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Im planning on doing some Scroll work on one of my 40k models that features large flat surfaces, a Necron Obelisk.
So far I have or am getting: Liquitex Slow-dri "Gel", and Wizard Vortex Pinstriping brushes. Also, about 100 citadel acrylic paints
Do I need anything else? I heard something about paint thinners? Is that a separate thing or is Slow-dri all I need.

Bare minimum extra supplies to do a pretty good job? I plan on practicing for a week or so before I try it on the model.

Were the bits about thinners from a specific source? The main focus of most pinstriping info is automotive work, where lacquers or enamels are prefered to acrylics. Either of those would require its respective thinner, whereas various acrylic additives (as well as plain water) may themselves function as the necessary diluents.

If you're looking to increase the open time of an acrylic, drying retarder is the right stuff. Generally, though, we want our paints thin - dilute paints are self-leveling, flow more readily off the brush, and allow us to play with opacity. A gel medium would thicken the paint, requiring further thinning to achieve a workable consistency. By that point, the pigment will be rather sparse. Personally, I would skip the retarder, completely. Thinned acrylics don't dry so quickly that they'll gum up on a wet brush before you can lay your line down. For wet-blending, I might consider them a necessity, but not for your intended task.

More important than drying retarder would be flow improver. To lay down a smooth, continuous line, the paint has to flow smoothly and readily down the extended belly of the brush, as well as off the tip. A bit of Liquitex Flo-Aid or the like in water will let you thin your paint to the desired consistency while simultaneously lowering its surface tension (the job of any surfactant, including the old DIY alternative of dish soap).

TLDR: Add Flo-Aid to your list and either skip the retarder or get the liquid version.

Genius!!! Much thanks Oadie

Are you planning to paint long lines across your models? Or small script? Because if you mean typical sword/dagger/script pinstriping brushes, they wont be suitable for small details on a miniature scale. They'll be ok for long lines, but for small details a regular superfine brush would be better. Also, if you are using swords and daggers you will need a thinner, flow aid and a drying retarder. Otherwise the fast drying acryllics will just clog up the super long bristles of your brush


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, youre going to go through a hell of a lot of paint :-P

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Are you planning to paint long lines across your models? Or small script? Because if you mean typical sword/dagger/script pinstriping brushes, they wont be suitable for small details on a miniature scale. They'll be ok for long lines, but for small details a regular superfine brush would be better. Also, if you are using swords and daggers you will need a thinner, flow aid and a drying retarder. Otherwise the fast drying acryllics will just clog up the super long bristles of your brush


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, youre going to go through a hell of a lot of paint :-P

This would equally be my concern. Pinstriping brushes would be far too large in scale to get the effect that you are after.

You would probably be best off using a regular miniature brush, or if you really want the same brush style, you would need to trim one down.

If you want to experiment with funky brushes, a liner is an interesting brush. They look like this:

http://www.artistpaintbrush.com/royal-majestic-script-liner-brush-artist-paint-brush-r4585-0-p-792.html

Essentially, a fine brush with really long bristles. There are limited uses, but they're interesting to use. I've tried them for edge highlighting and drawing long, straight lines -- the one thing that's nice is that they hold tons of paint without releasing the paint as a big blob onto the model. OTOH, control with such long bristles is an issue.

If by scroll work, you mean, little symbols like Greek scrollwork or Elvish / Norse runes, I would have suggested something like Flo-Aid or a Slo-Dry (but the liquid, not the gel). I think recently, though, I've become a Lahmian Medium fan. I've started using it for all my writing (I use a 6/0 brush, and usually black paint). Mix it at about 20% and give it a shot. I was pretty surprised at how well it worked.

Ever messed with a rigger, Talys? Now, that is a funky brush - part large round, part fine liner. Not a middleground, though; more like someone smashed two brushes together, with a liner poking out of a stubby round. The fine tip works like a liner would, but the fatter base holds a lot more paint. Favored by watercolor painters that do sailing ships, as it can lay down long, thin, continuous lines for rigging (hence the name).

I thought a rigger was the really long bristled ones?
What Oadie just described is a reservoir brush to me? (extended point to rosemary and co)

http://www.rosemaryandco.com/watercolour-brushes/pure-red-sable/extended-point

http://www.rosemaryandco.com/watercolour-brushes/pure-red-sable/red-sable-rigger


A pinstriping brush is more of a sword liner; (or dagger as rosemary and co seem to call them)
http://www.rosemaryandco.com/watercolour-brushes/pure-kolinsky-sable/pure-kolinsky-dagger


^^ you can indeed get one scaled down to 1/8" in kolinksy sable from rosemary and co, not a cheap brush tho.

 oadie wrote:
Ever messed with a rigger, Talys? Now, that is a funky brush - part large round, part fine liner. Not a middleground, though; more like someone smashed two brushes together, with a liner poking out of a stubby round. The fine tip works like a liner would, but the fatter base holds a lot more paint. Favored by watercolor painters that do sailing ships, as it can lay down long, thin, continuous lines for rigging (hence the name).

Cool! I actually don't have one of those, but I've seen them in art stores before. I've never bought one, because the place I go to only has them with the gigantic long handles. Neat reason for the name, and thanks for pointing it out