My #2 Raphael Kolinsky is my daily driver per The Miniac's suggestion. Moving from OK synthetic brushes to a high quality sable brush was basically the reason I even got back into the hobby. I used to enjoy painting but that brush has made painting one of my favorite things to do, period.
Winsor and Newton series 7, daylight magnifying lamp, airbrush, wet palette and flow improver probably are the most important things for me. Also bluetooth headphones for music and audio books so the cable doesnt get in the way.
A good chair. I'm no expert, but I've learned a lot of tricks to painting with less desirable paints and brushes. The chair I'm sitting in and lighting effect my painting more than anything else so far.
A good synthetic brush will be soft and straightened after putting it in almost boiling water. I learned that from years of repairing my daughters dolls hair.
Picked up grey priming from your videos after a lifetime of priming black--grey is so much better. Not only is it easier to transition between lights and darks as you mention in this video, but grey is also much easier on the eyes as you're seeking out ultra fine details.
I'm a perfectionist to my core. I painted a few Necrons and Eldars when I was 13 or so. Now I'm coming back at 33 and it's horrible. I've been wanting to buy paints and some minis for so long! And finally I did. But what I didn't know then - now I do. Poor Typhus of Death Guard... I've scrubbed his paint off like 25 times now. He's breaking apart. I've painted for over 100 hours now and not a single mini ready. Day after day I'm coming up with new stuff that I need. My original goal was to paint Mortarion with one base coat and use pretty simple contrast paints. Oh oh no not gonna happen. Now I have 4 layers of primer to make it look like I use an airbrush but I can't justify buying one before I've finished even one mini. Now that I got a magnifying lamp I realized that using spray paint instead of airbrushing is really, Really difficult to do smoothly. Without the specks. Soo... Next stop - Airbrush. And it really makes me feel like a lunatic. I've already spent almost 1k and I have absolutely nothing to show for it. I have some experience when it comes to painting etc. but this whole fiasco is getting out of hand. Sometimes I get the question from folks that are not that much into arts or in my case music: "how are you so talented with all those instruments?" Fk off. It's not talent. I wasn't born with it. It's practice. I'm bipolar aka. manic depressive and I'm pretty sure that anyone who shows talent in arts has a few screws loose. There's no other reason to manically dedicate your life to something that you know is never gonna pay the bills. Nothing but respect towards the community of all mini painters!
Definitely looking for a wet pallet first. I'm a total beginner when it comes to painting miniatures, but I've noticed it's really hard to do what I want with colors and blending with the paper plates I've been using.
This is all great information! I have been painting off and on for a couple years now, and with fresh Christmas gift money in my pocket, this was just what I needed to know what to buy!
I absolutely love your videos and think you are criminally under subbed. You deserve thousands of views. Every time I try and share your videos on reddit you beat me to it lol.
Lyla, anytime you are looking for bulbs or lamps, select ones that have a kelvin rating of 5000K or above. I prefer 6500K as that is closest to actual daylight. As a side note, the higher the lumens the brighter the light, I use a 23w 2600 lumens, 4000K light in a stand up lamp to light the room, then use smaller 1500 lumens, 6500K, 13w (100w equivelent) bulbs in desk lamps aimed at my work station.
Hi Lyla, great tips. I have the same magnifying glasses you have, they helped me a lot. I have a lighted magnifying lamp but could never get used to it. Thanks for the video and Happy Holidays. Like your cat, I'm a cat person too.
Hi, Lyla. If you are looking for a better lighting solution try “Philips CorePro LED 6500K Daylight” bulbs. I have two of these hanging above my table and when I turn them on, it’s like painting outside on a beautiful spring day. Highly recommended.
1) you have my cat 2) I realized I've just been learning to live with the curved tip of my synthetic brushes, like painting at a weird angle so I could still use that hooked tip. Probably past time to throw those puppies out and get some windsor and newtons.
Oh I do have the hobby holder and that same magnifying headset, both are A+. I also recently bought bright white shop lights to hang in my hobby area. I have daylight desk lamps, but I find I need more ambient light as well as the focus light.
@@LylaMev As in my black and white sausage was on my lap. I looked away from the screen and she jumped down and left the room. I looked back at your video AND THERE SHE WAS ON YOUR LAP.
By Odin's beard! Some one who finally uses a grown-up artist brush! Windsor Newtons are pretty sweet, aren't they? I'm building my paint library now and I am stocking up on Vallejo pigments. I adore them. My plans for the future is to supplant they model paints with their professional grade artist pigments. They're going to be so delicious. Ooo, I'm drooling a little all ready. I get the heeby jeebies every time I see a painter touching their work with their skin. Wear a glove (nitrile - not latex - it's less likely to be reactive with any additives in the paint) if you can't keep your fingers out of it. Jeesh. And finally, to answer your question - any magnifying aids are the next improvement to my tool box. I'm still using a mounted magnifying glass. It works (kind of), but it is misery. If you go to the pet aisle at the store, you may find an aquarium day light florescent bulb that you can put in a 16" or 18" under shelf fluorescent light fixture.
I know this video is like.. 3 years old but .. a word from me in lighting subject (as a photographer) :) Temperature of the light is important but more important (especially for LED lights) is CRI factor. CRI stands for Color Rendering Index and is a measure of abilty of light to reveal the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison with a natural lifgt source (like sun). The higher the CRI index the better. Natural light such as sunlight is a combination of all the colors of the visible spectrum. The color of sunlight itself is white, but the color of an object under the sun is determined by the colors that it reflects. LED lamp has a different spectral composition compared to natural daylight, even though it is the same color temperature as natural light. For example when LED lamp is lacking in red spectrum there will be no red light to reflect. As a result, the red, let's say, apple no longer has the same vibrant red that it had under sunlight. So.. choose your LED (or other lamps) for painting to have at least CRI 90 or above.
@@DreamQuillRose No but.. When it comes to LED lamps for the home, manufacturers rarely inform us about the CRI. And if it is, for example, the information "CRI> 80" , but it means it can be 81 (poor result) and 95 (veeery good result). Producers of LEDs (not whole lamps) with a high CRI are, for example, CREE LEDS or YUJILEDS. For a user who do not want to build his/her owne LED lamp it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the offer of companies producing studio LED lighting for photography. There, for sure, all of them should have CRI > 90 - without this, the color reproduction will be inaccurate.
I couldn't even see to do this hobby without the headband and magnifying glasses...look like a mad scientist and they are slightly uncomfortable, but they do the job!
Great question! I use a dust mask with carbon filters. Outside of the frame is a large fan I use to keep the air circulating, as my desk is in a nook at the back of the room.
I'm just getting back into painting and I've never used a wet pallet or flow aid so I imagine I won't be able to live without them soon. Do you use flow aid? I don't think you mentioned it in the vid. I'm gunna try and make some with glycerine and distilled water as per Lukes APS mix. Good vid. I kinda wondered what the sticky up thing was on your mini holder was. I figured it was a hand rest but hadn't seen it in use. Might get me one of them. They're a good idea :-)
I've been using a mix with quite a lot of Matte medium in it and seems to work well as a lahmian replacement. It can be used with gw washes and the new contrast paints also
I was doing matte medium to thin my paints but I found it added texture to my minis. I think it caused the paint to dry at different rates, so when I thought all of an area was dry, only patches were dry. I was using it straight, though. Just something to be aware of!
My local craft store only has testers paints. Are these ok to use as a beginner until I can order some other paint brands online? I have some random minis I am going to paint til I get better and then paint some minis for my games like Sword & Sorcery.
I've found the princeton heritage synthetic brushes have a decent mix of price and lifespan even with fairly rough use. Use those alongside my nicer W&N brushes.
Just as an option for those of us who are a bit...older...harrumpf...lol I chose the 5 Diopter version (a bit stronger magnification, and takes a little to get used to for the same reason Lyla mentioned. But it has made a big difference in my ability to pick out those tiny details and target them for highlights.) of the Desk Light magnifier. Both are good quality, and either one is a good choice based on your needs. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MMZ27QK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01K10XA1O&linkCode=as2&tag=lylamev-20&linkId=0f50cc78c20a33ff2ae3719d58ea4324&th=1
Youre pretty right in almost everything, ive tried several Kolinsky brush brands as well, but i totally disagree with your Raphael recommodation. The Raphael Brushes that i bought are the worst Kolinskys ive ever had. The whole bristles use to fan out (dont know if this is the right terminology)... I was totally disappointed by these. I recommend Artis Opus & W&N Series 7.. Im really looking forward to test the Squidmar brushes as well, as soon as theyre available. Btw. i find Vallejo pretty good, you should give them a try. :) Not as matte as Scale75 but way better than Citadel and Armypainter in my Opinion. Thx for your Ink recommodation, i never really gave em a try, but thatll change immidiatly.
Speaking of equipment, I think investing in a good quality microphone would be a solid choice for your channel. This video was really enjoyable, but I nearly clicked off at the start due to the rather poor audio.
As an OLD painter please do yourself a favour and wear nitrile glove while Airbrushing, it saves a lot of skin scrubbing and problems with paint/skin reactions in later life.
What piece of equipment or product has changed your miniature painting experience the most?
My #2 Raphael Kolinsky is my daily driver per The Miniac's suggestion. Moving from OK synthetic brushes to a high quality sable brush was basically the reason I even got back into the hobby. I used to enjoy painting but that brush has made painting one of my favorite things to do, period.
Winsor and Newton series 7, daylight magnifying lamp, airbrush, wet palette and flow improver probably are the most important things for me. Also bluetooth headphones for music and audio books so the cable doesnt get in the way.
wet pallet
A good chair. I'm no expert, but I've learned a lot of tricks to painting with less desirable paints and brushes. The chair I'm sitting in and lighting effect my painting more than anything else so far.
Easily it would be my airbrush. The speed and overall smoothness I get is amazing. An honorable mention has to go to the wet palette.
A good synthetic brush will be soft and straightened after putting it in almost boiling water. I learned that from years of repairing my daughters dolls hair.
Just painted my first mini yesterday. This was clear, practical, and very helpful. Thanks!!
Picked up grey priming from your videos after a lifetime of priming black--grey is so much better. Not only is it easier to transition between lights and darks as you mention in this video, but grey is also much easier on the eyes as you're seeking out ultra fine details.
I'm a perfectionist to my core. I painted a few Necrons and Eldars when I was 13 or so.
Now I'm coming back at 33 and it's horrible. I've been wanting to buy paints and some minis for so long! And finally I did.
But what I didn't know then - now I do. Poor Typhus of Death Guard... I've scrubbed his paint off like 25 times now.
He's breaking apart. I've painted for over 100 hours now and not a single mini ready.
Day after day I'm coming up with new stuff that I need. My original goal was to paint Mortarion with one base coat and use pretty simple contrast paints.
Oh oh no not gonna happen. Now I have 4 layers of primer to make it look like I use an airbrush but I can't justify buying one before I've finished even one mini.
Now that I got a magnifying lamp I realized that using spray paint instead of airbrushing is really, Really difficult to do smoothly. Without the specks.
Soo... Next stop - Airbrush. And it really makes me feel like a lunatic.
I've already spent almost 1k and I have absolutely nothing to show for it.
I have some experience when it comes to painting etc. but this whole fiasco is getting out of hand.
Sometimes I get the question from folks that are not that much into arts or in my case music: "how are you so talented with all those instruments?"
Fk off. It's not talent. I wasn't born with it. It's practice. I'm bipolar aka. manic depressive and I'm pretty sure that anyone who shows talent in arts has a few screws loose.
There's no other reason to manically dedicate your life to something that you know is never gonna pay the bills.
Nothing but respect towards the community of all mini painters!
WN 7!
Honestly this channel has become one of my favorite channel as of late.
It feel like a good friend is giving me advice on how to get better
Thank you! It's comments like these that keep me inspired to keep making content!
Definitely looking for a wet pallet first. I'm a total beginner when it comes to painting miniatures, but I've noticed it's really hard to do what I want with colors and blending with the paper plates I've been using.
This is all great information! I have been painting off and on for a couple years now, and with fresh Christmas gift money in my pocket, this was just what I needed to know what to buy!
I’m thrilled!
I absolutely love your videos and think you are criminally under subbed. You deserve thousands of views. Every time I try and share your videos on reddit you beat me to it lol.
That is the sweetest thing, thank you so much! It's comments like this that keep me inspired to keep working!
Lyla, anytime you are looking for bulbs or lamps, select ones that have a kelvin rating of 5000K or above. I prefer 6500K as that is closest to actual daylight. As a side note, the higher the lumens the brighter the light, I use a 23w 2600 lumens, 4000K light in a stand up lamp to light the room, then use smaller 1500 lumens, 6500K, 13w (100w equivelent) bulbs in desk lamps aimed at my work station.
Just ordered a Hobby Holder... that thing looks awesome; can't wait to try it!
This video has been very helpful. thank you Lyla!
I'm missing all of it as I'm new to mini painting. Haha. Thanks for the great video. All I had in my amazon cart was a d&d paint set.
Just stumbled into your channel. It has some genuinely probitive advice and thank you.
Thank you!
Hi Lyla, great tips. I have the same magnifying glasses you have, they helped me a lot. I have a lighted magnifying lamp but could never get used to it. Thanks for the video and Happy Holidays. Like your cat, I'm a cat person too.
Hi, Lyla. If you are looking for a better lighting solution try “Philips CorePro LED 6500K Daylight” bulbs. I have two of these hanging above my table and when I turn them on, it’s like painting outside on a beautiful spring day. Highly recommended.
Thank you for the heads up! I will have to look into it!
I want to start with this hobby. Going to buy a Vallejo set and some brushes to start off with.
1) you have my cat
2) I realized I've just been learning to live with the curved tip of my synthetic brushes, like painting at a weird angle so I could still use that hooked tip. Probably past time to throw those puppies out and get some windsor and newtons.
Oh I do have the hobby holder and that same magnifying headset, both are A+. I also recently bought bright white shop lights to hang in my hobby area. I have daylight desk lamps, but I find I need more ambient light as well as the focus light.
I have your cat as in you want to steal my cat, or are cats look the same?
I’m glad my advice was helpful!
@@LylaMev As in my black and white sausage was on my lap. I looked away from the screen and she jumped down and left the room. I looked back at your video AND THERE SHE WAS ON YOUR LAP.
By Odin's beard! Some one who finally uses a grown-up artist brush! Windsor Newtons are pretty sweet, aren't they? I'm building my paint library now and I am stocking up on Vallejo pigments. I adore them. My plans for the future is to supplant they model paints with their professional grade artist pigments. They're going to be so delicious. Ooo, I'm drooling a little all ready. I get the heeby jeebies every time I see a painter touching their work with their skin. Wear a glove (nitrile - not latex - it's less likely to be reactive with any additives in the paint) if you can't keep your fingers out of it. Jeesh. And finally, to answer your question - any magnifying aids are the next improvement to my tool box. I'm still using a mounted magnifying glass. It works (kind of), but it is misery. If you go to the pet aisle at the store, you may find an aquarium day light florescent bulb that you can put in a 16" or 18" under shelf fluorescent light fixture.
Really enjoy your videos. I need to start learning how to use my airbrush and I have to get some quality non synth brushes. Thanks!
I know this video is like.. 3 years old but .. a word from me in lighting subject (as a photographer) :)
Temperature of the light is important but more important (especially for LED lights) is CRI factor. CRI stands for Color Rendering Index and is a measure of abilty of light to reveal the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison with a natural lifgt source (like sun). The higher the CRI index the better. Natural light such as sunlight is a combination of all the colors of the visible spectrum. The color of sunlight itself is white, but the color of an object under the sun is determined by the colors that it reflects. LED lamp has a different spectral composition compared to natural daylight, even though it is the same color temperature as natural light. For example when LED lamp is lacking in red spectrum there will be no red light to reflect. As a result, the red, let's say, apple no longer has the same vibrant red that it had under sunlight.
So.. choose your LED (or other lamps) for painting to have at least CRI 90 or above.
Do you know of lamps that meet this standard?
@@DreamQuillRose No but.. When it comes to LED lamps for the home, manufacturers rarely inform us about the CRI. And if it is, for example, the information "CRI> 80" , but it means it can be 81 (poor result) and 95 (veeery good result). Producers of LEDs (not whole lamps) with a high CRI are, for example, CREE LEDS or YUJILEDS. For a user who do not want to build his/her owne LED lamp it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the offer of companies producing studio LED lighting for photography. There, for sure, all of them should have CRI > 90 - without this, the color reproduction will be inaccurate.
I couldn't even see to do this hobby without the headband and magnifying glasses...look like a mad scientist and they are slightly uncomfortable, but they do the job!
Hi, thanks for the video. Are you, and if yes, what kind of protective gears ate you using? Masks etc... thank you again
Would you recommend a Windsor brush for a beginner or move into that after a few models?
How do you take the step from hobbyist to commissioned mini and prop and bust painter ?!
Going to get the brushes. Always thought it was too much to spend, until I looked at the six month cost of buying replacement synthetic.
Hi Lyla! I love your videos. Can you share the name of the little paint mixer you use? I’ve never seen that before, and it looks really helpful.
Hi Lyla, great video! I was wondering if you use any form of extraction or a face mask with the Airbrush?
Great question! I use a dust mask with carbon filters. Outside of the frame is a large fan I use to keep the air circulating, as my desk is in a nook at the back of the room.
I'm just getting back into painting and I've never used a wet pallet or flow aid so I imagine I won't be able to live without them soon. Do you use flow aid? I don't think you mentioned it in the vid. I'm gunna try and make some with glycerine and distilled water as per Lukes APS mix. Good vid. I kinda wondered what the sticky up thing was on your mini holder was. I figured it was a hand rest but hadn't seen it in use. Might get me one of them. They're a good idea :-)
I don’t use flow aid, just the glaze and thinner!
I've been using his mix for a while (with added Matte medium) and it works a treat
@@timmanning5206 Good to know....I was thinking about doing just that and making like a flow aid lahmian medium combo.....Thanks for the reply :-)
I've been using a mix with quite a lot of Matte medium in it and seems to work well as a lahmian replacement. It can be used with gw washes and the new contrast paints also
I was doing matte medium to thin my paints but I found it added texture to my minis. I think it caused the paint to dry at different rates, so when I thought all of an area was dry, only patches were dry. I was using it straight, though. Just something to be aware of!
My local craft store only has testers paints. Are these ok to use as a beginner until I can order some other paint brands online? I have some random minis I am going to paint til I get better and then paint some minis for my games like Sword & Sorcery.
Testors paints are enamel, you definitely don’t want to use them! You would be better off using apple barrel etc. over testors enamel.
Hear hear (here here?) for Winsor Newton series 7! I use sizes 1 and 2.
I've found the princeton heritage synthetic brushes have a decent mix of price and lifespan even with fairly rough use. Use those alongside my nicer W&N brushes.
Just bought the magnifier, thinking about brushes...I'm using the cheap ones so far.
I bought a desk clamped usb ring light yhat has 3 color modes and adjustable brightness, I swear by it and it was only $20 from walmart!
Great to hear someone singing the praises of bigger brushes with good tips.
What program do you use to edit your vids?
Premier pro!
Did u break even in the cost of all equipment and the commission money u made yet?
You are lovely!
Just as an option for those of us who are a bit...older...harrumpf...lol I chose the 5 Diopter version (a bit stronger magnification, and takes a little to get used to for the same reason Lyla mentioned. But it has made a big difference in my ability to pick out those tiny details and target them for highlights.) of the Desk Light magnifier. Both are good quality, and either one is a good choice based on your needs.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MMZ27QK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01K10XA1O&linkCode=as2&tag=lylamev-20&linkId=0f50cc78c20a33ff2ae3719d58ea4324&th=1
Why not use a daylight lamp? I use that when painting my paintings and I gotta say it’s by far the best I’ve found
A bit random but anyone know what that miniature is that she used in the thumbnail? It looks awesome!
Flower knight from kingdom death
@@LylaMev thank you! 🙏
Synthetic brush for me is KUM Memory Point
Youre pretty right in almost everything, ive tried several Kolinsky brush brands as well, but i totally disagree with your Raphael recommodation. The Raphael Brushes that i bought are the worst Kolinskys ive ever had. The whole bristles use to fan out (dont know if this is the right terminology)... I was totally disappointed by these. I recommend Artis Opus & W&N Series 7.. Im really looking forward to test the Squidmar brushes as well, as soon as theyre available. Btw. i find Vallejo pretty good, you should give them a try. :) Not as matte as Scale75 but way better than Citadel and Armypainter in my Opinion. Thx for your Ink recommodation, i never really gave em a try, but thatll change immidiatly.
Speaking of equipment, I think investing in a good quality microphone would be a solid choice for your channel. This video was really enjoyable, but I nearly clicked off at the start due to the rather poor audio.
Thank you for your comment. I'm looking into new equipment right now.
Sorry but I love your eyes
As an OLD painter please do yourself a favour and wear nitrile glove while Airbrushing, it saves a lot of skin scrubbing and problems with paint/skin reactions in later life.
I don’t know, I think synthetics are the future, natural hair brushes are getting more and more expensive
Sealant
i m just missing training.
Must employ you...lol