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Hey guys, I'm finishing up some marines and was wondering how you get a good company and chapter logo effect. What in your experience gives the best results?

Thanks.

I never was a good freehander nor have used transfers. But i can throw in a third option. Sculpt them in GS and the create a pressmold for reproduction.

And maybe look at those tutorials: http://fromthewarp.blogspot.de/p/archives-and-tutorials.html
There is a whole sub-category on decals and freehands. Maybe you can get some ideas and tips from there.

well, transfers are much faster and you will have the same look on every miniature.

thou make sure you have the right tools so you dont actually see that its a transfer.
it can be tricky sometimes,especially because of the round shoulderpads

also depending on how complex the logo is, a gs sculpt and pressmold is a good idea

Well, done right, transfers are no faster than freehand, unless its an exceptionally complex design with many complex details.

For your purposes, however, the uniformity that you'll get from decals puts them as first choice for me.

They need to be done properly though. Or they'll look pretty terrible..

Transfers by far, unless you are really good at freehand. Doing them right will take some work, but as long as you follow the directions it will look better than all but the absolute best golden demon level freehand.

Transfers, though you need to soften them with a specific solution first, then set them on the miniature and apply a matt finish when it is dry. Otherwise they ruin the miniature. I have hand painted quite a few in my time. It is good for one-off things, like a dreadnought, but when you are trying to keep it consistent across 40 figures you can have some troubles. If you are going to go that way: practice, practice, practice first. There are also quite a few tutorials for painting symbols neatly and efficiently. Good luck!

I use transfers/decals.

If you use them right (directions below) they look great, neat and uniform.

1. Gloss varnish the area where the decal goes
2. Cut out decal as close to the actual decal as possible.
3. Dip decal in water and then place it on a piece of tissue.
4. Brush Micro Set on the area where the decal goes
5. Push the decal almost off of the backing-paper with a brush.
6. Touch the brush to the exposed backing-paper to get it a bit sticky.
7. Push the decal the rest of the way and pick it up with the slightly sticky brush.
8. Use the brush to place the decal in the correct position.
9. Leave to dry for a few minutes.
10. Apply a generous amount of Micro Sol.
11. Leave to dry completely.
12. Apply another generous amount of Micro Sol.
13. Leave to dry completely.
14. Apply a last generous amount of Micro Sol.
15. Leave to dry completely.
16. Apply a coat of gloss varnish to seal the decal in (do not skip this step).
17. Apply a coat matt varnish if you like and prefer a more matte look.

NB. Steps 3 to 8 are all done within 10-15 seconds.


...

Thanks for the help. Looks like I need to pick up a few things, and look into the process.

Thanks for that guide, steelmage, I was just wondering how to even use transfers.

I agree with Steelmage, get some Microsol and Microset, I held off on ever doing transfers until I read about these two wonder fluids. When I bought the two and used them correctly I did an entire battle company of ultramarines and two hundred guardsman and tanks in just over a week. They will change your life!

 Jihadnik wrote:
I agree with Steelmage, get some Microsol and Microset, I held off on ever doing transfers until I read about these two wonder fluids. When I bought the two and used them correctly I did an entire battle company of ultramarines and two hundred guardsman and tanks in just over a week. They will change your life!

Agreed. Thanks for going to the effort of explaining everything Steelmage, I didn't have the time (I think I learned a few things too )

I hate transfers. Applying them on shoulder pads is a pain. Transfers are the only reason why I practiced freehands.

Now I only use tranfers on flat areas like vehicles armors, and even so I repaint them 'cause I think it looks better if repainted.

The good point is that thanks to my tranfers aversion my paint skill made a step forward.