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I'm struggling to understand what I'm doing wrong. I tried to paint a Space Marine with a base-layer of Sun Yellow (AV), however on first application the paint was what I would describe as "runny" - it wasn't sticking to the model and the pigment seemed to move every time I'd go over it with my brush. This would make me want to go over it again so as to fill the areas that didn't have pigment with pigment, but inevitably the new paint would move with the bristles away from areas that needed paint. It was a pretty frustrating loop.

At first I thought this was because I had thinned my paints too much, so I let the initial layer dry and then applied a second Sun Yellow layer again, but this time without thinning the paint. The problem continued, made worse (I assume) because the layer below was already blotchy or streaky.

Now I'm a novice painter so it's obviously my fault, however I'm having a hard time understanding what the issue is. My best guesses are as follows:

1: I suck at thinning paints. A counter-point to this is that the same technique I'm using seems to work with colors other than Sun Yellow (AV) - primarily the Leather Brown (AV) I used for the Bolter grip and the Bloody Red (AV) I used on the Bolter cover. I also base-layered the Bolter itself with Gunmental (AV) and it applied very easily. To thin my paints, I'm dipping my brush in clean water, wiping some of it back in the jar, and then mixing in color.

2: My primer is too dark for the yellow I chose as a base-layer. I used Mechanicus Standard Grey to prime my models, and I'm wondering if this was a poor choice. Now that doesn't change the fact that my paint looks very streaky, but it would show through in areas with less pigment than a standard white primer might.

3: I didn't apply enough primer? I tried to use primer sparingly roughly 6-12 inches from the model, and I'm wondering if I didn't apply enough to help the paint stick to the model. That might explain my issue?

4: My brushes are synthetic. I'm using some basic Model Painter brushes that aren't the best...however I know this is a fools hope. I've seen amazing paint-jobs with worse brushes from better artists, so blaming the tools seems like a cop-out.

Pictures below, could anyone help a novice out?

Welcome to Dakka

From your pictures, my guess is a combination of not enough primer for the paint to adhere to, and an ill-suited primer choice. By ill-suited, I mean that yellow is notoriously difficult to paint smoothly, and is best done over white primer. The streaky application is probably a combination of the paint not adhering well to the primer, and yellow being a low pigment paint that permits the grey primer to be visible.

My suggestion would be to swap to a white primer, make sure your primer is covering well (helped by the contrast between white primer and grey plastic) basecoat in Averland Sunset first (I've always had success with using AS as an undercoat before the more vibrant yellows) and perhaps invest in some flow improver (Liquitex or Winsor & Newton are good). The flow improver will lower the surface tension of your paint and stop it from shrinking in on itself - so you get a smoother coat. Mix it 20% with 80% water in an empty Vallejo dropper for ease.

I hope this helps, and feel free to ask for any other advice

Going to hazard a guess at you're paint is too thin and as Warpig said you're using the wrong colour under it, it looks like you're putting yellow over black which is always a tough road to go down if you want a smooth solid yellow. Plus if you're using Vallejo paints make sure you give them a very very good shake.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Welcome to Dakka

From your pictures, my guess is a combination of not enough primer for the paint to adhere to, and an ill-suited primer choice. By ill-suited, I mean that yellow is notoriously difficult to paint smoothly, and is best done over white primer. The streaky application is probably a combination of the paint not adhering well to the primer, and yellow being a low pigment paint that permits the grey primer to be visible.

Actually pink is regarded as the best colour to go under yellow. Don't ask me why. An example below -





This may also be of use to the OP -

Citadel yellows other than Averland sunset have so poor consistency and coverage that the end result wouldn't be much different over white undercoat either. They do work as layers on top of Averland sunset because the colour that is seen through them is yellow. It is possible that you may not have enough undercoat but even if you did that wouldn't solve the main issue that is poor quality paint.

Painting yellow is generally seen as difficult but it doesn't have to be so. The yellow on space marine posted below involves two steps and took about 5 minutes in total. It's Contrast Iyanden yellow over Wraithbone followed by light drybrush of Phalanx yellow. I you don't fancy the look that contrast paints give, it's still the fastest method to paint yellow basecoat with a brush if you want to paint over it.

He's a novice painter (says so in his OP). Using Contrast on a Marine like in your example is not a novice technique.

Seen so many youtubers claim it's easy, what they fail to mention is how long they've been painting at a rather high standard for, and how much they thin the contrast paint and what else they do off camera that they fail to mention.

There seems to be a lot of technique in how you apply the contrast paint to get that smooth look.

I've tried it, although with Skeleton Horde, on a Deathwing Terminator, and it left a very blotchy result on the large smooth areas of the armour.

As a fellow novice in technique (despite 25+ years of painting models) it's not something I'd recommend to the OP if he's struggling with basic yellow and the more usual way of painting.

You have a fair point. That is why I suggested the alternative and treating Contrast as a basecoat and painting on top of that normally. The main issue in the original post is that the yellow didn't cover well enough and yellow basecoat helps with that. Averland sunset basecoat is more beginner friendly though.

Yes I can see how using Contrast as undercoat and layering over it can work.

Problem:
1. you're painting yellow over black primer.
2. yellow paints generally has lower coverage.

Solutions:
1. Brown/grey basecoat, then gradually work up the yellow
2. contrast paints
3. go for pastel-y yellow, or mix yellow with chalky paints like white. then work up to yellow of your choice.

That looks like what happened with my very first paint job attempt, which was a Vallejo yellow over white primer. One thing I learned is to shake the hell out of the paint to make sure it mixes properly, as some paints and paint brands will come out not mixed enough otherwise.

Also with yellow, its good to work up to it instead of plastering it on, at least over a dark primer. Doing a coat or two of something else to lighten up the model a bit so that the yellow shows through. I'm not fully sure on a marine surface primed black, as the yellow marines I have were primed white, but for some areas on models that I primed black and then through a spray of leadbelcher (a metallic), I through three coats of screaming skull and then two coats of yellow and it worked. Mind you this was on the interior of a cloak that wasn't completely visible in all angles so didn't need to be perfect, and was part of a project to lighten it up to through on an extremely bright green.

Also for simplicity's sake if yellow is your primary color, I know GW at least, and probably several other companies as well, have a yellow spray can. I forget if it is a primer or just a quick after primer base coat, but it is an option to get the primary color onto the model fast.

Others have covered your issue. Yellow. If you want to paint nice yellow you need to build up from base layers. I generally use a tan brown and gradually mix the yellow in.

Nice Yellow takes effort, there's no getting around that I'm afraid.

Contrast yellow is a miracle as far as painting yellow, which most painters avoid like the plague.

Over a bone primer it's infinitely easier than building up highlights.

 Rob Lee wrote:
Actually pink is regarded as the best colour to go under yellow. Don't ask me why.

It's because they're contrast colors sitting on the opposite sides of the color wheel. It results in deeper, warm yellow. (orangey-yellow)

Purple also works well under yellow, but it depends how prominent the blue portion of the purple is. Sometimes when the blue is too intense, the yellow has hard time blocking out the blues (ends up more greenish). Alternatively, you can deepen the crevices with purple rather than building up from purple to yield similar results. This yields 'colder' yellow. (neon yellow ish)

Sonia hello a good undercoat for pink and purple?

After reading some advice, I re-primed another marine with a second coat of Mechanicus Standard Grey. I also thinned my paints more thoroughly this time around and made sure my brush had a lot less paint on the bristles to help with control. The result is attached.

Much better in my opinion! Still not great since there's still some blotches on the shoulder-pad and inconsistency in pigment, but I think this is just me working out the kinks (being a novice) as well as it not being applied to a white primer as a few of you have suggested. I think I'm going to pick myself up some white primer, and in the future I want to try the base-coating pink as well.

It looks good, use more thin layers to build up until you have a consistent colour all over.

Yellow is hard to paint with. Personally I wouldn’t use grey as a primer colour for yellow. I would use white or buy a yellow spray can (I think GW do one) as your whole model is yellow. Why go through the pain of painting a solid base layer I. One of the hardest colours when you can spray a nice smooth layer on in no time at all.




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mrFickle wrote:
Sonia hello a good undercoat for pink and purple?

This should say does pink make a good base for yellow

Looks better. The one on the left looks the best, but probably because it's darker.

The video below might be helpful to you in this case, it's about Contrast Paint but Duncan Rhodes shows how to use glazes to smooth them out, which could apply to your yellow examples also.

I find that dabbing the brush on a paper towel to remove excess water can help with that issue for me most of the time. Your second attempt looks very nice.

 Rob Lee wrote:
Going to hazard a guess at you're paint is too thin and as Warpig said you're using the wrong colour under it, it looks like you're putting yellow over black which is always a tough road to go down if you want a smooth solid yellow. Plus if you're using Vallejo paints make sure you give them a very very good shake.

 Warpig1815 wrote:
Welcome to Dakka

From your pictures, my guess is a combination of not enough primer for the paint to adhere to, and an ill-suited primer choice. By ill-suited, I mean that yellow is notoriously difficult to paint smoothly, and is best done over white primer. The streaky application is probably a combination of the paint not adhering well to the primer, and yellow being a low pigment paint that permits the grey primer to be visible.

Actually pink is regarded as the best colour to go under yellow. Don't ask me why. An example below -





This may also be of use to the OP -

The reason pink is great as an undercoat for yellow is because the first few layers of yellow are going to tint the pink an orange color, which is what hue a yellow shadow is. Black/brown are horrible shade colors for yellow and yet I've seen quite a few IF players using black wash on their yellow to shade. Orange is the natural shade to yellow, white is the highlight.


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For those wanting to paint yellow also check out Stynylrez Pale Mustard primer.

What I like about the Stynylrez primers is their great coverage with AB and they can be applied with the old fashioned brush as well.

Stynylrez also make a Dull Pink primer. They actually make multiple colors of primers so check them out.

I have the Matte Black, Gloss Black, Mustard and Pink. They lay so nicely and are durable as hell.