Lots of layers and process

[stinlin]

So last night, after FINALLY getting a good prime on my Warmachine figures, I decided to start painting again. I’ve decided that I really want to use this opportunity to improve my techniques and take them above the table quality level. But in my 2.5 hour adventure last night, I came up with a few questions. For the record, I’ve primed everything black.
1)[FONT=&quot] [/FONT] I’m painting a Cygnar army, so anyone familiar with them will understand the color scheme a bit better. If not, no biggie. I took my Ironclad, Lancer, and Charger and set them on my desk to paint. My goal was to get the blue basecoat done. I decided to use a Vallejo Game Color Imperial Blue for this. What I found was that in order to get complete coverage, with my ~1:1 paint to water mix, it took me about 5-6 layers. Is this normal? Before, I would do maybe 2 coats of base before calling it “good enough” and moving on to washing and highlighting.

2)[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]I was thinking of basecoating the entire model before moving on to the highlighting and such. My thought was that if I had a stray brush stroke AFTER spending a chunk of time highlighting, I’d have a much harder time fixing my stray metallic stroke on the flat blues. Yay/nay?

3)[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]I’ve heard that it’s wise to use separate brushes for metallics. With that in mind, should I get a new brush for my metallic paints?

Thanks for the tips and help in advance.

 

[cheelfy]

1)It is normal as there is fewer pigment in your paint. This is better as your paint is less thick so you don't sink the details under your paint. Even though you take more time painting, it's worth it.
2)Nay
3)You can buy another brush but you don't need to. I haven't and it's fine.

 

[Einion]

2) If it's a worry I don't see why not.
3) It's not absolutely necessary, but it can't hurt. See the discussion in this recent thread for a little more.

Einion

 

[stinlin]

I think I worry because I've already put a "lot" of time into my basecoat, and to think that my highlights would get screwed up would make me sad, haha. We'll see.

And thanks for the reference on the metallics discussion. Helpful for sure.

 

[tidoco2222]

1) more layers equals smoother finish at any level whether basecoat or highlight, the thinner the paint the better the eventual finish. The consistency of milk is often quoted and is a pretty good bvenchmark to aim for for paint consistency.

2)Personal preference I always paint one part at a time to the end result but there is no set way of going about it. Different people do different things.

3) I never use different brushes for metallics and don't have a problem with contamination but I do use separate water containers for cleaning and thinning paints.

 

[funnymouth]

1) black can be more difficult to base coat with a light color. next time try someting that is closer to your palate. i usually use light gray.
2) i almost never paint an area to completion before moving on - i work all over. this is especially true if the fugure has a predominant color scheme im going for (like most jacks...). id base it, then detail it. saves time by eliminating additional paint steps; why change colors a thaousand times whe you could use each only once?
3) i use the same stuff for my metallics as i do for my other paints. i just wash everything well before switching.

 

[stinlin]

1) I actually aim for skim milk consistency, so that's good to know.

2) I might try painting all the blue this time around and see how I like the process/end result. If nothing else, it will make me a much more careful painter and increase my brush control.

3) I have an empty Vallejo bottle that I use for dripping and 2 cups of water for washing off/cleaning off brushes. I may still pick up a replica brush of my favorite Army Painter brush so I don't get paranoid!

 

[jahminis]

a good basecoat is the "base" of a good paintjob...
spending the necessary amount of time on it pays off...
2 coats would be the minimum (no matter the make of paint), so 5-6 is not too crazy...
it could just be some growing pains while you learn how much to thin the particular colour you're usin'...

one thing to consider is the size of your basecoat brush...
for the most part, i use a davinci 5 for my basecoats...
it's a bigger brush, but comes to a fine tip...
saves time, and cuts down on the potential for fine brushstrokes showin' up (or the frustration of the time it takes to make sure this doesn't happen with a smaller brush)...

when painting Jacks, i always make sure to do the metal basecoat first...
clean it up, and then paint the armour...
i am in the camp of seperate brushes for metals (and seperate water dishes of course)...
i use davinci and W&N for colours, and GW brushes for metals...

i usually basecoat and shade an entire mini before moving on to workin' on each section for highlights...
this way i can see how i like the scheme, what needs to change, and also get the messiest parts out of the way all at once...

there is no right or wrong approach...
whatever works for you in the end...
the main thing is to take your time and be neat...
cutting corners will work for tabletop minis, even to a high standard, but as soon as you put the mini in front of the camera, and take some macro shots, every little mistake will jump out and slap you...

cheers
jah

 

[Sigmar3]

When I paint I always use different water pots for normal and metal paints.When you clean/wash you're brush after using a metal colour you get a little residue left in the water which might get picked up by the brush when you switch back to a normal colour, which then affects the new colour. I use different brushes as well, because of the same problem. I don't want to dip a brush into a normal colour after using a metal even if I've washed it well, just in case lol. But I don't think it's absolutey nessessary, it's just personal preference as it is for a lot of things