Compare and Contrast

With all the furor and frenzy over the Contrast Paints, it seemed wise to make a change in the schedule for my Army Painting series.  I had another Oil Painting series set up but everyone wants to know about these paints.

So I grabbed some classic Khore Bloodletters and got those prepped for Series 10, which will focus on various ways to use those Contrast Paints!

I have been mixing them with a variety of "regular" paints, but this was the first time I got to see what they would do with the fluorescent paint!

As I have mentioned many times now, I have been asked repeatedly for options on the Reaper Clear and Liner paints, which can be difficult to obtain outside the US.  I have already done 3 live sessions on the mixing of regular paint with Contrast Paints: https://youtu.be/r4e9b03jgdk

Ironically, this is nothing different than techniques that used many years ago when I filmed the original Painting Pyramid series.  Here's another live session showing how I used the Contrast Medium to make my own lighter skin tone contrast paint... https://youtu.be/AyUAj05Xevo

I chose to do a classic color scheme on these classic Bloodletters, which seemed to suit them well.  As with all Army Painting series, I begin with creating bases for the unit.  In this case, working with the Green Stuff World texture rollers and the flaming skulls.  The second episode is always the Color Test Figure, which is where you figure out how long a given effect or color scheme might take on each figure.

This is very important because what seems like a small amount of time on one figure can become a LOT of time once you multiply that across an entire unit or army!  That is why I discuss the point over and over again during the subsequent episodes.  Each series is normally 5 episodes, and around 12-13 hours total running time.  These are designed to tie into the Painting Dark Sword episodes and other videos that are posted to the patreon page each month.  The $15 pledge level means you will be able to see every series that has been done, and I am working on series 10 and 11 right now!

The Army Painting pledge level will provide access to all previous series and tutorials at all the other levels, so that means close to 100 various tutorials at your fingertips in an instant!  You can find that here on the Patreon Page: www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Lady of Anguish

As some of you might already know, I have been creating painting tutorials on the Creature Caster figures, which I really love!  I have 8 of them in various stages of filming right now, but the first is complete, and a few episodes are on the YouTube channel for you to see.  

This is episode 1 of 3: https://youtu.be/jyaCXWRPPdw

That first episode focused mostly on the wings, and establishing the color scheme overall, working from a few reference images of butterflies.  I was also using the Pro Acryl paints.  The basing was very important, and that is also covered in great depth.

The second episode of the 3 part series involved the rest of the body, in addition to the face and weapons.  I was also getting to know the ProAcryl paints a little better, after my first test of the paints in this video: https://youtu.be/sFsQ4VrQG44

Here is a link to that second episode:  https://youtu.be/gverWb5dj9k

I really enjoyed creating this series, and the three episode format is what I will be using for the rest as well.  The next series to be released will have the Lord of Slaughter painted as a firey demon: https://wappellious.blogspot.com/2018/07/flame-and-ash.html

Here are some more views of the basing, which included water effects, cut leaves, and even some painted moss!

The concept behind this was to show how to create a very intense color scheme with a "limited" palette.  I did not use many colors, but choosing the right set can let you create all the tones that you need.

The Pro Acryl paints can be used in a variety of ways, and I will certainly be discovering many more along the way, as the line continues to expand.  More of the newest paint colors are on the way here so that I can test them out with the original release!

All of these series will be available to the Patreon page subscribers at the $5 level, but I also have a high level pledge which includes the figure itself.  You can check that out here: www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Wraith World

One of the things I try to do with my tutorials is to keep them as close to "real life" as possible.  That means taking commission projects and turning them into videos!

In this case, I had to match this color scheme, which was going to be a major challenge, because that painter uses a VERY different technique than I do.  You can see that it is mostly edge highlighting and using metallic paints, which I was not going to be able to use myself.

So, using the typical set of Reaper liner and clear paints, I set down to work.

As always, I started with my initial glazes and Shaded Basecoat. The idea here is to get the lights and darks into position as quickly as possible to put a "framework" in place, which I can build from with additional refinements later on.

Once those initial building block are established, I can move towards the all important mid tones and other details, such as weathering, etc.

You can see in these images that I was able to get the feel of the reference image, but still keep it more in line with my approach.  The key is that "messy" stage at the beginning when I am moving paint around rapidly.

I have done a few other blog posts as well on "reclamation projects", where I have to take figures painted by someone else and rescue them, since they were not painted in the manner requested.  I have also done a few videos on basing commission projects, because I felt like it would be helpful for people to know how they could get a very unique basing design and still be able to repeat it many times in rapid succession.

While anyone who has to paint entire armies for their own games needs to get them done in a minimal amount of time, it is especially important for a commission painter to be able to get projects out of the way as soon as possible.  Hopefully these videos that I am creating assist in that cause!

This video is one of many that I have done for the $5 pledge level, which are typically "On the Workbench" sessions.  Here is a peek at the video:  https://youtu.be/pdp9OlIgDu0

I am always churning out more tutorials, sometimes on very spontaneous subject matter such as this.  Signing up on the Patreon page for as little as $5 a month will provide you with access to these episodes which are designed to cast new light on certain topics: www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Dark Runes

Dark Sword figures provide an excellent "canvas" for various tutorials, and this one was no exception!  There were a few things I wanted to try out, as I have been doing a lot of NMM on all the Song of Ice and Fire minis.

The home made wet palette made another appearance as well, as the fans keep drying out paints like crazy during the lessons!

Here's an example of what I was trying to replicate... some metal effects done on a Sandor Clegane figure from the Song of Ice and Fire range.

For those who are able to watch the tutorial, they will see how I take the reference images and carry over those effects onto the figure, especially all the reflections.  Once I started using armor cosplayers images as references as opposed to pictures of armor in museums, I began to get a better idea of what armor looks like in an "environment".

The other major goal of the lesson was to demonstrate how to integrate freehand designs more spontaneously, and have them match the basing.

You can see that in this image, where I used the Green Stuff World Celtic theme texture roller to create an ancient stone temple base.  During the video, I show a few simple steps to replicating those patterns on the cloak.  This is Episode 16 of Painting Dark Sword.  

In each video, I try to show a few different elements... sometimes that is a specific color, or a range of colors.  It can also involve a certain technique, or how to combine various techniques.

I even switch up the materials, as some are painted in oils.

All of these are part of the Painting Dark Sword pledge level on the Patreon Page.

The Dark Sword pledge level is $10 per month, and also provides access to other "stand alone" tutorials which are done each month. You can check that out here:  www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Savage Blood

I have been having a great deal of fun basing my Song of Ice and Fire miniatures using a variety of Green Stuff World products... the latest of which are the "Crunch Times" texture sheets.  I have been using the skull piles and skull and bones sheets to base my Free Folk units.

It is possible to break those up, and then use them for bot the bases and the movement tray!  In effect, you are creating a moving diorama.

In my latest basing video, I demonstrate how this process works: https://youtu.be/nnAX658rMd8

I also take you through some steps to magnetize the figures to the tray, which I have been doing for all my units.  This makes them so much easier to deal with as far as transport, but even on the table when you have to constantly move a tray around some obstacles or rotate them.  I have seen "explosions" in every battle report so far where a batch of figures go flying.

The priming process is just like this tutorial using the Badger Stynlrez primers: https://youtu.be/5pfwjapw98A

This "Pre Shading" process can make things much easier and faster when it comes time to paint the rest of the unit!

Here are a few of the "Color Test" figures.  This is an important part of the unit or army painting process, and something that is always covered in the second episode of every 5 part Army Painting series on the Patreon Page.  It is here where you can determine how long a given effect might take, and then you can multiply that by the number of figures.  

This way, you know in advance how much extra time that could add to your project, and you can either eliminate that effect, or save it for select figures such as champions.

I have a number of videos showing how I do the snow and blood effects, such as this one on Shaggy Dog: https://youtu.be/W8MCJm14IYs

I am almost finished filming Series 9 of the Army Painter Patreon sets.  As I mentioned earlier, each one is usually 5 episodes long, and takes you through each step of the process from initial basing to finishing touches!  By signing up for the Army Painting level (which is $15 per month), you also have access to all the other tutorials done for that month, and that means about 20 hours of video tutorials!!

You can sign up for the Army Painting pledge here, so you don't miss out on dozens of unit and army painting content!:  www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Rohan Begins!

The latest Army Painting series is well under way, with episode 3 nearly complete!  This time around we have Rohan, and that means an exercise in painting various greens.  However, every series begins with basing, and I chose to create some tree bark and cork style bases for the army.

While the materials are quite inexpensive and relatively simple, the results that you can get are second to none, and make each individual infantry figure a tiny diorama!

In each series I try to toss in something new and different.  Instead of using an airbrush to spray on my shading layers of Badger Stynlrez primer, I chose to go back to a time before we had an airbrush.  This means brushing on the primer by hand!  For years, we brushed on the Stynlrez  primer, and it always worked very well.

I used 3 different colors of primer to achieve the same sort of "pre shaded" look that I normally get with the airbrush.  It may take a little longer, but if you don't happen to have an airbrush, this is certainly a viable solution for you.

With the unit based and primed, it was time to move on to the Color Test figure episode.  It is at this time when you can assess how much time a given effect will take on a figure, which allows you to do some quick calculations on how an entire unit or army might require to complete.

I discuss this in every series, often timing myself to see how long it takes, and then multiplying that by the number of figures needed.  It can start to add up quickly, and it is best to find that out as early in the process as possible!

I don't know how many times I have heard people that I know giving up on an army project because they had ambitious goals, but no real idea oh how long that was going to take.  That lead to frustration and boredom.  After all, this is supposed to be your FUN thing, and not be an additional burden to endure each day.

With each series and "one off" tutorial, I try to show you how to break down that much longer, complex process into more attainable goals.  These let you see some progress each time, and also help you to decide what effects might be neat to do, but would ad too much overall time to get that project out of the way.

Even on this color test figure, there were a few occasions where I timed myself , such as the freehand on the shield and on the tunic.  If I decide that it too much to do on every figure, I might decide to save something special like that for champions or characters.  By making that choice before going on to the rest of the unit, I have made the goals more reasonable, and I am less likely to be upset later on when I realize that the original vision is just not possible.

The Army Painting pledge is $15 per month, and you get links to all the previous series when you sign up!  In addition, all the other tutorials on basing, Dark Sword minis, Creature Caster, Nocturna, Big Child Creatives minis will be yours to view as well.  It is important for you to see those, since I try to show more individual techniques and ideas that can be applied to army and unit painting.

As I mentioned before, the Army Painting Pledge level will provide access to all of the tutorials each month, not just the Army Painting episodes!  You can check out that pledge level on the page here:  www.patreon.com/JamesWappel