Ask the Studio!

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

Ask the Studio Guidelines
*Please Read Before posting*

1. Before posting a question do a search to ensure that you are not repeating a question that has already been answered.
2. One question at a time please. Multi part questions are ok but keep it within reason.
3. Do not BUMP your question. This is to help us manage our time and to help keep the thread orderly. Bumping your question may lead to your question being removed from the thread.
4. Unless you are part of the Privateer Press studio team do not answer questions.
5. We're trying to move away from paint formula questions but remember that we don't have every paint formula recorded. If your question goes unanswered feel free to send me a PM but most likely it's because it's an unknown.
7. If you do have a formula question keep it specific like "How was the purple coat on the ragman painted". General questions like "how did you paint the ragman" will rarely be answered... it is like asking us to write a full painting article just for you.
8. The brush thralls are not part of the Privateer Press studio. You can ask them questions on the brush thralls website.

Thanks for reading the guidelines and I hope this section of the forums becomes a great resource for those who desire to become better painters.

-Matt DiPietro

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

Index of Questions from MK1 ask the studio

Color Formulas
Paint Ratios Post #38, #49
Master Holt Post #50
Mechanithrall Flesh Post #4
Mariner/Buccaneer Post #7, #39
Skorne Flesh tone Post #10
Basilisk Flesh Post #40
Epic Krueger Post #73
Rusted Trollkin Armor Post #76
Grim Angus's Gun (wood grain) Post #11
Earthborn Dire Troll Post #15
Farrow Bonegrinders Fur Post #17
Exemplar Army NQ#8 Post #18
Blighted Nyss Flesh Post #21
Legion Warbeast Flesh Post #21
Legion Warbeast "brown bleeding" Post #22
Kromac's Headdress Post #23
Basecoating white Post #25
Ancestral Guardian/Immortals Post #29
5th Border Legion Post #30
Rusty Yellow Post #36
Gundrun Skin tones Post #31
Ulk fur Post #32
Legion Beast Carapace Post #34
Painting with Coal Black Post #35
Rhinodon Flesh Post #40, #42
Various Hair Colors Post #41
Morteneba Post #43
Caber tosser Post #46
The Wither Shadow Combine Post #47
Lady Aiyana Post #48
Dirty Meg Post #53
Warmongers Post #55
Bloody Bradigan Post #58, #65
Epic Goreshade Post #59
Epic Madrak Post #60
Rhulic Jacks/infantry paint scheme Post #61
Painting Denim Post #62
Beer Suds Post #67
Swamp Gobber Flesh Post #68
Stone Scribe Elder Post #69
Epic Eiryss Post #70
Skorne Blacks Post #72
Fenn Blades leather Post #77
Runrshaper's Flesh Post #78

Metallic Technique
What does the studio use to seal to ensure that the metallics are still brilliant Post#3
A primer to advanced metal technique Post #51
Mixing Inks and Metals Post #71

Blending Questions
The different types of blending Pros/Cons Post #52
Solutions to common two-brush issues Post #54
When to Push/Pull Post #16
Legion Warbeast "brown bleeding" Post #22
Required paint consistency for Two-brush blending Post #26
Paint Toxicity Post #37
Shape of brush used for two-brush Post #56
The Juicing Method Post #74

Basing Methods
Basing Models order of operations Post #14
Creating coils of rope Post #45
Beach Bases Post #64


Materials
What brand of primer do you use? Post #6
What brand of sealant do you use? Post #6
What brand of brush cleaner do you use Post #8
What kind of carrying case do you use for paints Post #12
What kind of light do you paint under? Post #20
What kind/size of bit should I get for my Pin-Vice

Special Techniques
How to Strip paint Post #5
Making Icicles Post #9
Gnarlhorn Satyr Fur technique #27
Painting Rust Post #28
The Feathering technique Post #44
Techniques for simulated stone Post #46, #70
Grease and grime Post #53
Solutions to washing issues Post #57
Shortcuts for freehand using translucency Post #58
Painting glass bottles Post #65
Beer Suds Post #67

Conversions and Assembly
Assembling before or after painting Post #33
Quentin's converted Pirate army Post #66

Sculpting
Procreate VS. Brown stuff Post #19
Sculpting Rivets Post #24

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Prismatik @ May 15 2007, 06:53 PM)
What does the studio use to seal to ensure that the metallics are still brilliant?


The figures are sealed with a standard "dull-coat." I personally love the way sealant dulls the metallics, but I also really like the look of NMM (call me crazy?) A lot of the studio figures play with the relationship of the "shiny highlights" vs the "dull shadows." This is acheived by laying down a base coat of metallic paint then shading with watered down P3 paints to build up opaque non-metallic shadows (on steel I usually use a mix of exile blue, battelfield brown and armor wash with some matte medium mixed in.) Make sure you don't cover up all the base coat with the shading mixture, only the areas that would be in shadow! The highlights are then added with a lighter metallic color on only the areas the would be most exposed to light, the shiniest bits. Think of it exactly as you would NMM, you need to choose an imaginary lightsource and use this to decide where the reflections would be. By painting metals this way the shaded parts aren't really metallic anymore while the highlights "pop" by being the only reflective areas on the model.

Hope this helps,

- Quentin

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Agatheron @ May 15 2007, 07:58 PM)
Good to have an official studio voice... My question is more about the Thrall flesh in the pictures presented in the Prime Remix book... particularly the Mechanithralls and Bile Thralls. What was the base starting coat and how did you build up the layers?

Good Morning,

Glad to see so much interest in this thread.

Hmmm the mechanithralls in the Prime Remix book where a brutal bunch of guys to paint, did 10 in a week which is pretty fast for me! Anyway I came up with a series of "controlled" washes in order to get their skin done in a short amount of time. These were painted in the pre-P3 days so I'll try to axproximate the colors as best as possible. The idea is that you paint on the base color and then use a series of washes that lead to a nice-rotten skin tone. Each successive wash is done on a smaller area of the figure, deeper in the shadows!

1 Base Coat all the skin including the wounds with Thrall Flesh
2 Wash (This is a mix of paints, water, and matte-medium. Thinned down to a runny "skim-milk" consistency) almost all of the model except the areas that would recieve the brightest highlights with a 1:1 mix of Arcane Blue:Ironhull Grey
3 Wash (once the previous wash has dried) a slightly smaller area than before with 3:1 Greatcoat Grey:Trollblood base mix.
4 Wash with a 50:50 mix of Battlefield Brown:Umbral Umber. Make sure this wash is a thin one and only in the deepest parts.
5 Wash with Beaten Purple the very deepes areas and some of the details on the face and the wounds. This will help the details "pop", remember these are "washes" so only a little bit of the pigment should remain, it should be subtle.
6 Wash the wounded areas with Skorne Red, this wash can be a bit thicker and can go outside of the wound a bit, this will make the wounds look puffy and inflamed!
7 At this point all of the shading is done but the figure might look a bit messy. To clean this up we use the Base Color, Thrall Flesh, the blend back up the highlight areas and smooth out any washes that may have left puddles or rings.
8 Next I mixed 1:1 Thrall Flesh:Morrow White and did highlights on only the "brightest" areas and details.
9 To the previous mix I added bit of Carnal Pink to create a nasty rotten pink color (yuck) this color is then used to highlight the wounds (especially around the outer areas.

That's it, might seem a bit complicated but it's really not that bad and all the tones that the washes bring to the model are very interesting.

Okay that's it. Hope it helps.

- Quentin

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE
What process and/or tips can the PPMS offer with regards to stripping and repainting miniatures?

I use Kestral (Engine degreaser ) Super Clean, soak it for a few days ! and then a tooth brush. ~Kruzie

Simple green for a few days then a tooth brush has always worked for me; smells good and doesn't use as many nasty chemicals ~Matt DiPietro

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (wckdhunter @ May 20 2007, 06:59 PM)
Just curious as to what brand of sealer you use i know you had said just a standard matte but i wanted to know if there was a favorite brand that all you guys prefer to deal with? same question for primer? Thanks

Good Morning,

For sealer I like to use the standard "Testors Dull Cote." It's easy to find (hobbly lobby, hobbytown u.s.a.) and it's very.... dull!

For primer we like to use Privateer Press primer apply it in two thin light coats allowing it to dry in between coats. A blow dryer can help speed the drying time significantly

- Quentin

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Lex @ May 23 2007, 06:12 AM)
This was asked earlier and I don't think it got answered. What was used to get the blue-grey color used on the Mariner/Buccaneer?

A base of Ironhull Gray, then its shadowed with mixing black into the base color and the Highlight is Menoth White HL mixed with Ironhull.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Mage of Iris @ May 25 2007, 11:46 PM)
I was just wondering what brand of acrylic brush cleaner the studio enjoys using.

Another question about the same post. You mentioned hanging the brushes. How is this done?

I've been using Winsor & Newton "brush cleaner and restorer." I picked it up at the local art store and it's for use with acrylic paints. I'm sure that any brand of acrylic cleaner would work but my results with W&N have been great!

To "hang" the brushes I first poured some cleaner into a small glass bottle (an empty glass paint-pot) I then bend one of my articulated lamps so that the arm of the lamp is horizantal above the paint pot. Next I tape the dirty brush/brushes to the arm of the lamp so that they "hang" down into the pot with the entire bristle area emerged in the cleaner yet without touching the bottom of the pot. That's it. Leave it overnight and when you come back in the morning all kinds of old paint and crap will have worked it's way out of the brush (it's very exciting for some odd reason!) I use my fingers to try and work out any last bits of paint then run the brush under warm water until it's clean. Presto, newish brushes. The cleaner also works on dried up glue and other "brush killers"

- Quentin

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Repulse @ May 26 2007, 05:42 AM)
I am about to start on my Khador army, but one of the things in my scheme I am wondering how to go about doing it. The thing in question is a frost effect, and possibly icicles. This would be mainly used for warjacks, with the possible frost/snow effects on my widowmaker armor, and possible small icicle(s) hanging from the sword sheath(s) or gun barrel(s). Do you have any suggestions, or do you think this idea would work out well?

Thanks

Sounds cool!

Hmmm.. To make an icicle I'd cut a very thin, wedge of clear plastic (like the stuff from a blister of figs.) I'd cut it smaller than you want the finished icicle to be so maybe 1/2 mm wide (at the wide end,) 1cm long (actually I'd make it a bit longer so I have something to hold onto during the next stage.) This piece of clear plastic should be very small (like an icicle) and pointed at one end. Next I'd mix up some envirotex two part "water" effect. I'd dip the thin clear plastic into the envirotex and pull it out slowly and let it dry. The idea is to get the random bumpy look of a real icicle. You could probably dip it multiple times (letting it dry between dips) to get it looking really nice. I'd think that you could use anything clear and thin and pointy to replace the plastic if you wanted (something round like a thin clear rod could be nice if you could get one end pointed.) Also you could try dipping into matte medium (which dries clear) for faster results?

For frost, I've seen people sprinkle a very fine snow effect on figs from above (not much snow!!) They then carefully sprayed the model with sealent to secure the "frost." Looked pretty convincing!

I'd love to see pics if you get around to it!

good luck,

-Quentin

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Lord Tormentor @ May 24 2007, 07:38 PM)
If i may ask, how would you go about getting skorne flesh painted using the new p3 paints?

Skin Tone as on Xerxis:
Base- Jack Bone'
Shadow- ? added Umbral Umber and Battlefield ? ( notes here are after tought )
HL- Jack Bone' + Menoth WHL
Glazed with Gun Corps Brown

The skin tone that I like is on Zaal and like a Ding Dong I didn't record my actions....
But looking at it, the skin tone is paler that Xerxis, so maybe more Menoth WHL to the base color , the shadows have more Red/salmon undertones so that might be a bit of color that was washed or blended into the skin after it was highlighted but also could be achieved with the shadow having more Khador Red Base in the mix.

There is room to play in the skin tone department....

~Kruzie

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Loki77515 @ May 28 2007, 12:40 PM)
What colors do you guys use for wood? Specifically, the wood on Grim Angus' gun.

Wood, Hummm.... Base: Bootstrap+Rucksack tan, Darklines are Umbral Umber, HL lines are pure Rucksack then onto adding Menoth WHL to the Rucksack for the sharpness. After this is all finished is fun to then give wood a glaze or two to create the wood stain effect. But in Grim case, no glaze.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Loki77515 @ May 28 2007, 12:40 PM)
What colors do you guys use for wood? Specifically, the wood on Grim Angus' gun.

Wood, Hummm.... Base: Bootstrap+Rucksack tan, Darklines are Umbral Umber, HL lines are pure Rucksack then onto adding Menoth WHL to the Rucksack for the sharpness. After this is all finished is fun to then give wood a glaze or two to create the wood stain effect. But in Grim case, no glaze.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Wicked E @ Jun 2 2007, 07:31 AM)
Hello.
I was wondering what kind of storage system you use for your paints?

I have a set for PP and a set at home. When I do travel with them I have a black case (similar to music equipment cases), but cheaper that I got at a Goodwill. At home and here I just have them spread out on my painting desk and they live there all the time in the open air, no box or container. At First they look like the ranks of Napoleon troops then the battle begins. After the mini is painted the ranks of paints are battered and scattered all over the table, then the ranks of paints are rallied to their color codes spectrum ranks ready for the next battle in nice little rows. This is the day in the life of a paint collection.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (fish @ Jun 4 2007, 08:48 AM)
Models and bases .. Do you guys prefer to attach a painted model to the base the base it? Attach to base, base, then prime it all?

For studio we paint, then put on base, then base. I used to base, base then prime but have found out that the gravely stuff soaks up diluted ink / paint mixes much better when you don't have primer all over the gravel.
If you decide to do fancy bases then you it will work better if you get into a habit of painting the mini not on the actual base that you will be using as the finally base. Often for us here, how we do it is dictated wether or not if we need to take a photo of the mini off the base for box cover shots.
Personally, if I am doing solid gaming minis I will glue mini to base, primer, paint mini, then do up the base.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Loki77515 @ Jun 27 2007, 03:48 PM)
Speaking of which, what colors did you use on the Dire Troll Earthborn?

The base color for the flesh was a mix of trollblood base and ordic olive although I definately tweeked this mix a bit with some others (sorry can't remember ) to get it just where I wanted it. To shade I I mixed armor wash with the base coat. For hte highlights I mixed the base in with underbelly blue and menoth white highlight. For the stones I used bloodtracker brown base and shaded with a battlefield and umbral umber mix with a dot of exile blue. The highlights were a mix of rucksack tan and sulfuric yellow with menoth white highlight added in stages.

I don't remember what I used for the rest but I hope that helps

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (NzBoy @ Jul 8 2007, 02:26 PM)
Ok im struggling trying to blend. When you lay the paint down over the basecoat you blend it towards the place where you want the highlight to go? Or do you lay it down where you want the highlight and drag it out to the shaded area? Or do you do both?

Hey guys, I just wrote this short blending tutorial for doing shades and thought I'd post it here as well since I thought you guys might find it useful

The truth is you can do either. One method is called pushing and the other is called pulling and they are often used in conjunction. You can also just run your blending bush (you're using two brushes I assume) along the edge of your fresh paint and just smooth the transition. Pushing paint is kind of like using your second brush like an eraser. Highlights are much harder to do than shades using blending so if you're just starting out you should start with shading. lay down a midtone as your base coat and make sure that there is absolutely no patchy bits. Then choose a color for your shadows. glob a bunch of paint into the a crevice of your model then use a second brush that has been wetted with blending medium (aka saliva*) use it to pull some of that paint out of the crevice. If you pull too much or too far just push the paint back in to the crevice/fold repeat until satisfied. Afew tips... if you get water marks/bath rings when you blend adjust the consistency of your paint; too much water and you'll get a ring not enough and the same thing happens. Use your best brush as your blender and your more worn brush as your paint aplicator. It often helps to use a bigger brush for blending, I use a #2 almost exclusively, even for fine details. Once you've mastered blending your shading then move on and try highlighting at least thats my advice. Good Luck!! Blending is the way to go

*Privateer Press does not officially condone the use of saliva as a blending medium

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Loki77515 @ Jul 5 2007, 11:00 AM)
Now that the Bonegrinders are up, I wondering what you guys did to color their skin.

Sorry it took a few days this one got lost in the shuffle...

The flesh started with a mix bloodtracker brown and bloodstone for a base coat. From there I took bloodstone and mixed in exile blue until the mix looked more blue than brown. I used this mix to paint the shadows onto the model they should look a little blue. Then I mixed bloodtracker with ember orange the mix should look pretty orange. I use this color to paint the highlights. The contrast between blue and orange can really make the highlights pop.

If there was a civil war with us painters it would be over the paint pots
To answer your question, The powers that be that created the paint range were flip top users form the start. I have had years of brush time with both types and in the end I like the flip tops more, and it took me years to get to this opinion.
Its interesting to watch skilled and experienced painters work, they all have such completely different styles and forms. I can totally understand why some people like the droppers better.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (zengoth @ Jul 19 2007, 10:28 AM)
This one's for Matt DiPietro directly...

In NQ #8, there is an article on doing an Exemplar Army Conversion. The armor on both the Exemplars and the Warjacks has a reddish gold appearance. I love the look of this armor, and really want to do something similar to my PoM army.

Those little guys were actually painted before P3 paint was around so they were infact painted in gw and vallejo colors. As I like P3 so much though I will also give you a method of painting the armor using our paints that should come out looking even better!. The way I painted the originals I first based in GW beaten copper then I mixed a paint wash using vallejo darksea green. Follow up with a light drybrush of beaten copper again followed by a drybrush of gw dwarf bronze. Now for my new and improved P3 method: Base the armor using Molten bronze and once you achieve a solid basecoat glaze the color with watered down P3 brown ink add a dot of matte medium to the ink and apply in multiple thin coats aloowing for drying in between until the metal is the desired shade of red-brown. Shade the srmor using watered down Greatcoat grey to define the shadows. To highlight do a light dry brush of Molten bronze followed by Ruhlic gold.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (SimonVaillancourt @ Jul 10 2007, 02:14 PM)
Question to the studio: Why don't you show greens or grays in here ?
I would like also to know why don't you use Procreate ?

Hi,
For the sculpting work I've done for PP, I use brown putty mixed with Aves Apoxie-sculpt.
I'm not personally a fan of Pro-Create as it doesn't achieve the hardness that brown or Aves do which is more conducive to carving techniques I sometimes use. When heated PC softens & in high temp molds it is more likely to shift or flatten out if not well supported (my experiences here are from mold-makers other than those at PP though). The brown is strong enough to support itself. The gray color also seems to be hard on my eyes, though I don't know why.
As with painting though, everyone develops their own techniques & preferences. Green stuff as well as polymer clays have all been used for PP minis and some may utilize Pro-Create as well.
As someone else mentioned, I'm a freelance sculptor & read these forums somewhat infrequently which is why my response is so far behind here.
Best,
Steve Saunders

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Mongre @ Jul 23 2007, 04:39 PM)
What kind of lighting do you use for painting? Do you use any special bulbs for lamps?

In the studio we use a light called the LSF-150BLK. I've also bought one for home and love it to death
I bought my one for home from lighting universe online. Here is a link straight to the listing...
LSF-150BLK
If you have the cash it is well worth picking up since having good light can not only help improve the quality of your work but more importantly it will cut frustration and stress.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Tarot @ Aug 2 2007, 06:41 PM)
1) How was the studio Nyss flesh painted on the Blighted Nyss, especially the Ulk Riders?
2) How was the flesh on the studio Legion warbeasts painted, particularly the pinkish parts?

The Nyss flesh can be a bit tricky to to get right but I'll do my best to explain. Both warbeasts and infantry are painted in the same fashion with the exception of the pinky bits and brown "bleeding" that are unique to the warbeasts.

1.)base with Frostbite mixed with a few tiny dots of Khador red base and Exile blue. Keep the amounts of KHB and Xblue minute compared to the frostbite. The color should be purplish grey. Mix up alot of this color as you will need it throughout the process.
2.)Add more Khador red base and Exile blue to the mix and use this color to shade your mini.
3.)Take your original mixture and add Morrow white to it for your highlights. Add more white for each highlight stage.
4.)Final highlight with Morrow white on its own.

The pinky bits were painted with a mix of murderous magenta, Khador red base, and carnal pink. Add more red to this mixture for the area surrounding the mouth. On the studio legion models I used the two brush blending method to easily blend this into the crevices but a similiar effect could be achieved by watering the paint down to a glaze and adding matte medium. Apply this in multiple coats with the idea of tinting the area.

I wrote a more detailed article that should be out soon on how to do this so if you are still having trouble hopefully that will help. Good Luck! and post some pics if you can

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Michael @ Aug 10 2007, 11:50 AM)
So how does one create that brown bleeding, anyway? I'm stumped...and also in the middle of painting a Legion warpack box so I can give demos with it. The Brushthralls article on the Legion box and the Legion painting tips that I've seen in NQ seem to have skipped explaining that step.

Well, perhaps the reson it was skipped is that, at least on the studio models, the effect is achieved using the two-brush blending method. With the two-brush method one brush is used to apply paint and a second brush is wetted with some sort of blending medium and used to blend the still wet paint into a gradient. In this case a mix of Umbral umber and Battlefield brown is applied in a line and quickly the blending brush is run in a parallel motion along one side of this line causing the paint to "bleed" out over the finished white skin. If you haven't tried two-brush give it a shot you might really like it. That being said it can take some experimentation to get used to the technique. There are two key challenges that the fledgling two-brusher needs to get used to. The first is simple muscle memory. At first the body is not used to the motion of switching brushes and this switch needs to happen quickly since acrylic drys quickly. This obstruction may only be overcome through practice and repitition. My only tip for this is to hold the brush you are not using in your mouth instead of on the table/in your lap. The second challenge is finding the correct paint consistency. Unlike layered blending which uses multiple coats of extremely thin paint to achieve a smooth transition two-brush uses paint that is by comparison quite thick. If your paint is either too thick or too thin you will get tell-tale rings where the outer edge of the paint has dried prematurely. The best thing to do when this happens is to adjust your paint consistency, try to shoot for a consistency similar to milk, just try again by painting over the ring and attempting to blend again. Once you have these two things down you'll be blending like a pro in no time. Be Warned however once you get past these two challenges and get you first perfect blend the chances are you'll be addicted and then there is no turning back

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (ArchonXVI @ Aug 12 2007, 12:31 PM)
I've been trying to replicate the incredible bleached bone look on Kromac's headpiece and I can't find the right combination. Any chance you could reveal how it was painted?

I came up with this formula for bone while painting the gatormen and have found myself using it quite often lately here it goes...
1.)Basecoat with 'Jack Bone
2.)Shade with Bastion Grey.
3.)Line with a mix of Umbral umber, Bastion grey, and a small dot of Thamar Black to get it to seperate from the back ground. I used this mix to define the swirl design on the head piece
4.)Mix Menoth white highlight with 'Jackbone for your highlight stages with the last highlight stage being a line highlight of pure Menoth white highlight.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (icknaybob @ Aug 14 2007, 08:46 PM)
I had a question about sculpting. How do you sculpt rivets or nails on such a tiny scale?! Its driving me nutz!!!

But I do happen to have a answer in this case. When sculpting the armor plate that the reivets will be on use a needle tool and poke small holes wherever you want a rivet to appear. Since some of you may be altering existing metal drill small holes using your smallest bit about 1mm deep instead. Then once your layer of putty is cured mix a very small batch up and cut into tiny pieces that are then rolled into tiny balls about 1mm in diameter. Use your needle tool to transfer these balls to each hole and blend the edges of the ball to the surrounding plate. The hole you made should hold the putty in place and allow you to make perfect rivets. In the case of nails just flatten the ball with a blade tool if the ball was round your nail will be too. If any of our pro sculptors like caffienated or ergman that may be lurking out there have anything to add/amend shoot away.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (Geminii @ Aug 17 2007, 03:58 AM)
I started with the battlebox, and I just can't seem to get the white to look smooth and even. I tried painting the mix just straight out of the pot (P3 paints) with a moist brush, but it just seems to dry thick and clumpy. I/m practicing with these guys before going on to my real project of painting the bringer of guffaws, but I don't want to mess her up. She is an awesome model.

Any advise on working with whites especially on how to build up white areas when there is so much of that area that needs to be white, would be appreciated.
It sound like you just need to add a couple more drops of water to your paint to make it smooth and give you better flow. The reason its getting thick and clumpy is that P3 paint is just loaded with pigment. Its a good rule when work with P3s to never use them straight out of the pot instead take a brush full of water after you clean your brush out and wipe it on your palette then transfer the paint from the pot to your palette until it is the desired consistency. One advantage of having all that pigment you get great coverage which means that using Menoth white base you can get a solid basecoat over black in only 3-4 coats! Once you have asolid basecoat you shouldn't have any more problems just shade and then highlight. Many other paints will just not cover over black requiring that you paint grey or brown under your white but with P3 you can paint away. Hope that helps

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

I think paint consistency is my major hurdle. I've had it dry leaving marks as I tried to blend on occasion, which I took to mean not enough dilution. At the other extreme I end up diluting the paint to the point where I can't actually "paint" it on the miniature. The closest I can get is dabbing it on at which point it pulls up into a "bubble" due to the water tension.


Actually the rings are most likely caused by your paint being too watered down! You're probably used to watering your paint down alot since you use layering to blend. The very thin paint used in layering works because it is not entirely opaque. However paint that is watered down to the point of being good for layering is bad for two-brush since the surface tension of the paint causes it to dry very quickly around the edge-thus the ring. Adding more water will cause the paint to flow up into your blending brush and cause a real mess. Try adding very little water to your paint, just enough to break the surface tension and let me know what happens . Also if you didn't read my little bit on two-brush a little bit up on this page you may find it useful

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (vxghost @ Aug 28 2007, 10:43 AM)
I was just looking at pics from GenCon of the Gnarlhorn and was stunned by the look of his skin. It looks like it has a thin lined look to it, like worn leather. I was wondering if you could explain how you achieved this effect.
Thanks!

The skin on the Gnarlhorn was actually a bit of an experiment for me. I'd had this idea in my head for quite some time about how to add texture such as a fur, wood, or bone to a model. On the Gnarlhorn I added a fur texture to the smoothly sculpted muscles. The Gnarlhorn was my first attempt at the technique. I started by laying down a solid brown midtone in this case the color Beasthide mixed with Idrian flesh. Next comes the tricky part I paint a texture on over the base coat using a very bright color. In this case, using 'Jack Bone, I painted a multitude of furry lines in such a fashion that they accentuate the volume of the muscles. After this stage the model looks terrible because the contrast is very pronounced. Then I "bury" the basecoat and texture under a series of shades. Starting with a shade just darker than the original base coat I use the first few shading steps to separate each muscle from its neighbors. Each layer is two-brushed so that the color is pulled out over the muscle. I add a bit of matte medium to my mixes, which lends the paint translucency. The next few layers are used to define the shadows. Lastly highlights are added with an extremely fine tipped brush (I suggest WN series 7 *miniature size 1or2) try to highlight sparingly so that it appears that light is glinting off the hairs. I also used this technique on the horns of the Gnarlhorn basing with Menoth White Base and texturing in lines of Morrow white and then shading with many layers. If you are planning on trying this technique be sure to learn to two-brush blend first since it is the key to success.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (syrme @ Sep 10 2007, 06:50 AM)
First question - How do you do the rust on the mariner/buccaneer warjacks?

Ron painted the Mariner and Buccaneer but seeing as I painted the new Freebooter warjack I figured I'd be able field this one. Rust can be a really fun effect to apply to your warjacks and can look great if placed in the correct places and used sparingly. The color of rusr ranges from bright orange to dark red with almost infinte variation. For painting rust I like to use either Bloodtracker Brown or Bloodstone as a starting point and from there I add either Khador Red Highlight or Skorne Red to get the exact color I'm looking for. In the case of the Freebooter I mixed Bloodstone with Skorne Red and a dot of Sanguine base (added to deepen the color). As most of you proably know rust is caused by water and builds up over time so we want to apply our paint to the crevices and undersides of our model where water would naturally run to and gather. If you are simulating paint chips they also get get rusted since there would be no protective paint coating to inhibit the rust on your jack. The best way to get a feel for where these areas would be is to check out some realife examples of old rusted materials there is also a plethora of good refference material on the internet. I apply the paint to these areas and then quickly use a second brush wetted with "blending medium" to pull a dripline down in a natural fashion. The important thing to avoid with with you drip line is a "ball" forming at the end of your drip as this is unrealistic; if done correctly your drip should fade smoothly into the background color.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (legionaires @ Sep 23 2007, 10:13 PM)
Im just curious, what is the bluish color the studio is using for the cracks and highlights on the Skorne Ancestral Guardians and Immortals?

The bluish color is Coal Black.

Paint half of each section with coal black mixed with thamar black leaving the other half black under coat. The next highlight is coal black by itself. Then do line highlights with coal black mixed with MWB and MWH for sucessive highlight stages.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(Mongre @ Oct 2 2007, 10:40 AM)
What P3 paints would you use if you were trying to replicate the 5th Border legion scheme for Khador (eg. on a Kodiak)?
Traitor green is quite close to the "olive drab" of the 5th border legion though I'd add a little bastion grey to dull a bit. Battlefield brown or CXB would be good shade colors and coal black could be mixed in for deeper shadows. The highlights could be achieved by adding CXH followed by MWH.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

[quote name='Woland' date='Nov 1 2007, 11:29 AM' post='1969278']
I'd love to know formula for the fleshtones on Gudron the Wanderer.

Glad you like them..

Here is what I used to get a natural "red-brown" skintone..

1- basecoat the skin - beast hide
2- 1st shade - 1:1 mix of bloodstone and bloodtracker brown (I add matte medium and blend it into the shadowed areas)
3- 2nd shade - add umbral umber to the above mix until it's quite dark (try to just apply this shade to the deeper areas)
4- 3rd shade - umbral umber + black + exile blue (only in deepest cracks and for seperating skin area from surrounding areas.
5- 1st highlight - 3:1:1 mix of rucksack tan : bloodstone : blood tracker brown (use this on only the areas that would catch light)
6- 2nd highlight - rucksack tan (try to keep this for only the brightest areas, if you want it to go lighter add some - menoth white highlight)

That should do it. I was quite happy with the result and think it would look great on any type of troll or tharn beast!

Have fun

- Q

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(r312a @ Oct 28 2007, 02:42 PM)
i'd have just a quick question on the everblight raptors:
in which p3 colors and which technique was the fur painted =o
**hope this hasnt been asked already =p
For the fur on the raptors I based in hammerfall.
Then highlighted by adding MWH to the hammerfall and highlightinf the raised areas in sucessive feathered highlights. The feathereing technique gives the impression of fur.
Next I shade using greatcoat grey and matte medium. The shades were applied using the two-brush method.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(the1stnerd @ Nov 18 2007, 04:58 AM)
Hey guys this is an awesome thread and I have a couple of questions for you,

When you are painting jacks do you tend to assemble them all the way or paint them in sub-assemblies?

Thanks for your help,

the1stnerd
It really depends on the jack. As a general rule I try to get the model as far along in the assembly process as possible before painting but if a arm is blocking me from getting behind it then I leave it off and mount is to a champaign cork connected by brass wire. I always make sure that the arm is in the same orientation as it will be on the model when painting it seperately.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(Athanc @ Nov 19 2007, 10:59 PM)
I was wondering how on Earth you paint the carapace's on the Legion Warbeasts. I mean, honestly, that is some really impressive work. I don't even know where to start. Can you tell me the colours and the techniques used to get that look please?
Thanks

I think I may have answered this one way back near the begining of the thread...
I lay down a solid base coat of 50/50 blattlefield brown and umbral umber
then I highlight by mixing 'jack bone in with the previous mixture. I highlight in multiple layers adding more 'jack bone to the mix with each layer. If the plate is fairly flat, like with the raek, I'll apply the paint in a series of parrellel lines and in multiple layers. Then I take thamar black and useing the two-brush method I blend a layer of black over top. Its the black fade laid over top that really sets the carapace off and gives it character and it is also the most advanced step. Add mixing medium to the black and apply the paint in a broad stroke covering half the plate then with your blending brush (a second slightly wet brush) push the paint back into the crevice of the plate if done correctly it will leave a smoothe fade to black. The two-brush method can be a tricky technique to master but when you do it is the single most useful technique. Maybe this will give you a reason to try it

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(EternalNovice @ Nov 26 2007, 05:32 PM)
Love the idea of an Ask the Studio thread, PP's devotion to their customers is unmatched it seems. Haven't had a chance to use this stroke of genius yet, but that's obviously about to change.

Been wondering for awhile how the blacks a lot of studio models are highlighted with the blue tinge? The new Epic Irusk seems like a prime example so I thought I'd use this as a chance to inquire about it.

The blue black we use on the studio models is done with one of my favorite P3 paints: Coal Black. Mix coal black with a touch of thamar black and highlight directly over your black primer coat. use thin line highlights leaving the majority of each section black. For sucessive highlights we mix in either hammerfall khaki (for a natural look ala skorne) or MWB (for a greenish look ala khador) for really blue look try underbelly or frostbite. For the final highlights add MWH to your original mix. Remember to use line higlights and edging and keep the majority of the surface black.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(Ryuk @ Nov 29 2007, 03:08 AM)
I have a khador force, and like playing jack heavy. I'm going to paint my jacks and kharchev like damaged/weathered caterpillars. So that includes a lot of yellow and that's a color I'm not familiar with.
I have done some tests with yellow on some bits, but I can't get a shading that looks good enough.

Any tips maybe?

Yellow can be a hard color to get the hang of particularly when painted over large areas. To get the paint to coat better over black try first coating the model in in a layer of ember orange followed by sulfuric yellow mixed with cygnus yellow. make sure you get your base coat even and solid before moving on which may take a few coats. Once the base coat is done try giving the whole area a wash of equal parts battlefield brown mixed, umbral umber, and sanguine base, mixed together lots of mixing medium and water until the desired wash consistency is achieved. then to do the rust try bloodstone mixed with skorne red mixing medium and water to keep it translucent. You could try adding umbral umber or sanguine base as to this color if the color is not to your liking. Hope that gives you a satisfactory result... if you post pictures I could give you some pointers as well. the color scheme idea sounds killer though so good luck

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (BobbyBrady @ Sep 18 2007, 08:23 AM)
I watched Quentin do some painting at Gen Con and I've refined my technique a bit, using the brush licking and fast blends. I'm trying to train my hands to do the two brush blends, but they're coming along slower.

My worry is about the pigment I'm ingesting. I know it's non-toxic, but is there any negatives to worry about by swallowing small brushfulls of paint on a regular basis?

I know this must sound silly as hell - but the brushlicking method is super fast for moving the paint around on the model!
Second question: As I'm becoming a better painter I realize that "better" often means "slower" - I'm taking my time more and expecting to spend more time on a piece. I found myself working on one MOW shoulder pad for over an hour yesterday. How much time do you think a similar figure would take you studio guys to work up to studio quality?


Whoa!! That was supposed to be our little secret!! Actually, Privateer Press does not in any way endorse the licking of brushes!

If concerned about ingesting paint, then don't! Have a small cup of clean water on your painting table that you dip the blending brush into rather than your mouth.
That being said, the mouth is a very fast / convenient way of wetting a brush.

P3 paints are non-toxic (this is not true of other brands!!!) I've heard stories of entire P3 pots being chugged in one go (not a good use of our paint )

Glad to hear you have been putting some of the techniques we showed at GenCon into use. It takes a while to get the hang of a new "technique" which is probably why you've slowed down. The more you practice it the faster you'll get.

I spend forever on figures, this is because I can't sleep at night if I feel a part of a model isn't done correctly. There is also a huge difference between "painting to play" and "painting to showcase." I prefer the latter . An hour is never too long to spend painting a shoulder-pad if you're happy with the results!

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE (MainLauby @ Sep 16 2007, 11:19 AM)
In NQ 14, there is a really good step by step for the awesome flesh tones of the drudges. However, are there more specific paint mix recipes beyond whats in the article? I was kinda frustrated with "mix these three colors and add a dot of this color" and was hoping there was some kind of ratio style mix so I might duplicate the color on multiple models.

Thanks in advance!
Sorry, but unfortunately there are not more specific instructions on ratios of paint hidden away somewhere . Nor are you likely to see ratios appearing in future articles. There are some specific reasons for this the first being that when I am first mixing the color I'm not thinking about ratios and careful measuring. Instead I have an idea of what color I want and I can see it floating in my mind then while holding that mental image I choose my colors and start mixing. Durning my quest for the perfect mixture to find just the color I want there is a lot tweeking involoved pushing the color this way and that so by the time the color in my tray matches the color in my mind the ratios have been changed many times. Another reason is that I use an old brush to feed paint from the pot to my pallette which isn't an entirely accurate system of measurement. The most important reason though, one that I hadn't actually thought of until I started responding to your question, is that I'm not sure that including ratios would actually help people learn to mix. Mixing is an intuitive process and thus can only be learned through practice. If you are a true layman you might try reading some basic color theory so that you'll be able to analyze your sucesses and failures thus speeding your rate of improvement. If you ever get really deep into color theory you'll realize that there are always many different ways to arrive at any particular color and that a true artist can mix any color, shade, and hue from a paltry 6 paints: two reds, two yellows, and two blues. Some watercolor artists use only three colors to mix every color they use: cyan, yellow, and magenta. Good luck in your mixing adventures, keep trying and learning and I know you'll continue to grow as an artist.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(Castle @ Dec 10 2007, 04:42 PM)
I need help painting the dive bell "eye" of the Mariner. I really don't want to end up with an ugly yellow blob and was wondering how the PP fellas did their's

Paint the recessed areas of the diving bell first...start with a base of KRB. Shade with sanguine base and concentrate you shade in one of the lower corners of each window. Add MWH to KRB for the your highlight stages and concentrate your highlights in the opposite corner as the shade ie. lower right to upper left. Take red ink and dilute it 10/1 with water to get a glaze and apply in multiple thin layers until the desire shade of red in achieved. Now probably the most important stage when making your diving bell look good is the clean up stage...use thamar black to paint the sides of the grate that goes over the eye so that the eye is nicely seperated from the grate and each window appears square. lastly paint the grate in the same fashion as the rest of the silver metalics on your model. Good luck and hope that helps... just remember the clean up stage and keep trying until you get.

[PPS_Matt DiPietro]

QUOTE(legionaires @ Dec 26 2007, 03:38 PM)
I was looking at my Drake and Kreas the other day and noting the similarity between them and the Rhinodon's skin colors on the PP paint scheme. What colors are those? I have searched but the only threads, but all that I have seen on the Basilisks have been other people's schemes and I honestly prefer the PP ones. I need to know what colors they are so I can get the store to order the P3's that Im missing. I'm just trying to get a head start on ordering the colors I need for the Rhinodon also as one order is easier than two and I want to start on my Basilisks ASAP after the holidays. Thanks guys!

The Basilisks and Rhinodon were painted by Ali and Quentin respectively but I thought I'd try my best to field this one since you mentioned you wanted to get started ASAP and Quentin won't be back in for another week or so. The carapace of the Rhinodon is painted using warm browns Umbral Umber and Sanguine base were mixed together for the base coat, and were shaded by simply adding a bit of coal black, to highlight bloodstone and menoth white base were gradually mixed with the basecoat and applied in layers. The skin of the Rhinodon is a greenish grey color and for this I'd use colors such as cryx bane highlight, thrall flesh, cryx bane base, traitor green, thornwood green and bastion grey. With those colors you should be able to mix up a wide range of green greys also you'll want the umbral umber used on the carapace to add in for you shading. The underbelly of the rhinodon is pale and yellowish. Menoth white base, menoth white highlight, moldy ochre, 'jack bone and rucksack tan should get you started mixing up the necessary colors. These colors should give you everything you need to mix the colors of the used on the rhinodon as well as most other natural tones. Hope that helps and isn't too overwhelming