despair: 90mm Horror but 28mm OK 54mm OK

[usurpator]

So far I always painted 28mm - all ok. I just painted 3 54mm, no problemo matey-o.
So WHY can\'t I get it right for the base coat on a 90?
I thin as usual, load the brush just as should be, but I end up with the paint on the piece looking like plastic - no \"grain\", no way I can do some blending on this - this is the second time I put my 90mm back in the dip (well... he\'s a U-Boat capt. that might explain this lol). I tried model colour, on second try games workshop (I know them best), once with brushed-on primer (very light) once with spray GM primer (again very very light spray.
This is SO depressing! i even tried using Andrea\'s colours on a bit on the mini (trousers) - first time andrea and I think I\'m going to hate these - I can\'t dilute them right. But back to the problem that is making me nuts: what do I do wrong? The problem is with something I do but what?
I add that the mini was washed, puttied etc before priming.

All input most welcome!

 

[generulpoleaxe]

don\'t worry about a satin finish, that can be sorted with dullcote.
secondly, if your not used to a scale and have problems with it, just get the model finished and see what you learn from it.
don\'t expect it to be the best you have ever done, just use the experience gained from the project.

 

[usurpator]

Thanks, and you are right: learn learn learn!
It\'s not so much the gloss that bothers me, it\'s more the fact that it\'s so smooth it\'s impossible to control the paint when doing feathering and the like.

90mm is big.... I confess it\'s intimidating !
cheers

 

[sivousplay]

What I think you\'ve found is that large scale pieces require some different techniques than small pieces. There are much larger expanses of smooth terrain and fewer \"detail dams\" to stop the paint.

I\'ve found that for the really big pieces like 200mm and above that you have two choices ... either apply the paint as you would w/ the smaller pieces which will leave lots of stains that you have to go clean up (which can be the right choice in places) or apply the paint in smaller amounts (ie use a smaller brush then you\'d imagine) to keep it from running everywhere, but you also want to make sure that the paint stays wet everywhere in an area you are working on or you\'ll get stains.

If you\'ve ever tried to paint watercolors, to get smooth transitions, you wet the paper first ... if you want hard lines, you apply the paint on dry paper. On the big scale pieces, thinking like this can help you get the effect you want on the smoother surfaces. If you can\'t work fast enough to keep paint from drying in an area, you can always wet the place you can\'t get to so that the transition area stays wet and will dry w/ a smooth transition.

You can also make pretty effective use of wet blending to get shading correct.

Sorry if these thoughts are a little haphazard ... maybe on my next big kit I\'ll try to take some in-process shots and try to do a small article.

jim

 

[usurpator]

I understand what you are saying perfectly! And yes: a tutorial would be most welcome :duh:
The solution to the drying problem could be to use an airbrush, or to use oils, or regular acrylic... and retarder?

OR.... Golden\'s new acrylics: the \"open\" series, that takes 48h to dry?? I have some samples, I\'m going to give it a try.
thanks a bunch for your input!!

 

[sivousplay]

an airbrush is certainly the choice of most for large scale kits; however, now you have the issue of needing to mask the stuff you don\'t want the airbrush to hit which is its own little bit of pain; I\'ve never tried one and honestly, having started my painting career doing watercolors, I\'m kinda used to the techniques I mentioned above ... plus it gives my work a different look than most.

I have seen folks use oils because of the blending options you get, but I think that has a real learning curve as well, because you aren\'t using thinned paint anymore (i believe). So, figuring out how to not obscure detail w/ oils is the trick w/ them.

So, there\'s no silver bullet ... each technique has its hurdles to overcome. Nothing like screwing up a few pieces to help get you over them

jim

 

[ScottRadom]

I\'d love to see a Tute on large scale pieces. I got a 70mm Iron Man on pre-order that should be here...... now! I plan on airbrushing the yellow and painting the red on by hand for base colors anyway.

Get cracking! ....pretty please?

 

[usurpator]

I just edited my last post and did not realised you had answered it already -
other possibility:
Golden\'s new acrylics: the \"open\" series, that takes 48h to dry?? I have some samples, I\'m going to give it a try.

Your thoughts?

 

[sivousplay]

Honestly, I don\'t have the patience to wait 48 hrs for something to dry, but if you do that would certainly open up some new opportunities for blending ... I\'m guessing comparable to oils.