshade. Why make it difficult?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:11 pm

Looks like my masking for the white spray paint wasn't up to the task. I got some white paint on the previously spayed black areas as it bled under.

I've been using blue painter's tape to mask larger areas and it doesn't seem to hold very well, especially if left on for any substantial time.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:23 pm

TiLT wrote:Or just get some Quickshade. Why make it difficult?

I'm going to see if my local game store has some tonight on my way home from work. Do you suggest dipping or brushing it on?

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 4:54 pm

hepcat wrote:
TiLT wrote:Or just get some Quickshade. Why make it difficult?
I'm going to see if my local game store has some tonight on my way home from work. Do you suggest dipping or brushing it on?

Brushing. Dipping may be slightly faster, but you'll need to be in a garage or something, and you'll waste some of the Quickshade in the process. Painting allows you to cover the mini with exactly as much as you need, and then brush off the excess before it dries.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 5:11 pm

Thanks, that seems to be the suggestion I'm seeing on other forums dedicated to miniature painting.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:55 pm

So, did you get any Quickshade? If so, did it work out better?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:30 pm

I ordered some Monday from my FLGS. They're supposed to get it in today so I'll grab it tomorrow after work.

I actually had a nightmare the other night that I ruined by Malifaux figs with quick shade. Guess I'm a little more afraid of the process than I thought.