Greenman Studios

Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

 

Avoiding Handling Smudges

There is nothing more annoying and frustrating than having a beautifully painted miniature only a few brush strokes away from completion and suddenly finding that you have smudged and smeared paint all over your miniature because you had paint on the fingers of the hand you hold your miniature with. You may have spent hours on your miniature only to have to strip the paint from your mini and start all over right from the beginning again.

 Fortunately there are ways to avoid mishaps such as that by temporarily mounting your minis on a stand of some sort that you can hold easily and keep your fingers off of the miniature. My favourite tried and true method is to attach the mini to a wine cork using Blu-Tac (sticky blue putty used to hold posters on walls without making holes in the wall) or Crazy Glue. If the miniature is small or made of plastic you can use the Blu-Tac but if the mini is made from lead or pewter you should use Crazy Glue. An example of this can be found on the Gandalf miniature here.

 As Gandalf is made from metal I chose to secure him to the wine cork with Crazy Glue for added security while painting. Despite using Crazy Glue to mount Gandalf to the cork the miniature actually comes off of the cork very easily with only a few tiny pieces of cork stuck to the bottom of the mini's base. The base can then be freed of any cork particles rather easily with a hobby knife and it will once again stand perfectly level on your games table.

 Another method, should you not have any wine corks, is to use empty film canisters or medication bottles. To mount the minis you can once again use Blu-Tac or white glue (PVA). I would advise against using Crazy Glue in this instance as the film can and pill bottles are plastic and so is your mini's base, assuming your mini has a plastic base. Gluing two pieces of plastic together with Crazy Glue would be a lesson in just how strong a bond Crazy Glue can really create, therefore, I suggest using white glue.

 I have used these methods successfully for years and so can you.

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Storing and Maintaining your Paint

 For the most part there really is nothing to storing your paint except for closing the lid tightly and putting the paint pots somewhere where they are not in direct sunlight or in an area that is too hot. However, if you are using the old (without the flip top lid) Games Workshop paints you may find that after using your paints for a while the paint becomes thicker than when you purchased them. This is due to the nature of the paint pot itself. It seems that the rim of the pot does not contact the inner surface of the lid allowing air to get in the pot and dry out your paints. This is especially true if you shake your paints to stir them. When you shake these pots of paint the paint gets all over the rim of the pot and then dries which only adds to the problem of the ill fitting lid.

 If you notice that your Games Workshop paints are becoming thicker due to having dried paint all over the rim try to clean off the dried paint with an X-ACTO knife and a paper towel. Once the paint has been cleaned off you can add a bit of water or acrylic thinner to the paint pot and stir it in well. This method works well with any acrylic paints beside the Games Workshop brand.

 Once I had found the cause of my Games Workshop paints thickening I cleaned up any of the pots that had dried paint along the threads and rims and added water and thinner to put some moisture back into the paints as described above and then I made sure to always store the paints right-side up on a flat or gently sloping surface and I made sure never to shake the pots while stirring the paint. I no longer have problems with my Games Workshop paints drying out. You may also want to try putting some Vaseline (petroleum jelly) around the threads of the paint pot as this can also stop air from getting to your paint as it forms a sort of seal with the lid of the paint pot.

Another way to ensure that your paints don't dry out is to use a mixing palette and transfer some of your paint to the palette instead of taking paint right from the pot while you paint. A mixing palette can be anything from a store bought palette to  ceramic tiles, plastic lids from food containers, or even a piece of cardboard.

 By using the methods above you should avoid finding a dried out pot of paint the next time you go to paint your miniatures.

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My Method for Perfect Decals

 This is the method that I use and have had great success with although the Games Workshop decals are by far the worst I have ever worked with. The following information assumes that you are going to be applying Space Marine Decals to the shoulder pads of some Space Marines, made of course by Games Workshop. This method can easily be used (and with less repetition of Step 7) for any other manufacturer's decals with very good results.

Here’s what you need:

•  An old small paintbrush that you don’t mind getting solvents on.
•  A bottle of Micro Set (can be found at any good model shop or model railway store)
•  A bottle of Micro Sol (can be found at any good model shop or model railway store)
•  A good, sharp hobby knife.
•  A pair of fine pointed tweezers (I know GW sells these but you’ll save tons of cash by buying them at a hobby shop)
•  Spray on gloss varnish.
•  Spray on matte varnish. (I strongly suggest Testor’s Dullcote as it provides the best dead flat finish I’ve seen. You can find it at any good hobby shop as well.)

 

Here’s the procedure:

1. Start by putting a coat of GW gloss varnish (brush on is best) on the location where the decal(s) will be going. Let it dry completely as subsequent steps may lift the varnish and make a big mess. Try to do several marines/minis at once to save time.
2. Now take the decal sheet you are using and trim the chosen decal off of the sheet. Then trim all of the excess clear decal film from around the design/image and try to get as close as possible to the actual design. In my case I used Dark Angels symbols as well as squad markings so I would trim all of the clear stuff away from the white wings, sword, and red tactical squad markings. It’s ok if you leave a wee bit of clear film but it’s better if you don’t. Just do what you feel comfortable with. (Note: for curved surfaces such as shoulder pads it is sometimes necessary to cut out small notches in the decal to allow for the curved surface. In my case, I cut the notches out from between the sword and the wings at the top and bottom of the decal.)
3. Once you are certain that the gloss varnish is completely dry (I usually wait several hours or overnight) paint a layer of Micro Set on the area where the decal will go. This acts as a solvent/bonding agent and will aid in positioning the decal.
4. Wet the decal as you normally would i.e. until the decal begins to lift from the backing.
5. Using the tweezers, lift the decal onto the spot where it’s going (I’ll use shoulder pads as an example) and then use the brush to gently slide the decal off of the backing and into place. If it doesn’t wish to cooperate then just brush on a bit more of the Micro Set and it should move about much better.
6. Using the brush, try to smooth out any wrinkles and push air bubbles out to the sides.
7. Once the decal is just where you want it and looking good carefully brush a layer of Micro Sol over the decal. This will cause the decal to get all weird and wrinkly after a few moments but that is what it is supposed to do. Don’t panic. The decal will be very fragile at this time so don’t mess with it unless you have to. Wait for the decal to dry, usually an hour or so. Normally this would result in a perfect looking decal but because GW decals are so much thicker than other model makers’ decals you will most likely have to repeat this step several times until the decal looks good. Also, you may find a few new air bubbles pop up under your decal. These can be easily removed by poking them with a pin or a sharp hobby knife tip and then putting on another coat of Micro Sol.
8. At this point you should have decals that look perfect, as if they were painted on, and with none of that horrible shiny film around their edges. To protect all of your hard work you should make sure the Micro Sol has completely, absolutely dried and then brush on another coat of the GW gloss varnish right over top of the decal. This will put a layer of hard covering over the decal and protect it from wearing off.
9. Now that you have your finished mini give the whole thing a coat of spray on gloss varnish for even more protection.
10. Once the gloss varnish is completely dry spray on some matte varnish to cut the shine of the gloss varnish. Now, whenever you see your minis developing shiny spots you know that the matte varnish has worn off and you need to give them another coat. This way you don’t wear off any decals or fine detail brushwork through constant gaming use. Just blast them with matte varnish when ever you see shiny spots.

 

I hope this helped you out!

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Priming tips

Priming your miniatures essential for a good looking miniature as the primer allows the paint to adhere to the miniature much better than if you just painted the bare metal or plastic. There are several methods of priming which I will outline below. See my Beginner's Guide for additional priming information.

•  Primer color: choose a color of primer that is applicable to the paint scheme you intend to have on your miniature.

  • For bright colors: prime with white primer.

  • For neutral colors: prime with a medium grey.

  • For dark or metallic colors: prime with black.

•  Brush on primer:

  • Make sure to thin your primer to a consistency similar to cream.

  • Use several thin coats of primer to avoid loss of detail on the mini that a thick coat of primer will obscure.

•  Spray primer:

  • Be sure to shake the can of primer well before spraying.

  • Prime more than one miniature at a time to avoid wasting primer.

  • Use a spray booth or newspaper to catch any over spray that would get on your table or walls.

  • Do not prime your minis outdoors if it is hot out. The primer will dry in midair and give your mini a rough speckled surface. The same is true for cold temperatures except the primer would freeze before contacting the miniature.

  • Do not spray on windy days as you may miss the miniature and paint yourself or your house. Dust can also adhere to your mini on a windy day.

  • Spray the primer from approximately 30 - 35 centimetres (12 inches) from the minis.

  • Do not begin priming by spraying directly at a miniature as you may get a thick coat of primer once the can begins spraying. Begin a few centimetres/inches to the side of the minis and sweep the primer left to right across  and past the minis.

  • Use several light coats of primer instead of one thick one.

  • Try to spray in various angles to get all areas of the minis.

  • Avoid handling the minis until the first coat is dry.

  • When finished priming or between coats be sure to clear the spray nozzle by turning the can upside down and spraying away from your self and the minis until only air (propellant) comes out of the can. This ensures that the can's airway is free of paint and ready for next time.

  • If you notice that despite spraying at all angles you have bare spots on your mini simply touch them up with appropriately coloured paint and a brush.

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Have a Good Work Area

 Having a good area in which to paint your miniatures is essential. If you are uncomfortable while painting it will show in the quality of your paint job. If you are in a high traffic area of your house the constant interruptions will also decrease the quality of your painting. Below are things you want to have for a good painting area.

•  Good lighting:

  • Having a source of good lighting is essential as you will be able to see your mini clearly.

  • A pair of desk lamps with bright bulbs on either side of you can work wonders especially if they have natural day light bulbs.

•  Use a comfortable chair:

  • A good chair will reduce neck and back strain which will allow you to paint to your heart's content.

•  Have a dedicated paint area:

  • A dedicated painting area allows you to have several projects on the go at once.

  • A dedicated painting area enables you have everything you need close at hand.

  • A dedicated painting area allows your freshly painted miniatures to dry undisturbed.

  • A dedicated painting area frees you from having to clean up your space every time you finish painting or when someone wants to use your space for a different purpose.

•  What to do if you can't have a dedicated area:

  • Try to use boxes or containers to keep all of your paints, tools, etc. nice and tidy for easy cleanup when your area is needed by others.

  • Be sure to put down newspapers to catch any unfortunate spills.

  • Have a self healing cutting mat to protect the surface of your work area. No one likes having the dining room table covered with knife marks.

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