Using less paints Will Make You A Better Painter
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Kitbashed Yndrasta using only 3 colours. An experiment to see what is possible using a limited palette - what are the pro and cons? This is not about expert level colour theory - instead I hope there is something here for everyone regardless of experience level.
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I’ll be honest, my husband sent me this and I rolled my eyes as sometimes I’m just not in the mood to watch a video on his hobbies. I’m so glad I pressed play. Incredible filming and editing and I am inspired by your (friend/girlfriend/wife?) and her wonderful results. I will definitely give this a go one day when I have time. Thank you for a lovely experience.
I'm very glad to read this Starmanda and I've passed on this comment to Signe. Thank you.
This was the first time I've watched a painting tutorial that was not only about the philosophy of paint and art, but was also itself truly a piece of art. This was a wonderful video and you are an amazing film maker on top of being an incredible painter. True artistry is not bound by the medium.
Thank you humbly Anon! I've realised I need these comments to justify the work and so I greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Really lovely explanation, difficult topic but beginner friendly
Glad you think so!
Thank you so much for not doing clickbait.
First 20 seconds of the video reminded me why I support you on Patreon.
Thanks GD! I’m grateful for it 💜
the imagery, the cut and the thoughts about a simpler color theme at 10:36 did it for me
I can only dream making videos like that and having painting talent like that. Truly beautiful art is made here.
Alex, this is such a beautiful video! It may be cheating to use the North Sea and the Faroe Islands as your background, but the results are breathtaking! A perfect illustration of limited palette in nature. Your videography skills are astonishing! That shot of a paper towel with blue mixes in front of the waves was genius. And I'm jealous of your wet blending skill--I just cannot get that technique to work for me. Thanks so much!
Thank you Dwight. I realize I've been predominantly wet blending for most of my painting over the past five years and so I guess the practice is paying off. Regarding the cheating, it's not cheating - it's just all the other creators that are lazy :) Jokes aside, I enjoy filming like this when I can and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
i rly like the color of the stairs
I agree
Pleasant surprize! I liked it too. Glad I didn't go for grey stone.
Yeah, he killed it with that. Reminds me of Craftworldstudios approach. Adds so much depth to the model.
The existentialists guide to minipainting... absolutely awesome video, gave me goosebumps and spending a holiday an the Faroe islands is now added to my bucket list.
Thank you. And a very good addition to the bucket list.
As someone who spent an entire decade on high seas, and has paintent quite a few of his projects while onboard, I'm glad you dragged your camera with you and spent some of your time painting and filming this exquisite journey.
My word... The landscapes you were in are mind-blowing
They where indeed Marcus! Mind blowing
Just when you think Alex couldn’t possibly make a calmer video.
Thank you. Wonderful as always.
I blame the waves!
thats how i started as a kid. i didnt have much money and the friendly guy in the store sold me the 3 bottles. i still have the warzone minis i first painted
Warzone!! Love it.
Yep, one of the perks of being poor is that you never lose that natural easiness in mixing paint. Also, how crazy is it that I started with Warzone as well?! :)
Well, that was intense. The minute you talked about vague memories about colour mixing in school I was slammed back into 1984 and my high school Art class. Lovely video as always Alex.
Awesome :) Thanks Daniel I appreciate it.
I really enjoyed the sublime effect of how the ship's rolling over waves caused the background objects in the video to move; paint brushes, water in the wet palette, etc.
It was a slightly surreal experience and also quite entertaining. Also sometimes to hit the right spot with the brush.
No matter it's this week's video or that one years ago: everytime I whatch one of your vids I somehow see multiple copies of you at different points yet at the same time, like 52 was a stopped zoetrope. Both mesmerising and intriguing no matter you look at one single animated Alex or the big picture of multiple ones coexisting inside the cylinder that is your now long hobby journey.
Congrats on being you. Much love :)
Well thank you man, I wish I could have a few more of those copies in the bunker to do all the dirty work :)
I love these videos that explore the interesting corners of the hobby. Beautiful!
A principle I've encountered (but definitely not mastered): If you can't make the yellow more saturated, make the colours around it less, for the same effect. It's amazing how much interpretation our brains do relative to the physical colours that are actually present.
It's a classic and quite old consideration. The more the artistic approach, the more "elitist" it is. Just because it requires even more time, understanding and competence. So it pushes the painter to find more original ideas and solutions, like using art theory, even when not really bothering about art as a theory, just applying the theory.
For economic reasons, I tend not having too much paints, and yes, I also use a lot of mix with my own paintings, so I'm not surprised of the result. Again, buying more, to have already the "right" color available is also less time consuming, and most of the mini painters don't have that much time.
Anyway, a good balance is always needed, but thanks for this video.
By the way, very intriguing landscapes on your video!
Thank K! I agree, but I also think it's just that we get used to different things. The learning curve of using limited sets of paint is a lot more steep. But I'd be surprised if after a while there is any big difference between the two ways. For me what takes the most time is the actual painting.. I felt that even after just half this paint job I didn't have to think much about the mixing, I just blobbed the 5 different paints on my palette and spent little time thinking about mixing, it just kind of happened.
@@52Miniatures Oh, definitely. Well, to find the colors you want with a limited range of colors comes also from my habit to paint paintings, not only miniatures, with a limited option. You just need blue and red to make purple, after all.
But mixing and trying the get the best of what you have can push you to certain limits and makes you thnk, instead of "just" taking the pot of paint you need.
But also, I like mixing my colors to get a different result than the official box art.
Anyway, that was enjoyable and refreshing, so it was a nice video.
I hope your trip was personally enjoyable, in a more personal point ^^
Thanks K! @@klug5916
Due to not wanting to spend 300$ on the exact paints I saw in peoples tutorials, I bought a few primary colors, white, and black. I of course have quite a few paints and especially contrast/express colors. But when it comes to needing a shade of green, or a shade of orange.. I just mix my colors instead of needing to buy 15-30 dollars on the paints needed to make the shades I'm using.
Your cinematography draws me to your videos just as much as your painting and narration. The shot of the ocean waves, of Signe with soft sunlight across her face, you in front of the Highlands. Amazing work.
Thank you Iain, I would have liked to have stayed longer and just shot "painting mini on mountain" videos
@@52MiniaturesI would watch four straight hours of that.
This video sums up why I tell everybody, GW is actively harming its customers painting success to make money.
I think my favorite part of the mini is the orange bricks, with the blueish shadows, so natural looking!
A new video from Alex is a guaranteed LIKE from me! I am mesmerized by the movement of the water and the paint tubes from the ship
What a visually and to be honest generally pleasing video - your model looks amazing. I especially like the color and texture of the stones.
And I enjoy it when you have a special guest on your video. It's nice to see someone who is relativly new to the topic and she did a great job. I hope she had fun ^^
Thank you. I thought it would be fun to show the process with someone who can't "cheat" because of prior experience. Because this is all about colour... and sometimes when the technique gets better then, in a broad sense, the colours don't matter as much visually. The candy helped a lot too!
Absolutely love the stone stairs! Those colours and textures are beautiful.
Thanks so much! 😊
These kinds of videos are still my favourites on the channel Alex. Very insightful and really well made on such a consistant fashion too. So thank you for the awesome content once more ^^
These are the videos I enjoy making the most Aleria :)
That mini came out great! Both actually! I have started mixing my own colours when painting spacemarines. So instead of having to use 5 different bottles of premixed colours to do it like the guides im using a standard blue and mixing it with a black and a white colour to make my shades/primary/highlights and glazes. Felt like ive grown as a painter by doing so and not just repeating a step by step.
I've only recently found your channel, after painting mini's about two years. You are instantly my favourite, i love how you show and explain your thought process. Its much more relatable content than some other mini painting channels (for me at least). Also because of your relaxed and realistic approach. Thank you for taking the time and effort to put it all together so well!!
Wow, thank you! Welcome and I very much appreciate your comment
I love how you translate hobby into a the story of your trip. Cooking, Cars, Gardening, I would listen all with your style.
Awesome, thank you!
I've been using just the primary colors for about 2 years now after you and ninjon made videos featuring the soflat color line. And I would have to say it made me a better painter since I had to make less decisions on choosing paints and making sure I buy the right bottles.
Great paints the SoFlats!
This is a great video and a wonderful growing exercise. The GW starter sets are great to limit your colors. They often lack a primary. Drives you nuts! For me this very exercise was used on the relic board game busts I have. I only used the Zorn palette. It helps you with mixing and blending and layering and learning contrast. Lovely work by the way!
Thanks Z!
This is how I've been painting for years. It makes every model a fun puzzle and I have more in common to talk to my canvas-based art friends about. Great video!!
I need more canvas based art friends :)
Great video, as usual. The experiment reminds me of my time as a student and later as a doctoral student. No money for colours but desire and motivation. It increased my creativity and improvisation skills enormously.
I consume a lot of videos on TH-cam. This is very likely the best one I have ever seen. Thank you Alex ❤
Very high praise, thank you. You made my day Richard.
Painting minis is not an art for everyone. There are a lot of us, that consider it rather craft than art, and there is nothing bad with this attitude, as long as it gives us pleasure. It is great, that there are people discovering all the different sides of the hobby though. Thanks for doing that and encouraging to do so, or just showing us, so we don't have to do it ourselves.
I too, suffer from a bit of analysis paralysis when trying to choose paints, so this process is definitely going to be something I try! As always, thanks Alex!
Excellent point Ryan
Such a well shot video! The Faroe Islands' tourist board should definitely pay you some money because the stark beauty of the place has me desperate to visit!
Hah! Thank you, some money would be welcome :)
One of your best videos! One of my favorite things is sitting down to paint a “fun” mini with a limited palette of single pigment paints after finishing a unit for my army. It keeps me creatively refreshed.
Thanks B, great to hear.
A fantastic combination of theory and praxis, Alex. The photography touched me and between the commentary and the painting process... *chef kiss* And besides, it's perfect for a friend of mine who is struggling to find comfort in painting miniatures without having the need of more paints.
Thank you Robert, great to hear
That Yndrasta conversion looks so striking! Excellent paint job as well. Limited pallet has been something I've enjoyed trying out especially with smaller groups like my Necromunda team.
Thank you Erik
I love mixing when I paint miniatures. I use cyan, magenta and yellow + black and white. If I only painted unique minis I would always use just those colors, but the problem comes when you want to paint an army with the same colors but have no time to do it in one sitting. If you're not very experienced it can be hard to mix the colors the same every time and that's why I use more colors.
So I normally use cmy + bw and the base important colors for my specific army. For example, the specific color for their plasmas, lenses and main armor colors when I do 40k.
The swaying of the water in the wet palette at 1:10 is so mesmerising.
I'll be honest and say that trying to paint on a swaying ship was a little tricky but also fun to see all the brushes roll around, paint moving about. Kind of surreal.
Wow, what a great video. I clicked on this not expecting to even watch the whole thing, but found myself sad when it was over. Captivating to say the least.
Great to hear, thank you!
Man, I love your unique style of doing these videos. Creative, fresh and personal. Keep on like that!
Thakn Y!
A classic Alex, thoughtful vid, but that said it's one of your best.
The land and seascapes of the Faroes were a relaxing visual treat but the exploration of our fundamental tools made such good sense and genuinely shifted the hobby perspective. This was not colouring in toy soldiers!
Alex, I love the way you get me thinking
Thank Phil. I enjoyed painting this mini, I enjoyed the process and I enjoyed the result. So making the video was fun and felt honest to what actually took place.
13:10 Maybe good to add (even though I am sure you already know and left it out of the video to not overcomplicate things) is that complementary colors can still intentionally or unintentionally desaturate each other even though they are single pigment paints. Also some pigments are naturally more muted like the yellow oxide you used in this video, which also limits the brightness of your mixes.
Indeed! I felt like the major message was just to get folk interested in using less paint, whatever paint it may be. Not try and do a video on colour theory / paint theory.
@@52Miniatures Makes sense!
One thing I do find cool from your minis is that the slight inconsistency in mixing really does give it a very painterly look. Reminds me of Van Gogh paintings or the background of the Mona Lisa. Just more organic looking.
I agree and like it very much. It look lively somehow.
Beautiful video. I've been following photography channels for a while and how I wish you had one.
If I had another parallel lifetime I'd enjoy having one :)
Seeing the sea and wild around you was so nice! Thanks for bringing us along, Alex. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it Magnus!
Lovely video again Alex - limiting the palette makes you feel quite "arty" I find, I love it 😊
Thank B! I appreciate it.
Thanks!
Thank you humbly Emily! Hope you are well!
Funnily enough, I was in a simullar predicament, As Im a civilian mariner, I work on boats. Last time I forgot my hobby stuff, so I chose to go to a local art shop. Lucky for me they had a two warhammer figures in that "introduction" (tidning?) So I picked it up along with four horrible craft paints and a prime can and off I went. Needles to say your results are miles better than mine. But it was fun!
Amazing video as always.
I'm glad to hear there is a fellow "on a boat painter" here. I mean craft paints won't do you many favours but it sounds a lot better than not painting at all!
@@52Miniatures Yeah, though the craft paints where absolutely horrible, it was the only paint I could get my hands on. It made for a fun challenge! But I really really don't recommend it.
This is my little ones favourite bit about painting. She can quite happily sit for an hour or so just mixing up new colours and painting little swatches. Sometimes she doesn't even bother painting a picture with them, the swatches are the artwork. Going to give this a go on a few of my tree people.
Just a great Video!! The cape turned out amazing, as did the stairs!! And that Kroot is AMAZING as well!!
Thanks! I'm pleased with the steps too!
This video was art in itself. Forever in awe of you, Alex.
Thank you humbly T!
this might be one of the best videos you made...and for a second mini, that kroot looks awsome.
Wow, thanks! I'm glad you like it Gryn
This was a great discussion for not only miniatures, but any art using colour. Thanks for making this!
One little English tip for the title: "fewer paints" not "less paints". The reasoning is a bit much for youtube comments, but just thought I'd throw it out there 🤘
Thanks
Thank you very much Tomas 🙏
What a great and inspiring video! Your camera work and editing is something to aspire to and I am so glad you are sharing your talent with us!
Thank you Ben! I'm very glad to hear it.
Stunning as always! You truly bring an artists eye to film making.
Thank you very much C!
This video is a piece of art in itself. Nice work.
Thank you Robert
What a fantastic topic, wonderful video idea with the travel and the mini looks fantastic. Only gripe would be the blade, but the armor and the stairs are simply stunning! I loved it
Agree. It was a difficult blade to paint honestly. I've also been thinking it might have been fun to have made it more "fantastic" like glowing or something.
Love all 52 Minitures stuff. Thanks for sharing your journey. 👏👍
Thank you as always Mark!
Great Video as usual. Painted Abaddon in the same way about 1 or 2 years ago. Really had a blast with this "challenge".
I’ve been using the Zorn color palette for a while now and so glad I moved to it. Initially, I went to the Zorn palette to save on paint costs. As I mixed and used colors in the color palette, I found the miniatures took on a more cinematic tone that I really fell in love with.
The muted colors (which are seen in your video) really spoke to me. The more I used the Zorn palette, the more I embraced what it was giving me.
I’m glad you mentioned the Zorn palette at the start of the video as your opening comments had me saying Zorn palette before you even mentioned it.
The final aspect in using this style is it also unifies every color I put on my miniatures. From one figure/army to another, each takes on the familiar cinematic tones of everything I paint. From what I have done previously with the color palette to any future miniatures. Everything will work together on display shelf or on the table.
For me… it is the way I will paint from here on out. I can’t escape, nor do I want to, the cinematic color/tone quality It delivers.
It sounds like you have found just the same thing as I did. This is my major take away from doing this video, the overall coherent and as you say, cinematic feel to the miniature.
Awesome video. I'm fairly new to the painting side of the hobby. But I started setting myself painting challenges with limited colours already. I figured it would push my skills in mixing and setting coherent tones for my minis. Glad to see experienced painters like you also do it. Maybe I'll stop buying every paint I see and use more of what I have XD
I appreciate it B, thank you
What an amazing
and beautiful journey. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🙏
Thank you Mark, it was on many fronts a great trip.
My watercolor teacher encouraged us to use limited palettes because it does give your piece coherence.
I love the outcome. I also really love the idea of having less little paints on my desk.
Especially since always seem to be missing something.
Stunning backdrop and commentary, as usual.
I appreciate your each of your videos, Alex. But this topic is one that has been on my mind for the past few months. I recently did all the Eternals from the Dominion box as living statues. It was an incredible journey with some super enjoyable results and some less desirable ones as well (to say the least).
Your Yndrasta is superb and I really like the modifications you made to the model.
Thanks T! Your Stormcast sound great. Have I seen them? It sounds familiar :)
@@52Miniatures I don't post online (I don't even like taking photos of my painted minis) - so you didn't see mine. There are other stone Eternals out there though, but I didn't realize it when starting. I did steal the idea of living stone minis though, but I was just trying to improve my highlighting and wet blending skills with models I didn't particularly care about (Dominion box, love me some Orks).
Man i love your videos. Also, this is definitely the hobby shake up i need right now. Thank you!
Thanks Red Mister!
Thank you for sharing. This was very inspirational, especially to someone still pretty new to painting.
I'm glad to hear it, this makes me happy to hear.
What a great trip and video. Thank you so much for sharing. Great to see Signe again too (hope I spelled that right). I am going to try this, very limited paints used (the last mini I painted, well, when done I looked at all the paint bottles on my table at the end and was like, wtf!?!) Thank you as always!
Thanks man, you got the name right! I had a lot of fun and found a few favourite colours doing this so I def recommend.
This video was recommended to me randomly by YT. I'm following a few of the mini painting channels, but I don't think I stumbled across yours before. But anyway... sir... you just got another subscriber! Just WOW.... That was VERY inspirational. I've been painting minis for a year+ now and I was actually looking for ways to improve my skills to another level. On top of that - yesterday I've been talking to a guy who wants to sell not the best glued and assembled SCE half of the Dominion box cheap! Coincidentally - a perfect way to get minis to actually train on. Thank you for making that video :)
Also: the views on Faroe Islands - stunning :O Great video montage!
Thank you Orz and welcome to the channel. The Dominion box contains a lot of great minis, I've used most of them for my army. There is a new AoS coming this summer. Probably another starter set with what looks like one half Skaven and one half Stormcast (looks like it anyway). So probably this summer there will be a lot of halves of Stormcast out there that people want to get rid of. A chance to extend your army perhaps.
Another great video. I found this especially inspiring. My first minis I ever painted were from the Massive Darkness Boardgame and all I had were some Golden Artist Acryllics. Ultramarine, Cadmium (Lt), Pyrrole red, Burnt Umber, Pthalo Gr, Titanium white and Carbon black.
Even after a Lot of thinning, it went on pretty thick. But I am still pretty satisfied with what I was able to do with the palette I had to work with at my in-laws'.
I've been rethinking my approach to mini painting lately and you have given me some real food for thought with this one.
Thank you once again and please, keep them coming.
Thank you, great to hear
I was in the local warhammer store buying some brown paint for my Deathwing. The clerk got really excited, telling me I needed some of this for the base, and then that for the first coat, and then the other for the wash, and then and then and then
I cut him off and said "no I just need one bottle of brown paint."
I pretty much did exactly this when I started painting miniatures again , set of 8 Vallejo black, white, silver, gold, yellow, blue, red and green, the only paints I didn't use was the green and gold , I painted 5 different Warhammer units before buying any more paint specifically for miniatures
Every one of these videos absolutely whips
Thanks AJ!
An intriguing hobby project to put on the to-do list
Love your naration. To see a new video is always bliss 😊
Glad you enjoy it!
Great video (as always). I loved the paint job on the stone work. I would never have thought of going down that route and as a result my miniature would have been much more drab
I was thinking the same thoughts when painting. Almost started putting grey on there and then thought, that's going to be a lot of booring grey stone...
Beautiful mini, glad you got an opportunity to expense a trip!
I'm afraid it was a work trip, but I had a great time nonetheless :)
Love the vids. If you want to try another limited palette exercise, try going for the yellow, cyan, magenta, instead of yellow, blue, red. It will give you a broader range of potential colours and it's fun to reprogram your brain's colour theory a bit.
Fantastic video! The concept is something I've been trying recently, and you convey it in such a beautiful way! Major kudos!
Thank you, I appreciate it.
That is one awesome intro, well done! Really love your style of video and narration!
I appreciate it D, thank you.
Beautiful and inspiring paintjob and video - as always!
I love this. A more minimalist mindset would benefit a lot of mini gamers/painters. Too often our hobby gets bogged down in buying more of whatever the latest cool new thing is, in the hope that having more of the thing will open up some previously hidden aspect to us.
GRG Miniatures first introduce me to the concept and has some nice vids on limited palettes and runs a regular challenge for his patreons on that theme.
Thanks Marc, I also think the companies are just cashing in because they know most of us have strong "collectors syndrome".
This was truly enjoyable :) i do enjoy my convenience colors and not just for my model paints, lol! I was recently thinking i should make myself a limited "travel" palette for my watercolor paints. Maybe, just maybe, you have inspired me to paint at least one of my models with a predefined and limited palette 😜 As usual, you have definitely inspired me to go paint some more models!
Great to hear Lauren, thank you :)
Fantastic work.
Hi Alex. I hope you enjoyed your voyage 🛳️ There were a lot of bits of wisdom in this video. I paint with a fairly limited color palette, mainly due to budgetary concerns 🙂 However, I also enjoy mixing my own colors 🎨 Then again, as you know, I don't paint armies. Thanks for the video. It brightened my day. 🌞
Thanks ToG, I really enjoyed the process, getting the coherency kind of felt like cheating
@@52Miniatures As we both know, as long as we're enjoying ourselves, there is no cheating in hobbies (as long as it's not structural engineering or a game).😁
Your videos continue to be some of my favorites. I've always viewed mixing as a way to introduce mismatching and error into my process when so many color options exist, but you've inspired me to give it a go. My current model is a cyberpunk-style character done up in a bright neon scheme, so maybe that's not the best candidate though.... I'll give it a try on my *next* model. 😉
This is too good to be real, what an amazing video
Thank you Fernando, I truly appreciate it.
I agree with this video. I use only the 13 colours in the core Kimera set and have been since they were released. Before that, I was trying to do a limited palette with Vallejo, and I found it super frustrating due to the amount of white and mixed pigments. Before that I was using a limited palette with Golden High Flow, and I only stopped because the paint was too glossy.
You very quickly get used to mixing paint, and as long as you can accept that perfect paint matching isn't actually required, I much prefer this way of painting. Very infrequently I see a tutorial and think: How nice it would be to start with this yellow and just add a drop of white for highlights. But then I remember the stress of maintaining a paint collection and worrying about whether that paint I infrequently use will not be empty at some key painting juncture.
you continue to almost motivate out of hobby apathy.
another great video... thanx dude.
I do try to limit myself to a few colors when painting any given miniature, but I generally limit myself to six colors, not just 3. Sometimes I manage it with just four.
I love your setting and scenery, but I can't imagine trying to paint on a boat!
I think the expense of miniatures puts alot of people off experimenting with painting. But it is an essential part of learning and growing as a painter.
Mesmerazing spectacle, even more than usually. Thank you very much as always!
My pleasure and thank you for watching
Solid work as always, Alex. This is very similar to a self imposed idea I've been meaning to try myself, which is to not only limit what paints you use for a model, but also randomly pick which paints you're going to use in the first place. Like a "spin the wheel" or "randomly generated" color scheme, to test yourself to make the colors work with the model. If a Space Marine can have dozens of dozens of different color combinations, why can't other models? Something worth checking out in a future video maybe??
Sounds like a fun idea U!
It is not for everyone but everyone should try.
I accidentally limited myself about two years ago. It didn't take long before I sold of my premixed paints and have never looked back!
Inspiring as always!
Thanks CV!
Ahhh I love ur videos, it’s so relaxing to watch 😌
Thank you!! 😊