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I'm currently painting my second Tervigon and I'm trying to thing the paint that I apply to it- particularly the carapace. I seem to use several layers and I don't want to loose any detail. I'm using water to thin down the layers and applying it with a GW ink brush. Anyone know of any different methods/techniques?

Also... When I pick up my Tervigon I notice that specifically the belly is prone to paint chips by barely picking it up. The paint is super easy to rub off on the belly. I use GW black primer and I shake it like a polaroid.

Do you varnish?

Use a thinning medium as well as a small amount of water.

I've found that thinning with water alone leads to the paint being brittle and easily flaking off when touched. Thus I've started using thinning mediums more than water.

And varnish everything! I use matt or satin rather than gloss as gloss tends to lose highlights and details you may have painted in.

Hope that helps.

Also make sure you are using actual primer, and not just black paint.

Varnish helps a lot as well.
(Liquitex is a decent brand, and fairly inexpensive by volume).

Let's be frank, GW has often been behind the mark on some of its materials. It's fairly common knowledge that the spray undercoats they've sold for years aren't really proper primers.

If you're getting chips off the paint that easily, just from picking it up, it's almost certainly a paint you've undercoated with, and not a real primer.

I would suggest Vallejo polyurethane primers. They are cheap, can be brushed or airbrushed on from the bottle, and make a great coating for paint to stick to.

 RavensNestPainting wrote:
Let's be frank, GW has often been behind the mark on some of its materials. It's fairly common knowledge that the spray undercoats they've sold for years aren't really proper primers.

If you're getting chips off the paint that easily, just from picking it up, it's almost certainly a paint you've undercoated with, and not a real primer.

I would suggest Vallejo polyurethane primers. They are cheap, can be brushed or airbrushed on from the bottle, and make a great coating for paint to stick to.

I can second the use of the vallejo primers - you have to give them a bit of a while to cure, but I have had been exceptionally satisfied with them.

Thank you, guys. I will definitely consider that. Can you buy vallejo locally at hobby stores or is it something you typically order online?

Also what brand/type of paint thinner?

zaak wrote:
Thank you, guys. I will definitely consider that. Can you buy vallejo locally at hobby stores or is it something you typically order online?

Also what brand/type of paint thinner?

All 4 of my local modeling and hobby shops (not incl. GW) stock a wide selection of Vallejo paints (Game color, Model color and Airbrush variations) as well as the other major brands so you should not have trouble finding it.

For thinner, if I'm not using just tap water I usually use Liquitex products (available at most arts and crafts style stores).

Rorschach9 wrote:

zaak wrote:
Thank you, guys. I will definitely consider that. Can you buy vallejo locally at hobby stores or is it something you typically order online?

Also what brand/type of paint thinner?

All 4 of my local modeling and hobby shops (not incl. GW) stock a wide selection of Vallejo paints (Game color, Model color and Airbrush variations) as well as the other major brands so you should not have trouble finding it.

For thinner, if I'm not using just tap water I usually use Liquitex products (available at most arts and crafts style stores).

I've been using hot tap water to thin out my paints.. I really hate when I lose detail on a model. I'll have to check out this place called hobby lobby near where I live. People say it's got everything I could ever want. Thank you

I've always been told never to use hot water .. I'm told it breaks down the pigments in the paint and makes it less usable.

No reason that I've found to use hot water anyway.

Hobby Lobby should most definitely have what you need! It seems to be the go-to-store in the US.

Hobby Lobby will make your jaw drop open with the huge selection of stuff for modeling, whether it's building, painting, or scratchbuilding. I get all my primers and non-paint supplies there. I only use citadel paints because 1) I grew up with them and I'm comfortable with them 2)It helps support my FLGS.

Rorschach9 wrote:
I've always been told never to use hot water .. I'm told it breaks down the pigments in the paint and makes it less usable.

No reason that I've found to use hot water anyway.

Hobby Lobby should most definitely have what you need! It seems to be the go-to-store in the US.

Never knew that. I'll take your word for it! Thank you

 Bobaram wrote:
Hobby Lobby will make your jaw drop open with the huge selection of stuff for modeling, whether it's building, painting, or scratchbuilding. I get all my primers and non-paint supplies there. I only use citadel paints because 1) I grew up with them and I'm comfortable with them 2)It helps support my FLGS.

I pretty much feel the same way. I'll have to check it out soon.