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The image shows an example of the effect, so it's pretty self explanatory... I can't see how to do this, unless there's a place you can buy extremely fine-cut stencils?

Much the same issue with things like harlequin patterns, though I know the guides for these the wizards just do the checker pattern by hand... no way I'd be able to do that, which is why I'd prefer to stencil a pattern, but I don't know if this is actually possible without an airbrush to gently spray the paint. I can't really set up an airbrush station in my house at this time I don't think...

Yeah, that's a stencil job, black base, apply stencil, two or three layers of increasingly lighter blue towards middle, remove stencil, gloss coat.

There's nothing that can't be done by hand that can be done by airbrush, it's just it takes an order of magnitiude more time and skill to achieve some things, but I honestly think you'd be disappointed with the results if you tried to stencil this by hand. Stippling would be the technique, but just one slip is all it can take to ruin the effect.

Fallout Hobbies are probably the place to start looking if you want to have a crack though.

 Azreal13 wrote:
Yeah, that's a stencil job, black base, apply stencil, two or three layers of increasingly lighter blue towards middle, remove stencil, gloss coat.

There's nothing that can't be done by hand that can be done by airbrush, it's just it takes an order of magnitiude more time and skill to achieve some things, but I honestly think you'd be disappointed with the results if you tried to stencil this by hand. Stippling would be the technique, but just one slip is all it can take to ruin the effect.

Fallout Hobbies are probably the place to start looking if you want to have a crack though.

Thanks for the suggestion of Fallout Lobbies, but they seem to be USA only so I'll have to find a UK alternative.

I'll have to look up alternatives to airbrushing, or just give up on the idea.

If you do try it by hand I have had some joy with stencils using a piece of sponge and dabbling the paint on.

A piece of blister sponge is perfect if you have it.

They're definitely not USA only, there's even a list of postage rates on their site, but yeah, your flag says US, if you're U.K. then the postage is a little sharp, not their fault as US shipping to U.K. just is expensive, but it's what stopped me ordering in the past, lots of things I'd buy else.

SeanDrake wrote:If you do try it by hand I have had some joy with stencils using a piece of sponge and dabbling the paint on.

A piece of blister sponge is perfect if you have it.

I read this and thought it meant blister as in "blister packs". But no. Ew lol. I have some sponge brushes I was going to use with weathering powders though, I may run some trials on some spare plastic I have.

Azreal13 wrote:They're definitely not USA only, there's even a list of postage rates on their site, but yeah, your flag says US, if you're U.K. then the postage is a little sharp, not their fault as US shipping to U.K. just is expensive, but it's what stopped me ordering in the past, lots of things I'd buy else.

Last week my Dakka flag said I was Russian. I think I've been italian before too. I really need to get around to finding an admin to set it to the right thing.

I have, however, had a bit of an epiphany regarding stencils.... The ones used for false nails, that are also designed for airbrushing. They seem to come in sheets, and are also adhesive... not a lot of ones that are wargaming-appropriate, but a lot of the pattern ones would be good for Eldar at least!

As an alternative. Wet-blend the gradient first, then paint on the lines afterwards.

Either freehand or use masking tape to do each line separately: You would need to be vary careful to line them up straight and space them out correctly and you would have to wait for the paint to dry before doing the next line (so that removing the tape doesn't remove the previous line). But it would be possible and you don't need to find and apply a stencil that will conform to the shape.

I'd also gloss varnish the blended surface before starting the lines so that any slips / mistakes / bleed can be erased easily.

I have, however, had a bit of an epiphany regarding stencils.... The ones used for false nails, that are also designed for airbrushing. They seem to come in sheets, and are also adhesive... not a lot of ones that are wargaming-appropriate, but a lot of the pattern ones would be good for Eldar at least!

I've used decals intended for nails before too, again, tough to find appropriate designs, but the tech is exactly the same!

If I wanted to replicate this effect I would do it like this:
-Paint everything in dark blue
-Add masking tape
-Paint everything bright blue
-Remove masking tape (now you have the checker pattern)
-Glaze with black to create a smooth transition
-Gloss

That is how I did the checkers on my blood bowl team, only I freehanded them instead of using masking tape.

I'm going to second working out the gradient through glazing or wet blending first, then free handing the lines on. You will never be able to paint a perfectly straight line, but if you "sketch" it in slowly and carefully with a few layers of paint you can get really close. Plus, I've never personally had luck with masking things. It always bleeds or pulls up the layers underneath it *somewhere* for me.

Or, you could just buy and airbrush

 Luciferian wrote:
I'm going to second working out the gradient through glazing or wet blending first, then free handing the lines on. You will never be able to paint a perfectly straight line, but if you "sketch" it in slowly and carefully with a few layers of paint you can get really close. Plus, I've never personally had luck with masking things. It always bleeds or pulls up the layers underneath it *somewhere* for me.

Or, you could just buy and airbrush

I'm going to try using a couple of these stencils first, as that at least gives me some fun design options. If I have to freehand lines, it's going to leave me with a very basic paint scheme haha (my freehand is terrible, shaky hands).

The stencils are dirt cheap, so there's no real loss if they don't work.

I'll still have to find a way to freehand icons though unfortunately, unless I use decals. Icons in black will be easy enough because I can use a fineliner pen, but icons in white will be problematic. Another problem for another day though!

 Dr H wrote:
As an alternative. Wet-blend the gradient first, then paint on the lines afterwards.

Definitely. The problem with hairy brushing over a stencil is the paint will tend to get stuck in the corners between the model surface and the tape line, so trying to blend is going to be really tricky with the stencil in place.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

 Dr H wrote:
As an alternative. Wet-blend the gradient first, then paint on the lines afterwards.

Definitely. The problem with hairy brushing over a stencil is the paint will tend to get stuck in the corners between the model surface and the tape line, so trying to blend is going to be really tricky with the stencil in place.

Yeh, the downside of stencils is that I don't think a gradient will be possible... I'd probably have to try and use a wash to blend the edges into the background a little.

You could try painting it the dark blue, put the stencil on, do the light blue over a stencil (I'd use a rattle can if you can find the right colour, hairy brushing over stencils is just a pain in the arse through and through), remove the stencil and then use the same dark blue as a glaze and to blend the light blue out towards the edges of the panel then finally a black glaze to blend right in to the edge.

My guess that'd probably be the quickest way to still have the blends and also the stencil pattern without an airbrush (though it'll still be massively faster with one!).

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
You could try painting it the dark blue, put the stencil on, do the light blue over a stencil (I'd use a rattle can if you can find the right colour, hairy brushing over stencils is just a pain in the arse through and through), remove the stencil and then use the same dark blue as a glaze and to blend the light blue out towards the edges of the panel then finally a black glaze to blend right in to the edge.

My guess that'd probably be the quickest way to still have the blends and also the stencil pattern without an airbrush (though it'll still be massively faster with one!).

Airbrush is an expense, and i'd have to set up in a windy damp garage to use it, during a cold winter with no heating. It's really not an option, unfortunately.

Edit: And I doubt I'd use a hair brush for it, I'd use a sponge brush, should give a much easier even coverage with gentle dabs and less likely to buckle the stencil.

My first thought of that is of when I used to make my own fishing lures. Theres masks/stencils for creating scales patterns on lures. Really easy to use.

http://www.lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Foam-and-Popper-MaterialsLPO/Copic-Pattern-Coloring-Stencils.html

Id go, spray prime black.

stretch a air brush stencil over it

Spray white.

remove stencil

glaze transparent blue and black till you get the desired effect.

spray varnish gloss.