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I'm looking to start painting with oils on my next army, nurgle daemons for WHFB.
Any suggestions for moving to oils from acrylics?
I've heard wait a couple of days between coats and use synthetic brushes.
Also I heard use Winsor Newton Artists water soluble oils.
Any other tips?

For minis if you are planning on doing washes you need to get Winsor Newtons 'Artist' level paints (the 15$ ones), not the student or hobby level. The lower to mid range paints are too grainy, and will seperate. Yes, oil painting is EXPENSIVE!

I don't know about using the water soluble oils though. I much prefer thinner as a medium. It has almost zero surface tension and allows for some really cool washes, linings, and filters.

But you don't HAVE to choose between one or the older. Most model pointers who use oil will do as much as they can in acrylics (which are much cheaper and easier to work with), seal the model with some Future Floor Polish, then start in on the oil paints.


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Also, as cleaning the brushes can be a bit of a pain, and you don't want to dump your thinner every every time, consider getting a brush cleaning tank. I have a Silicoil brush cleaning tank, and it made my life much easier.

Although I don't work in oil or acrylic, this topic has my interest piqued. Could you provide a link to some models that have been done in this medium so I can see what all the fuss is about?

Thanks.

Breotan wrote:Although I don't work in oil or acrylic, this topic has my interest piqued. Could you provide a link to some models that have been done in this medium so I can see what all the fuss is about?

Thanks.

If you paint minis and you aren't using testors (or in some cases even if you are) you are likely using acrylics.
Oils:

There is an article in the dakka article section with a collection of mini tutorials, links and suggestions for using oil paints. Click on my article edits link to the left under my avatar and then go onto the painting with oils link

Or click the link below: http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Painting_with_oils

Woops. I thinking enamels not acrylics, which goes to show that I've no idea what I'm talking about here. Guess it's time to stop drinking the retarder.

I love it, my first experience with painting an army (Tau) was with oils and it didn't go so well (I was not skilled AT ALL at painting at the time) and this inspires me to maybe try it on some power weapons.

Again, just start small. You don't have to oil paint the entire model. Oil paint washes and scrubs simply can't be beat, nor can oil paint power weapons. Just varnish over acrylic pain job (again, Future Floor Polish works GREAT for this) and start into the oil effects.

So you're going to use enamels? Not a great medium for this imho. Stock up on paint thinners.

You need paint thinners for oil paints too.

Yes, but neither are good media for this kind of work...

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:Yes, but neither are good media for this kind of work...

Oils have been used in historical model painting for years - try and find any historical model painted to any kind of good quality that only uses acrylics. Oils are used for all sorts of weathering techniques if nothing else.

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:Yes, but neither are good media for this kind of work...

What? If anything they are superior for many applications. You simply can't beat oil paints for filters, washes, lining, weathering, and blending.

As SilverMK2 noted historical modelers have been advocating oil use for years.

Have you ever looked at one of Forgeworlds Imperial Armor books? They use oil paints extensively.

Many of the Golden Daemon winners you see every year are using oil paints for their effects.

Oil paints are absolutely a good medium for miniature painting.

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:Yes, but neither are good media for this kind of work...

Categorically false. Both enamels and oils have been used for decades with excellent results. You mistake the difference between "good" and "easy"