Hey guys! I hope you found something useful for your mini painting toolset in the video. What would you consider a must-have tool that not everybody knows/uses?
Yep, absolutely. I used to use only a netfi led light, but when I started the channel, I bought some photo lights. Now I use those and the previous light together, and it is great. I think most people don't realize that they are not using enough light to paint.
makeup brushes for stippling / dry brushing tamiya hacksaw for conversions . took me long enough on exacto/swiss knife/cutting pliers to realize this existed) cheap pair of angled tweezers. Again I spent years without them fiddling with my fingers only but it's definitely useful.
I struggled with Airbrushing for a few months and then it clogged. SInce it was a gun trigger version I coulkdnt figure out to clean it so I gave up. Years later I decided to try again and did some research, watched a bunch of tutorials and decided on getting a Badger 105 Patriot that comes with a .5 Needle and is super easy yo take apart. The .5 needle helped me immensely. I started by learning how to prime my models and with a .5 this made it so easy. I use Stynynelrez Airbrush primer and I love it. It says on the bottle to NOT use any thinner. I literallyy just use a .5 needle, use a PSI of 22-30 and I had no issues except for running out of primer too fast. I tried filling he cup higher, but then the primer started to dry in the airbrush cup. One professional suggested prime as many models as you can without rushing within 10 minutes. Then stop, dump whats in your cup, clean the dried flakes and make your not spraying any black and then continue priming. Im strugglingly with Dry Tip so I brought some Airbrush retarderby VMS called Slo Mo for Airbrushes, but Im not sure how well it works with Primer? as far as brushes go, after try many brabnds there are a that It I like. I tried the Rosemary 33 in sizes 3, 2 and 2/0 and I nreally liked them. They are narrow and longer, which is a tool to have. W&N are overpriced and for some reason they feel fragile. I have ruined a few even though I cleaned them. I was quite suporised that I found myself liking 2 of Army Painters paint brushes as my workhorses for shading and general use on rank and file troops. These are the Regiment Brush which is slightly bigger than Citadel's medium layer brush and its better quality. And the 2nd brush is the Monster brush, which is roughly the size of a GW medium Shade brush, but the bristles last longer and for the price they are not bad, Unfortuntely I tried thier other brushes and they felt too cheap and thry didn't perform well. And my favorite painting brushes came down to a tie between Pro Actyl's Pro Sable Brushes with the red handles sizes 1-4. Theother company is Redrass's Size 2 paint brush which shocked me how much paint they can hold and how long they last. I haven't tried Artis Opus Sand M sweries except for a few of their series D and I really enjoy them. Thanks for the Power sword tutorials!
artis opis brushes are just rosemary co brushes artis opis contracts rosemary co to make their brushes and then they slap a big fat price tag on it when you can just get the same quality brush directly from rosemary co for half the price.....don't get me wrong I do like artis opis they're one of the few sable brushes you can get in the US,rosemary won't ship their sable brushes to the US due to a ban on kolinsky sable hair
The basing reccomendation is great. I just started painting (board game minis) and i never thought to enhance by their bases. I'm super excited to try it out!
Just for everyone else's benefit, from my own experience.. I got a cheaper vortex mixer first, and it was only kinda okay. It wasn't great. After a long while, I heard someone comment that you really need a good lab-grade mixer (like the one shown in this video). They do the oscillation at the right frequencies and magnitudes based on actual science. So I went and dropped the much more money on the one shown, and it made a huge difference. It's so much better than the cheaper vortex mixers. You get what you pay for in that one.
Thanks for sharing :) Before I bought mine, I did some research, and most people on reddit and other platforms said exactly what you said. The cheaper ones are not doing much and you need a lab-grade one to make it worth the purchase. It seems like a frivolous purchase, but if you can afford it, it is really worth it in the long run.
Really good advice. I purchased all those things in about the order you listed them except for the magnifying glasses which I didn't actually get until 3 or 4 months ago. Total game changer!
Hey Steven! Great minds think alike 😉 You must have purchased them around the same time as me then. I never imagined they would be as useful as they are. Now I consider them a must 😀
Thank you. Although I’m very new and learning. I have 5/5 that you suggested. Now!I just have to learn how to use them properly. I definitely have to invest in a good desk as my at the moment is very thin and small.
thank you, I was looking for someone to specifically talk about magnifying glasses and no other videos mentioned them. bought the ones from ur amazon link. thank you!
I agree with all you tips 👍 an-alternative to the vortex mixer as it’s quite expensive is a nail polish or tattoo ink pot shaker. Mine cost about £18 on Amazon and it’s great . Fully mixed paints by hand can take a long tiring time sometimes.
Wonderful and helpful tips! Especially the one with the brushes is so true! My whole painting technique changed once I’ve found the right brushes for me. Funny enough it was also Rosemary and Co. but the Anna Mason ones for watercolor painting. I wasn’t happy with the W&N S7 since it does not hold water well and dries out rather quickly. But I watched my most influential artist using them perfectly for the same technique. It was a rather pricey trial and error, but worth it. My game changer was the discovery of brush soaps. I did not know something like that existed, but I love mine since it elongated the brush live incredibly much(in combination with the right technique).
I inherited my late father's magnifier. It's like the first one you showed. They DO make other lenses for it (it's called an Optivisor) they're just like $30 each. There's also a lighting kit that you can get for it.
I can't believe you haven't reached 10k subs yet. Great video, very informative, and your attitude towards the whole miniature painting scene is very similar to my own. Very relatable and A+ content.
Thanks a lot for the kind words :) Me and my wife ( who is editing the videos ) put a lot of effort into the channel, so it means a lot to us that people like you enjoy them 😊
Hi there just watched your video. I found it to be very useful. Could you tell me what air brush and compressor you started with. I feel like it is a step I need to take to speed things up and to get better results. Also the magnifying glasses.
I bought the cheapest airbrush + compressor combo that I could find where the compressor had a tank. In my case, the brand was Fengda, but if you are in the US, you might find it under a different name. I never felt the need for a better compressor, but I bought a couple of better airbrushes since then. The magnifying glasses also go under a dozen different brands on Amazon, but essentially, they are all the same as long as you search for magnifying glasses with interchangeable lenses you should find them. I hope that helps :)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful information. I am checking to buy the binocular loupes and there seems to be 2 variations, 2.5x and 3.5x like the one you own, I read that the 2.5x has a larger field of view and is easy for a beginner. But I am just worried about the working focus distance, will it be too long. Any advice on should I get 2.5x or 3.5x would help.
I regularly use the set of magnifiers you see me wearing in the thumbnail and that one has exchangeable lenses. It goes from 1.0 to 3.5 and I use the 1.5 and 2.0 ones the most for Space Marine sized figures. For smaller ones, or faces, I change it to 2.5 but to be honest I never used the 3.5 so far :D ( I might try it today for the face of an infinity model) If you can, go for a set with exchangeable lenses, but if you have to choose between 2.5 and 3.5, I definitely recommend the 2.5. I hope that helps 😃
What a banger of an episode! Will definitely try out the brushes you mentioned (thx for the link) though I'm going to stick with my metal balls for the mixing (joke in there somewhere?).
Great video. I think it was me that gave you the rosemary & co recommendation, really glad you liked them! Glad to have helped someone that paints as well as you 😊
@@wonderboy2402i think you can ship some of them it’s a particular hair in the certain brushes that you can’t import but there are a few options. Did he say which ones he’s uses?
I started using $1 reading glasses for magnification when I first got back into painting. I think they work really well and have probably been the best tool to elevate my hobby time. For $1 they’re a no brainer.
If you mean the painting handles, then I prefer the basic ones from Citadel to be honest. I also have and use some Redgrass handles, and they are okay for smaller minis, but I find it annoying that if I don't hold the mini in place, it would swivel away from me (since the top of that handle rotates). I haven't had the chance to try out other mini painting handles, but I am quite happy with the Citadel ones.
Damn, just found this helpfull vid and clicked the link for sable brushes only to find that Rosmary and Co can't ship SERIES 33. to the USA due to a ban.
That's quite weird 😕 I wonder why. I suppose Artis Opus can be an alternative then. They are essentially the same brushes but with a white handle :) Unfortunately, they are more expensive as well.
OK, the Sabres shirt in the thumbnail got me to click on the video - grew up in Buffalo and lived there for 40 years. Sabres fan from their very beginning and lifelong gamer/mini painter.
I didn't even realize that I was wearing the shirt when I shot the video 😅 Love the reaction, though. I hope you liked the content as well after you clicked :)
:D I have been called many things in life, but 'rich' has not been one of them so far. New life achievement unlocked, I guess. :D To be fair, the cameras have not much to do with the list, though. It is not like most painters would need them.
There is an odeal brush. Its called series 7. If its good enpugh for a queen. Its good enough for you. Wind the ego in folks. This saturated market will have you buying crap off of advice like this. As an artist. Tattoo artist. Minaiture Hobbyist, airbrusher...and everything else. I will only ever use series 7. You dont get better than those 9 people hand-making those brushes. 3 years training for your series 7. Not ammy people do it like windsor anymore. And for that, they will always have my loyalty.
I assume these might 'replace' your glasses, depending on your eye condition of course. Also, afaik there are clip on versions that you can add to your glasses. I am sure there is a solution and they do help a lot.
I wear glasses with the exact same set he shows. They come with an elastic band which you can use in place of the ear pieces. I have glasses with progressive lenses and used this magnifier with the elastic band, it works great. You can also flip up the magnifier if you do not want to use it but do not want to go through the trouble of taking the unit off only to put it back on.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey guys! I hope you found something useful for your mini painting toolset in the video. What would you consider a must-have tool that not everybody knows/uses?
Not a specific tool but good lighting.
Yep, absolutely. I used to use only a netfi led light, but when I started the channel, I bought some photo lights. Now I use those and the previous light together, and it is great. I think most people don't realize that they are not using enough light to paint.
makeup brushes for stippling / dry brushing
tamiya hacksaw for conversions . took me long enough on exacto/swiss knife/cutting pliers to realize this existed)
cheap pair of angled tweezers. Again I spent years without them fiddling with my fingers only but it's definitely useful.
and supermarket basic brushes for whenever you need to destroy a brush (oil, terrain, big basecoats, glue)
@@ph3lansminiatures my cheap solution was to get 2 cheap ikea articulated lights and buy 6000k led bulbs
Nice sabres shirt in the thumbnail!
I struggled with Airbrushing for a few months and then it clogged. SInce it was a gun trigger version I coulkdnt figure out to clean it so I gave up. Years later I decided to try again and did some research, watched a bunch of tutorials and decided on getting a Badger 105 Patriot that comes with a .5 Needle and is super easy yo take apart. The .5 needle helped me immensely. I started by learning how to prime my models and with a .5 this made it so easy.
I use Stynynelrez Airbrush primer and I love it. It says on the bottle to NOT use any thinner. I literallyy just use a .5 needle, use a PSI of 22-30 and I had no issues except for running out of primer too fast. I tried filling he cup higher, but then the primer started to dry in the airbrush cup. One professional suggested prime as many models as you can without rushing within 10 minutes. Then stop, dump whats in your cup, clean the dried flakes and make your not spraying any black and then continue priming.
Im strugglingly with Dry Tip so I brought some Airbrush retarderby VMS called Slo Mo for Airbrushes, but Im not sure how well it works with Primer?
as far as brushes go, after try many brabnds there are a that It I like. I tried the Rosemary 33 in sizes 3, 2 and 2/0 and I nreally liked them. They are narrow and longer, which is a tool to have.
W&N are overpriced and for some reason they feel fragile. I have ruined a few even though I cleaned them.
I was quite suporised that I found myself liking 2 of Army Painters paint brushes as my workhorses for shading and general use on rank and file troops. These are the Regiment Brush which is slightly bigger than Citadel's medium layer brush and its better quality. And the 2nd brush is the Monster brush, which is roughly the size of a GW medium Shade brush, but the bristles last longer and for the price they are not bad, Unfortuntely I tried thier other brushes and they felt too cheap and thry didn't perform well.
And my favorite painting brushes came down to a tie between Pro Actyl's Pro Sable Brushes with the red handles sizes 1-4. Theother company is Redrass's Size 2 paint brush which shocked me how much paint they can hold and how long they last.
I haven't tried Artis Opus Sand M sweries except for a few of their series D and I really enjoy them.
Thanks for the Power sword tutorials!
Lots of great info. Thanks for sharing! :)
artis opis brushes are just rosemary co brushes artis opis contracts rosemary co to make their brushes and then they slap a big fat price tag on it when you can just get the same quality brush directly from rosemary co for half the price.....don't get me wrong I do like artis opis they're one of the few sable brushes you can get in the US,rosemary won't ship their sable brushes to the US due to a ban on kolinsky sable hair
The basing reccomendation is great. I just started painting (board game minis) and i never thought to enhance by their bases. I'm super excited to try it out!
Just for everyone else's benefit, from my own experience.. I got a cheaper vortex mixer first, and it was only kinda okay. It wasn't great. After a long while, I heard someone comment that you really need a good lab-grade mixer (like the one shown in this video). They do the oscillation at the right frequencies and magnitudes based on actual science. So I went and dropped the much more money on the one shown, and it made a huge difference. It's so much better than the cheaper vortex mixers. You get what you pay for in that one.
Thanks for sharing :) Before I bought mine, I did some research, and most people on reddit and other platforms said exactly what you said. The cheaper ones are not doing much and you need a lab-grade one to make it worth the purchase. It seems like a frivolous purchase, but if you can afford it, it is really worth it in the long run.
Yooooo Go Sabres lol!
Very helpful video. Also, as a Buffalo native, I have to compliment the shirt.
The only thing I would add would be picking a good light. It changed everything for me.
this. Nothing is more important than good light
Really good advice. I purchased all those things in about the order you listed them except for the magnifying glasses which I didn't actually get until 3 or 4 months ago. Total game changer!
Hey Steven! Great minds think alike 😉 You must have purchased them around the same time as me then. I never imagined they would be as useful as they are. Now I consider them a must 😀
Thank you. Although I’m very new and learning. I have 5/5 that you suggested. Now!I just have to learn how to use them properly. I definitely have to invest in a good desk as my at the moment is very thin and small.
thank you, I was looking for someone to specifically talk about magnifying glasses and no other videos mentioned them. bought the ones from ur amazon link. thank you!
I agree with all you tips 👍 an-alternative to the vortex mixer as it’s quite expensive is a nail polish or tattoo ink pot shaker. Mine cost about £18 on Amazon and it’s great . Fully mixed paints by hand can take a long tiring time sometimes.
Thanks for sharing, that sounds like a good inexpensive alternative 😀
Wonderful and helpful tips! Especially the one with the brushes is so true! My whole painting technique changed once I’ve found the right brushes for me. Funny enough it was also Rosemary and Co. but the Anna Mason ones for watercolor painting. I wasn’t happy with the W&N S7 since it does not hold water well and dries out rather quickly. But I watched my most influential artist using them perfectly for the same technique. It was a rather pricey trial and error, but worth it. My game changer was the discovery of brush soaps. I did not know something like that existed, but I love mine since it elongated the brush live incredibly much(in combination with the right technique).
I inherited my late father's magnifier. It's like the first one you showed. They DO make other lenses for it (it's called an Optivisor) they're just like $30 each. There's also a lighting kit that you can get for it.
I can't believe you haven't reached 10k subs yet. Great video, very informative, and your attitude towards the whole miniature painting scene is very similar to my own.
Very relatable and A+ content.
Thanks a lot for the kind words :) Me and my wife ( who is editing the videos ) put a lot of effort into the channel, so it means a lot to us that people like you enjoy them 😊
Using a vortex mixer and having a mixing ball in the paint really helps
Hi there just watched your video. I found it to be very useful. Could you tell me what air brush and compressor you started with. I feel like it is a step I need to take to speed things up and to get better results. Also the magnifying glasses.
I bought the cheapest airbrush + compressor combo that I could find where the compressor had a tank. In my case, the brand was Fengda, but if you are in the US, you might find it under a different name. I never felt the need for a better compressor, but I bought a couple of better airbrushes since then.
The magnifying glasses also go under a dozen different brands on Amazon, but essentially, they are all the same as long as you search for magnifying glasses with interchangeable lenses you should find them.
I hope that helps :)
Great video thanks for the list! What light do you use? The one in the video looks great, nice and bright.
Sure, it is a Neatfli led lamp. It is pretty close to daylight ( 5500k) and works great :)
@@ph3lansminiatures Thanks very much!
GO SABRES!!!!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful information. I am checking to buy the binocular loupes and there seems to be 2 variations, 2.5x and 3.5x like the one you own, I read that the 2.5x has a larger field of view and is easy for a beginner. But I am just worried about the working focus distance, will it be too long. Any advice on should I get 2.5x or 3.5x would help.
I regularly use the set of magnifiers you see me wearing in the thumbnail and that one has exchangeable lenses. It goes from 1.0 to 3.5 and I use the 1.5 and 2.0 ones the most for Space Marine sized figures. For smaller ones, or faces, I change it to 2.5 but to be honest I never used the 3.5 so far :D ( I might try it today for the face of an infinity model)
If you can, go for a set with exchangeable lenses, but if you have to choose between 2.5 and 3.5, I definitely recommend the 2.5.
I hope that helps 😃
@@ph3lansminiatures Thanks for your reply, this really helps.
What a banger of an episode! Will definitely try out the brushes you mentioned (thx for the link) though I'm going to stick with my metal balls for the mixing (joke in there somewhere?).
Hey Adam! Using balls can definitely help, but a little machine assistance can't hurt 😉
Great tips ! If only you could share something with the Sabres to help them improve ! Agree with 'Bryan...' ... good lighting is important
Great video. I think it was me that gave you the rosemary & co recommendation, really glad you liked them! Glad to have helped someone that paints as well as you 😊
I am super grateful for that recommendation 🙏 Those brushes made me a better painter. They are the perfect fit for me. Thank you once again! 😊
Too bad they do not shop to USA.
@@wonderboy2402i think you can ship some of them it’s a particular hair in the certain brushes that you can’t import but there are a few options. Did he say which ones he’s uses?
This was very helpful! Thank you!
You are very welcome :)
I use the same magnifying glasses and they're amazing! I would never consider painting without them now.
They might not look like much, but they are a game changer for sure.
Have you tried the raphael 8404 brushes?
I have a couple of them, and
they are quite good. But I much prefer the Rosemary and Co ones tbh. Your mileage might vary though.
8404 are ne of my favorite brushes. They're my workhorse and I use them more frequently than my W&N brushes.
I started using $1 reading glasses for magnification when I first got back into painting. I think they work really well and have probably been the best tool to elevate my hobby time. For $1 they’re a no brainer.
If you use Scale75 paints, you really need a vortex mixer.
For sure. I love my Scale 75s way more since I have the mixer.
Pro tip: for a shaker just use your palm sander. Lol. For real - works great!
What is the best holder for the figures?
If you mean the painting handles, then I prefer the basic ones from Citadel to be honest. I also have and use some Redgrass handles, and they are okay for smaller minis, but I find it annoying that if I don't hold the mini in place, it would swivel away from me (since the top of that handle rotates). I haven't had the chance to try out other mini painting handles, but I am quite happy with the Citadel ones.
Damn, just found this helpfull vid and clicked the link for sable brushes only to find that Rosmary and Co can't ship SERIES 33. to the USA due to a ban.
That's quite weird 😕 I wonder why. I suppose Artis Opus can be an alternative then. They are essentially the same brushes but with a white handle :) Unfortunately, they are more expensive as well.
OK, the Sabres shirt in the thumbnail got me to click on the video - grew up in Buffalo and lived there for 40 years. Sabres fan from their very beginning and lifelong gamer/mini painter.
I didn't even realize that I was wearing the shirt when I shot the video 😅 Love the reaction, though. I hope you liked the content as well after you clicked :)
i have those glasses also...could not paint without it anymore...they are my tools i need the most after paint and brushes.
6:00 The cheapest airbrush 6:10 Proceed to hold an infinity😅
Let’s go Buffalo
Being over 40, my near vision is completely shot. I couldn't paint without that magnifying headset. Best purchase ever.
Quality nippers.
the headset light is brilliant insight.
I have those exact glasses. Can’t paint without them. I’m old and blind 😂
Tip: don't spend money on mixing balls, go find some small smooth rocks. They work just as well, and cost you nothing.
The minerals won't be good for your paint.
i have a copper plate under the sponge in my wet pallet, no more bad smells EVER
That is a super cool idea. Where can one find such a copper plate?
I use penny's that have copper in them x hope it helps x I'm in the UK
@@ph3lansminiatures a DIY shop
This is truly the rich nerd's list. But I think I base that on the cameras used. This is mostly because you like buying expensive stuff, right? ;D
:D I have been called many things in life, but 'rich' has not been one of them so far. New life achievement unlocked, I guess. :D
To be fair, the cameras have not much to do with the list, though. It is not like most painters would need them.
There is an odeal brush. Its called series 7. If its good enpugh for a queen. Its good enough for you. Wind the ego in folks. This saturated market will have you buying crap off of advice like this. As an artist. Tattoo artist. Minaiture Hobbyist, airbrusher...and everything else. I will only ever use series 7. You dont get better than those 9 people hand-making those brushes. 3 years training for your series 7. Not ammy people do it like windsor anymore. And for that, they will always have my loyalty.
Magnifying glasses look like they would be useful but seeing as i have to wear glasses this would not work sadly
I assume these might 'replace' your glasses, depending on your eye condition of course. Also, afaik there are clip on versions that you can add to your glasses. I am sure there is a solution and they do help a lot.
I wear glasses and mine which is similar work great while I’m wearing my glasses.
I wear glasses with the exact same set he shows. They come with an elastic band which you can use in place of the ear pieces. I have glasses with progressive lenses and used this magnifier with the elastic band, it works great. You can also flip up the magnifier if you do not want to use it but do not want to go through the trouble of taking the unit off only to put it back on.