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Hi all,

On a model that I was really enjoying painting, I didn't thin down a Citadel layer paint enough when painting a specific area, leaving the finish slightly bobbly.

In my head, my choices are to either:
1) Use some sort of paint remover and start again, although the area is blade with carvings on, and I don't want any detail ruined
2) Leave it and never look at it again
3) keep trying to go over it with thin paint in the hope I can get a decent(ish) finish

Do you have any tips?
Any advice would be well received

Thankyou

More paint will make the situation worse, at this point. So 1 or 2 would be your best options, depending on how much effort you think it's worth.

If it's just a weapon that is the issue, and if it's a separate part, then sourcing another one, ripping that one off and replacing so you only have to repaint the blade itself would be an option.

 insaniak wrote:
More paint will make the situation worse, at this point. So 1 or 2 would be your best options, depending on how much effort you think it's worth.

If it's just a weapon that is the issue, and if it's a separate part, then sourcing another one, ripping that one off and replacing so you only have to repaint the blade itself would be an option.

Thanks for coming back. Unfortunately it is (Daemon) Magnus the Red's blade, so sourcing a new one may be difficult. Think I will probably go with the stripping then if that's my best other option

Cheers

we really need photos in order to advise properly. for instance, if its just the flat of the blade, you could probably gently file or scrape off the excess, but if it is in recesses, this will be impractical.

I’ve had this a couple of times sadly.

Easies way I’ve found is using a mould line remover to gently scrape the layers back then paint it back in how it should be.

Far more controlled than stripping and depending on the area, much easier.
Around details you can use a pin or sewing needle to remove the paint if needed.

Firstly dont let it happen again thin those paints you need 2 thin coats of any layer usually. (The first layer should leave streaks or be somewhat transparent) When I first started painting I made similar mistakes. If you're not watering down paints as a habbit the finish will be awful on everything you work on.

If you are not painting in sub sections then my advice is remove the offending section (weapon/arm) it should snap off if you used super glue and then strip it and repaint it.

If this isn't an option then strip the whole mini and start over.
If you start scraping or painting over it ur going to make it a lot worse trust me. Good luck!

edit: Stripping doesnt remove anything except paint. I've stripped things multiple times with no issues. I recommend Isopropyl alcohol. Stripping requires a bit of scrubbing so careful not to damage the mini. You could risk scraping it as Jackal but it really depends where on the miniature this is to be viable otherwise you end up with a paint crater or folds that can be difficult to fix if it's on an obvious area.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Another thing is move your brush fast the faster you move the smoother the finish. Also once paint is applied to any area DO NOT touch it again until the paint is dried, you will rip off the first layer if you do that.

I have had some success with spot stripping with a q-tip dipped in Isopropyl, though control and precision is an issue, but yeah, stripping at least the area and starting over is probably your best bet.

Thanks for all the very quick advice, very much appreciated. When I finished work last night I spent a good while stripping just the weapon using small amounts of paint stripper and an old brush

Also, thanks for the advice about the coating. I do (as a habit) water down paints... however this one seemed so think I didn't think it needed it. Lesson learned!!

Once again, thanks for the advice, glad to be part of this community :-)

In some rare cases you won't need to thin down much or at all like if you're drybrushing and some extreme highlights where you want the paint to be stickier. Some paints need more water than others depending on how strong the pigment is like I find metallics need very little water. You're welcome by the way! I found that with figure painting knowledge is a massive factor it's not like other art forms where you can get away with technical errors.

Just think milk consistency with your paints and you will be fine.

I dont usually thin base coats. Everyone talks about thinning, but no one really seems to talk about correct brush loading, eg the amount of paint that should be on your brush for whatever technique or application you're doing. This is the sort of thing that only really comes with experience. For base coats I'lI usually just go from the pot to my pallet, then straight to the model with no thinning, just ensuring that I have the correct amount on the brush.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
I dont usually thin base coats. Everyone talks about thinning, but no one really seems to talk about correct brush loading, eg the amount of paint that should be on your brush for whatever technique or application you're doing. This is the sort of thing that only really comes with experience. For base coats I'lI usually just go from the pot to my pallet, then straight to the model with no thinning, just ensuring that I have the correct amount on the brush.

Then you're doing it wrong you need to add a little water or your base coat is going to be shiny and detail will be lost.

Yes, he's totally doing it wrong and losing detail.

Seriously dude, you're good, but have some humility and openness to learn something, or try a little harder to realize the tone you're sending to people.

 Axel Dale wrote:

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
I dont usually thin base coats. Everyone talks about thinning, but no one really seems to talk about correct brush loading, eg the amount of paint that should be on your brush for whatever technique or application you're doing. This is the sort of thing that only really comes with experience. For base coats I'lI usually just go from the pot to my pallet, then straight to the model with no thinning, just ensuring that I have the correct amount on the brush.

Then you're doing it wrong you need to add a little water or your base coat is going to be shiny and detail will be lost.

Am I?

I appreciate you're just applying what you've been told, but art isn't science(obviously). Some things aren't always just a given and there's usually room for nuance and adaptation.

It's not a problem if you want to thin every layer, but I find most base coats just don't need layering. As I said, if you load your brush correctly(I just use a wet brush to ensure good flow) you're not going to be applying it too thickly.

I'm not trying to come off as arrogant, but I'm 6 years into the painting hobby. I've learnt a thing or two. Everyone has their own way, and if you find that thinning every layer works, that's cool.

If you're using a loaded brush technique which includes water and you're getting the effect you wan't then no, but in terms of any of the games workshop base or layer range paints they are intended to be diluted. You really want to avoid that thick glossy paint look as much as possible and preserve the detail on the base layer. It;s all subjective but there's definitely a reason top painters will do about 3-4 coats of watery paint for that super clean factory finished look. Though "two thin coats" is usually good enough.

Don't want to come across as arrogant but..

Granted I've never placed in GD, but I think it's a fairly good indicator of my level. I paint purely for display and competition.

Don't get me wrong, thinning your paints is a good practice, and it's something I do, but I think the whole thin all the time thing was good advice thats become godsworn gospel to some painters. As you get more experienced you'll find what works for you... As I said, it's not a science.

Anyway this is going off on a tangent. Hope op managed to sort out his issue.

Yea I don't really thin my paints down a lot either (just whatever moisture is on my wet palette), and I'm hella arrogant!

Well, there you go. Paint and let paint I say.

Fair enough I mean I'm not an expert when it comes to miniature painting I'm pretty new to it tbh but I paint for same reasons as you and I've found I get a really smooth finish by doing multiple layers. I'll show you an example like on the marine I think I used 3 thin layers for the base coat and I think it gives a very smooth finish. To each their own though as you said though I would argue you could take it to the next level by being more pedantic about thinning the base coats.

Edit also the base rims were like 4-5 layers of watery paint to get them super silky.

Base layers are just that though, base layers. All the work is going to be done through what comes after. Highlights, shadows, blends, glazing, weathering, texture, varnish. A space marine hero sized miniature takes me about 3-4 weeks to finish. Unnecessary layering is just more work that isn't seen on the finished product.

Yeah for sure I guess it depends on your style too, for me the base layer is what shows the most I keep it pretty flat. A lot of competition painters will do more tonal differences across surfaces so it wouldn't matter as much sure. Nice work anyway I looked at ur gallery