Better Uses for Games Workshop's Contrast Paints?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Do Games Workshop's Contrast paints work well for you? Some people dislike them, but I find myself using them in nearly every tabletop wargaming project I work on, and I'll tell you why and how.
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Thanks for that - For handing out new ideas and inspiration. As always.
I know Im asking randomly but does anybody know a tool to log back into an instagram account..?
I was dumb lost my account password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me.
@Eli Sage Instablaster =)
I really love how you showed examples of what you were talking about. I found it to be something that felt missing in some other videos. Great video!
I use contrast mainly for energy weapons, tallasar blue over grey knights steel for power swords, aethermatic blue over white for plasma weapons, and tesseract green over leadbelcher gives an awesome effect!
I have been doing this and it makes a huge difference... I am just a hobby painter and this technique really helps up my game to produce decent mini's that I can be proud of.
My tips for use of Contrast Paints is:
Leather Brown (army painter) + Gore-Grunta fur = Easy leather bags and belts
Silver Base spray
+ Nazdreg Yellow = Gold
+ Gulliman Flesh = Bronze
+ Warp lightning = Dark Angel Green
+ thin coat of 50/50 warp lightning/contrast medium = Salamander Green
Hail yourself buddy, hell yeah.
Also, contrast really saved me when it was time to paint the Iyanden Kill Team. Yellow is so much easier with contrast.
Perfect timing for the video. I just finished one and I still have painting to do
I've seen people use them to make an enamelled look. Flesh Tearers Red over Stormhost Silver looks a bit like the effect on the Thousand Sons armour on the Forge World website. I'm still experimenting with Contrast paints, but I've found it gets blobby when you go back over areas you've already painted when the paint is still wet.
Yeah once it starts to dry a bit you get really bad tearing problems if you don't let it finish drying
I like your tip on priming in black and then zenithal prime, then using translucent paint as well as contrast paint (thinned) is a great way to speed paint and army. Get decent results.
I like the last podcast on the left shirt.
Yep. I do this and then wash with Army Painter shades. Then highlight with a little drybrush and highlight. Fast and looks great on the table. You nailed it.
I used contrast paints for my Mantic Armada ships (Basileans and Orcs) over a zenithal highlight with some metallics for the smaller details and metallic parts. I didn't use a thick coat either, just painted them on as you would a normal paint. I'm really happy with the results and it didn't take too long either.
Yea, when I got back to painting minis I saw your previous video on contrast paint and it really helped me out getting to a decent level quickly.
I think it's a great way do glazing and shading overall as you can use it to sort of bind the various colours and can do a terrific job in making edgehighlighting easier since you can work toward the edge, instead of having to add it at the end
I use them for airbrushing. They give a really nice coat especially with a zenith highlight.
same here, I find they work well as a glaze if fired from the airbursh.
Necrodead well I basecoat with them, but if I am glazing with them I usually thin it down a little more. Like a 3-4:1 ratio of thinner to paint.
I have yet to buy an airbrush so I mainly use them for wet blending. They’re pretty awesome for that. :)
I love the creativity you're showing with contrast paints. Thanks! I have been using contrast paints over metallics for a while and it works amazing. Even a power weapon is easily done with some Aethermatic Blue over leadbelcher.
I’ve used your tips since I started painting again and it really helps me make things look above my skills.
If you want your Marines to look good with contrast, paint it over silver, and not super light primers. Gives it that metal armour look, instead of being all splotchy. Kitbashed an SoB Inquisitor from some leftover Stormcast, went with the classic red/white cloth and black armour, came out great.
I've probably commented it on one of your other videos about contrast paints before, but contrast through an airbrush over metallics works great for coloured metals. I used it for my kharadron overlords on the airships, and I'd say it also does a good job at still giving a natural highlight, so I didn't need to pick out a million rivets. Also when used in the traditional way I think black templar is the undisputed champion, it covers in a single coat over almost any colour, it's saved me so much time doing large areas of black on large areas of minis that I've basecoated a different colour. I really don't see myself going back to using regular black paints on anything larger than small detail any time soon. Also a lot of the time the splotchy effect comes in because people treat it too much like a regular paint, the key to painting on a smooth finish with contrast is not to agitate it once you've put it down. Whilst it's not the best, you can get a smooth finish with contrast over smooth areas, the warhammer community painting team prove as much in their guide to painting different marine chapters.
Contrast paints revolutionized my painting world in 2020. Thanks for giving me more ideas of how to make use of them!
Okay, I'm new to the hobby here and started watching a lot of videos on painting miniatures.. but I came from a light background of classical painting and model painting. I find it a little curious that so many of the normal painting techniques, that are core to those arts, seem to be new and amazing for miniature painters. Things like wet blending or non-metalic-metal are just 'how you paint' and 'how you paint metal' in the classical world. Or transparent paints.. we do that all the time for models. You take a clear varnish paint (sold in the same bottle as all the others), and add a little dye or the paint you like. Some even add raw pigments. Add flow improvers to let it rest in the valleys and pull away from the high points, add medium to make it smoother and not clump or look patchy when you do light coats. Probably a bit of both to make Contrast Medium. You can even get acrylic medium in about 6 different viscosities. Some with metallic powders already, some with special features like crackle or grit. And trust me, those are WAY cheaper than GW. By an order of magnitude. Sure, it'll takes some experimenting and practice to get all those blends just right, and repeatability can be a challenge, but that's part of the fun (for some people). If not, well, Citadel as you covered.
I really commend Games Workshop for trying to find the right balance to make it a bit simpler and easier for everyone, because after-all, it's all about how you get the end result you're after the fastest, cheapest, and/or with the least amount of stress, pain, or suffering. But all of these techniques are nothing new to the paint world. Might do everyone well to pick up their brush and learn a few of the tricks of classical painting and model painting too. Who knows what other new tools you'll learn that no one's talking about for miniatures. I'm very new, so I have no idea what I don't know, but I'm sure those with more experience than me might find some great gems out there in the other painting arts.
I really like the Skeleton Horde contrast. Works great on...well, bones. Skulls, skeletons, any of it, works like a charm. I've also had a lot of success with Blood Angels Red on Bloodletters and other Khorne daemons; like you mention, those sculpts tend to have a lot of bumpy, scaly skin and it makes base coating 50 of the little buggers a whole heck of a lot faster!
Like you talk about, I also really like to use them on top of a coat of Leadbelcher. Something about the consistency of the contrasts just works really well on top of the metallics, giving the color a nice metallic sheen while still being very strongly blue/green/red/whatever.
I use Contrast since their release and they are my new base clours for blocking. I use metals, highlights and drybrush in addition. I agree that they better work on organic surfaces but my Ultramarine Kill Team (Talassar Blue on Wraithbone) looks pretty good. Though it's true, you have to dose Contrast carefully and fininsh an "area" without hesitation or pauses to avoid sploshed. Then it saves time and gives an awesome base. Anything bigger looks sploshy... tried a Tarantula and it's only ok!
Awesome tip. Never knew the true difference between shade and contrast paint from a technical POV. Can't wait to try it out on mine.
I think the key thing I have loved from the start is that they are another useful tool in our arsenal. They are great for whatever you need them for, and if they allow you to do a thing then that is a win!
I have found this to be the best use of contrast paints. Apart from a few bits and bobbles here and there, it's the only way I use them. When you spoke of space marines, I use Black Templar to fill in the joints of the suits. With zenithal highlight and a thinner coat, turns out great.
I use Contras paints a lot, and more or less like you explain here. I also use it for wetblending, they work really good for that, both with another contrast paint or by adding a normal layer paint.
And to add, the priming highlight can be done easy with dry brush white/grey instead of silver, as you say in the vid.
I have a few, but I mainly use Guiliman Flesh for making Rakarth Flesh colored chaos loin cloths dirt and sweat stained after two layers of Agrax. Looks cool.
This is crazy that you posted this because I just did 60 orks this weekend this way. I took it one step farther with black base, zenithal grey, and dry brush white. After that just contrast paint everything.
Since experimenting with the various uses of contrast paints, they've become one of my favorite tools.
Black Templar is really good. It’s slightly blue, like a Payne’s grey. It’s great for small details like boots, pouches, straps etc. One coat and done.
In my experience, Contrast Paints make painting metallics much easier. Whenever I have a big block of metal, like an ork engine, or a track, or a big gun, I prime it entirely in silver and then Contrast over it.
Need darker metal? Black Templar or Basilicanum Grey; Copper? Gryph Hound Orange; Gold? Nazdreg Yellow, etc. It works surprisingly well, and with other more vivid Contrast Paints like Blood Angels Red or Talassar Blue you get a very nice chromed paint effect.
Excellent video as always, especially the tips on airbrushing. I've had some great results using it on vehicles to do 'preshading' which is the 'zenithal highlight' cheat mode for tanks and aircraft. Snakebite Leather panel lines on a big yellow Bad Moons Stompa 👌
I actually am currently painting Marines with Contrast! However, I give them a black undercoat and a Grey Seer zenithal and the Contrast I'm using is Space Wolves Grey. It tones down the blueishness and that baby-blue element considerably. Now they look more like that dark greyblue that you see on those "Hounds of Morkai" box from a while ago.
I also don't paint the flat pauldrons with it, because that just looks splotchy. But the bodies and backpacks and nubbly arms? Looks pretty damn good!
I've just finished my Bjorn the Fel-handed and used contrast over metallics for the filigree on the front panels and it looks great. I also used contrast to great effect on his pelts, especially the one where I thinned out with contrast medium.
I find them useful painting sculpted fire/magic/spell effects and that white one is a godsend for Stormtroopers.
Great video! I am finding that I use contrast paints a lot now. They have so many good applications. Airbrush, brushed over zenithal, or even improved shades if I thin them a bit with contrast medium. They are perfect for a quick, very good, result on many many parts of models.
I do similar thing to zenithal priming but using brush on primers. I first prime a model entirely in black and then heavy drybrush either very light grey primer or even just light grey lith ulthuan grey. Works wonders with contrast.
I also use contrast paints for recess shading/panel lining. The viscosity gives better control and flow than a wash. More precise and less time.
So ideally to make the most of Contrast Paints I need:
• The Contrast Paints
• Light and Dark Spray primers
What else do I need to complete the metallic additions and other effects discussed here?
I have been using Flesh Tearers contrast paint through my airbrush on black primed World Eaters and Khorne Chaos Knights. It goes on so smooth and looks great, though a little dark. I then lighten them up with a heavy dry brush of Mephiston Red and then a light dry brush or edge highlight of Evil Sunz Scarlet - perfect ...... ish :)
Yes, I thought the same thing when I used a contrast paint on the power armour on one of my Space Marines Heroes nearly a couple of years ago after there released. I find they are good to use when I mixed them with the contrast medium and applied them on the robes, skins, plasma coils, hair and fur. They do have some benefits.
I love adding visual texture to my minis using contrast. Makes a huge difference
Another thing I have seen is changing the way you zenithal to help the contrast work. Instead of black use grey seer, then instead of white use wraithbone for the top down. Then drybrush with actual white. By "setting up" the zenithal for the contrast you will get much better results.
I’m just here for the Fez!!!
I have a similar use for nazdreg yellow contrast that makes up my recipe for gold, but I haven't tried with a zenithal prime yet. I'll have to do that on my next model. Thanks!
Love the filter idea for metallics. Used it just now on my Ferratronic something er other...
You can get some really amazing colours and blends if you apply contrast paints on top of a wash of the opposite colour wheel colour. Like red contrast on top of green shade.
So I have Scale75’s answer to contrast paints, Instant Colors. And the first thing you say about zenithal I actually been doing that with a twist. Do the zenithal undercoat. Then take a darker color I want to tint the shadows and airbrush below. Then a lighter color I want to be the night light and airbrush from above.
some great ideas there, i wlll be trying these out.
I'm not a fast painter, but I really enjoy using contrast paints as a deep recess shade - it's a lot less punishing than an opaque color and less finicky than messing around with mediums
Excellent points. I agree with this 100 percent.
I used contrast paints to get a sort of camo pattern on my cadians.
You can use contrast for sure on space marines. However contrast medium needs to used
I do this a lot with (real) inks. It produces a very similar effect, and inks are WAY cheaper than contrast paints.
A lot of great info, thanks Adam!
I just use them like diferent shades. Or just like second layer for paints.
When i paint my KO i just cober all Runelords Brass with Gulimans Flesh. Sometimes even a few times so i have this nice, messy brass. And all Mephiston Red cloats with Blod Angels Red. It just mixes things up, makes the texture not the same everywhere.
So basically like shades but diferent haha. And i am net to the honny so maby I do sth wrong.
Anyway love the vid. It is really helpfull for someone new to hobby like me
I found contrast great for painting bloodletters
Thanks Uncle Atom!!
Hey Uncle Atom, nice shirt! There's bones in the chocolate!
Ha! I hadn't even noticed!
I find 2 coats of Basilicanum Grey contrast gives a nice looking black gun too, moreso than Black Templar
I love Contrast paints,without them and Vallejo washes,painting around 250 minis for War of The Ring would have taken me way longer than the 3 months it did take!
Maybe I’m being an idiot, which is a strong possibility, but it sounds like you’re using them just like an ink because they are so thin. I thought the whole point of contrast paints was it includes the base and ink coats together. Do they not do that? I will be honest I haven’t tried them and still use the old layering system.
Atom - at 9:48 you show a Necron model that looks awesome. Is there a video where you walk through your process to get this look? I’m new to airbrushing and contrast paints, and what you show is very much what I’d like to do for mine. Do you demo the technique in another episode? Thank you.
Do a search for ‘Kwik & E-Z Necrons’ on TH-cam. Thanks for watching!
People dismiss it as a cheat for people who won't/can't paint. But it's just an extra tool in the toolbox. It creates effects that might require far more complex methods to achieve a similar effect. Give them to a pro painter and they will do some amazing stuff and yes, they are useful if you really need to a bunch of figures quickly to a good enough gaming standard.
I use my contrast black as a undercoat for speeding up standard troop models
Thanks Uncle Atom!
Totally agree on using them over zenithal, works very well
I've noticed on the Warhammer TV channel, the painting guides rarely use Contrast in the intended way unless they're making Contrast Method videos. More often, they'll thin it down with a LOT of contrast medium and use them as glazes. That seems to work really well though. For me personally, the price tag is still a bit too steep, especially since I already have a lot of paint.
True! Just the other day I was looking up how they paint Space Wolf markings and they actually use Black Templar Contrast as almost a way to paint in the initial lines which you'll colour-in with a base paint later anyways. So in that instance it's almost used like an ink to draw a pattern.
This is how many digital artist work. Greyscale paint the value then mask the areas and then adjust the masks to overlay a semi translucent hue of color and the greyscale helps with the value and saturation of the color.
Love using contrast on my necrons. I prime leadbelcher and then get metallic colors that i dont have access to...
I really like to use skeleton horde over a bone colored paint. Puts lots of detail on the bone without additional brush strokes
Some great ideas and tips there, thanks mate.
Might look at GW Contrast paints is I ever get back into fielding a large army.
I love contrast paints, they can work well too also with space marines but you need at least two coat of contrast to get a good cover,
Another trick with contrast paint if u do a 5 to 1 ratio with contrast medium it gives u a glaze of the color of contrast u use
Yeah, other than not having an airbrush, those are the ways I use Contrast paints in addition to good old layering. Also for wetblending where skin/hair/scales/feathers changes coloration. Still annoyed by the paints varying so wildly in opacity, though.
I want to experiment with them over a strong zenithal prime. See if I can get a technique going for speed painting where the zenithal prime + contrast gives a lot of contrast and some highlights/shadows.
:D so I commented before I had watched the video obviously. I really want to give that technique ago, your goblin/orc warrior with the mace and shield looks nice for how quick the technique is. Now I just wish I could get contrast paint in dropper bottles... hopefully you don't talk about that further into the video
Painting terrain pieces with contrast paint is magic. It's so fast and easy to do effects that make it look like you really put a lot of work into the paint job... but you didn't.
Awesome video!!
Where should I start with The last podcast on the left? Beginning? End? Just curious
I think the beginning is pretty good. Thanks for watching!
What about for use in terrain features like the tile roofs of buildings, windows, etc.? I've been experimenting on making it look like the sunlight is hitting the buildings at different angles from different times of day.
Hail yourself, Uncle Atom!
Thank you, excellent advice.
"Pokey-uppey bits" that's going in the book, LOL
Another way to do black guns and similar objects is to use a very dark grey, then put nuln oil over it. Ta da! Shaded black!
Can second black Templar on guns working very well for gun details
They work well on papa nurgles creations though like the poxwalkers or plague marines.
True, because they’re very bumpy with Papa Nurgle’s blessings. Thanks for watching!
@@tabletopminions you are welcome your content is great so...
Contrast then a dry brush after it looks dope
Turns out I’ve been doing Zenithal Highlighting for years out of sheer laziness
The rule of thumb I've heard is: the more organic the thing you're painting, the better job contrast paints will do. And it's held pretty true for me. Cloth moves pretty organically and it works, as does flesh, skin, wood, fur, etc. I also especially love it for getting glow effects and colored metals. Garbage for large areas though.
I found contrast work perfectly out of an airbrush
Yes, me too
There is no other way :D
Wait, it's Friday already? WHAT? It feels like a Monday... Oh dear
I use skeleton horde on my necrons, I do the vehicals with my airbrush lol
Yeah. If you aren't using zenithal highlights, contrast paints are pretty "meh."
However, if you play with zenithal and different colors (like say a purple shadow to a yellow-white highlight) they can do pretty impressive things in creating temp changes and such really quickly. Prep work is the key, in my opinion.
best way I've seen people use contrast paint is by spraying a mini with a darker silver and putting it over to create a very shiny armor.
Love this thank you!
When using Contrast Paints, when finished do you still use a wash like Nuln Oil afterwards or is it basically done for you due to how the Contrast Paint works?
You are using a technique in the style of "grisaille" use by the old masters to under paint in gray tones to pre-establish highlights and shadows.
Love the shirt!
I'm trying to get into minis painting (after nearly a decade) so I'm just now leaning about contrast paints. They sound like glaze paints. Or maybe super pigmented glazes. Is that pretty accurate?
I knew this guy was cool! Nice shirt! Hail yourself!