Quick and Easy Shading ?

[chibi-vampire]

For this example, how would I shade the spaces between the armor plates quickly and easily ? I thought washes were a good option, but I always end up with everything just darker and no real shading is done. Am I doing something wrong ? Or so I have to actually go and shade between each piece manually ?

 

[Phototoxin]

If you use a dark wash and then re-highlight it looks 'deeper' than it actually is. Don't know if that would help you.

 

[gohkm]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'shading each piece manually', but you might want to try applying successive washes (each progressively darker than the previous one) to the interface between each plate. Once you're done with that, if it hasn't darkened or separated the pieces enough to your liking, you can always try dark lining between each plate.

Washes are a good option to do this sort of work, I think you're on the right track, just may be a bit of practice is called for.

 

[Puppet Master]

Shortcuts always led to poorer results so if you want a good job I would shade each plate individually. However if you want to apply a layer of colour and exploit the fact that the fluid will go in the recesses automatically shading the model I would suggest to use a colour designed for that. GW Devlan Mud and Badab Black were very good to achieve this effect and with one single layer you could get a standard tabletop quality straight away. I haven't tried the new range of washes yet.
Achieving shade effect with a normal acrylic colour is more difficult and you will likely apply an uniform layer darkening everything without creating any shade. I regularly shade with normal colours but I always lay the colour in the recesses manually or alternatively apply 5 or 6 times uniform layers of a very very diluted colour.

 

[ced1106]

Hmm. Doesn't look like you've tried blacklining?

I obviously don't have the mini in front of me but I *might* try a 005 Micron Pen and a damp brush to massage the ink into the recesses. Or apply thinned brown or black paint likewise.

Shading each piece isn't *that* difficult. Less boring than removing flash...!

EDIT: Search for "Les's Wash Recipe" for idea. It's just matte + water / flow aid + paint or ink, but may help.

 

[Wyrmypops]

An ink wash will tint everything, but mostly run into the crevasses, such as those between two areas. That wash is typically followed by re-applying the basecoat to most of the affected area, then some highlights on progressively smaller areas until a very light paint is applied to the uppermost/edges of the area.

However, you could always exercise some brush control. Instead of slathering the whole area with the ink wash, run the brush from the middle of the area into the crevasse. It'll tint and shade it, mostly in the crevasses as that is where the the paint is left when the brush leaves the mini. The obscure the "line" where the ink starts you can wiggle a damp brush against it, breaking up the line.

 

[RuneBrush]

What washes have you used so far and what effect are you going for?

 

[chibi-vampire]

I've been trying to make my own, but it never turns out right so I broke down yesterday and ordered some. I can never get the wash to gather in cracks or edges though. Sometimes I get tide marks too. I think I'm just doing something wrong. I haven't been going back and reapplying the base coat to non-shaded areas though as stated above, so maybe I just need to do that too.

Any tips for how to apply washes ?

 

[Jhigga15]

It's just practice, you will get it. If you have an old mini that you don't care about use that one before you apply the wash to the good one.

 

[Einion]

First, clean off that mould line!

Second, make up a 'heavy' wash (not heavy on pigment, just not water + paint); apply liberally, wipe off excess with a large clean brush or bit of tissue.

Einion

 

[ced1106]

What paint brush do you use? Are you using your Winsor and Newton Series 7 Round Size 1 (or smaller) or equivalent high-quality brush yet? I noticed that when I used a better brush, I could control the wash better. Load the brush with wash, paint the cracks, pat the brush against a paper towel to get rid of the wash still left on the brush, then touch the brush to any areas of the model that had too much shading.

Do you think the problem might be not getting the metal to look right? How are your results at shading non-metallic paint jobs with wash? Getting metal to look right is a PITA that often requires more than wash!

 

[RuneBrush]

What paint brush do you use? Are you using your Winsor and Newton Series 7 Round Size 1 (or smaller) or equivalent high-quality brush yet? I noticed that when I used a better brush, I could control the wash better. Load the brush with wash, paint the cracks, pat the brush against a paper towel to get rid of the wash still left on the brush, then touch the brush to any areas of the model that had too much shading.

Generally people use a slightly cheaper brush for washes as the wash will soak into the ferrule (metal bit) and can knacker the brush given time. I personally tend to use a better quality brush but that's because I have some older ones available. I favour a Size 2 as it has a better "reservoir" of paint than a smaller size, you can control where the wash goes rather than splashing it all over

Kudos to you on mixing up your own washes! People often use retarders and flow agents in with the water to make home made washes flow better. As you've bought some you likely find that the wash actually behaves differently to your home made version

 

[Dragonsreach]

Getting metal to look right is a PITA that often requires more than wash!

That's not really true.
Painting with Metallics paints regardless of the maufacturer is no more difficult than painting with other colours attention and careful placing of highlights is all that is required.
SOME metallic paints are better than others in terms of the quality but overall the paint is just paint.
Just because its metallic shouldn't scare someone away from painting as carefully as they would any other area.

 

[Dragonsreach]

For this example, how would I shade the spaces between the armor plates quickly and easily?

My simplest idea is to turn the mini upside down and let gravity help pool the shades into the area where one armour plate overlaps another.
The best article on CMON is by Automaton (Sebastian Archer) Here= http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/1649-metallics

It's the article that makes sure you can find the way to make Metallics sing!.

 

[ced1106]

Yeesh, did I say he should stop painting?

I'm sure once you get to display-level talent (and enjoyment), painting metal isn't more difficult than any other color. But that wouldn't explain the articles and other posts I've read trying to learn to paint, nor my personal experience, with "clumpy" metal paints. (EDIT: Will try Vallejo Air Model Silver, which others have recommended to me!)

*Anyway* Dragon's post reminded me of this highlighting and shading article that also mentions turning the figure upside-down, as well as washes. I'm not sure how well it applies to this particular model and if it matches OP's skill level (I'm still wrapping my head around it), but I found it informative.
http://blog.brushthralls.com/?page_id=2650

Also, in order to shade metals (same principles as other colors, of course...) working at night, I'll turn off all the lights in the room, have a strong light behind me, and paint in the shades on the figure. Realistically, I only do this for metal, shading with a darker metal color (eg. mixing black with a metallic). If you do it right, you can't tell (annoying). If you do it wrong, you'll notice it (very annoying). Do the same with highlights, painting the highlight on whatever reflects. Another trick is that I'll use a black Micron 005 pen to blackline a small area at a time, followed by massaging in the ink with a damp brush. This includes that little shadow underneath studs in the armor.

Chibi, let me know what worked for you and *why* it worked. Painting is an art, not a science (rimshot) but I'd like to better match which technique to use for which specific situation -- like yours.