Easiest/hardest colours to work with?

[ServoBadger]

So here's the thing: I am a terrible painter. I can basically use a coloured spray, dump a wash over it, dry brush the model badly, paint the metal bits and give them a wash and that's it.

 

But even for me it's become obvious that some colours are harder to work with than others. My Drukhari are sprayed black with the odd panel picked out in a different colour - blue works fine(ish), but I foolishly chose orange for my character models, and I'm in the weird situation where I've put enough (thin!) coats on to clog the detail, but the paint is still not opaque.

 

So orange is out.

 

GW miniatures aren't cheap and I'm tired of ruining them - can anyone help me with a list of which colours are easiest and which are hardest to work with?

 

Thanks.

[Brother Tyler]

One solution for your "thin orange" problem is to first paint the area that you want to paint orange in a light base color. Different colors will give different effects, allowing for a lighter or darker orange. For example, Jokaero Orange should be considered a basic base layer for an orange segment. Using a brown such as Ratskin Flesh will give you a slightly darker orange. Meanwhile, Corax White, Wraithbone, Rakarth Flesh, and Morghast Bone will result in slightly lighter oranges. Meanwhile, Celestra Grey and Grey Seer, too, will give slightly different oranges.

 

I recommend the Citadel Paint app as a decent way to see paint recipes. It's free and provides both traditional and contrast paint recipes, and there are numerous variations on each color that you can see demonstrated.

[ServoBadger]

Thank you for your reply. I have tried Jokaero orange as a base coat but I've had better results with Averland Sunset. However despite thinning down both the base colours and then the layer (Trollslayer) I cannot get a smooth, opaque finish no matter how hard I try.

 

I genuinely appreciate the help but really I'd just like some guidance on easier colours to work with. By which I mean, which colours offer the best, smoothest coverage and are basically idiot proof.

Edited March 21, 2021 by ThatRedOne

[infyrana]

Firstly, fear not for overpainting your models - there are ways you can strip the paint and work once more with the model.  Even if you are not fond of the methods used now, in the future it could be something you can use to give new life to your oldmodels.

 

Greys over black works relatively well since it's just shading it, metallic paints also work great since they are dense in pigments.  There are lots of suggestions for painting white over black undercoats to get a solid colouration, keep digging through the internet and you should find plenty of further ideas.

 

Finally, I wouldn't be able to tell you what paint range from GW gives the best coverage since they changed all their range multiple times over the years and have all these fancy new thinned out paints for various paint methods.  Other brands of paint might offer much better and smoother coverage of paint without needing multiple layers.

[Marshal Loss]

If you're looking to keep things simple, try spraying with a more moderate colour like Mechanicus Standard Grey before applying your black and other colours over the top. The black will cover well regardless, and whatever you choose to use as the base for other sections will find grey far more easygoing than pure black

[ServoBadger]

Thank you for your reply - I have stripped the paint from an old Baal Predator that I attempted to paint red with a brush, back in the days of Mechrite Red. That involved scrubbing with a toothbrush, which I'm not sure Drukhari models would stand up to, but it could be worth a go.

 

Greys are a good idea, thank you.

[ServoBadger]

If you're looking to keep things simple, try spraying with a more moderate colour like Mechanicus Standard Grey before applying your black and other colours over the top. The black will cover well regardless, and whatever you choose to use as the base for other sections will find grey far more easygoing than pure black

I've tried spraying with Mechanicus but I find it quite hard to tell if I've covered all the model!

 

I'm in my 40s and my eyes aren't what they were I'm afraid, and they weren't brilliant to begin with.

 

Still, if it means the layer paints will go on smoothly I'll give it another go.

[Marshal Loss]

 

If you're looking to keep things simple, try spraying with a more moderate colour like Mechanicus Standard Grey before applying your black and other colours over the top. The black will cover well regardless, and whatever you choose to use as the base for other sections will find grey far more easygoing than pure black

I've tried spraying with Mechanicus but I find it quite hard to tell if I've covered all the model!

 

I'm in my 40s and my eyes aren't what they were I'm afraid, and they weren't brilliant to begin with.

 

Still, if it means the layer paints will go on smoothly I'll give it another go.

 

Understandable mate, lighter primers are often tricky for me to see clearly as well. In that case you could try spraying your models with a thin layer of black before putting the Mechanicus spray over the top. So long as you're careful and don't go too heavy there won't be any detail obscured, the black will cover most of the model and then you'll be able to clearly see where the grey lands. A friend of mine does this, and even Darren Latham of 'eavy metal fame from GW uses the technique as well (he uses chaos black spray & then leadbelcher spray on his Necrons). Give it a shot on a test model if you have one lying around, it might hit the spot

[Firedrake Cordova]

GW miniatures aren't cheap and I'm tired of ruining them - can anyone help me with a list of which colours are easiest and which are hardest to work with?

As a general rule, reds and yellows are transparent, and a bit of a pain to work with. If you're having coverage issues, there's a few approaches you could take:

• re-priming the area with white or ivory
• mixing a similar, but darker and better-covering colour into the paint for your first coat, e.g. adding tan to yellow, or brown to red
• add an artists' acrylic ink to your paint to aid coverage - this will both thin it, and increase the pigmentation. I can recommend Liquitex, Daler-Rowney FW, and Winsor & Newton inks, as well as the Vallejo Game Colour inks
• applying a couple of thin coats of a similar Contrast paint to build up a uniform colour (i.e. use it like a layer, not a wash). You could then over-paint it with your final colour.
• use Contrast paints
• look outside of the GW line of paints (e.g. Vallejo Model Colour, Vallejo Game Colour Extra Opaque)

Probably the key thing is to take your time, and make sure your paint is properly thinned - that way, if you need more layers (spoiler alert: you will), it won't show the brush marks.

 

As for if you make a hash of it ... isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is very effective at stripping paint off of plastic models, and won't damage them.

 

++EDIT: You could also have a look at flow improver (e.g. Winsor & Newton) to help thin your paint and extend the drying time. Just read the instructions & don't use it neat! :)

Edited March 21, 2021 by Firedrake Cordova

[ServoBadger]

Sounds like yellow, red and orange are all out then!

 

I've tried contrast paints on my Tyranids, but the results I get are patchy, blotchy and streaky. Yes, I am that talentless!

 

Are purples easier to work with?

[Bung]

I think you lack a bit of patience when it comes to applying paint.

My best idea to help you would be sitting next to you while painting.

Sorry i cant help you more Firedrake Cordova wrote all things.

[Firedrake Cordova]

I've tried contrast paints on my Tyranids, but the results I get are patchy, blotchy and streaky. Yes, I am that talentless!

Yes, they can do that if you apply too much of them, or disturb them when they've started drying. Have you seen any of Juan Hidalgo's excellent "Eavy Contrast" series on YouTube?

 

Are purples easier to work with?

In my experience, yes, although that was with Vallejo's ones, rather than GW's

 

My best idea to help you would be sitting next to you while painting.

Actually, that is a good point ... ThatRedOne, do you have a local GW store, and are the staff helpful? If so, would you consider talking to them after the shops re-open? My local shop will do painting tutorials on request - might be the easiest way of getting some practical help, tailored to you!

Edited March 21, 2021 by Firedrake Cordova

[ServoBadger]

I'd like to thank everyone for their advice.

 

It's not a patience issue - I spent all yesterday until silly o'clock working on some spare raider crew as test models for just the orange. I tried several different base and layer colours and many, many thinned down layers.

 

There is a frustration issue setting in, I admit. I've been painting models for about 30 years now and I still struggle with the basics.

 

That's why I wanted to know which colours are easier and which are harder - if I can learn to use the easiest colours then that would be something.

[Bung]

I dont think there are hard or easier colors.

Its alot about understanding how to thin your colors and how to wield a brush.

I know i could show you in person how to work with any colors but over a forum its hard to explain.

[KAINE-77]

Hi, I'd like to chip in with a little advice, and share what works for me... Your post really hit home with me, and feel like I've gone through similar frustrations.

I'm an old timer who has returned to 40K, and, like you, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be, so I have invested in a daylight lamp. It genuinely helps. (I have to paint at night). I'm not a great painter, but what I lack in skill, I make up for with enthusiasm... Right. Here's my number one tip:

Undercoat black, then drybrush silver, wash down with Nuln Oil before anything else.

Then I find I can then see the detail a lot more clearly, I've pre-shaded, and need fewer coats if I'm using a more translucent colour... as a plus, metals are pretty much done!

 

What're your favourite colours or what are you working on at the 'mo?

I've found that picking a scheme that works to my strengths helps, so in a Drukhari example, I'd go for Lords Of The Iron Thorn, in a Marine example, I'd go Raven Guard...

 

Now for the more vague advice... Manufacturers have 'good paints' and 'bad paints'. Generally, Army Painter colours do cover really well, they have a higher pigment, but, GW do better metallic. I've found that we all fall into using what paints work for us and which we have more 'experience' with or even what's readily available, but that's a tangent.

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by KAINE-77

[ServoBadger]

Hi, I'd like to chip in with a little advice, and share what works for me... Your post really hit home with me, and feel like I've gone through similar frustrations.

 

I'm an old timer who has returned to 40K, and, like you, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be, so I have invested in a daylight lamp. It genuinely helps. (I have to paint at night). I'm not a great painter, but what I lack in skill, I make up for with enthusiasm... Right. Here's my number one tip:

 

Undercoat black, then drybrush silver, wash down with Nuln Oil before anything else.

 

Then I find I can then see the detail a lot more clearly, I've pre-shaded, and need fewer coats if I'm using a more translucent colour... as a plus, metals are pretty much done!

 

What're your favourite colours or what are you working on at the 'mo?

I've found that picking a scheme that works to my strengths helps, so in a Drukhari example, I'd go for Lords Of The Iron Thorn, in a Marine example, I'd go Raven Guard...

 

Now for the more vague advice... Manufacturers have 'good paints' and 'bad paints'. Generally, Army Painter colours do cover really well, they have a higher pigment, but, GW do better metallic. I've found that we all fall into using what paints work for us and which we have more 'experience' with or even what's readily available, but that's a tangent.

 

 

 

That drybushing silver tip might be absolute genius.

 

I do have trouble making out detail, particularly when I'm painting under electric light, and I've got to admit that sometimes when I'm trying to paint small details I'm basically using the Force to guide the tip of the paintbrush to the right spot. That silver drybrush might really help, thanks!

 

In terms of what I'm doing (or trying to do) at the moment, I've just finished my Deathwatch (spray black, drybrush dawnstone, paint left arm leadbelcher, wash with nuln oil) and my Imperial Fists (spray Averland, drybrush screaming skull, wash casandora) and since the new codex is coming out, I've gone back to my Drukhari, which were mostly painted a decade ago when the 5th edition codex came out.

 

What I did back then was a very simple TRON-style theme - spray black, then paint the panel lines and sails on the vehicles with bright colours and pick out shoulder and knee pads of the infantry with those colours as well. However, that means that none of the segmented armour detail on the infantry can be seen, so I want to try to take things a bit further. I can't see well enough to edge highlight on models that small (a friend has a magnifying visor thing I'm going to try after lockdown) so it's going to be drybrushing as far as possible.

 

The problem I've run into, and which prompted my question at the start of this thread, is that some colours are working a lot better for me than others. The majority of the army has blue as the bright colour, and a couple of coats of Lothern Blue straight over black are enough to get a smooth finish. Also, experimental drybrushing a sacrificial Termagant with various blues (Lother, Thousand Sons, Temple Guard, Ahriman) and then washing with Drakenhof seems to be working - it's not as bright as using Biel-Tan Green as the wash, but I'm not sure how that's going to look next to the Lothern shoulder pads. I'm using Moot Green for the Coven units, which again seems to be giving decent coverage after a couple of coats.

 

The problem I've got is that in keeping with the original TRON-style theme, I've used orange as the bright colour for my commanders - the units I want to look the best - and the paint doesn't behave the same way that the blues and greens I've got does, either when drybrushing the armour edges or trying to paint flat panels. I have been experimenting with drybrushing the armour grey to give it some definition before washing black and then doing the pads orange, but that still leaves me with the patchy look on the panels - and the less said about the orange sails of my Tantalus the better!

 

Basically - I've reluctantly decided to ditch the TRON-style theme for the characters, but I still need a colour that's not blue or green so that they're distinct from the rest of the army, so I'm trying to find out if there are other (preferably Citadel) colours that behave more like the blues and greens.

[Firedrake Cordova]

I do have trouble making out detail, particularly when I'm painting under electric light, and I've got to admit that sometimes when I'm trying to paint small details I'm basically using the Force to guide the tip of the paintbrush to the right spot. ... (a friend has a magnifying visor thing I'm going to try after lockdown)

Are you using a regular ~2700K bulb, or a daylight-balanced (~6500K) one? Does it have a decent CRI (80+)? I have a 13W/1500lm daylight LED in an Ikea Tertial anglepoise-style lamp and it really helps. The magnifying visor is a good shout, and well worth trying.

Edited March 22, 2021 by Firedrake Cordova

[jaxom]

Hi ThatRedOne! The idea of easiest ways to paint for not-great-painters is near and dear to my heart. Yellow and orange paints easily over powered by a dark base coat. I recommend a base coat of white or near white (Grey Seer, Wraithbone, whatever). 

 

If folks are interested I can take the time to write up some of my favorite techniques and color combinations; maybe post it in the tutorials section.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Apologies for resurrecting a (slightly) old, but Vallejo just uploaded a video on painting "yellow" skin (orange really):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkE7SzGfbR8

 

Don't know if it helps anyone :)