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Just wondering what you guys do to keep up with what paints you use on a force and how you remember those colors in a year when you add more units? I have some Imperial Guard I really like the green I used but that was 9-10 years ago so no idea what colors I used. I could do some trial and error and get a close match. To keep from having this issue down the road I making a new paint book for all the forces I paint. I tossed my old one years ago.

What I have done is started a Excel sheet with the force ie Ork, Space marine Raven guard, .... and I list the primer color, armor base coat, armor highlights, skin tones, leather, gear, and washes so I can easily look back and match them models later on. I list the name of the color, brand and number that way if something gets discontinued I can find a match pretty easy. Once I'm done I will print them and put them in a three ring binder on my paint shelf so I can quickly look up colors but keep a digital copy on my computer to update as I go.


So what do you guys use?

I've attempted to do the same over the years, from a book to a blog. The big problem I found is that its practically impossible to get the same results following a recipe. There will inevitably be variation in the size of "a drop" of water or paint, the quality of a brush, the consistancy of a paint over years or even on the palette. It could be more humid that day which makes the paint dry differently.

On top of thus, the same techniques might now work across different models from the same faction. For example, my technique to painting Deathwatch is to drybrush dark grey over the whole model then wash with Nuln oil. On infantry it works fine, but on vehicles maybe not. I may have to forgo the washing to prevent pooling on flat surfaces, or edge highlight stead of drybrush, or even use a different shade of grey as the regular one doesnt work at that detail level.

I find that keeping a record of colours is important and know roughly what goes where but being adaptable is also important.

Yes, although mine is pretty basic. I just list the paints I used for a project. I'm pretty good at figuring out the scheme as long as I know the paints used, so that's all I really need.

Example:

 DV8 wrote:
Yes, although mine is pretty basic. I just list the paints I used for a project. I'm pretty good at figuring out the scheme as long as I know the paints used, so that's all I really need.

Example:

Wow that 2nd to last paint name doe.

I envy yer handwriting. I really should keep a paint book.

at one point i started to take WIP pictures with the paints i was using just in case i forget but iv been too potato to do that too :/

For the longest time I didn't, but then I got tired of going through old blogs again and started writing it down.

But, I also include steps. I'd actually recommend it cause sometimes you can look back at it and find a spot where you could combine two steps together or do something in a slightly different order that actually works out better or a bit quicker.

I use the notepad on my computer to write down recipes and color combos.

I'm very particular about how I organize my photos on my hard drive, with every project having it's own folder and whatnot, so I add the saved notepad file in its respective folder.

Glad I'm not the only one.


My goal for my Ork is to not mix any colors so I can easily match up models later. On characters I don't have a issue mixing 1 off colors but not for main line units

Yes, I write everything down in a graph paper notebook. Very handy, as return to armies years later to add units.

I got this stack of tiny canvases used for gifts and cards.
I put down the layers of paint with the names next to them, then drop them in the big freaking container for that army.
So if I need to dust off an army I fish the card out and start checking my paints.

One thing to keep in mind is that almost any military force will have huge variances in their uniforms due to wear and how long since last replacement and where they were made.
This is why I try to paint up a squad as a group together, so they stay coherent as a group and not so out of place if they vary somewhat.

 Warhawk77 wrote:
Just wondering what you guys do to keep up with what paints you use on a force and how you remember those colors in a year when you add more units? I have some Imperial Guard I really like the green I used but that was 9-10 years ago so no idea what colors I used. I could do some trial and error and get a close match. To keep from having this issue down the road I making a new paint book for all the forces I paint. I tossed my old one years ago.

What I have done is started a Excel sheet with the force ie Ork, Space marine Raven guard, .... and I list the primer color, armor base coat, armor highlights, skin tones, leather, gear, and washes so I can easily look back and match them models later on. I list the name of the color, brand and number that way if something gets discontinued I can find a match pretty easy. Once I'm done I will print them and put them in a three ring binder on my paint shelf so I can quickly look up colors but keep a digital copy on my computer to update as I go.


So what do you guys use?

Wish I had done something like that! I can paint my IG infantry more or less same but I have not found exact same shades for my vehicles...

At least with orks they are more obvious and are ragtag anyway and skin tones for example can vary(hey human skin tones differ so why not orks?) but when we are talking about vehicles on more uniform models?

One reason I don't mix paints myself generally. Remembering ratios later would be tough.

I dont actualy keep a paint book but I am thinking about it for a while now. It was ok not to remember how i painted something when i was painting 75mm miniatures, but now I dont remember how i painted the first model of a unit so its kida annoying.

If I decide to keep a paint book though i will use excel. Something like this one i made a while ago to decide what paits to buy.

Not sure if in gonna keep doing the background colors since its kinda too much work.

Yes, I have kept one for years.
It has saved my but more times than I care to admit.

 Warhawk77 wrote:
Just wondering what you guys do to keep up with what paints you use on a force and how you remember those colors in a year when you add more units? I have some Imperial Guard I really like the green I used but that was 9-10 years ago so no idea what colors I used. I could do some trial and error and get a close match. To keep from having this issue down the road I making a new paint book for all the forces I paint. I tossed my old one years ago.

What I have done is started a Excel sheet with the force ie Ork, Space marine Raven guard, .... and I list the primer color, armor base coat, armor highlights, skin tones, leather, gear, and washes so I can easily look back and match them models later on. I list the name of the color, brand and number that way if something gets discontinued I can find a match pretty easy. Once I'm done I will print them and put them in a three ring binder on my paint shelf so I can quickly look up colors but keep a digital copy on my computer to update as I go.


So what do you guys use?

I keep many books. It comes from reloading for decades. I've got stacks of ledger sheets with formulas and the actual test results and velocities, standard deviation, extreme spread, that sort of thing. So it was natural to keep a paint book.

I use a paint compatible sketch book. AKA a sketch book with paper rated for paints. It is a small 4x6 size. I write down the formula and brand and usually add a paint dot. Usually including the model and perhaps army it is for. I also have a pages for swatches. so I can reference my paint's dried hue (yes, paints change color between wet and dry, one of the most well known is Khorn Red which darkens).

The closest I get is my blog. I do sometimes sift back through it to figure out what I did.

I use notepad on my computer for listing my paint methods. And I actually have two styles of writing them down.
One is a step by step of each sort of miniature. So I have one for my Dark Angels, one for my deathwing, ravenwing, etc. All worked from the priming stage up to finishing touches.
Then the other one is a step by step for each individual part. So lists recipes for the various armours. Red leather vs red armour. How I do jade and marble, etc.

I keep each step as minimal as possible so as to avoid confusing myself. Each step has colour used and on what part/area and technique needed (wash/highlight/etc).

When I mix colours I don't do it with drops, I just estimate % of colour to colour. So when I right it down it'll be 70% red to 30% brown for example. I find that easier then trying to calculate drops. Especially when you might be using the same colour on a completely different thing. Where accurate volume is less important then actually getting the colour half way right.

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:
I'm very particular about how I organize my photos on my hard drive, with every project having it's own folder and whatnot, so I add the saved notepad file in its respective folder.

Oh you and me both. I've got folders within folders within folders. My whole "wargaming" folder is a rats nest of folders, files, pictures and more folders. Tzeentch himself would be impressed with how confusing it is.

Notes files on my iPad/iCloud.
Different one for each army, or unit where the army is intricate.

List includes what the paints are for each part of the model, just for extra reference

I started taking a picture of the miniature with the paint bottles I used next to it. I then uploaded those to Evernote.

Now I have moved to writing notes down in a notebook.