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Hey,

on multiple occasions I've seen that an army has been dipped or models have been dipped, what dose that mean?

-Madman12367

It means the army has been dipped in a stain+polyurathane combo like minwax or similar to achieve a very fast shade and protective layer.

Think of it like a very thick wash being used on the ENTIRE model.

Its a quick way of painting armies. You paint everything on the model in basic colors(tyranid body red tyranid claws bone) and then you dip it In a shading liquid like a wash or the famous army painter quickshade.

It's a terrible thing done by terrible people and the less you know the happier your life will be

A Kvlt Ghost wrote:It's a terrible thing done by terrible people and the less you know the happier your life will be

Joking aside, I can't agree more. There was (is?) a period where the proprietor of the LGS was pushing it hard on many people. It lets you do an entire army terribly quickly. BUT, the resulting army looks very lackluster, in my opinion. I'd stay away.

lackluster? is that where it dosen't look like effeort has been put in? i was thinking about doing it for my skaven

Dipping is great for getting large numbers of troops done very quickly.



The Knight on the left has been dipped, the one to the right is before hand.

Took me about 20 minutes a model to get these done.

I think dipped looks okay, it isn't for me though.

It is a fantastic way to paint large numbers of table top miniatures fast. Id feel a bit dirty after doing it tho!

Skippy wrote:It is a fantastic way to paint large numbers of table top miniatures fast. Id feel a bit dirty after doing it tho!

I don't buy enough models to make it worthwhile...

Howard A Treesong wrote:

I don't buy enough models to make it worthwhile...

Me either

Please note...most people who "dip" dont physically immerse or dunk the miniatures, but the brush on the dip. Ive done it several times. The big trick is getting the dip material to the right shade and thickness.

The most important thing I can stress is do what works for you and your style and taste. One thing to remember is there are some paint job snobs on here that will tell you even the most mundane miniature must be done to Golden Demon standards.

I have not been painting long but I think many of the dipped models look better than non-dipped. Reading through the different threads, it appears most people will rave about the quality of a model washed with Devlan Mud and frown upon near similar, if not better, results using a dip.

I have used quickshade as both a dip and a wash/brush on and Im very happy with the results. That is all that matters.

I have used it when I was doing my Ork Boyz. After I painted 90 of them I refined my abilities and could achieve better results, just as fast using washes and shading techniques. I use it on vehicles I am going weather heavily as a sealent and as a shader. Brush it on or if you want dip the whole model in the stuff and use an air nozzel on an air compressor to spray it off the surfaces. If you so not cut it 25/75 with thinner the stuff will goob if you dip into the jar and not use anything to spray off the excess.

A Kvlt Ghost wrote:It's a terrible thing done by terrible people and the less you know the happier your life will be

I'm gonna have to disagree to a certain point.

As the product will NOT give you excellent looking miniatures, if you put in a good amount of effort into your models, dipping will give you table-top quality results, with a RIDICULOUSLY TOUGH protective layer that not even Simple Green likes to work on very well. I used Army Painter Strong Tone dip (http://usshop.thearmypainter.com/products.php?ProductGroupId=1) on my Leviathan scheme nids back before they became fluorescent, and they were the best looking miniatures at my flgs (be nice, their were some great looking minis there).
Just don't rely on the dip for your work. Try to progress your abilities with the brush, and dips will become obsolete to you (unless you dip your whole miniature in a transparent stain, just for protective purposes).

Like all other tools of the trade, dips are part of your arsenal. Use only when the tool fits the job correctly.

As mentioned before, you can brush it on if you prefer (imo it's far less messy, just use a crap brush you don't mind destroying).

I'm a decent painter, but I've used dipping as a method to get stuff painted and on the table fast. However, just like any painting technique, it takes practice: the more you do it, the better the results. Dipping tends to draw all kinds of reactions, but TBH, I'd rather that someone spent the time to dip their miniatures with some care than simply play for years and years with an unpainted army because they either a) hated the painting aspect of the hobby or b) loved it so much they wanted to spend 5 hours on each infantry model.

I am getting the sence that i should dip my skaven because i am not too keen on painting so many clanrats and the results are to a tabletop standard level. what level/type of dip should i use for skaven, in your opinion?

ArrrGHHH!!!
I posted this very same question about 6 months ago and got
"Let me google that for you"ed!!!

dipping is a painting tool amongst others and should be used when appropriate. To me, dipping haters seem weird and random... like me hating everyone who uses a brush larger than a detail brush "curse you people using the right tool for the job, CURSE YOU"

I have seen dipping used to create near showcase level models, models that would win painting competitions at many flgs but agreeably it is one of these low-finesse tools mostly suitable to tabletop level. That being said, it can be done properly or half-assed... and I guess why many people hate it is that some of the half-assed models also look decent.

I haven't done it, but getting painted models to the table top fast offers many benefits IMO.

Lovepug13 wrote:I haven't done it, but getting painted models to the table top fast offers many benefits IMO.

Indeed and all in all, if it results to more painted armies than unpainted ones I feel it benefits the whole community.

MakeH wrote:To me, dipping haters seem weird and random...

Yeah, it's oddly arbitrary. IMO, flippantly dismissing a technique without actually adding to the discussion should be a forum offence.

Without realising it, Madman, you have just unleashed one of the six hells. I don't blame you and you should not blame yourself but avoid mentioning the D word in the furure.

The ancient(ish) quote, better dipped than grey, is of need here.

Dipped tyranids look so good. That ALONE justifies dipping as a relevant and useful tool.

madman12367 wrote:I am getting the sence that i should dip my skaven because i am not too keen on painting so many clanrats and the results are to a tabletop standard level. what level/type of dip should i use for skaven, in your opinion?

I use Minwax Polyshades Mission Oak satin, thinned with about 25% thinner/mineral spirits. It gives a relatively dark tone and deep shades in the deails, which would be great for Skaven.

Heres my tips for the product I use:

thin it, 20-25%

brush it on, this allows you to control how heavy you want the shade

let it sit for at least 24 hours after you apply it, the surface will get tacky before it dries

after the 24 hour (or more) drying I spray my minis with Testors Dulcote. This is not a required step, but the dried polyshades will be glossy, and I like a flat finish

Hope that helps, feel free to PM me direct if you have any more questions.

how do you tin? with spirrits?

Theres nothing wrong with dipping at all, having better looking models benefits everyone. Some people just dont want to shade by hand.

Its not for me personally but its a good addition to the gaming hobby.

madman12367 wrote:I am getting the sence that i should dip my skaven because i am not too keen on painting so many clanrats and the results are to a tabletop standard level. what level/type of dip should i use for skaven, in your opinion?

I dipped my skaven for the very same reason anybody would. You simply cannot argue with the results. I actually did a step by step on how I did it on my plog on heresy online:

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=93266&page=8

Have a look through it if you want. As for people who complain about it... let them. It's fast and effective, but it can be done badly if you aren't carefull. The quickshade strong tone works great for skaven imo.

madman12367 wrote:how do you tin? with spirrits?

yes, I used mineral spirits, but you can also use paint thinner. You wont have enough room in the Polyshades can for a 25% thinning, so poor some of it into a container that seals well and save it for later, then add the thinner or spirits. Always shake the dip really well before you use it too, as it does settle a bit.


Another overall tip for dipping...if you have colors you want to stay fairly bright, make sure they are very bright before the dip, as it will darken them.

Just a quick question, can you dip with cidadel washes and if so is it advisable to water them down first?