Will,
What type of paints are you using? If you're using water-based arcylics - you can thin them down in a couple of ways:
1) Use distilled water - that's the method I use. It creates a true-color wash that dries quickly nad doesn't lift the base coat
2) Use acrylic thinner - Michael's should carry this product in there artist paints (not craft paints) section. It's a thinner designer especially for use with water-based acrylics.
If you're using lacquer-based enamels, then I don't know what to tell you - I used the Testors brand paints to paint model cars early in my teens, but haven't touched them since about the age of 14 or so.
Will McCammon's Minis (Formerly: My wallet hates me, but...)
Moderators: mjwest, Albiegamer
I'm working with Tamiya acrylics, thinned 1:1 with Tamiya acrylic thinner and then airbrushed onto the minis as a base-coat.
For the wash which went so poorly, I was using the same acrylic paint in a darker shade, greatly thinned with water.
I think the thinner inherent in the paint (straight from the bottle) was attacking the very thin base coat. Just the action of mopping up excess wash with a q-tip was bringing up base coat.
I'm hoping ink and water wash won't cause the same grief. I might just give up on washes until after the contest deadline I'm trying to meet.
For the wash which went so poorly, I was using the same acrylic paint in a darker shade, greatly thinned with water.
I think the thinner inherent in the paint (straight from the bottle) was attacking the very thin base coat. Just the action of mopping up excess wash with a q-tip was bringing up base coat.
I'm hoping ink and water wash won't cause the same grief. I might just give up on washes until after the contest deadline I'm trying to meet.
Oh no... don't give up on the washesdjdood wrote:I might just give up on washes until after the contest deadline I'm trying to meet.
, I don't need the extra competition!Seriously, though. I have used the Tamiya acrylics. If you look at my website and go to the Kzinti ships, both them and the Andro Dominatrix in the SFUDB contest were base coated with Tamaya acrylics. I thinned them about 1:1 (using distilled water) and air-brushed the base coats on. The washes and highlights; however, were no done with Tamiya paint. The washes (in both cases) were 5:1 thinned CeramCoat acrylics and the highlights were done with 1:1 thinned CeramCoat colors. I don't know if this info helps or not, but I hope it does.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
Arrggg...
I tried an ink wash tonight. It seemed to work well enough on my "test" (i.e. not for a contest) mini, even though I could see base coat coming up.
I got greedy and tried it on my contest mini... kinda screwed it up and left dots that dried on that wouldn't come back off with water or alcohol. Tried painting over them with base coat and blending that in... Now I have a cruddy, streaky, crap paint job.
Oh well. I'd decided my base-coat was too blue anyways... Time to strip and start over...
I tried an ink wash tonight. It seemed to work well enough on my "test" (i.e. not for a contest) mini, even though I could see base coat coming up.
I got greedy and tried it on my contest mini... kinda screwed it up and left dots that dried on that wouldn't come back off with water or alcohol. Tried painting over them with base coat and blending that in... Now I have a cruddy, streaky, crap paint job.
Oh well. I'd decided my base-coat was too blue anyways... Time to strip and start over...
That's weird. I've only had the base coat come up once and that was on a mini I didn't prime... ummm, you are priming these before painting them, right?
I'm fresh out of ideas. Good Luck figuring it out, and once you do - let us know what's up in case we have a similar problem in the future.
I'm fresh out of ideas. Good Luck figuring it out, and once you do - let us know what's up in case we have a similar problem in the future.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
They're primed (Tamiya white surface primer).
I've got no idea either, but I'm running out of time. I wouldn't care (as it's all learning experience), but I hate rushing "art". This rushing trying to make it happen after work every night kinda sucks.
I have tommorow off while I watch the roofer spend 15K of money I don't have. I'm sure I should have some time to strip, re-prime, and re-basecoat things while I'm not watching them. Once the basecoat dries I'm just going to clear-gloss it, do the detail painting and decals, dull-coat it and call it good.
I've got all of next week off. I'll figure washes out when I have more time.
I've got no idea either, but I'm running out of time. I wouldn't care (as it's all learning experience), but I hate rushing "art". This rushing trying to make it happen after work every night kinda sucks.
I have tommorow off while I watch the roofer spend 15K of money I don't have. I'm sure I should have some time to strip, re-prime, and re-basecoat things while I'm not watching them. Once the basecoat dries I'm just going to clear-gloss it, do the detail painting and decals, dull-coat it and call it good.
I've got all of next week off. I'll figure washes out when I have more time.
I've never tried the Tamiya primer, but you'd think that it would work quite well with the Tamiya paints.
I think I'll stick with my 0.84$ cans of Wal-Mart primer and the 0.77$ bottles of CeramCoat paint from Wal-Mart. I've had way less trouble from them than from any other type I've used.
I think I'll stick with my 0.84$ cans of Wal-Mart primer and the 0.77$ bottles of CeramCoat paint from Wal-Mart. I've had way less trouble from them than from any other type I've used.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
Don't buy the Games Workshop primer...it's horrible and about $10 per can. I've been using the cheap Walmart paint for primer and it works great. I haven't tried the cheap paint from there yet; mostly I'm using my old hobby paints for my ships. Some colors (metallics) you can't get in the cheap stuff.
GW Boltgun metal with a black wash is excellent for Gorn ships.
GW Boltgun metal with a black wash is excellent for Gorn ships.
Actually, our super Wally-World has several of the metallics available - and the Hobby Lobby store 1/4-mile away has the entire range of CeramCoat and Folk Art paints... including metallics, washes, glazes, tints, luminescents, and pearls.Starfury wrote:Don't buy the Games Workshop primer...it's horrible and about $10 per can. I've been using the cheap Walmart paint for primer and it works great. I haven't tried the cheap paint from there yet; mostly I'm using my old hobby paints for my ships. Some colors (metallics) you can't get in the cheap stuff.
Most of the time, I can base coat with the color of my choice, wash with a standard color, and then highlight with another color - NO MIXING or THINNING REQUIRED!
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
Stopped at my friendly local hobby shop on the way home and bought the Testors Model Master enamels I'll need to mix a batch of basecoat.
The four failed minis (including my contest entry) are currently soaking in a SimpleGreen bath, stripping away the ugly.
Tomorrow morning (while the roofers roof on my house) I will hopefully be able to mix my bottle of Fed-grey enamel and also re-prime the four minis that failed. If fate smiles, I will be able to airbrush the basecoat on them in the afternoon.
While I was at the hobby shop, I also picked up the Tamiya weathering pastels that people have been raving about on other forums. I'll give those a spin as an alternative to washes (although acrylic washes won't be a problem over enamel paint).
[EDIT: SimpleGreen really is great stuff. It took off all the paint, washes, and ink with an hour's soak, but left almost all of the primer intact. A very light re-prime tomorrow and they're ready to try again.]
The four failed minis (including my contest entry) are currently soaking in a SimpleGreen bath, stripping away the ugly.
Tomorrow morning (while the roofers roof on my house) I will hopefully be able to mix my bottle of Fed-grey enamel and also re-prime the four minis that failed. If fate smiles, I will be able to airbrush the basecoat on them in the afternoon.
While I was at the hobby shop, I also picked up the Tamiya weathering pastels that people have been raving about on other forums. I'll give those a spin as an alternative to washes (although acrylic washes won't be a problem over enamel paint).
[EDIT: SimpleGreen really is great stuff. It took off all the paint, washes, and ink with an hour's soak, but left almost all of the primer intact. A very light re-prime tomorrow and they're ready to try again.]
-
John Schneder II
- Lieutenant SG
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:06 pm
- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Contact:
My steps to painting a miniature:
1. Clean flash and other "ick" off the figure
2. Wash in soap/water scrubbing with a toothbrush.
3. Mount to base (which went through steps above)
4. Prime either white or black depending on which color scheme I'm going to do.
5. Paint miniature!
6. Decals (if needed)
7. Clear Coat. I have an old can of Polly S and it is truly "clear." It will be missed when it runs out.
8. Put figure on shelf with the other ones and dream about using them in a game.
9. ???
10. Profit!
1. Clean flash and other "ick" off the figure
2. Wash in soap/water scrubbing with a toothbrush.
3. Mount to base (which went through steps above)
4. Prime either white or black depending on which color scheme I'm going to do.
5. Paint miniature!
6. Decals (if needed)
7. Clear Coat. I have an old can of Polly S and it is truly "clear." It will be missed when it runs out.
8. Put figure on shelf with the other ones and dream about using them in a game.
9. ???
10. Profit!
Indeed! Pictures good.
Re: washing the minis after SimpleGreen. I didn't and it wouldn't have been a bad idea. They did get rinsed, re-rinsed, and then rinsed again though, so I'm sure things were fine.
Primer went on just fine, as did the new enamel basecoat. Although, even outside my wife was complaining about the solvent smell - as was I.
I *hate* the smell of enamel paint thinner. Gives me a ripping headache.
Thank God I only have to deal with that stink for the base coats, which are quick and easy. All the details are going to be non-smelly acrylics.
Re: washing the minis after SimpleGreen. I didn't and it wouldn't have been a bad idea. They did get rinsed, re-rinsed, and then rinsed again though, so I'm sure things were fine.
Primer went on just fine, as did the new enamel basecoat. Although, even outside my wife was complaining about the solvent smell - as was I.
I *hate* the smell of enamel paint thinner. Gives me a ripping headache.
Thank God I only have to deal with that stink for the base coats, which are quick and easy. All the details are going to be non-smelly acrylics.
-
Steve Cole
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3846
- Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:24 pm
