Landegaard wrote:Where do you guys buy your :
- paints (I heard about Vallejo, are they that good ? Do they mix well with the
GW range ? Are there other brands that do it better ?)
Yes, Vallejo are good. Actually, pretty much
all of the hobby ranges are good - Reaper MSP, P3,
AP, etc. Some ranges have unique colors, some ranges have working properties that lend themselves to certain styles of painting more than others... it's largely a matter of personal preference and there's no need to stick to one brand. All water-based (some are thinned with alcohol) acrylics play well together, so feel free to mix and match.
- brushes and cleaning materials (is it worth it to pay for a really expensive brush if you're not that cautious ? Which brands offer a good compromise ?)
No, it's not worth forking out for Series 7s if you won't take care of them (at least, not in
my opinion). There
are, however, brushes that offer a good balance of cost and quality. Rosemary & Co. are my brand of choice - much better quality than any comparably priced brushes. Not quite to S7/8404 standards, but you can get three of them shipped over from England for the price of one W&N on sent domestically. As for cleaning, I use Master's brush soap, which you can find at most art and/or craft stores. I got mine at Michaels and would do so again, if the thing ever actually ran out (it lasts
ages)!
- glue (can you really use any glue from the supermarkets or are they going to ruin the miniatures ? I'd want something that allows me to change the arms without needing to break everything for example)
There are some differences in viscosity, cure time, etc. but essentially superglue is superglue (
CA, or cyanoacrylate). I have other types, now, but the majority of my assembled models are from my early hobby days, where I could only get little $0.99 Krazy Glue tubes from bodegas. It wasn't as nice to use as my current medium-cure gel, but it worked just fine. As long as you aren't trying to use goopy UHU or PVA to hold models together, you'll probably be fine.
- terrains (What is the secret to make it look so cool and not like a DIY done by a child ? Do I really have to use the expensive paints I use for the models for the entire table ?)
No secret, really - just a few major 'dos and don'ts.' Take your time and check your builds. If a corner is supposed to be square, make it square. If a wall is to be straight, cut it perfectly straight. Fill gaps that aren't supposed to be there. If it's a looser construction or a natural form, you want to
avoid too much regularity. Found objects are great for building terrain, but don't rely on everyday objects too heavily. If you don't put in the work to mask their original form, they're instantly recognizable. Some people mock the idea of suspending disbelief in wargaming, but that's
exactly why they think that cookie tin bunker looks like crap, even if they don't know it. Also, details are your friend. Even just adding a few strips of card to add a bit of relief to an otherwise flat wall can really enhance the look of a piece. Again, though, keep it neat and regular if it should be. You don't need to lay things out in
CAD and have them precision laser-cut, but many builds that seem childish simply come from a lack of care and patience. The list could go on and on.
As for paint, don't waste expensive (at least, comparatively) model paints covering a table. I wouldn't even use craft paint for that, as house paint (latex/emulsion) is thicker and often cheaper (by volume, at least), making it ideal for the task. I do smaller terrain elements and basing with a mix of craft paints, soft body artist's paints, and model paints. It's really a matter, for me, of using the cheapest tool that will actually do the job well. If I need good, thin coverage of a common, heavily pigmented color (blacks, browns, etc.), a little Golden brand liquid acrylic goes a pretty long way. Craft paints are fine for drybrushing rubble, but their metallics are generally crap, so I break out something a bit more specialized for those parts - Aztek or VMA acrylics, which have fine and dense metal flakes. There's a tool for every job, paints included. Advice is great, but you'll have to try some things out, yourself, to see what you like best.
