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I have a lot o f new minis but I have not painted in about 3 years and I am pretty inexperienced (only about 2 dozen minis under my belt) and I did not fully understand the explanations on the website. Could someone explain to me in simple terms the difference between these products is and what effects you get by using them?:

Base paint

Shade

Layer1 paint

Layer2 paint

Glaze

Texture paint

Thank you!

Here's a short version from what I understand, but correct me if I'm wrong

Base paint acts like foundation paint, followed by shade that was modified to have better flow than previous shades but it has less 'darkening' properties. I'm pretty sure you have to thin new shades aswell, or just remove the 'pooling' areas

This is followed by drybrushing stage, quickly drybrush the top highlights where light would strike.

Followed by layers 1 and 2 as name indicates, layer 1 serves for coat after wash for example, but leave cracks and such explosed while layer 2 as highlights, but them near the shades (video will explain)

Finally glaze, from what I understand they're the same as Washes but with different name. I believe the 'enhance' the paints, making them more vibrant + they connect the highlights and layers all together.

While texture paint (I haven't tried this yet) I believe they're drybrushed for terrains and such

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4fJiqLXf7g&list=FL5HLYWqRo4Wc-xhh5ms6ItA&index=15&feature=plpp_video

The ultra video should explain how to use them, cheers

Shade is an ink-like mix designed to flow into recesses and creases easily and does not cover well like the old washes used to.

Glazes are very weak colored "washes" if you want to call them that. They don't flow into cracks or creases well like the old washes or current shades do but they do cover the surface and change the hue of your layers. Glazes aren't a mandatory step.

Well, he can replace glaze with washe to link the layers, but still.. glaze punches a nice effect afterwards.

Base colours are functionally as the old foundation paints: They are good as a first layer, as they cover quite good. In contrast to old foundation paints, these base colours paint like usual colours, so are thinner and do not dry as fast.

Shades are functionally the old washes, but presumably flow a bit more regularly (don't form spots as easily on large surfaces) and don't change the colour as much when drying. Some people say that the Devlan Mud successor is not that good, but I haven't tested that.

Layer colours are funcionally the old Citadel colours, so normal colours covering a bit worse than base colours.

Dry colours are of a very dry consistency, but work quite well for drybrushing. Colours are pastells chosen for that purpose.

Glazes are similar to shades but have a very different function. They don't flow that much into cracks but form a layer making one colour aspect look brighter. One use is to lessen drab look after too much drybrushing.

Texture paint dry as if they contain sand. Made for quick basing: Just apply uneven textured paint layer (in colours good for bases) and add some drybrushing: Done.

Glazes are used to stain stuff. The example in the tutorial book took a Chaos Knight with.metal areas, glazed him red and said it could be used to represent his allegiance to Khorne. Green for Nurgle and Blue for Tzeentch, and I reckon you could mix red and blue to make a purple glaze for Slaanesh.

They also used it to affect highlights. They took 2 Bloodletters, red with yellow lumps on the back. First they used red which dull the yellow and made the transaction easier. Then yellow which made the difference starker.


You can also use it to create basic source Lighting. Check my galleries and go to P&M showcase where you'll see my Vulkan Conversion as an example. All that is is a simple Waywatcher Green Glaze.

Texture paints' formula makes it clumpy. I like to think of it like a Tesco's chocolate mousse. You paint it on, wait for it to dry and then wash with a contrasting colour. For green, Lustrian undergrowth, I used Devlan mud, but for Mournfang Snow you might use Drakenhoff Nightshade (Blue wash). After that you drybrush it with an appropriate colour.


Personally I like the textures as my PVA sucks and the sand just falls off, but YMMV.

deadshot and kroothawk are correct. If you can get a copy of the how to paint book, there's a picture that's a great example of the difference between layers used as "layers" and layers used for highlighting. It shows a marauder that's been based and shaded, and the layer is used on any surface that's not a shadow or a depression. Hard to describe in words, which is why I recommend the picture.

Base paint: Designed to be your basecoat, similar to the previous Foundation paints if you have had a chance to access them. They are paints that are designed to have a higher pigment count than your normal (or now layer paints) so that they provide better coverage over primer. Great for painting bright colours e.g. red, yellow and white directly over a black undercoat.

Shade: Pretty simply they replace the washes. A set of a colours that are designed to as the name suggests provide shade to the base paints or layer paints you have used. It will colour an entire area and notably change the tone of the area. So generally apply directly to areas you want shaded or be prepared to rebasecoat afterwards.

Layer paints: Essentially designed to be your highlight colours so that you can build up from the base paint and get those nice tonal transitions so that your miniatures don't look flat. It is the typical "standard" paint that we had before.

Glaze: Somewhat similar to a "shade" or a "wash" however their application is very different. Easiest way to describe the function of these paints is that they are used to "tint" areas rather than colour them. So for example you can do tinted metals to definitively see the colour effect of a glaze. However they can and are used to fudge blending a little. In the sense that you lay down you standard layer transitions and then once you have finished with your highlights, glaze over the top and it will smooth it all out. Nice quick way to get some nicer blends.

Texture paint: Designed and marketed to make basing easier, as included in the paint is a compound that somewhat resembles sand and will allow clumping in random patterns that makes basing easy as you are doing two steps, laying the sand and painting in one go. However, I think they are better suited to weathering rather than an application as a basing material.