To dip, or not to dip, that is the question.......

[stuhendo]

Hi guys.

So, Im starting a wood elf army and I'm going to have a whole load of Dryads (tree people) to paint. Now I want these to be done pretty quickly really.

Now does anyone actually dip models anymore, since the new washes etc came out? I was thinking I could do them quite quickly by painting nice even basecoats and then dipping the models in a dip or woodstain. I have never used the dipping method so would welcome anyones opinions.

Also, after dipping, is it possible to paint on details, or will paint not adhere to the dip?

Any other tips on painting wood would be welcome too.

Thanks for reading.

 

[generulpoleaxe]

I rarely get time to paint my own stuff so when i sit down to paint some of my naps army i base coat over white and dip. instead of actualy dipping i use black hat miniatures acrlic dip as a wash.

you can dullcote them once dry and tweek any bits you want.

got the pic sorted now (god i hate photobucket, it's a neccesary evil!)

 

[pez5767]

For table top quality models, it's tough to beat dipping if you can make it work.
I think for Dryads you would do just fine.
However, don't spend the big money on the Citadel Washes or Army Painter dip. You can get results every bit as good by dipping in MiniWax water based Wood Stain American Walnut color. However! Make sure you get the water based stuff and mix it equal parts water to wood stain. 1 cup water to 1 cup wood stain.

I've been able to get some pretty solid results with this mix.

Cheers!

-pez

 

[stuhendo]

Thanks for the tip, pez.

I am from the UK. Do you know if this is a readily available product in stores etc? Where do you get yours from?

 

[Godlikebuthumble]

Dryads definitely fall into the "zombie and skeleton" category of minis, where I see no real point in trying to meticulously blend and highlight each model in army-sized units. Plus, they are very "organic" after all, so the slightly uneven results of dipping suit them well imho. While I do use the Army Painter stuff (one of the brown ones, I don't see much use for the black one except huge areas of metal), It does last a while: 80-100 minis done, and still more than half left over. However, I don't actually "dip". Just grab a nice big brush (around Tank Brush size, I'd say) you're not especially fond of and liberally paint the stuff on. This has a couple of advantages: You can control the amount of dip that goes on a bit better, you don't waste as much of the dip, and you don't get carpal tunnel problems from shaking the excess dip off (also a cleaner solution overall).
You cold paint over the thoroughly dried dip, but since most polyurethane-based woodstains and Army Painter stuff tends to end up in a satin to glossy finish, you'll need to hit the finished model with some varnish in order to even out the effects. Something I mostly avoid, since the PU does work as a protective varnish of kinds, after all.
Hope that helps

 

[freakinacage]

OMG!!! genruls 'dips'. oh my. now thats a shocker!

personally, for gaming i see no problem, if it stops you playing with an unpainted army. maybe make a little more effort for command figs etc