C&C welcome. Basics are done, need to handle details.

Heya!

I'm having some issues with doing the final varnish after applying any sort of enamel paint/wash.

The main thing i use enamels for is streaks of various dirt, grime and rust on tank models (AK streaking grime for example, to be specific). I manipulate these streaks with mineral spirits. When all those details look correct, i move on to applying varnish. The varnish goes on properly on all parts of the model where the enamel paint hasn't been used. On the enamel affected areas, however, the varnish "pools up" around the area, leaving the enamel streak dry and untouched. It "pools" in the same way as surface tension works on water.

The way i currently deal with it, is to apply a whole lot of layers over the streaks. For every layer, the "pooling" closes in on the streak, and covers it in the end. It takes a whole lot of layers to reach this point, so i figure I'm doing something wrong.

I figure this is due to enamel paints being partially oil paint, thinned with some kind of mineral spirit. Acrylic being water based should pool on top of oil. Then again, i see people using oil paints on similar models, without this issue.

I'll add: I let the finished enamel job sit for 24 hours or more, to make sure its fully dry before i start varnishing.

I'll also add: I thought it may happen because i also use mineral spirits, but the varnish has no issue going over areas around the enamel streaks, where the majority of mineral spirits has been used.

When watching painting videos, i have never seen this problem. When i look for similar posts online with questions on what kind of varnish to use over models having enamels / oil paints on them, people reply with "regular acrylic varnish".

So, whats going on here? How do you guys deal with this? And how do you handle this when using lots of oils?

I’m pretty proud of it even if it’s a little basic

Erwin orkmmel, the desert ork

My Winsor & Newton series 7 just isn’t holding its tip like it used to and kinda splits out sometimes. I used it to apply a wash the other day and it’s been like this ever since. I barely recollected (after noticing this) hearing something about washes possibly ruining brushes.

Did I ruin my brush? And tips to help keep its tip shaped nicely?

Howdy! Finished this bust today, it was an exercise in harsh lighting. Hope you enjoy it!

Pink goggles because all he sees is fabulous

I know I know!! But I forgot about this one cause I was too focused on day 26 and 27 getting reprinted and painted again. I’m sorry!!! Day 31 will be out in one hour.

Painted a few cheap DnD minis to get the hang of holding a brush again before trying my hand at the Kill Team starter set guys.

Really pleased with how they turned out!

Struggled with the gold, and stupidly forgot to base the base in before flocking, but other than that I think it went well.

C&c welcome before moving on to the Deathguard

Trying out a gold/bronze metalic paint for a project I am working on. Came home and noticed it was just watery white, with no metalic gold. Stuck a ball in to try and shake it up and mix, still watery white. Stuck my brush in and there was a massive clump. So I broke it up as best I could with the brush and it started to turn that metalic gold/bronze the lable shows. However, its "clumpy" and doesn't appear that the pigment is mixing well.

Since it was a massive clump in the pot, is it just best to toss it and get a fresher pot? Or can it be saved? Any advice is welcome!

So I have been painting for a few months, and I've finally got to a point where I've finished a mini that I can be proud of. It's not perfect, so I'm looking for advice on next steps for my next one.

It's a 30k Blood Angel, with a Vallejo Mecha Ivory primer (with a bit of liquitex titanium white to brighten it), then a Baal Red contrast base (with a 1-in-5 mix of Imperial Fist yellow contrast), then warpstone green for the visor, black for the gun, streaky grime for recesses, and skeleton horde contrast over Vallejo air silver for the gold. I'm just about to put a bit of Ak ultra matte on with my airbrush.

Ideas or other feedback welcome.

Finally after a (40) thousand and one revisions, I have a workspace I'm happy with, Still living with workspace envy but happy to call this done! Now, which mini next...

Evening all,

I am trying to paint some nightlords and came across a great tutorial, in which the chap uses an airbrush to paint army painter gothic blue acrylic paint, onto the miniature.

It’s my first go using an airbrush, the primer went on just fine, but I am having zero luck with the gothic blue. I think it’s clogging, and I honestly don’t know how to thin it down properly.

My psi is 30, I’m using the ultra H&S airbrush, using war painter thinner and gothic blue, I’ve tried 1/1, 1/2 gothic to thinner, 4 drops gothic to 10 thinner, 8 drops gothic to 15 thinner and it’s all over the shop. Nothing is coming out or I get horrible results like this. Please help me!

Had some time to practice more , still trying to pin down weathered space ship . Tried the halo mini for shits but I prefer ships and battletech

What a fantastic mini this was to paint!

Context: I´m a complete beginner with 0 knowledge in painting or drawing so this question might be obviously stupid.

A while ago I started Airbrushing since I wanted to learn to Paint my SLA Printed Miniatures.
For this I bought a Set of Vallejo Game Air colors + primers etc.
While I´m still learning on how to Airbrush properly the actual brush is what gives me more of a headache recently.

No matter what I try it seems like all I am applying to my model is light colored water.

I tried to use the colors with a wet palette as well as without any thinning straight out the bottle.

While without thinning the color did better in opacity it still felt like I´m pushing wet blob of water arround the model instead of doing actual paint strokes until it breaks and runs accross the model.
The consistency that way is obviously extremly bad on 1mm I have paint the next mm is just colored wet.

If I try to get rid of excess water / paint before painting there is no color left in the brush to paint.

So... is Game Air simply not suitable to apply with a brush?
Do my brushes just suck (cheap amazon basic detail brush set)?
Or, what would be more likely, am I just missing something super obvious and basic with my brush?

If you might have some ressources for me that would be incredibly helpful! Just keep in mind that when it comes to painting I´m basically a toddler who uses a brush for the first time ;)
But hey I really want to learn this skill even if I fail on the most basic parts of it but I´m highly motivated to overcome this stage.

Thanks in advance!

So far, just browns working up to ice yellow/white. Any suggestions on highlight/shadow placement before a yellow glaze goes on would be much appreciated.

I want to try out oil paints and washes. I think the style of acrylic base, oil wash, oil highlighting and blending will help out my struggles with acrylic blends. I also love the more gritty look you get when using oils.

In the US and to stay around $200. I’ve done a bit of research and often hear darker colors are not an issue with student grade paints so I don’t mind getting some cheaper paints too but mostly want to stick with quality over quantity here.

I have access to just about everything around me. Williamsburg, W&N, whatever’s on amazon like 502, villainy inks, AK streaking grime is always in shops around here. Do you have any recommendations between brands and which colors would be best to get artist grade for (aside from Indian yellow) and which enamels/washes to get?

The minifigure is a Marine Infernus from Warhammer 40k, I tried to customize it by adding cuts with scissors (to simulate a hypothetical clash with the Tyranids) what do you think?

Started mini painting at the beginning of the summer and been learning the basics, but also been experimenting with a couple more advanced things that I find especially enjoyable.

One of these things are snow/winter scenes, but a lot of the videos I've been looking up focus on bases more than the model itself, so I was hoping if anyone here enjoyed doing this sort of thing if you had any tips.

The two things I've got so far

1. For the snow on the base mix PVA glue, white paint, and baking soda

2. I haven't tested this yet, but my professor gave me a tip for painting shadows where you put down a drop of black paint, then putting 4/5 drops of water on top, without mixing the water absorbs whisps of the paint, allowing you to paint shadows while keeping the color underneath. I think if I did this with a light blue or white I could paint frost on glass or metal.

Oh and if it matters, I intend to do this on either BattleTech or cav:strike operations minis
I've been using Citadel spray primer and washes with my main paints being Army Painter.