No avail....

[Temujin Pasha]

So I spent most of the night trying to get some two brush blending down, I think Ive gone through about every paint consistency imaginable, and got mostly bad results. I had great results with purple for some reason, but 90% of the paints just basically instantly dried at the edge! No matter what the dilution...apart from purple of course...I dont know whether to just give up until I get decent paints, I just dont understand how even with multiple dilutions the paint just boom, instantly dries. I was being really quick swapping brushed too...oh lord...

 

[freakinacage]

don't worry, i have never managed to do it

 

[gohkm]

Perhaps some drying retarder will help? Some colours blend easily, others, less so. I'm not a fast brush swapper, so I have to rely on the retarder to give me a bit more time to work. But depending on which brand you get, sometimes, the additive re-activates again when wet, and needs sealing first.

The other common mistake is not letting the blend dry enough when putting on the second layer. The paint may look dry, but it may still not have 'set'. Adding a second layer while in this condition will tear the bottom layer of paint. I've learnt to really take my time while blending, but it's not something I do very often since layering seems to work just as well, and is a lot less painful.

But, I'm no expert at painting, and there may be some other things I'm missing.

 

[Einion]

Is this still using the Revell paints?

Einion

 

[Temujin Pasha]

Yup still with the Revells, Im basically trying to see if I can squeeze some use out of them, maybe they work with only certain techniques, I feel like they were a waste of money now, but at the time I got them my local store had nothing else, GW are too expensive (for what they are), and now my local model shop has gone under after many years!

 

[cleen X]

I can't do it either, it doesn't seem to me to be the easiest blending technique. Your probably better of using the push/pull technique. Easy enough but I guess it takes some pratice to get really good and find the consitency that you like. It all comes to you with trying and failing.

 

[bronzeback40]

It might be a problem with your brushes. Synthetics are not well-regarded for this kind of work. I got some good sables recently and my blending became a reality. It's still not good, but it's a start.

The other thing is that blending as a skillset is not the be-all-end-all of painting. Despite my pathetic bleding skills, I still manage to put out models that make people go "hmmm...".

 

[Trevor]

I would forget trying to blend and go for a layering technique, it will allow you to practise brush control.
GW paints are great, absolutely nothing wrong with them and I prefer them to vallejo.
Brushes are vital, they say a bad craftsman blames his tools, but when it comes to brushes this isn't true, good brushes will make a difference.
Can you take pics of what you're doing? I would be easier to give advice if we can see what is happening.

 

[Einion]

Yup still with the Revells...

That's definitely going to be part of your problem here. Like I said, might be best to wait for better paint (that you know can be used the ways you're trying) so that you're taking one variable out of the equation.

Im basically trying to see if I can squeeze some use out of them, maybe they work with only certain techniques...

They're probably only best suited for basecoats.

The basic problem with the drying time would seem to be that you're painting on a very absorbent primer using a fast-drying paint - so you're experiencing about what you can expect to experience. If you have another primer on hand you could try doing some blending experiments on a scrap of primed plastic card, see if the paint behaves differently on a smoother surface but fundamentally I think you're going to find it's just not great paint for this kind of application.

...GW are too expensive (for what they are)...

Agreed. Competitive brands are often better at a lower price, so it's not much of a stretch to say they're overpriced; the paint I use is between 7 and 40 times cheaper.

It might be a problem with your brushes. Synthetics are not well-regarded for this kind of work.

I don't really find a huge difference between them in this regard. Some people only use synthetics and you wouldn't know it from looking at their paintjobs.

Einion

 

[Temujin Pasha]

Im using Rapahael 8404 No 1. brushes, Rosemary and Co No 1. Filberts and W&N Series 7 so I know its not my brushes. I use Humbrol Matte White to prime, it covers well, but it does have a very fine texture, almost a dusty appearance. The basecoat goes on well but if the primer can still absorb moisture through the base layer...hmmm...honestly I'm most comfortable with GW Chaos Black to prime, but I'm trying to step up my painting and using white is meant to be better for display minis, or so I hear. Paint wise I've narrowed things down to Coat D'Arms and VMC, I have about 100 dropper bottles I bought from a plastics supplier (cost was about £15 GBP) so if I go for the CDA paints its no problem transferring them, just looking for the best paint that feels good to me as a painter.

 

[Einion]

The basecoat goes on well but if the primer can still absorb moisture through the base layer...hmmm...

Totally - you can notice absorbency through 20, 30 coats of paint.

honestly I'm most comfortable with GW Chaos Black to prime, but I'm trying to step up my painting and using white is meant to be better for display minis, or so I hear.

I think grey is the best all-round primer colour but it's merely a matter of taste/preference. I think the surface of the primer is probably more important anyway - too slick or too toothy can both be problems that are hard to overcome (while the colour can be tackled pretty easily with a decent basecoat).

Einion

 

[Temujin Pasha]

what am I looking for in terms of seeing if the primer is absorbing paint from my layers?

 

[Valander]

Also, when doing two-brush blending, you don't want your paint too thin--that actually causes it to dry faster when you start getting layers as thin as you will with this method. I've also noticed that lighter colors--whites in particular--are really tricky without using any retarder. In fact, I don't thin with water at all when doing this method; I just dip my brush in a little retarder and mix a little, and go to town.

Other things to keep in mind: are your brushes damp before you get paint on them? Is your lamp too close to your model? Do you have a fan or heater on nearby?

Not all paints will work with this method, as Einion pointed out. I've had the best success with the P3 brand for this method, though most of the Vallejo Model Colors work ok, too. I almost always add a touch of drying retarder, though, especially on creams and whites.

 

[Einion]

what am I looking for in terms of seeing if the primer is absorbing paint from my layers?

Almost any good primer will absorb water, it's whether it's particularly absorbent and from your descriptions it's fairly certain that it is. This is the kind of thing you get a feeling for - there's no stopwatch involved but you get to know/expect a certain speed of drying, plus brush drag can give you an idea too with experience.

Direct comparison with something else (other paint, same primer or this paint, different primer) would seem like a good idea. Experimentation like this is a good idea anyway but it might give you a definitive idea of whether it's mostly the paint, mostly the primer or about 50:50 the two of them together.

I'd say there's a good chance it's both, with the primer being a little more dominant.

Einion

 

[Temujin Pasha]

Alas!

So I switched back to my comfort zone of using a chaos black primer, I picked up a few paints from GW to just start getting some paint down, and things are now finally working out! The white primer must have been so absorbant looking back now! And now my primer is chaos black my blending (glazing technique) is so smooth! Im painting up and eldar figure atm with purples for the cloak so I'll finally get to start a wip! thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Trevor]

Great, look forward to seeing the WIP