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Hi all

Let’s say I want to base 90% of my model in black but there a few parts that I want to paint with contrast paints. I’m not going to be able to base part of the model using the rattle cans GW designed for spray paint so what do you use? Just paint the section white?

Or prime the whole this with the GW contrast primers and then base the bits I want black with black

there's same colour pots for brush painting. Or just paint white.

tneva82 wrote:
there's same colour pots for brush painting. Or just paint white.

Really? Do the pots have the same finish as the rattle cans?

mrFickle wrote:

tneva82 wrote:
there's same colour pots for brush painting. Or just paint white.

Really? Do the pots have the same finish as the rattle cans?

It will be difficult to get the same finish using a white paint with a brush on a black undercoat. Still possible but time consuming.

If I were you I'll use a white / clear undercoat with a rattle can and use a brush for black parts.

I've used Contrast on top of sections I've brush-painted with primer (Vallejo grey PU primer). It's probably not perfect but it works well enough.

I brush on an undercoat of Grey Seer for most of my contrast work. At least when I’m going for the one-coat trick they are sold for. I also use them for glazes over other color bases.

I rattle can white primer everything. Might take an extra thin coat if you are trying to cover over black.

I have done the last several armies making the base coat the primary color of the mini, this has ranged from flesh to silver and saves a ton of time (why paint a mini that you will entirely cover up with another coat of paint?) - as long as you use a flat color, all coats on top will stick fine. I was skeptical of the silver (for the Elves from the Island of Blood set), but worked superbly.

But contrast paints have to go over a white or light grey/bone colour to fulfill their designed purpose

mrFickle wrote:
But contrast paints have to go over a white or light grey/bone colour to fulfill their designed purpose

No really. They are functionary glazes. You can put them over anything and it will tint the basecoat. I use Guiliman Flesh over golds and zenti dust all the time. I also put Blood Angel Red over other reds to help them pop out a little more vibrantly. And shade a little.

The by-the-book over pale bases will get you the results you see on GW turtoials. But that’s just the start of their uses.

Well they aren’t just glazed though they shade as well. And although agreee with your point I am talking about creating just spots on a model where the contrast paint can perform as per GW tutorial

mrFickle wrote:
Well they aren’t just glazed though they shade as well. And although agreee with your point I am talking about creating just spots on a model where the contrast paint can perform as per GW tutorial

I do that all the time as well, mostly because I’m sloppy. So by the time I get to the face that I’m going to contrast, it’s got splatters of blue/black/whatever on it. So the whole face gets a tidy coat of Grey Seer from the pot, and then the contrast.

Maybe basecoat in preperation for the Contrast, and use masking paint for the non-black bits. Then just spray bloack over everything and pick off the masking. Finish off with the Contrast.

Would a masking agent affect the satin finish of the contrast primers?

The one i have is like latex or putty. It needs a bit of shoving into place, and does not seem to work on the paint layer at all.

Just paint the areas grey with a brush before doing the contrast paint.

mrFickle wrote:
But contrast paints have to go over a white or light grey/bone colour to fulfill their designed purpose

This is a false assumption. They work amazing as coloring agents over other colors (especially but by no means limited to metallics) to create very straightforward effects in minimal time. With just a little bit of practice and trial and error you'll find a host of combinations that you would otherwise spend a lot of time using more traditional methods to achieve.

They're not the solution for every problem, but as a tool in the painting toolkit they're invaluable to have as an option.

mrFickle wrote:

tneva82 wrote:
there's same colour pots for brush painting. Or just paint white.

Really? Do the pots have the same finish as the rattle cans?

In general: No. Brush and rattle can/airbrush will always differ.

But it's close enough and haven't seen big issue.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Skinnereal wrote:
Maybe basecoat in preperation for the Contrast, and use masking paint for the non-black bits. Then just spray bloack over everything and pick off the masking. Finish off with the Contrast.

I would rather just paint black by brush. Masking tape is quite a lot of work.

tneva82 wrote:

 Skinnereal wrote:
Maybe basecoat in preperation for the Contrast, and use masking paint for the non-black bits. Then just spray black over everything and pick off the masking. Finish off with the Contrast.

I would rather just paint black by brush. Masking tape is quite a lot of work.

It isn't masking tape, it is masking paint.
Like this:
https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/frisk-blue-masking-fluid-pot-60ml/602878-1000

It's kind of a moving target to give good advice when you haven't explained exactly what the model is and how your planning its scheme.

I mean, are you talking about black marines with white shoulders pads or are you painting a single dragon with different colored belly scales for example?

Masking IMO is a huge waste of effort unless your painting hard edges on hazard stripes etc with an air brush.

You also should stop listening to GW's marketing department, most colors of Contrast works best when thinned and can absolutely be applied as filters over other colors, in fact that's their best use IMHO.

GW just wants to sell you "everything you need" and they can accomplish that easier by telling you what you are supposed to do.

Slight tangent but in a FB group the other day a guy was asking for the best color to highlight talassar blue. 50+ responses later and I was the first and only person to tell him to simply add Ivory to the damned Talassar blue. He also asked if this was something possible, and yes of course it was.