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Hi Dakka

I've come to the realisation recently that I'm possibly one of the slowest painters in the world and that my attention span when it comes to painting is pretty limited.
I've been working on an Iron Hands successor chapter with a red and white scheme and have reached the point where I want to give up on it, strip everything and start again with an easier scheme.
Iron Hands are a simple scheme, so I've given up on the successor idea.

After watching Sinzaren's Iron Hands tutorial on Youtube, I've decided to rip it off. I've got a couple of questions and proposals for you guys though and answers and feedback would be greatly appreciated. Essentially, I'm looking for reassurance that this would work so I can be sure that buying everything wouldn't be a waste of money.

If I used MIG Martian Dust weathering powder, what should I use on the base to match it? Should I just add water and put it on the base? How about over the top of stirland mud, blackfire earth or some sand?

What would be the best, easiest way to do the armour chips? I'm divided between: brush, pencil, sponging and trying salt or sand and hairspray with a metal undercoat? What do you reckon would be the best approach for a novice?

The hairspray technique appears to be the easiest way to do it. I've heard that salt is too big though for marine sized miniatures, so what about using sand? I read in IA model masterclass volume one that sand can be used for vehicles.

If I went for sponging, what type of sponge should I use? I read on a From The Warp tutorial that a makeup applicator is good for small scale weathering.

I've also read on FTW that using a pencil works quite well, and gives you alot of control. But on a black scheme with a lot of metallics, would the pencil look abit... Off? But, on a black scheme, doesn't just applying the pencil straight on, without highlighting first work? How about using pencil alongside another technique?

If I used a brush, what kind of brush should I use?

Should I use Army Painter gunmetal or GW leadbelcher for the metals?

The scheme (not using hairspray method)

GW black spray base
Tin bitz base for metallics
Leadbelcher chips and layer on metallics
Browns on the pouches
Purity seals with Khorne red, Wazdakka red then Evil Sunz Scarlet and bleached bone
Apply transfers with Micro Sol
Agrax Earthshade wash
MIG Martian Dust weathering
GW matt vanish spray
Warpstone glow then Moot Green optics

I like Iron Warriors personally which have a semi similar paint scheme.

Rusty,metallic bases will match Martian dust.
Testors mat varnish not GW.
Army painter silver or Leadbelcher makes no difference.
I prefer red eyes as opposed to green.
Reference the black and weathering I would aim to get some different tone in the black so it's not so boring. Plus with a black model it's all going to be about the contrast between the black and metallics.
Brush wise you need nothing special.

Also buy a bargain lot off fleabay and practice your painting skills on them. £5 would most likely get you 20 space marines and who cares what type and just use them as test dummies to find out what scheme you like. Always the best way

I've already got a load of marines, I just keep painting then stripping them so I don't feel the need to buy more.

Why Testors rather than GW?

How would I get some 'different tone'? The general idea would be that the powder adds the depth. The video I posted sums that up alright I thought?

 trephines wrote:
I've already got a load of marines, I just keep painting then stripping them so I don't feel the need to buy more.

Why Testors rather than GW?

How would I get some 'different tone'? The general idea would be that the powder adds the depth. The video I posted sums that up alright I thought?

Testors has never failed me yet,every other mat varnish has

If I was doing black I would add grey or blue to give it a tint.

Heya,

in regards to your weathering;
I personally buy a £2 pack of soft pastels from amazon and crush them up to make 'pigments', you get about 24 colours and imo is a much more worthwhile venture over the MUG range.

I have used the hairspray technique and in honesty I prefer it for tanks, but I also feel that the effect you'll get can be easily achieved with a sponge. Sponge chipping is extremely easy and a very fast and effective method. I too suffer your painting condition and can't ever seem to paint for very long before getting bored. However, i've found with the sponge technique I can get out quite a few models with ease that have a great look to them.

Having just actually watched the tutorial;
i'd say go for sponging. the hairspray technique isn't as quick and easy as you think, it still requires multiple layers; the base colour metal, the varnish to seal that, then the hairspray and salt/sand, followed by the black, then you need to scrub it to get your chips and then seal it again.

Whereas the sponge technique will pretty much do all that in 2 steps. The advantage i find with the hairspray is that on larger models it gives a nice visual effect and the metals actually appear a layer below etc... but on an infantry model its just not going to be really visible.

I've already purchased the weathing powder and sprays now. I've got for Army Painter black primer and anti-shine matt varnish, rather than GW or Testors after reading this review

I'll be going for sponging, but I'll try out a small makeup applicator. I'll also have a go at using a pencil for smaller scratches.

Thanks for your input in regards to the hairspray technique. I assume it's safe to say it'd work on dreadnoughts, rhinos and droppods though?

 trephines wrote:
I've already purchased the weathing powder and sprays now. I've got for Army Painter black primer and anti-shine matt varnish, rather than GW or Testors after reading this review

I'll be going for sponging, but I'll try out a small makeup applicator. I'll also have a go at using a pencil for smaller scratches.

Thanks for your input in regards to the hairspray technique. I assume it's safe to say it'd work on dreadnoughts, rhinos and droppods though?

Sweet, good luck! definitely post up pictures once you get going
And yeh it is really awesome; for those salt is nicely sized, and if you finish with some quite thick mud with your pigments at the end you get this really nice layered effect.

I shall do! Just waiting on everything to arrive. Spent this afternoon stripping all the mini's down. Fairy Power Spray is a godsend.

I've decided to go for a highlight stage before the chipping, after seeing Victory Painting's Iron Hands. That's a 3 stage highlight of eshin grey, the fang and then fenrisian grey. I won't be going overboard though, as I'm still trying to keep it quick and easy. I might end up not doing the chips after all other than on vehicles. I'll post up a before and after picture when I get to it so I can get some opinions.

I've set myself the target of doing the 15 mini's I already have by then end of the month. That's not too daunting a task since the start of the uni year has just started and I don't have any coursework yet. Hopefully it'll be doable.

 trephines wrote:
I shall do! Just waiting on everything to arrive. Spent this afternoon stripping all the mini's down. Fairy Power Spray is a godsend.

I've decided to go for a highlight stage before the chipping, after seeing Victory Painting's Iron Hands. That's a 3 stage highlight of eshin grey, the fang and then fenrisian grey. I won't be going overboard though, as I'm still trying to keep it quick and easy. I might end up not doing the chips after all other than on vehicles. I'll post up a before and after picture when I get to it so I can get some opinions.

I've set myself the target of doing the 15 mini's I already have by then end of the month. That's not too daunting a task since the start of the uni year has just started and I don't have any coursework yet. Hopefully it'll be doable.

Ahh i use detol also pretty damn good, i just leave it to soak and then scrub (but you cant add water even when scrubbing, if you add water with the detol all the paint goes black and sticky and then you really have a gunky model). Whats power spray like? how long do you soak em?

In honesty, I think you'll find the chipping the fastest part of your models you could chip 15 in an hour easily. But yeh, get your highlights down first, see what you think, chip maybe 1 or 2 for a comparison (by which point you'll realise how effective it is and then chip the rest ).

Ahh man your getting me all excited! I've got a crackle paint in the post somewhere at the moment and im desperate to give it a try!

The MIG pigment and MicroSol arrived today. I'm excited too! Just waiting on the sprays, and I've just ordered the Forgeworld transfers... Fingers crossed everything will have arrived by next Tuesday or Wednesday (my days off) so I can get started.

Fairy power spray starts working quick, in a couple of minutes you can get started with a toothbrush but thick paint requires a longer soak, maybe 2 hours? I ended up using the soft scourer from the back of a sponge to get rid of all the white bits on the mini's as it wouldn't budge. Sadly, it doesn't remove primer, but I can live with that since it's all getting coated black anyway.

I've got a new query though. If I'm using highlights, is it worth using a sponge? Should I just add the chips with a brush and pencil?

 trephines wrote:
Sadly, it doesn't remove primer, but I can live with that since it's all getting coated black anyway.

I've got a new query though. If I'm using highlights, is it worth using a sponge? Should I just add the chips with a brush and pencil?

hmm well maybe try detol, you can simply leave it in there and over night give it a shake and a scrub and all paint falls off. but they do smell briefly after.

well i think you can use a brush too, but honestly a sponge is very quick and easy, have a little experiment
also, now expecting photos wednesday

What exact kind of Detol do you use? (for future reference)

I'll definitely have an experiment. Decided to go for Skavenblight dinge highlights... Maybe 2 more highlight layers. I'll experiment first.

I just buy cheap £2 bottles from sainsburys. its the fact that its disinfectant (so like 5%chlorphyl or something along those lines) that it causes the paint to come off. ill double check shortly when i go model.

Sadly i dont play any marines army so not really that aware of highlighting them or how much/many layers etc..
EDIT- got the info wrong about what was in the dettol, corrected now.

It's taken a while, but everything has finally all arrived. I had to get more bits as I realised all the bolters I'd tried to strip looked nasty and I was short a couple of shoulder pads somehow. Oh and I needed fresh bases.

Annoyingly though, the weathers decided to feth up just as I wanted to start priming :|

Sods law I guess.

Sadly, the test mini's didn't turn out that well... I couldn't get the sponging the work and the weathering pigments looked way over the top.

Looks like I'll go for a more traditional highlighting and shading style. I'll be starting up a new P&M blog for this eventually.

Post pictures of those test mini's?

Or do you really dislike them that much?