![]() This was done through “dips” in all sorts of darkened pigment chemical solutions. This required another step to add contrast through shading (or adding shadow to recesses). The need for hobby efficiency bred the miniature dip method.Īfter a base coat of color, a miniature’s details still required more definition. To get armies painted, techniques were developed to speed up the process. Historical military war gamers and scale miniature battle reenactments required huge numbers of models. The “dipping miniature” technique is a classic. One of the easiest methods for enhancing contrast in your miniature paint jobs is using the shade dipping method. The good news is that once you understand how contrast works as a principle for miniature painting, then you have a host of techniques you can explore. In short, contrast is what gives your model life on the tabletop or wherever you display your miniatures. Miniature dipping techniques help you quickly shade recesses, define texture, and makes highlights show up better. This photo example shows the appearance of high or low contrast. As others have said, “contrast does all the work–but, color takes all the credit.” Contrast is what makes a painted model “pop”. When you paint miniatures, your challenge will always be to maintain contrast while adding color. In photography terms, contrast helps you to distinguish objects from each other through the appearance of shadows and light. It is also known as the “dynamic range” of a paint job. Contrast is defined as the difference in brightness value between the darkest dark, and the brightest bright on a miniature. ![]() When someone talks about the 3D pop of a miniature paint job, they are referring to contrast. Why “Contrast” is Really Important for Painting MiniaturesĬontrast is what makes a painted miniatures standout from the tabletop. There are several great ways to use Quickshade. Protecting models for gameplay and handling (Quickshade acts as a varnish)Īrmy Painter Quickshade is great for enhancing contrast and adding definition to a lot of miniatures, quickly.Dipping miniatures (small/medium sized).Board game and tabletop RPG miniature painting.Speed painting a large number of miniatures.I was immediately impressed with the results I achieved with these – especially the Strong Tone, which gives a dark brown colour (much in the same way as Agrax Earthshade does) but seems to give a warmer tone, and have used it several times since to generally good effect, especially on my latest batches of models for Rangers of Shadow Deep.Summary: Best Uses for Army Painter Quickshade However, my visit to Glenbrook Games in December, which started this new spree of painting, also gave me the opportunity to try out some new paints and washes, one of which was the Army Painter washes. You have a tendency to stick to what you know, so I would have probably carried on using Agrax perfectly happily. This wash has tended to give me the sort of result I am pretty pleased with. Up until recently, my dark wash of choice was Games Workshop Declan Mud, and its successor Agrax Earthshade. It is a technique that usually works well, and I have had some decent results using it. One of my favourite ways of painting is to use a dark wash over a figure to provide contrasting shades and highlights. This is typically 3′ – 4′, so if a model I have painted looks good at arm’s length, I am usually pretty happy. My goal isn’t to paint models that will win awards, but rather to get models onto the tablet that look decent from “wargames range” – the range you see figures when actually playing with them. ![]() However, since I also think that I should paint the models I have bought to put on the tabletop, I find myself looking to use what techniques and skills that I can find to make painting as quick and painless as possible. Painting isn’t part of the hobby I would necessarily choose to do – I would much prefer to be playing games. I have probably mentioned several times in the last that I am something of an enforced painted – I paint because I really don’t like the look of bare plastic and metal on the tabletop.
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