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I just bought the GW stippling brush from my local hobby store and I am about to get to work on painting my Vindicator for my army. I am fairly new to the game and have some pretty good success painting some of my first models. Have gotten very positive reviews, especially since its my first time painting miniatures. I'm no expert (like some of you here are) but my stuff turned out pretty nice, I will post pictures of it as soon as I can find my camera


Ok, well I got the stippling brush and I am painting ultramarines. I wanted to Stipple on mud/dirt/weathering around the base of my vindicator and wanted some tips on how to do it. I practiced a bit on a coke can I spray painted black and so far the best effect I got was a stippling layer of Calthan Brown, then a light layer of Space Wolves Grey (a different gray might be better, this is blue-ish but was all my hobby store had in stock atm) then a lighter layer of Calthan brown back over it.

it looked pretty nice, granted I think i will buy a grayer and less blueish gray later this week but any tips to improve that would be great. Or on how to weather a tank in general.


hell tips on where/how I can use my new stippling brush at all would be great too! Even on my space marines

You could mix up some brown paint with a little bit of sand.

This has got really great results in the past.

Give it ago, you might really like it.

Cheers,

Jack.

jack is on track here, sand works well, however, its allways best to use fine grade sand (the stuff used in the sandpits is great)
otherwise it tends to clot and leave large lumps on models.

Oh yea. I second JD's fact about using fine grade sand.

It also helps control how much of it you want mixed with the paint.

Cheers,

Jack.

Mamox wrote:I just bought the GW stippling brush from my local hobby store...

Amazing. Why would you do such a thing? It never fails to amaze me when people buy this crap from G-Dubbs. You can go into ANY Wal-Mart or crafts store and buy a cheap paintbrush and simply cut off the bristles so that they are really short and have the same thing for 300% less. All you need to do is find a brush with LOTS of thin bristles.

As for the rest of your post, just keep layering browns on there. Don't worry too much about areas that seem to go on too heavy, either. Mud is never even and consistantly distributed. You amy also want to make some elongated teardop shapes to show splatter effects. Excuse the possibly crude reference, but think "sperm with straight tails"...

The BEST advice I can give you is to look up pics on tanks and Mnster Trucks or four-wheeling/off-roading to get reference material on mud splatter and accumulation. then just recreate it as best as you can.


**EDIT**
Another tip for you, if you're looking for actual mud buildup:
Take some standard white glue (Elmer's, "school glue" etc.), pour a small amount onto/into a palatte or mixing area and stir in some Devlan Mud wash to tint the glue. Then, either blob some of the brown glue on select areas of the tank and sprinkle baking soda liberally over the glue and mix it a bit with a toothpick. When it dries, drybrush some lighter brown.

Alternatively (and arguably a better method) is to mix the baking soda in before putting the glue mixture on the tank.

depending on your basing style for your army, you can mix in a bit od static grass on certain areas to show chewed up earth clumps sticking to the tank. A great place for realistic mud buildup is on tread sections and, especially with GW-style tanks, where the tread disappears into the track guard at the top. Mud will certainly cake up from the treads in that area.





Ghidorah

ok cool, thanks guys

any specific sand you can recommend/where I can get it? Is it just called 'fine grade sand'? I know they sell sand at homedepot but its in like 50lb bags lol where can I get some fine grain sand in a smaller quantity?


also any specific color schemes you could recommend? And if I didn't want to do mud, and just weathering effects tips on that too. Remember im kinda a noob

thanks!

The best bet for sand is to use something called kiln dried sand, its very fine grain and works wonders.
most building centers should stock it as its used for block paving.

Ghidorah wrote:Amazing. Why would you do such a thing? It never fails to amaze me when people buy this crap from G-Dubbs. You can go into ANY Wal-Mart or crafts store and buy a cheap paintbrush and simply cut off the bristles so that they are really short and have the same thing for 300% less. All you need to do is find a brush with LOTS of thin bristles.

Why would anyone do that? Instead you go to your local hobby and craft store and buy a stippling brush. Why does everyone think that GW invented the stippling brush? They didn't. They've been available for years and years.

Ghaz wrote:

Ghidorah wrote:Amazing. Why would you do such a thing? It never fails to amaze me when people buy this crap from G-Dubbs. You can go into ANY Wal-Mart or crafts store and buy a cheap paintbrush and simply cut off the bristles so that they are really short and have the same thing for 300% less. All you need to do is find a brush with LOTS of thin bristles.

Why would anyone do that? Instead you go to your local hobby and craft store and buy a stippling brush. Why does everyone think that GW invented the stippling brush? They didn't. They've been available for years and years.

I laughed hard at the website name.

Cheers,

Jack.

Ghaz wrote:buy a stippling brush.

Because it isn't necessary. From your link:

DickBlick.com wrote:06364-4018 E79 Deerfoot Stippler, Size 1/8" 3 mm 8 mm List $9.80 $5.14
06364-4014 E79 Deerfoot Stippler, Size 1/4" 5 mm 10 mm List $11.10 $5.82
06364-4038 E79 Deerfoot Stippler, Size 3/8" 6 mm 14 mm List $14.70 $7.71

The points is that the G-Dubbs brush is WAYYYYY too expensive at $4.55. The cheapest one you linked is $5.14. How is it a good idea to buy one of these instead of GW's? I suppose if you're trying to be a pretentious snob, sure. Go to wal-Mart and get abrush for 50-85 cents.


Stippling doesn't require that you have/use a high-quality brush like you need to when detailing, lining, etc. You're stippling. Daubing paint on in a fairly random and non-uniform manner where the desired outcome is not perfection (at least in this person's application - weathering). Much like drybrushing doesn't require a high-quality brush, merely one with many fine, soft bristles. All you need is a cheap-o brush. You need to make sure it has a lot of bristles so that you don't get large spots of paint applied by the bristles because you run the risk of heavy and/or splotchy application.




Ghidorah

Cutting up brushes ruins the bristles and the brush will be useless even faster. A purpose-made brush will last longer and give you better results.

There are inexpensive stippling brushes. Just because you didn't find any on Dick Blick doesn't mean they don't exist. Matter of fact, here's one for $3.

Ghaz wrote:Cutting up brushes ruins the bristles and the brush will be useless even faster.

Having done PRECISELY this before, I can tell you with great certainty that you are mistaken. Mostly. Yes, it does technically ruin the bristles, you are cutting them off. But the brush will not be useless any faster. I'm not suggesting that you take a serrated ham knife to the the end of your brush. A VERY sharp x-acto blade will slice through them like butter and you, the brush, the paint, and the tank will be none the wiser.

Meh. We'll be back and forth at this all day and we're ruining this guy's thread.



Ghidorah

Not quite the same, but I did mine with a sponge (actually the sponge you get in blister packs) as it shows it in the FW advanced painting book thing.
Start off with the lighter colours, them work up, the in a few choice places where there would be the most wear and tear, use the lighter colours again.
I used Dhened stone, blazing orange, snakebite leather (I think), chaos black and boltgun metal I think.

Use the same grade of sand but use PVA glue instead of the paint if you want it thicker.

Woa, very cool effect Grim...now im a bit confused how you did that.

if I wanted to do just that (i might do it like that on my drop pod to symbolize the wear and tear from the airflight/atmosphere) how would I more specifically? I am a noob painter so I'm not sure the order you did. You started with black, then brown, then orange etc...building up from dark? or the opposite? I am a bit confused

thanks for the help guys

Why would you do such a thing? It never fails to amaze me when people buy this crap from G-Dubbs. You can go into ANY Wal-Mart or crafts store and buy a cheap paintbrush and simply cut off the bristles so that they are really short and have the same thing for 300% less. All you need to do is find a brush with LOTS of thin bristles.

As for the rest of your post, just keep layering browns on there. Don't worry too much about areas that seem to go on too heavy, either. Mud is never even and consistantly distributed. You amy also want to make some elongated teardop shapes to show splatter effects. Excuse the possibly crude reference, but think "sperm with straight tails"...

The BEST advice I can give you is to look up pics on tanks and Mnster Trucks or four-wheeling/off-roading to get reference material on mud splatter and accumulation. then just recreate it as best as you can.

WROOOONG! True it will be cheaper but
A, it will not be as strong,
b. The brushes are cheaper and more likely to get the random hair sticking out
c. the thistiles or "hairs" at walmart are very crappy, fall out alot and are of a much cheaper quality, plus the handle breaks or is cheap plastic,
the gamesworkshop brushes are made out of second to none of the best material for the brushes, they hold up for years,
and in my opinion and experience, provide a better coat of paint/better details.

I paint alaitoc eldar using stippling and the effect I think you're going for is similar to how I paint my camouflage. I use a dark color and light color (also I use a mixture of them but I don't think that would look right for your dirt, but try it if you think it would), and stipple the dark color first at a straight 90 degree angle leaving some spacing to show the back ground. Make sure you don't water down the paint or it will ruin the effect. Put about half the tip into the paint and wipe off almost all of it then begin stippling. Cover the bottom of the tank with closer stippling and space it out as you get higher. Then use the lighter paint and go over it with more paint wiped off than before and stipple this color in sections. (*WARNING* I've never tried this to do weathering on something but it seems like it would work. Try it on paper first!)

Another way is to use a toothbrush. First you wipe off the paint like if you were going to use it as a dry brush, (Not quite as much, but you don't want alot on it or the spatter will be to big.) and then rub your finger along the brush repeatedly whilst aiming it at your canvas. Try this on paper first as it takes practice to get the desired effect.

If you have a dollar tree or family dollar nearby, you can get a 1lb bag of fine modeling sand for $1. Picked some up last week....

LordBoJangles wrote:WROOOONG!

My Mud recipe:

(Mixed in a craft paint palette)
A good sized squirt of dark brown craft paint (about 1\2 of the circle depression full).
Basing grit (sand or fine ballast from train stores)
Some static grass (same colour your using on your bases)

Mix all three ingredients until you have a thick muddy consistency (Yes, it looks like real mud at this point). Using a large cheap brush (I use dollar store round brushes), paint the treads and some splash over on the sides and bottom of the tank. It is easy to get carried away here, so remember to restrain yourself some (unlike some of my tanks). Wait until the mud is dry (overnight if possible), then go back over the mud work with slightly darker craft paint (Mud looks darker the wetter it is usually) but don’t completely cover the original mud effect up.

From here, add detail to your tracks with a soft graphite stick (or a good old #2 pencil) here and there.

Note, Mud should be the last (or close to the end) bit of paint that you put on a model.

Here is a link to a Leman Russ I did using this Mud recipe:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/244078.page

(love it or hate it, it is a muddy tank lol).

Mamox wrote:Woa, very cool effect Grim...now im a bit confused how you did that.

if I wanted to do just that (i might do it like that on my drop pod to symbolize the wear and tear from the airflight/atmosphere) how would I more specifically? I am a noob painter so I'm not sure the order you did. You started with black, then brown, then orange etc...building up from dark? or the opposite? I am a bit confused

thanks for the help guys

Start with oranges and light greys. Get some on a blister pack sponge (or any very fine synthetic sponge) and wipe off most of the excess on some tissue paper. Don't be worried about smearing it a little, just make sure you do it in the direction of travel.
If you want wear and tear just use oranges and browns to show a rusty muddy look; battle damage and soot is done with blacks and darker colours. I use greys to show mud/mortar.

LordBoJangles wrote:
WROOOONG! True it will be cheaper but
A, it will not be as strong,
b. The brushes are cheaper and more likely to get the random hair sticking out
c. the thistiles or "hairs" at walmart are very crappy, fall out alot and are of a much cheaper quality, plus the handle breaks or is cheap plastic,
the gamesworkshop brushes are made out of second to none of the best material for the brushes, they hold up for years,
and in my opinion and experience, provide a better coat of paint/better details.

I cant tell if he is serious or supposed to be sarcastic.

LunaHound wrote:I cant tell if he is serious or supposed to be sarcastic.

Probably serious - I've tried both ways and I have to say that a stippling brush is better - a 'cut brush' works ok, but it lacks the 'spring' of a brush designed for it. Personal preference really.