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Master Class 1: Lesson 3 - Basecoats; Clanrat: Start to Finish
Topic Started: 1st June 2013 - 10:35 AM (1,966 Views)
hannanibal
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The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
Master Class 1
Clanrat: Start to Finish
with Hannanibal


Lesson Three
Basecoats


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Clanrat model as it was left at the end of the previous lesson.


INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, we will be basecoating the miniature. We will be thinning our paint with water to a usable consistency, and then basecoating each individual section of the model.

MATERIALS NEEDED
  • Your plastic Clanrat model, completed to the stage shown above
  • A Size 1 or Standard Brush
  • Two water jars (one for metallics and one for normal paint)
  • A palette
  • A sheet of kitchen roll/paper towel. Do not use toilet roll, as it will cause fibres to adhere to the brush.
  • A brightly lit painting area. Near a window or a craft lamp with a daylight bulb is ideal.
  • A rag or paper towels for mopping up spillages
  • Tweezers for removing dust and hairs that may adhere to the miniature
  • Paints: As listed, or equivalents as discussed in the Paints & Materials List thread
         Elf Skintone (Vallejo Game Color)
         Royal Purple (Vallejo Model Color)
         Calthan Brown (GW/Citadel Foundation - Discontinued)
         Deneb Stone (GW/Citadel Foundation - Discontinued)
         Chaos Black (GW/Citadel Colour - Discontinued)
         Sick Green (Vallejo Game Color)
         Plate Mail Metal (Army Painter Warpaint)

SETUP
You will need to be seated at a table. Fill the water jars with clean, cold water. Warm water can cause the glue in the brush to become soft, and should be avoided. Place your paints, palette and a sheet of kitchen roll/paper towel near at hand. When painting the miniature, handle it only by the base. Try not to touch any areas that will be painted.

THINNING THE PAINT WITH WATER
Paint taken straight from the pot/bottle is unsuitable for painting, and needs to be thinned with either a painting medium, or water, or both. Unthinned paint will be too thick: it will obscure detail, dry patchy and irregular, cause excess wear on your brushes, and will not flow smoothly. In this stage, we will thin the paint with clean water only; no glaze medium will be used in this lesson.

It is good practice to keep your water jar filled with clean water. If the water looks too cloudy, wash out the jar and change the water. I changed it once halfway through this stage, but it's up to you to decide how much or how little you want to change the water.

There is a knack to thinning paint. Depending on what effect you wish to achieve, the paint/water ratio can change drastically. Thin the paint too much and it will separate into individual particles and/or become runny and useless; too little, and the paint will drag rather than flow.

For these basecoats, I would suggest a ratio of almost 1/1, with slightly more water than paint. However, depending on how thick your actual pot of paint is (it differs from pot to pot), this ratio may be useless. You must find out for yourself what is a workable consistency, and the best way to do that is by practice. In this stage, you are aiming for a smooth-flowing, ever-so-slightly transparent consistency. The paint should flow, but not run away uncontrollably. It should leave a decent layer of coverage that doesn't obscure detail, but will probably require two coats for solid coverage. If at any time you feel the paint is dragging, simply wet your brush, and mix the water into the paint to improve the consistency.

APPLYING PAINT TO THE BRUSH
When painting, it is important not to get any paint in the ferrule (the metal part of the brush which holds the bristles), as the paint will dry and cause the brush hairs to split. To avoid this, do not allow the paint to get too high up the bristles. When you have made a usable consistency on your palette, load up your brush, and wipe a little off onto the kitchen roll to stop the paint flooding the model.

BRUSH STROKES
Use straight, controlled strokes all flowing in the same direction and with the contours of the model. Never, ever "stab" paint as it will ruin the brush and achieve nothing. Never paint "against the grain" of the model. For example, it is no good painting strokes horizontally across areas of vertical detail (such as a skirt's folds). Think about which direction the strokes should be for each area of the model.

NOTE
 
Although this is not really relevant to basecoating, where you want the entire model to have an even layer of paint, it is important to realize that the last part of the miniature your brush touches will leave the strongest area of colour. In principle, it's not unlike buttering bread: your brush drags paint along the surface of the model, and then leaves what remains where you lift your brush. Paint towards the areas you wish to have the strongest colour.

Once the paint starts to drag or run out, load up the brush again. Make sure your paint is thin (add more water if necessary), and don't forget to wipe off the excess. Clean and dry your brush thoroughly before using another paint.

Please paint these basecoats in the order I have given.

BASECOATING FLESH
Make up a mix of 2/1 Vallejo Game Color Elf Skintone and Vallejo Model Color Royal Purple, and thin with water to a usable consistency. Apply over areas of flesh and hair. You may need to use two coats for good coverage. Be tidy, but don't correct your mistakes just yet. The paint is still wet, and will only smear if you try to fix things now. We will clean up all mistakes in the tidy-up stage at the end of the lesson. Make sure all areas of flesh and hair are painted. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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BASECOATING BROWN CLOTH (AND WOOD, IF THERE IS ANY)
Using the same methods as before, apply Games Workshop/Citadel Foundation Paint Calthan Brown onto the cloth areas, as well as to any wood, such as a weapon shaft or shield, if your model has one. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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BASECOATING BANDAGES
Using the same methods as before, apply Games Workshop/Citadel Foundation Paint Dheneb Stone onto bandages. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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BASECOATING BELT AND BLACK CLOTH
Using the same methods as before apply Games Workshop/Citadel Colour Chaos Black onto cloth and the belt. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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BASECOATING WARPSTONE AMULET
Using the same methods as before apply Vallejo Game Color Sick Green onto the warpstone amulet, if your model has one. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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BASECOATING METAL
Using the same methods as before, apply Army Painter Plate Mail Metal to all metal areas, including the weapon, and the shield's trim and boss, if your model has a shield. If your Clanrat is wearing metal armour, that, too, needs to be painted now. Be sure to use your metallic water jar for cleaning your brush and thinning the paint. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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BASECOATING HAIR/FUR
Using the same methods as before apply GW Chaos Black to the hair/fur. The line between hair and flesh is abstract so you must paint on the border yourself. I find it's best to paint the root and work towards the tip using thin, even strokes to simulate fur.

Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
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TIDY UP
There is no picture here, but nevertheless, this is a very important stage. Look over all the areas of the model, and see what needs tidying or another coat of paint. Be extra critical.

Using your base colours, tidy up or recover the parts of the model that require it. If you get this stage looking as neat as possible, all the other stages will work so much better.


PHOTOGRAPHY
Take a good close-up picture of the model, and upload it here for comments and criticism by 14 June 2013 . I will need the pictures clear and bright so I can see how tidy your brushwork is. From now on, I will be extra critical of your work.

If your photo is a crappy, dimly lit, out-of-focus blur, please don't take offence when I say so, as I will need to see the details for myself.



LESSON COMPLETED BY
Furryblueelf
Skaven Rich
Ghaznub
Git-Git
Rahotep
Edited by hannanibal, 15th June 2013 - 08:31 AM.
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Furryblueelf
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hannanibal
1st June 2013 - 10:35 AM
Make up a mix of 2/1 Vallejo Game Color Elf Skintone and Vallejo Model Color Royal Purple, and thin with water to a usable consistency. Apply over areas of flesh and hair. You may need to use two coats for good coverage. Be tidy, but don't correct your mistakes just yet. The paint is still wet, and will only smear if you try to fix things now. We will clean up all mistakes in the tidy-up stage at the end of the lesson. Make sure all areas of flesh and hair are painted. Leave to dry thoroughly before painting the next stage.
I have a query about this part. As I use the droppers I tend to go for 1 drop per part. So I had 2 drops of the elf skin tone and 1 drop of the purple. I then thinned it with a similar amount of water.
My problem was though that the end colour looks very much like grape hubba bubba. I could see nothing resembling what the ratty looks like in the picture. After about 8 drops of the elf it still did not look like the skin.

Is there something wrong with my purple?

*Edit- I may have found my problem. I have the GC Royal Purple not the MC Royal Purple. I would assume the pigmentation levels are lower in the MC and allows the mixing. Please correct me if I am wrong.

As I go on holiday overseas in a week, I was hoping I would get this done prior. Now I have to await the paint to arrive as we have no local suppliers. A pox upon you brain for missing this.

Edited by Furryblueelf, 2nd June 2013 - 03:50 AM.
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hannanibal
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The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Yes I use Model Colour for the royal purple which is a softer, lighter version of GW's old Warlock Purple and I use the
" 1 drop = 1 part" system when using droppers.


There may be a problem with ratios depending on:
* what paint substitute people use
* how well shaken any pot of paint is
* how old any pot of paint is
* how thick/thin that paint is in the pot



If you have any problem getting the right skin mix then ignore my ratio and try to get it looking like the skintone in my picture which is heavily biased toward the elf skintone (the purple should only be hinted at) and REMEMBER THE RATIOS *YOU* USED. Write it down, however you achieved that skin tone, write it down as you will need it later. I wrote down my ratio (2/1) as soon as I mixed it so I know the mix is good my end but because of the factors above that may not work for you.
As long as you remember the ratio for *your* basecoat the highlights will be fine as we will simply be adding minute dots of lighter paint into the base colour mix.
Ratios won't really be used after this stage.

Thanks again and if anybody else has any problems then please bring them to my attention in this thread.
Edited by hannanibal, 2nd June 2013 - 08:28 AM.
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Furryblueelf
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Thank you for the prompt reply Hannanibal. I have ordered the appropriate paint now. If it does not look like it is going to arrive before thursday my time, I will go ahead as you suggest and tweak it until I get it close and continue.
Either way I endeavour to finish this section before I go on holiday.

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hannanibal
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The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
OK mate. Good luck.
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Olorin the Ancient
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Remember, this lesson isn't due this Friday, but a week from Friday. So unless your holiday interferes, you should be fine.

I'm putting Vallejo Model Color Royal Purple on order myself.
- Olorin the Ancient
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Ratt Baron
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Warlord
I've just ordered elf skin tone and royal purple as I guess I will be using a lot of these in future, so will have to wait for painting those bits
But can I use chain mail instead of plate mail and dark angles green instead of sick green if they are a near enough match as I have loads of these
Thanks

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hannanibal
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The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
Chainmail and Plate Mail Metal are identical. Sick green is the equivalent of GW snot green. Dark Angels Green is way too dark.
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Ratt Baron
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Thanks that's great. I've got snotty green. Let the fun commence

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Nurglitch IX
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I would kill for a video of the first step. Just being able to *see* you mix the paint, test the consistency, and apply a coat would fix 60% of my painting issues I think.
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If you had to classify Denheb Stone as a color, would you say it's more white than anything else? I'm trying to formulate alternatives with my limited palette.

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hannanibal
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The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
@Bounty. I'll see what I can do.

@Cap. old Denheb is really similar to GW Rakarth flesh. It's a chalky, ultra light, almost white ivory brown.
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Furryblueelf
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My paints arrived 7 hours okay, and I have had to rush through my homework today. I have done my best in the time, but I really wanted to make sure I had something submitted before I go away.
I also apologise for the photo quality, this camera is rubbish, + headache + disappointment in work.

Oh well.

Anyway my submission is below. I will do any and all fixing on my return from the island holiday in 10 days.

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hannanibal
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The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
Wow. Well done mate. I can't fault you on the tidiness of the basecoats. They look really good to me. Keep it up.*
The only thing is you may want to extend the black fur on the cheeks into the face. It looks slightly too short at the moment.

The picture could definitely be better but I'll let you off coz you're rushing :P
Any idea why your paint looks slightly grainy? I suspect it's something to do with the primer as I get that with my Humbrol primers. There's nothing to worry about though as I'm sure it won't affect the next layers.

Anyway.......Happy holidays mate!

*On second glance, is there some metallic paint on the hand? I can't tell. If so get tidying!
Edited by hannanibal, 7th June 2013 - 01:23 PM.
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Git-Git
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Done with the first stages, just the tidying up left. Will try and do that tomorrow.
- Git-Git -

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