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Finally cracked Contrast Painting

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This topic contains 11 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by  torros 5 years, 4 months ago.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
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  • #1411122

    blinky465
    17027xp
    Cult of Games Member

    There have been *loads* of reviews and videos about Contrast Paint and how it’s rubbish and not much more than a “thick ink” and how, if you paint it over regular black primer with a zenithal highlight, and apply it like a base coat paint, it looks like a watery-base coat. Many of these reviews seem to miss the whole point of Contrast – which is to whack it on like a total noob.

    I like Contrast. It makes painting fun again.

    And I think I’ve finally cracked how to use it *properly*. Undercoating/priming aside (seriously, GW brought out specialist primers to work with these paints for a reason, using your regular airbrush/zenith system or Halfords matt grey just isn’t going to work the same!) there’s also a technique to painting using Contrast Paints.

    I got some amazing results this morning, and all in about an hour. Here’s how….

    Step one – knock over your Contrast Paint

    20190623_172847

    Get plenty of kitchen roll and mop it up. There’s too much paint here to do anything with. Finish with some acetone to get rid of any staining that might seep into the wood veneer finish on your table. There will now only be a small amount of paint left in the pot. This is good.

    Step two – knock it over again

    20190703_085147

    Just the right amount of paint should be dispensed onto your worktop.

    Now, hurry and before it dries and starts going thick and gloopy, whack it onto as many miniatures, as quickly as you can. You need to be quick, but there’s still time for you to be careful around the edges or where any existing colour might already be painted onto the model. Clear up any remaining paint off the table.

    20190703_092556

    Using this technique I managed to get about ten genestealers painted in less than an hour. This is far more than I would ever have tried at any one time, and I reckon that I can even afford to do a little blacklining around the claws, tidy up (paint fresh primer along the lengths of them) and bosh on some Skeleton Hoarde contrast to get all ten pretty close to tabletop ready in another hour or so.

    The finish on the purple and blue paint is really nice – far better than when I was taking my time and applying Contrast carefully and judiciously, and being careful not to “waste” any paint.

    Yes, at £4 a pot, Contrast paint isn’t cheap. But, then again, it’s only about the same price as a fancy coffee with syrup or something. And you get to appreciate the end result for much, much longer. So I’m throwing the stuff around. I’d happily pay more than £4 for a couple of hours “hobby-time” or at a games cafe, playing a board game for less time than it took me to paint these guys up.

     

    After all, paint isn’t a collector’s item – it’s not made to sit on a shelf.

    As far as I can see, the only “wasted” paint, is paint that’s left in the pot!

     

    #1411123

    warzan
    Keymaster
    30960xp

    I agree with this. Contrast is like dip and dip was called dip for a reason! lol

    #1411125

    sundancer
    42884xp
    Cult of Games Member

    I don’t drink fancy syrup tainted coffees. That’s all that needs to be said. Great writing!

    But less knocking over would be good 😉

    #1411127

    Anonymous
    0xp

    I’m going to pop my contrast cherry later today.  Hopefully I can get a good effect with it and it becomes another tool in my box.  I don’t think I am being controversial by saying if it wasn’t released by GW, some of the reviews would perhaps not be as negative.

    #1411139

    omega1976
    2169xp
    Cult of Games Member

    I agree with the OP it has made painting fun again, I went all in on Fallout and have been sitting at a very large pile of unpainted miniatures with a bit of dread trying to figure out were to start.

    Picked up some contrast paints after seeing some good looking Super Mutants on Facebook and have started making a nice dent in my backlog now, and it is really fun!

    #1411156

    phaidknott
    7023xp
    Cult of Games Member

    BEST PAINTING GUIDE EVAH!!!!!!!

    Aman after my own heart (the other morning I poured boiling water into a full jar of instant coffee instead of the mug), I’ll probably end up having to use the same method myself at some point 😀

    #1411176

    torros
    23808xp
    Cult of Games Member

    I don’t understand why you didn’t take the paper towel and ring it out over the top of the models. I think it would have given a nice zenith effect

    #1411178

    blinky465
    17027xp
    Cult of Games Member

    @torros – I *knew* you pro painter types had secret techniques you didn’t share with the rest of us muggles.

    #1411179

    144artist
    25544xp
    Cult of Games Member

    Apparently repeating the, “Spill Your Medium” step is what I have been missing so have made a note.  I have decided I like Contrast paints for base coating and glazes.  The Iyanden Yellow is amazing and would be my choice if I could only own one (don’t tell Snakebite Leather).  I am quite happy with how these paints bring out textures and wet blend. They are especially sensitive to mold release though so Bones plastic needs to be scrubbed rather well first.

    #1411192

    torros
    23808xp
    Cult of Games Member

    Maybe I should do a project

    #1411221

    limburger
    21655xp
    Cult of Games Member

    ROFL …

    See … that’s why contrast paint never works for people who keep their workplace clean 😀

    So if you’re the type who paints himself and only one tiny bit of the figure he’s painting

    then this is the paint for you.

    #1411222

    torros
    23808xp
    Cult of Games Member

    Might be an idea to buy your contrast paints now before the general  GW price rise next week

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