Troubles wet blending

[jjarmst]

Hi guys, I've recently got back into painting up some warhammer and minis for D&D however I am really having issues with blending paints. The problem I am having is that after I have thinned my paint (reaper) to the consistency suggested and try to blend with it I get almost no coverage and as a result end up having to "blend' 5+ coats on the model to get a smooth layer.
Is this normal? When you guys do it do you apply the basecoat then blend the colours in one application or does it require many coats to get the effect? Also is it best to paint the basecoat the midtone then work up the highlights and down the shadows?

thanks!

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[gohkm]

The right answer is: whatever technique works for you best.

For wetblending, generally I slap on the basecoat first and the I try and get the blend. I'll make sure my basecoat areas are really distinct - there's a definite border between the two colours. Then I dilute those colours, put them on either side of the border, and quickly mix it while wet.

Multiple layers of this type of application work for me - I've never been able to get a smooth transition in just a single coat. The danger is in trying to wetblend on top of a not-so-dry coat. This will tear the underlying paint. I've solved this of late by putting on one coat, playing a game of Space Marine, then putting on the next, and so on. Only problem with this approach is that sometimes I forget to go back and put on more coats because that damned game is so engrossing ...

 

[jjarmst]

Thats good advice and I think I also experience the same problem where I dont let the coat dry properly and I end up ripping the paint off back to the basecoat!! I'll try taking a break and letting each section dry properly before I attempt to pile another coat on top.

 

[gohkm]

Mate, if you're in Sydney, you ought to come along to the next OzPainters workshop on 26 Nov. We're doing the new Nurgle Chaos Lord. You might pick up some hints from the painters who're coming along - there's Agent Venom (Forgeworld gold GD Oz 2011), Weisern, a few others, and Automaton and KyleM might come along, too. We're going to toss a few things on a barbie for lunch.

Should be an awesome day.

 

[Mourner]

One simple trick I use:
Paint the transition before you start blending.

Paint the basecoat.
Find out where the transitions go
Sketch it out using (slightly) watered paint (base, highlight and shade)
Smooth out the transition using wetblending.

same smooth results, less hassle getting good coverage.

Other than that, experiment and learn from other painters.

 

[Einion]

... I am really having issues with blending paints. The problem I am having is that after I have thinned my paint (reaper) to the consistency suggested and try to blend with it I get almost no coverage and as a result end up having to "blend' 5+ coats on the model to get a smooth layer.

Paint's too thin.

When you guys do it do you apply the basecoat then blend the colours in one application or does it require many coats to get the effect? Also is it best to paint the basecoat the midtone then work up the highlights and down the shadows?

Don't use wet-blending nearly at all, mostly rely on layering.

Also is it best to paint the basecoat the midtone then work up the highlights and down the shadows?

Generally this does work best but it's partly a matter of preference, also depends on the colour and the specific paints you're using. There are a couple of prior threads on this specific question worth reading.

Einion

 

[Kalidane]

Originally linked by Tommie somewhere around here is http://studiomcvey.com/forums/index.php?/topic/120-a-modest-sedition-wars-project-log/
with a bunch of pics and series of videos of 2-brush blending. Awesome stuff.

 

[jjarmst]

Thanks for all th replies guys. It's encouraging to hear that my paint is to thin because I find that the most critical part to my blending is getting the paint right, when I do it all falls into place however most of the time its patchy. I will try all advice mentioned and also watch the vids and get back to you with my progress!

thanks.!

 

[AllTerrainMonkey]

Heya Jjarmst! How many drops and of what are you adding to the paint? I use Reaper MSP's ~95% of the time, and usually go roughly 3:1 painture water for basecoating, ~2:1 paint:water for layering, and ~1.5:1 for wetblending. You may also find it helps to not add anything to MSP's besides pure water starting out, and only dab in flow improver/extender/whatever after you've used the paints as-is for a while.

And, to answer a question in the middle, I usually start at the midtone, then put in my shadows and highlights; since I'm a layerer it usually means less overall layers than starting bright or starting dark.

 

[jjarmst]

Mate, if you're in Sydney, you ought to come along to the next OzPainters workshop on 26 Nov. We're doing the new Nurgle Chaos Lord. You might pick up some hints from the painters who're coming along - there's Agent Venom (Forgeworld gold GD Oz 2011), Weisern, a few others, and Automaton and KyleM might come along, too. We're going to toss a few things on a barbie for lunch.

Should be an awesome day.

I appreciate the offer mate but I'm up on the Gold Coast..sounds like a good day planned though.

I'm using around 1:1 paint thinnerwater for basecoating...as for blending I use a wet pallete with the paint and some thinner in a well that I mix up as im working but I would guess the final ratio is around 1:4 paint thinner.

The thinner I use is 50% water 25% slo dri and 25% flow aid.