Bloodtrolls -> Need some paint buying advice (before Wednesday)

[Telimtor]

So i just ordered my first Warmachine/Hordes miniatures "The Bloodtrolls" starter pack. I want to paint their skin red instead of blue.

I was looking at the official kit and i was wondering which one should i replace to have they look red instead ?

Official kit contains (Trollblood Colors) :

Trollblood Base
Trollblood Highlight
Underbelly Blue
Cold Steel
Midlund Flesh
Bootstrap Leather

And i'd like them to look like these (only the skin):


Any color suggestions guys? Also what primer should i use ? Black right ?

[bojesphob]

I would use black.... I use black exclusively, especially if I want to do a red color like that. What I do is use the Citadel base color Mephiston Red, then I use the P3 Khador red, with P3 Khador Red highlight as the upper highlight. I guess you could use the P3 Skorne Red for the base instead of the Citadel Mephiston Red, or even the Sanguine Base if the Skorne Red isn't quite dark enough for the base that you want.

[Telimtor]

I would use black.... I use black exclusively, especially if I want to do a red color like that. What I do is use the Citadel base color Mephiston Red, then I use the P3 Khador red, with P3 Khador Red highlight as the upper highlight. I guess you could use the P3 Skorne Red for the base instead of the Citadel Mephiston Red, or even the Sanguine Base if the Skorne Red isn't quite dark enough for the base that you want.

Well i'm not sure what you mean by base, i have never painted in my life.

So what color should i use ?

Replace Trollblood Base by ? Skorne Red ?

Trollblood Highlight i keep ?


really not sure where i'm going lol...

[Bmac32]

With a black primer you have to use a lot more layers of color to get the one you want, so keep that in mind. Black primer is good when you have a lot of metal and can just slap a drybrush over them and be set. I dunno if I would recommend it for skin tones though.

[Aggy]

I recommend a good grey primer instead of black. Remember to thin your paints down with water or a multi purpose acrylic polymer.

[Prismatik]

PRIME RED.

Do yourself a favor and start with one of the hardest colors to nail down as a spray (Other then yellow, in my opinion). If anything, prime with whatever you want, and *THEN* spray the whole thing in red. Shade down with whatever way you deem fit, add some highlights and then detail out the extras. Trying to get a nice shade of red on the little fleshy bits on your troops as well as across the backs of the big-uns? Believe me when I say you'll drive yourself mad and probably end up throwing your trolls into a wall if you try painting in the red yourself by hand.

[Limey]

I would not prime black for red skin either. Trying to paint red over black is rough in my opinion. Gray or white would be better I think. Everyone has a way that works for them though, so some people might like black primer. If you have any old unused models try out different primers on them and try to get the red skin tones you want.

[Kej]

Stay away from white with red.

The color of your primer makes little to no difference imho. With black your colors can require a little more to pop out and with white you will just have to shade even more to make sure you hit EVERY nook and cranny, as you can't leave the underarm of a model white.

Prime the color you are comfortable with and then, the easiest way to achieve a difficult color is an airbrush or a can of spraypaint.

Armypainter sells a red spray can. While not cheap, it is a large can and should last you a long while.

After your primer and basecoat you would be good to go.

Personally, off of the "Blood Red" Armypainter color I would make a black wash with a slight tint of red to fill in the recesses and then work it back up with and equivalent color mixed with an orange.

I don't like reds mixed with bleached bone or white as I am never going for that pink look.

I personally use Vallejo Dark Flesh as the base for my Red and it goes on in near one coat over black primer, or even my grey-green for my Menoth. Then a black wash. Then I start to pick out the high points with Vallejo Blood Red, and then blend the Blood Red and Dark Flesh together to build the contours of the shape. (Best example is my Choir boy in my signature...just scroll down a bit)

[Mod_Gemini]

Well i'm not sure what you mean by base, i have never painted in my life.

So what color should i use ?

Replace Trollblood Base by ? Skorne Red ?

Trollblood Highlight i keep ?


really not sure where i'm going lol...

The colors you will need to replace for the skin will be:

Trollblood Base
Trollblood Highlight
Underbelly Blue

Those are all blues that get the Troll blue color that you see in the normal pictures. You would want to use reds instead.

[PG_Dalthoraz]

I suggest Army Painter Dragon Red to prime if you want to do the painter red. Skorne Red Khador Red Base & Highlight, Sanguine is good if you want a richer red shading too. Citadel makes a great red wash too. I have not try p3 red ink so I can't say anything there.

[Telimtor]

Wow thanks for all the help, im keeping this link in my favorites !

[Prismatik]

Good luck in your Kriel! Post up pictures when you start painting!

[Telimtor]

Well i went for the standard Trollbloods paint kit since i could get everything for a single price, i used the primer this morning, i need to go buy some brush today and i'll start painting tonight... i'm a graphic designer so i do have some artistic talent but painting is a first for me !

[SlapHappySid]

For my trolls I went

Skorne Red for the base color
Brown Ink for Shading
Ember Orange for Highlight

[the_Ravenous]

late to the party i know; but - even though you decided to go with the standard kit (understandably convenient)... hopefully you havent given up on the "Bloodtroll Kriels" just yet.

More than a few years ago this was something i did up which may help the call of the bloodkriels:


* He was primed black to start - mainly as thats what i had at the time.
* Then painted black one section or area at a time (for a wet on wet paint technique)
* While the black was still wet i began painting on the red highlights. Successive highlights were given wet over wet - as you can imagine the black and red mixing on the mini as each layer of red was methodically placed. I did have to thin the red eventually as it was too thick to stick to the already wet paint.

Twas a somewhat tedious process but the effect seemed more than a success. Old pic so some loss of detail and color variation but hopefully adds to the inspiration flow of the sanguine kriels to come.

Looking forward to seeing your works.

[Telimtor]

Well my first try was a disaster, i really don't know how to paint flesh, my first miniature is a horrible and i'll try to remove the paint and restart all over.

I applied the Trollblood base but i don't know how to make it look good like some pictures i've seen.

Also where/how do i use the Trollblood Highlight and Underbelly Blue ?

I'm a bit dissapointed by the lack of instruction for these products. You buy them and there's absolutely no instructions how to paint your models. :/

[Siphoned Core]

Well my first try was a disaster, i really don't know how to paint flesh, my first miniature is a horrible and i'll try to remove the paint and restart all over.

I applied the Trollblood base but i don't know how to make it look good like some pictures i've seen.

Also where/how do i use the Trollblood Highlight and Underbelly Blue ?

I'm a bit dissapointed by the lack of instruction for these products. You buy them and there's absolutely no instructions how to paint your models. :/

There's a guide in the back of the faction book

[PG_Azhdeen]

When painting flesh, think of it as ripples of material (which is what skin essentially is). If you have a crease in the material, you had darker shading in the crease, with highlight on the highest points of that fold. So take the shape of an 'M', darker areas would be the middle crease and the sides. The highlights would go on the two highest points.

If you painting Red or Yellow flesh, prime with a brown colour; black is too dark for my liking and white is a path to frustration. Then put your base colour on first (Trollblood Base), some wash the recesses; other use blending with the Underbelly to darken the recesses then add the highlights. I'm currently painting my Legion red and primed it Army Painter Brown
Base = Vallejo Scarlet Red,
Shade = 50 Baal Red/Badab Black
Highlight = 60/40 Vallejo Scarlet and GW Blazing Orange

[Telimtor]

Think the problem is that i started with a fairly hard miniature set to paint, i should have took some Warmachine since there's no flesh to paint and the robot's are bigger, i'm 6"4 and i have huge hands, painting these Trollbloods is HELL !

I'm thinking about switching to something like Cryx or Menoth. Honestly there's no way in hell i'll be able to finish these trolls, parts like small belt buckles, teeths, nails are way too small for me.

Maybe i can find some trade forum i could sell mine for cheap and buy something else, i just want to begin with something easy... right now i'm overwhelmed...

[Solid_Smurf]

well, bonechickens are smaller than impalers, just a heads up. Take a second to breathe. A lot of advice was thrown your way, and the most important thing to remember is do what works best for you.

[S0ule55]

Is this the result what you're looking for?



The skin was easy:

Skorne Red -> Red/Brown ink -> Skorne Red/Khador Highlight over the muscles.

Don't worry too much about the basecoat getting everywhere since you'll have to clean it up anyway, just remember to use thin layers, let the ink fully dry before painting over it, and to not go too deeply into the crevasses around the muscles so you leave the shadows that the ink creates. Hope this helps!

[Siphoned Core]

Is this the result what you're looking for?



The skin was easy:

Skorne Red -> Red/Brown ink -> Skorne Red/Khador Highlight over the muscles.

Don't worry too much about the basecoat getting everywhere since you'll have to clean it up anyway, just remember to use thin layers, let the ink fully dry before painting over it, and to not go too deeply into the crevasses around the muscles so you leave the shadows that the ink creates. Hope this helps

What was the color of your primer if you don't mind me asking?

[PG_wonderboyz]

I get that you are overwhelmed but I would suggest going to you tube and watching a few videos on miniature painting. Also if there are a couple good painters at your local game store, you might try to sit down with them and see if they can help. This is just a new experience that only seems overwhelming right now. A few tricks of the trade and you will be off and running. Also remember that quite a few of the miniatures you see posted are by people that have been doing this for 10+ years. So it might take awhile to become good at this. Just be patient and keep pushing forward.

Though the best advise I can give you is try not to learn in a vacuum. Go to to YouTube and try to find miniature painters to sit down with.


Good luck and remember done is beautiful!

[S0ule55]

What was the color of your primer if you don't mind me asking?

I think this was grey primer. It was painted a while ago so I'm not sure, but the rest of my Trolls seem to be primed grey so that's what I'm going with

[ForestZ]

Think the problem is that i started with a fairly hard miniature set to paint, i should have took some Warmachine since there's no flesh to paint and the robot's are bigger, i'm 6"4 and i have huge hands, painting these Trollbloods is HELL !

I'm thinking about switching to something like Cryx or Menoth. Honestly there's no way in hell i'll be able to finish these trolls, parts like small belt buckles, teeths, nails are way too small for me.

Maybe i can find some trade forum i could sell mine for cheap and buy something else, i just want to begin with something easy... right now i'm overwhelmed...

Painting is an art. As such, it is only something that will be improved with practice. You shouldn't expect to paint well when you first start out. Most of the great paintjobs you see on the forums or in books are the result of years of painting experience. So don't be discouraged if your first attempts aren't up to your expectations.

Also, don't be discouraged by the time it may take you to achieve the results you want. Learn to enjoy the process. Take advantage of the (sometimes overhwleming amount of) resources available on the internet, like this very forum. Post your results up (don't be afraid of ridicule...you likely won't get any, because nearly everyone has been where you are at one point, so we all understand), and ask questions. You may be surprised at amount of feedback you get and how quickly you will improve if you just keep practicing.

Don't trade your models away. None of the other factions will be significantly easier to paint. The level of detail on all the models is going to be very high. Painting small details just takes practice. Proper tools (ie, a good sable brush that holds a point) and technique help also!

Good luck in your painting!

[Telimtor]

ouuff... it's been a couple of bad weeks of painting, the result is quite horrible so far... i don't know what to do...

I really don't understand how to achieve the blue skin look of the Bloodtrolls... everything turns to green.

The armors look fine, but the skin, the leather, the faces and details, they look horrible... i just want to throw these in the garbage... i'm very discouraged right now with this project, i thought it would be easier, i really feel like i took the worst starter to paint, i look at what other people paint and they look so much easier, i really should have taken some big robots with no flesh, no faces, no teeths and nails...


What can i do ? remove and the paint and start over ?

[Ogrob]

Yes, you can always remove the paint and start over. Depending on where you are, there are various cleaning products that will take off paint. I hear good things about Simple Green in the US, I use a product called Grumme Grönsåpa, which is a pineoil based product.

If you're thinning down your paints, aware of basic techniques (like drybrushing and washing) and have a decent set of brushes, then it really is just a matter of practice. You need to develop brush control and familiarity with your tools, and well, it's hard to do that outside of time spent painting.

What you could do, is look for someone to give you lessons or pointers. I don't know if you've got a gaming group, or what you have available locally, but it might be worth a shot to ask someone who can physically show you things.

[bojesphob]

ouuff... it's been a couple of bad weeks of painting, the result is quite horrible so far... i don't know what to do...

I really don't understand how to achieve the blue skin look of the Bloodtrolls... everything turns to green.

The armors look fine, but the skin, the leather, the faces and details, they look horrible... i just want to throw these in the garbage... i'm very discouraged right now with this project, i thought it would be easier, i really feel like i took the worst starter to paint, i look at what other people paint and they look so much easier, i really should have taken some big robots with no flesh, no faces, no teeths and nails...


What can i do ? remove and the paint and start over ?

My first thing that I need to say is, if you enjoyed the process of painting, but don't like the results, definitely don't give up! It just means that you have more learning to do before it becomes "easy".

The other thing that I can recommend for you is this:
I've painted a lot of different things over the years, ranging from Dragons to D&D figures to Warmachine/Hordes to Warhammer, and am now also painting Dropzone Commander minis. What I did back when I was really wanting to strengthen my basics, I went to a gaming store, went to the roleplaying miniatures area, and picked out a few minis that had the types of details that I wanted to work on. At that point, I knew that I needed to work on painting skin tones and faces, so I ended up, among others, getting one of the female demons, which is completely unclothed. I knew that to get that miniature to look passable, I would have to drastically improve my flesh tone painting skills. I painted that thing probably 4 or 5 times before I felt that I had worked out what I needed to do with flesh tones. The companies that make the RPG minis, like Reaper, have a lot of minis that you can practice your skills with, as they have all sorts of models that you can work with from Orcs to dragons to fighters, etc. They are pretty cheap, too, so if you buy one and screw it up trying to figure out your paint scheme, you won't have to continually repaint your more expensive, and more prized Privateer Press minis. Until you find what works for you, you can screw it up on the mini that you don't really care about too much, then move on. I have too many minis to count that I have gotten over the years that were bought specifically to do this process with. Once I got the process I wanted down, I'd move on to the minis that I actually wanted to look good and use the same technique that I worked up on the cheap mini.

It really is all about practice. Techniques that one person uses may not yield the results that you want, while your processes may not work for someone else. The most important part is that you find the process that works for you, and to keep patient with it. Painting Fu does not happen overnight

[Kej]

Take a picture and show us where you are struggling. I know that I would be willing to give a plethora of tips, as would most on this board

Don't be embarrassed about it...the only way to better yourself it constructive criticism. Also, remember that YOU are your own worst critic. Sometimes someone else's eyes are just the thing needed to boost your confidence and get you on the right path!

[Wulfenstein]

The level of details is very high in these miniatures. I would suggest sticking to the trolls as they are bigger and most other armies are smaller models with the same amount of detail. Others have stated it takes time to learn various aspects of the hobby and painting. I still remember my first models but sitting down with guys at the LGS set me on the right path. Getting better takes practice and you would be surprised with how much you can learn from a few youtube video's. As others have suggested, take some pics and post them up here so we can get a glimpse of what you are doing and offer much better feedback to help you out.

To strip the models: Simple Green, Purple Power, Break Fluid all work well with the metal. For plastic, Castrol Simple Clean and Simple Green have worked well for me with no melting of the plastics.

[Telimtor]

Well i'm going to remove to paint using Pinesol, i heard it does the job well. I'm going to be able to trade away my Trolls for Cryx, i've seen multiple videos on youtube showing how to paint them, compared to the "plastic" trolls where's there very few things on them. (Most of them are about the metal ones)

The only good looking thing i did was the metal parts on the trolls, so i'm more confident in Cryx.

Also i shouldnt have glued them before painting, all the other guys at my LGS didnt and they seem to get better result, so all i can say is at least i used to trolls as a training exercise

[Telimtor]

So i'm giving the Trolls another shot, i've remove all the paint so far, i'm going to prime them again and try to do a better job this time, 3rd time's the charm right ?

[PG_Keravin]

If you take some photos then we can give some feedback and suggestions.