These videos are utterly in their own league when it comes to youtube mini painting tutorials. The production quality is insane, you cover all the basic and intermediate techniques and give me the confidence to try similar things on my own minis. I also appreciate that you paint a variety of minis, not just Games Workshop. No other tutorials come close. Thanks my man :)
Another exquisite model, you are always so detailed and love how you explain the reasons why you are doing it. I wish people would understand the artistry that goes in to this medium, when I tell people how much I love watching miniature painting I get strange looks. This has helped me understand so much more about light and color than anything else.
Thank you for this. I got this miniature by itself on ebay several months ago, which turned me on to the Blood Rage line (missed the Kickstarter, but it did lead me to investing in CMON's most recent Rising Sun game). Its my favourite troll miniature I've yet come across, evoking the classic paintings of John Bauer and even Brian Froud to some degree. I've been looking foward to this tutorial in particular to see how someone with your talent handled this mini, and you did not disappoint at all. For the first time, I'm now planning to follow along with the video as I paint my own. Gathered the paints needed this weekend.
Blood Rage definitely has some very distinctive miniatures; this one has a lot of character that I feel you captured wonderfully. The tattoo work looks amazing, as do the gemstones; this is actually the first time I've seen someone mix a little of the gem's color in with the white for that final spot and I think it makes it look a lot more convincing.
Wow those gem stones are incredible! Loving the 'Blood Rage' series can't wait for the next one. Hopefully you will do videos for 'Rising Sun' when it comes out.
Another great tutorial! I like the results you achieved with mixing green into your paint and shades. The blending on the hammer head really bumped up the appearance,, too. While I'm not painting any Blood Rage figures, I can see how I can directly apply many of these techniques to the Hordes, Circle of Orboros monsters and constructs I am painting.
you are amazing dude.....really great work, i hope you still painting miniature blood rage, the Kickstarter .....like the gigant mountain or the other Troll.....i really learn so much with you, thanks you.
Thank you So much for this video. The figure itself takes me back to the mid-80's to early-90's when this size of figure was more freely available from the likes of Scotia Grendel and the Warmachine table top game. i am going to use the skin tone you described for my newly sculpted/cast Egyptian Dwarves, as well as for some of th elarger figures that have amassed on my table of late. The light source and shadow work are sublime. I used to study Boris Vallejo's fantasy art paintings for such ideas/inspiration, and that worked for years, but now with all the new washes and shades on the market, it's MUCH easier to find the right tone/combination. Thank you for the tattoo work, too, which is something I seriously need to get some practice in on, as I used to use micro-fine lining pens for such a task, along with pinstripe detail on trousers/jackets, etc. I also admire your gemstone work, which I've tried myself, and have found to be much better than those techniques describes in many painting guides. Seeing it being done is just SO much better, and adding a gloss coat after the matt spray has dried makes them pop out like real crystals. My favourite part of this tutorial is the fingernails, to be honest, as you manage to make them look so naturally dirty and dull at the same time, just by base painting and washing them :-) That simple technique I am going to apply on so many of my models from now on, as it saves much more time trying to paint the nail quicks and apply the dirt to the tips of the nails too. Well, yet another sublime video, with more tips and inspiration than you'd find in a dozen painting guides. It's SO much better to see someone with your skill and technique actually DOING the painting than following a step by step guide in a book. Thank you so much for ALL your tutorials, and may many more soon appear. All the very best Paul :-)
I'd suggest taking some before and after pics to show yourself how much better it looks once you're done! It doesn't have to be immaculate or anything - just have fun with it. 😀
Brilliant work, as always! I really love how you incorporated the lighting into your paintjob - that sunlight on skin effect is stunning! I found most of the blood rage models really were a joy to paint, board game plastic or not. That troll is one of my favourites, along with the fire giant.
Yes!!! Blood Rage!! I've been waiting for more Blood Rage. I bought the game not too long ago. Here's hoping he will do all the figures! Beautiful work!! You are truly talented sir!!
Sorastro's Painting no thank you for making such great videos! I think you offer the best and easiest to follow painting tutorials on TH-cam! I plan on becoming a Patron really soon! I don't want your videos to go away and I would like to be able to vote on what you paint next.
There honestly is not much that I enjoy more than watching you paint non traditionally colored skin tones. Also I really have to get some scale color metallics the warmth is really incredible and works so well with this model.
Thanks so much Nathan! Yes - I only recently bought the Scalecolor Metal 'n' Alchemy sets and have only just begun trying them out but I'm very happy with them so far :)
There’s so much good information in this video. In fact, what he’s saying is even more educational than what he’s doing. This taught me a lot about colour theory - but in a practical way, not just someone showing me a picture of a colour wheel. Off to find an ogre in my box of unpainted stuff. Thank you!!
For smaller miniatures’ skin tones, would you use the same amount of highlights and shades - or use fewer increments but with the same range? I’d guess it’s the latter
Is it possible to use seraphim Sepia instead of Agrax earthshade? Would you recommend using some nuln oil to darken seraphim sepia ? 2 part seraphim 1 part nuln maybe?
Wow! You've really out done yourself here. This model looks absolutely amazing! I got on eBay and bought one straight away. I'll have to give it a go someday.
Thanks! Sure you can! Even if it doesn't look quite as smooth or precise I bet you'll enjoy the process and end up with something that looks 10 X better than when it was unpainted :)
Really enjoying these videos thank you so much, you've inspired me to get back into the hobby after many years away from it. Will we also be seeing a tutorial for the sea serpent?
Yeh.. I think I may actually just do a monochromatic speed paint for the warriors due to time limitations (but using a different colour for each faction) :)
Thanks Loic! Yeh I was just being lazy with the golden arm bands to be honest; you could highlight with the original gold tone, or a paler one if you have one. Or you could try lightening the base gold colour with a little white and/or yellow perhaps? :)
I can’t seem to replicate your success with the use of shades on flat surfaces, like the backside of the loincloth. My results are always splotchy. What’s the key to it?
Hi! Yes, Shades and flat surfaces don't get along very well! These days I generally only use Shades over more textured surfaces, but if you used it on the loincloth say, that's OK - you'll darken the recesses nicely - but you might just have to re-apply your mid tone over the flatter areas to clean things up before progressing on to the highlights :)
I always both love it and hate it when you paint something I already have. Love it because it always looks incredible, and hate it because it makes me feel so inadequate :P I'll just keep plugging away and practicing. Would you have a couple tips for proper paint "thiness" for highlighting skin, after you've applied a shade? I find whenever I shade skin, then try to go back over it with the same tone to start highlighting the raised areas, it seems either my paint is too thin to properly cover the previous tone smoothly, or it's too thick and creates a harsh contrast. I just can't seem to be getting that one down.
Thanks Julian! Getting the consistency right does take a bit of practice for sure..but it's also about how you deal with that harsh contrast that you mention: try laying down the highlight then quickly rinse your brush and pull ("feather") the edges out to create a smoother transition. Another solution to a harsh edge like that is to let it dry then mix an intermediate tone and glaze it over the boarder - it's not something I've shown in this series yet but it's another perfectly valid approach to creating smooth highlights :)
Thanks for the video. When using the earth brown vallejo, are you using an old brush? I've found that textured paint eats brushes quickly. Thanks for sharing the names of the products, I hadn't seen the Warlord basing material before.
Just started painting, and you are a real inspiration. Wanna paint all the Bloodrage Minis. How much paint do you use from the pots and how much do you thin it down to get such results?
Thanks a lot Lucas! That's a hard question to answer because it depends on the paint and how I'm using it; for opaque base colours for example I'll only thin the paint a little, but I might thin it quite a bit more when glazing etc.. 🙂
it's possible to snap the model off the base. the base is only connected with a couple of pegs in his feet and not fully glued. carefully bend the two back n forth, slice some glue then bend again and so forth. painting the bottom parts might not be necessary for most ppl, esp for a very crowded base like in the vid.
hay great work as always, I showed this to a friend of mine as he is also painting one of these, he has decided he wants to paint the hammer to look like a large chunk of jade but we are having a hard time finding a good way to do it, got any advice on how to do that.
Since the highlighting process has to be done via multiple steps, by adding small quantities of the lighter paint on the original paint, and since this is not a fast process, how do you avoid the paint drying on the palette? Do you use retardant? But then if so, how to avoid taking forever since the highlight paint on the mini will also take much longer to dry and delay the additional applications? Thanks!
Hi DTM! I usually just keep an eye on the paint and if it looks like it's starting to become thick/drying out I just add an additional drop or two of water. Alternatively a little Vallejo's Glaze medium will slow the drying time, but not so much as to take ages to dry on the mini (especially if the layers are quite thin). And you could of course use a wet palette :)
Hi Petr! You can do either; I've never had any problem with spraying over the grass etc. The main occasion I wouldn't might be if I'm using water effects because the spray can mist the effect slightly 😀
Thanks King Lynceus! Typically one would use a shade that is a darker colour of the base colour of the object (so for a brown axe handle we'd use a dark brown shade). For this troll I augmented the shades a bit by introducing more of the dark green as I wanted to get a bit more green in the shadows to reflect the forest environment. :)
Sorry I know I always questions but I have another one for you. I've heard lots of people have problems with their protective sprays, either changing the colors of the paint or "frosting". I've never used any so I am curious if you have any tips? I live in Colorado where it is very arid so I assume that is a good thing for the varnish but I don't know.
Hi Chris! I find Testor's Dullcote very reliable and hasn't given me any problems. I'd advise that whatever brand of varnish you use to simply follow the instructions RE ideal spray distances (specifically don't spray from too far away as this - along with high humidity - can cause cause issues such as frosting), and if you're nervous - test it out on a spare mini before using it on your masterpiece. I think you'll be fine :)
Hey Sorastro, thanks a lot for this awesome Video! I'm new to painting miniatures and found your explanations on why you chose what color(s) very helpful! However in this particular video I'm confused, why you don't prime your miniature. Did you prime it just like the Frost Giant, or did you prime it white, but didn't explicitly say it out loud? I can't really tell by the video.
Thanks a lot Yaron! I usually show the priming process in the first episode of a series but not for all of the subsequent videos, but I do mention it in the introduction - think the line you may have missed is here: th-cam.com/video/dqPMrdr2G6I/w-d-xo.html :)
Thanks MarkSubie! I use a wet palette when I'm testing out colours etc on my own but for filming I like to keep things clear and simple for the viewer by using a traditional palette.. I guess I thin the paints enough and use them continuously so that they keep from drying :)
How do you keep your paints so in your palet? Do you mix them with water or something else? I don't seem to be able to keep mine wet and runny for such a long time and they end up drying and chalky even in a wet palet. Thanks!
Hi Raul! I usually just thin them with water, but occasionally I'll also add some Vallejo's Glaze Medium which has some built in retarder which slows the drying time :)
Hi, sorry to bother through the comments, but since Dark Souls the boardgame should be out now in the UK, I wanted to ask if you have reconsidered painting it.
Hi gjdakin! I was actually due to cover some Dark Souls (funded by my sponsor at GTS Distribution) but I've yet to receive my copy of the game yet so I'm not sure what's going on. Watch this space... :)
King Lynceus may I suggest that you start out with a couple of Reaper Bones miniatures. They are cheap but descent miniatures to get some practice and experience with. Painting miniatures is not as easy as Sorastro makes it look! I would hate for you to end up with a paint job you don't like on an expensive fig that's part of a set.
You should get in touch with the good guys at Monolith. Maybe they'll sponsor you for doing stuff on their Conan or recent Mythic Battles game (which has some awesome larger scale minis, that you could excel on too).
Thanks Waldgeist! I'm trying not to take on too much sponsored content at the moment but I did back Mythic Battles so it's possible you may see something from me on that in the future.. :)
You're world class, sir. Well done. Painting this game right now myself. You are at once inspiring and depressing. 2 questions. 1) I find that I am losing some of my dry brushed highlights after applying my dullcoat. What am I doing wrong? 2) Do you have plans to paint Rising Sun when it's released? So many good figures in that box ripe for paint. Thanks!
Thank you so much Nathan! Regarding your questions: 1) Hmm, all I can suggest is that the dullcoat is EXTREMELY matt which may give the impression of a flatter finish that is perhaps making your highlights seem a little less "pop"-ish? You may want to try a different brand - perhaps with a little less of a matt finish and see if you prefer the look. 2) It's possible I may paint a mini or two from Rising Sun if my patrons are interested in seeing me do so. I'll find out more when I conduct my Summer patron poll in August. :)
Just recently found your channel, great tutorials! I’m particularly fond of the Blood Rage and Zombicide: Black Plague figures. When/are you gonna do the hero figures from Blood Rage? These molds are really cool with lots of neat details.
Thanks Clayton! Actually, I'm thinking of doing a speed paint of the infantry for Blood Rage, using just monochrome colours for each faction. I will do the sea serpent first though :)
Thanks for all of these great tutorials. I'm a relatively new subscriber and I'm almost through all of the videos. It's great to see the way you break down each step and take the time to explain it so the viewer can transfer the instruction into their own painting techniques. I think this approach really is very encouraging because getting into such a hobby can seem a bit daunting lol. I'm sure a lot more people have taken the jump into mini painting feeling way more confident after watching your content. I tried to reach out on Facebook with a few general questions and if you would be Ok with answering them it would be great :) I figure you must be way busy and it might be easier to connect with you here. 1. What is the best way to strip a paint job off a mini that has already been primed? Vallejo and Reaper acrylic paints were used. 2. I've been using an extender medium in place of water to thin paints. Will this mess up layering at all or other techniques? 3. Are the primers and Testors Dullcote you mention in your tutorials safe to use on resin miniatures? 4. Would the techniques you are using for the smaller scale miniatures for faces clothing, etc. work on larger scale miniatures such as 54 mm to 75 mm or even large 1/6 scale? Thanks :) Tom
Hi Tom! I'm sorry we failed to connect on FB; It's strange - I've checked my messages and I can't see anything from you. Anyway - I'm happy to answer your questions here :) 1) I've never actually tried stripping a mini before but I believe soaking Simple Green (or Dettol in the UK) will do the job. 2) As long as you're happy with the consistency I don't think it should be a problem. 3) I don't see why not but I've yet to try it myself. 4) Yes, although working on larger scales certainly opens up more possibilities in terms of techniques and complexity of colours etc. I'd certainly do more "zoning" of the different parts of a face on a larger-scale bust etc for example. :) I hope this helps! :)
Thanks for such a quick reply :) I'm not sure about FB but who knows lol. I likely went to the wrong page. Thanks for the feedback. Very helpful. There are so many tutorials out there it's hard not to get overwhelmed and to narrow it down to folks who seem to be on the right track :) Keep up the great work. Looking forward to your next Blood Rage tutorial :)
Awesome. We got into painting just this week with my GF, we wanted to paint Gloomhaven miniatures. Hope I'm gonna improve fast, cause I paint like crap :(
I would love to see you paint a couple of minis from GH! I'm yet to find a decent tutorial for it. It's nice to see what you can do with a little paint on a mini, especially for someone just getting started.
Seems like you had the same issue as I did with the back side of the hammer handle. That one was a bitch to paint, messed the skin so many times trying to get the underside painted.
Great work as always! Wonderful! I have a question: putting colorful plastic rings at the bases of monsters to distinguish their possession during the game is not likely to ruin the color at the base? Is it just the simple varnish? Do you have any advice on it? Many thanks in advance!! I always follow you as a devout apostle! :D
+Luca Rizzonelli Hi Luca! Hmm that's a good question. I haven't tried putting the coloured bases in yet so I'm not sure how likely it is to scrape the paint off. Maybe a coat of gloss varnish on the base might be enough to protect it; I'll have to test :)
A brilliant tutorial about the skin, the cool shadows and warm highlights are great. Only a little complaint, I see that you centre each tutorial in a part of the mini, showing an specific technique or group of techniques, keeping the rest simple, but it seems that this time you have kept the metals a bit too simple. Anyway a really good tutorial. Keep on doing blood rage tutorials, they are great.
Thanks Mikel! You're absolutely right, and the simplistic treatment of the metal areas is a very fair criticism. For me, the metal bands just weren't where the interest lied, but hopefully viewers of the series will be able to draw on previous tutorials to do something more fancy with them should they wish :)
Hi Sorastro. My daughter and I have a question for you. The miniatures you paint, are they for your own personal collection or are they commissions for others? If they are your personal figures, do you play the games that they are for? Do you paint them for selling? We were just curious. Thanks for your time.
Hi Jason! I essentially "paint to play" - so I mostly paint figures for games that I actually like to play; having said that I spend a lot more time painting than playing! I don't paint on commission but sometimes paint duplicates of the minis as practice which I then usually give away to my patrons. :)
Thanks Marko! I've learned never to say "never" but I don't currently have plans to cover any 40K or AoS. I think there's a fair bit of good content out there for them already?
Thanks a lot for videos! All of them are A-W-E-S-O-M-E masterpieces. Bought some paints and start to learn) Btw what are you thinking about Vallejo Washes series? Are they equal to GW Citadel Shades series?
These videos are utterly in their own league when it comes to youtube mini painting tutorials. The production quality is insane, you cover all the basic and intermediate techniques and give me the confidence to try similar things on my own minis. I also appreciate that you paint a variety of minis, not just Games Workshop. No other tutorials come close. Thanks my man :)
Thanks so much Edward! I really appreciate the kind feedback. 😃
I'll say it again - I don't paint minis and I still watch every video you make. That's how I love what you do. Great job.
Thanks so much bushibayushi! I'm glad you're still enjoying the videos :)
The quality of your work, and production value of your videos are always top notch. It's a joy to behold.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos :)
I really liked the way the Troll turned out. I like how you explain your choice of color when doing the highlights. Well done as always.
Thanks buddy :D
Another exquisite model, you are always so detailed and love how you explain the reasons why you are doing it. I wish people would understand the artistry that goes in to this medium, when I tell people how much I love watching miniature painting I get strange looks. This has helped me understand so much more about light and color than anything else.
Thank you so much Zaph! I'm really pleased you enjoyed the video :)
Thank you for this. I got this miniature by itself on ebay several months ago, which turned me on to the Blood Rage line (missed the Kickstarter, but it did lead me to investing in CMON's most recent Rising Sun game). Its my favourite troll miniature I've yet come across, evoking the classic paintings of John Bauer and even Brian Froud to some degree. I've been looking foward to this tutorial in particular to see how someone with your talent handled this mini, and you did not disappoint at all. For the first time, I'm now planning to follow along with the video as I paint my own. Gathered the paints needed this weekend.
That is praise indeed; thank you Tristram! Much appreciated :)
I’ve just bought this mini from eBay and can’t wait to follow the tutorial.
Great explanations in this (why you watered down some shades, different hues, etc) I really liked it!
Thanks a lot Justin! I'm glad you found it useful :)
Sorastro's Painting I think blood rage and kingdom death might be your best work. They are unreal!
Thanks again! I'm pretty proud of my work on both games and have the Sea Serpent and the White Lion on my schedule pretty soon.. :)
Blood Rage definitely has some very distinctive miniatures; this one has a lot of character that I feel you captured wonderfully. The tattoo work looks amazing, as do the gemstones; this is actually the first time I've seen someone mix a little of the gem's color in with the white for that final spot and I think it makes it look a lot more convincing.
Thanks a lot sir! I appreciate the kind feedback :)
Awesome video that continues to deliver that top quality Sorastro standard. Really looking forward to getting stuck into this mini!
Thanks so much SuperBro87! I'm glad you liked it :)
Perfect timing! I followed your previous ones and was about to paint the Troll. Thanks!!
Awesome! Thanks TheMrE :)
Wow those gem stones are incredible! Loving the 'Blood Rage' series can't wait for the next one. Hopefully you will do videos for 'Rising Sun' when it comes out.
Thanks Timothy! The gemstone trick is pretty easy and effective :) The minis for Rising Sun do look amazing don't they! :)
It would be great to see Rising Sun :)))
Another great tutorial! I like the results you achieved with mixing green into your paint and shades. The blending on the hammer head really bumped up the appearance,, too. While I'm not painting any Blood Rage figures, I can see how I can directly apply many of these techniques to the Hordes, Circle of Orboros monsters and constructs I am painting.
Awesome - thanks Michael :)
So happy to see you back to Blood Rage! I hope to see more soon!
Thanks Andre! I'll try and get to the Sea Serpent within the next few months.. :)
Oh My!! The flesh is terrific!!! Great Job again.
Thanks buddy! Enjoying your lunch break? :)
Ha!! Shhhh!
you are amazing dude.....really great work, i hope you still painting miniature blood rage, the Kickstarter .....like the gigant mountain or the other Troll.....i really learn so much with you, thanks you.
Thanks a lot Ricardo! I do have the KS extras and will be happy to cover some of them if there's enough interest from my viewers :)
Thank you So much for this video.
The figure itself takes me back to the mid-80's to early-90's when this size of figure was more freely available from the likes of Scotia Grendel and the Warmachine table top game.
i am going to use the skin tone you described for my newly sculpted/cast Egyptian Dwarves, as well as for some of th elarger figures that have amassed on my table of late.
The light source and shadow work are sublime.
I used to study Boris Vallejo's fantasy art paintings for such ideas/inspiration, and that worked for years, but now with all the new washes and shades on the market, it's MUCH easier to find the right tone/combination.
Thank you for the tattoo work, too, which is something I seriously need to get some practice in on, as I used to use micro-fine lining pens for such a task, along with pinstripe detail on trousers/jackets, etc.
I also admire your gemstone work, which I've tried myself, and have found to be much better than those techniques describes in many painting guides.
Seeing it being done is just SO much better, and adding a gloss coat after the matt spray has dried makes them pop out like real crystals.
My favourite part of this tutorial is the fingernails, to be honest, as you manage to make them look so naturally dirty and dull at the same time, just by base painting and washing them :-)
That simple technique I am going to apply on so many of my models from now on, as it saves much more time trying to paint the nail quicks and apply the dirt to the tips of the nails too.
Well, yet another sublime video, with more tips and inspiration than you'd find in a dozen painting guides.
It's SO much better to see someone with your skill and technique actually DOING the painting than following a step by step guide in a book.
Thank you so much for ALL your tutorials, and may many more soon appear.
All the very best
Paul :-)
Thanks a lot Paul for all the kind feedback :)
Just bought one of these so will follow this guide. Hopefully I can make it look halfway decent.
Awesome! I bet you'll do great 😀
@@Sorastro Lol well I’m just a beginner so we’ll see.
I'd suggest taking some before and after pics to show yourself how much better it looks once you're done! It doesn't have to be immaculate or anything - just have fun with it. 😀
@@Sorastro Can pictures be posted on your Patreon site?
Hey! Yes they can - in the "Community" tab 😀
Your videos make me want to get into the hobby. Thanks. The gemstones blew my fragile little mind.
Thank you! You should give it a go :)
Brilliant work, as always! I really love how you incorporated the lighting into your paintjob - that sunlight on skin effect is stunning!
I found most of the blood rage models really were a joy to paint, board game plastic or not. That troll is one of my favourites, along with the fire giant.
Thanks a lot Olli! Much appreciated :)
Yes!!! Blood Rage!! I've been waiting for more Blood Rage. I bought the game not too long ago. Here's hoping he will do all the figures!
Beautiful work!! You are truly talented sir!!
Thanks so much Chris! :)
Sorastro's Painting no thank you for making such great videos! I think you offer the best and easiest to follow painting tutorials on TH-cam! I plan on becoming a Patron really soon! I don't want your videos to go away and I would like to be able to vote on what you paint next.
There honestly is not much that I enjoy more than watching you paint non traditionally colored skin tones. Also I really have to get some scale color metallics the warmth is really incredible and works so well with this model.
Thanks so much Nathan! Yes - I only recently bought the Scalecolor Metal 'n' Alchemy sets and have only just begun trying them out but I'm very happy with them so far :)
There’s so much good information in this video. In fact, what he’s saying is even more educational than what he’s doing. This taught me a lot about colour theory - but in a practical way, not just someone showing me a picture of a colour wheel. Off to find an ogre in my box of unpainted stuff. Thank you!!
Thanks a lot Alex! I'm glad you found it useful :D
For smaller miniatures’ skin tones, would you use the same amount of highlights and shades - or use fewer increments but with the same range?
I’d guess it’s the latter
Hi Alex! Oh yes - for smaller minis you can absolutely get away with fewer gradations of tone :)
Is it possible to use seraphim Sepia instead of Agrax earthshade? Would you recommend using some nuln oil to darken seraphim sepia ? 2 part seraphim 1 part nuln maybe?
Hi! I think the best thing to do is simply test things out on some spare plastic; if it gives you a look you're happy with, then go for it! 😀
Simply great, great painting tutorial, congratulations
Many thanks Victor! :)
Love your video's! The best painting tutorials on the web! Will there be tutorials for the different blood rage clans as well?
Thanks Robin! I will most likely take a speed-painting approach for the clans :)
Amazing work! Looking forward to some more blood rage videos from you Sorastro!!
Thank you James! :)
Amazing as usual! I love your basing! That is the one area I really lack and I know it can make a good mini look great! Thank you so much for this!
Thanks John! You're right about how much some basing can add to a mini; it's not hard either (and quite fun!) :)
Sorastro's Painting I agree I really enjoy basing but I have trouble coming up with new ideas so that all my bases don't look exactly the same
Very great video. Thank you and please make a video of painting the seasnake.
Thanks a lot Rammson! I'll get to the serpent.. :)
Man I love your videos. It's like Bob Ross for minis. Any chance you'll be at gen con this year? Would love a lesson there or just to meet you!
Thanks Evan! I don't think I'll be going to GenCon this year but am hoping to be there in 2018 :)
Wow! You've really out done yourself here. This model looks absolutely amazing! I got on eBay and bought one straight away. I'll have to give it a go someday.
Thanks Jacob! 😀
Amazing as always Sorastro!
I was holding my breath when you started painting the tattoos!
Keep up the good work :)
Ha ha - thanks Sasha :)
Another really awesome tutorial. Thanks again!
Thanks a lot Jon! I'm glad you liked it :)
Watching you paint instantly inspires me. You truly have some amazing skill!
That's very kind - thanks Jonathan! :)
Outstanding job, it looks amazing.
Thank you Daniel! I'm glad you like it :)
Oh Sorastro, men please more of the same. Fabulous
Thanks Kay86S - I'll keep doing my best :)
looks great.... I wonder if I'll ever be able to paint minis like this :D
Thanks! Sure you can! Even if it doesn't look quite as smooth or precise I bet you'll enjoy the process and end up with something that looks 10 X better than when it was unpainted :)
Really enjoying these videos thank you so much, you've inspired me to get back into the hobby after many years away from it. Will we also be seeing a tutorial for the sea serpent?
+Craig Clifford Thank you Craig! Yes I will be doing the Sea Serpent 😀
Awesome can't wait, also it would be interesting to see your take on the warrior/leader models as some of those sculpts are amazing.
Yeh.. I think I may actually just do a monochromatic speed paint for the warriors due to time limitations (but using a different colour for each faction) :)
Awesome video, great job ! Why didn't you highlight the gold parts ? What colours would you use for that ? Thanks !
Thanks Loic! Yeh I was just being lazy with the golden arm bands to be honest; you could highlight with the original gold tone, or a paler one if you have one. Or you could try lightening the base gold colour with a little white and/or yellow perhaps? :)
I can’t seem to replicate your success with the use of shades on flat surfaces, like the backside of the loincloth. My results are always splotchy. What’s the key to it?
Hi! Yes, Shades and flat surfaces don't get along very well! These days I generally only use Shades over more textured surfaces, but if you used it on the loincloth say, that's OK - you'll darken the recesses nicely - but you might just have to re-apply your mid tone over the flatter areas to clean things up before progressing on to the highlights :)
The best 30 minutes of my life.
Thank you so much! :)
There's something inherently relaxing about these videos!
I always both love it and hate it when you paint something I already have. Love it because it always looks incredible, and hate it because it makes me feel so inadequate :P I'll just keep plugging away and practicing.
Would you have a couple tips for proper paint "thiness" for highlighting skin, after you've applied a shade? I find whenever I shade skin, then try to go back over it with the same tone to start highlighting the raised areas, it seems either my paint is too thin to properly cover the previous tone smoothly, or it's too thick and creates a harsh contrast. I just can't seem to be getting that one down.
Thanks Julian! Getting the consistency right does take a bit of practice for sure..but it's also about how you deal with that harsh contrast that you mention: try laying down the highlight then quickly rinse your brush and pull ("feather") the edges out to create a smoother transition. Another solution to a harsh edge like that is to let it dry then mix an intermediate tone and glaze it over the boarder - it's not something I've shown in this series yet but it's another perfectly valid approach to creating smooth highlights :)
Thanks for the reply! I'll play around with that a bit :)
Hi i like a lot your painting video. Did you plan to make tuto for each clan of bloodrage?
Thank you Franck! Yes - I'm planning to do a monochrome speed paint for each of the clans a bit later in the year :)
Thanks for the video. When using the earth brown vallejo, are you using an old brush? I've found that textured paint eats brushes quickly. Thanks for sharing the names of the products, I hadn't seen the Warlord basing material before.
Thanks Joe! Yes I will typically use an old brush for applying the basing paste :)
Just started painting, and you are a real inspiration. Wanna paint all the Bloodrage Minis. How much paint do you use from the pots and how much do you thin it down to get such results?
Thanks a lot Lucas! That's a hard question to answer because it depends on the paint and how I'm using it; for opaque base colours for example I'll only thin the paint a little, but I might thin it quite a bit more when glazing etc.. 🙂
Amazing work, thank you. I have a question: doesn't varnish spray ruin flock/grass used on base?
Thanks Eugene! I wandered that myself but it appears that it had no adverse affect :)
Ok, thanks.
Another great video, I am soooo looking forward to see you tackle Kingdom Death:Monster...
+DK Dent Thanks buddy! Me too; I'm loosely aiming to begin some KDM in October :)
Another epic tutorial. Thanks. Am going to start this one once I finish the Wolf Clan.
Awesome - thanks Milo! :)
it's possible to snap the model off the base. the base is only connected with a couple of pegs in his feet and not fully glued. carefully bend the two back n forth, slice some glue then bend again and so forth.
painting the bottom parts might not be necessary for most ppl, esp for a very crowded base like in the vid.
Hi Sorastro, when do you anticipate your speed painting video for the clans will be done? Great work as always.
+Nick Thanks Nick! I'm honestly not sure as I have so much else I want to get stuck into in over the next couple of months.. :)
Sorastro's Painting fair enough. Is there not a voice in your head telling you to finish all of blood rage before starting a new project? Haha
How do you fix the mini onto the holder? What kind of holder is it, if I may ask?
hay great work as always, I showed this to a friend of mine as he is also painting one of these, he has decided he wants to paint the hammer to look like a large chunk of jade but we are having a hard time finding a good way to do it, got any advice on how to do that.
Since the highlighting process has to be done via multiple steps, by adding small quantities of the lighter paint on the original paint, and since this is not a fast process, how do you avoid the paint drying on the palette? Do you use retardant? But then if so, how to avoid taking forever since the highlight paint on the mini will also take much longer to dry and delay the additional applications? Thanks!
Hi DTM! I usually just keep an eye on the paint and if it looks like it's starting to become thick/drying out I just add an additional drop or two of water. Alternatively a little Vallejo's Glaze medium will slow the drying time, but not so much as to take ages to dry on the mini (especially if the layers are quite thin). And you could of course use a wet palette :)
Beautiful work and so helpful as well! Thank you!!!
Thanks a lot! I'm glad you found it helpful :)
One more extremly great paint! will you paint the whole gamefigures?
Thank you! Yes I plan to eventually cover the whole set, although I might do a monochrome speed-paint of the infantry figures :)
awesome work.
+Lefevre Antoine Thank you sir! :)
Best tutorials on the net and the best painted thank you :)
Thank you ged! Too kind :)
adoro i tuoi tutorial!!! Bravissimo!
Thank you Luciano! Ciao :)
Your work is spectacular. How do you feel about brush on testor's dullcote and glosscote?
+Jo Nemo Thanks Jo! I haven't actually tried their brush-on varnishes so I'm afraid I can't comment :)
Hi, when do you use the lacquer? After you do the pedestal, sprinkle the grass and stick the tufts of grass? Or before that?
Hi Petr! You can do either; I've never had any problem with spraying over the grass etc. The main occasion I wouldn't might be if I'm using water effects because the spray can mist the effect slightly 😀
@@Sorastro Thanks :)
No problem! :)
Very beautiful.
I'm going to start soon on my first miniatures. How do you decide the color of the shades, I only have nuln oil at the moment.
Thanks King Lynceus! Typically one would use a shade that is a darker colour of the base colour of the object (so for a brown axe handle we'd use a dark brown shade). For this troll I augmented the shades a bit by introducing more of the dark green as I wanted to get a bit more green in the shadows to reflect the forest environment. :)
Amazing skin tones.
+Thomas Andersson Thanks buddy! :)
Sorry I know I always questions but I have another one for you. I've heard lots of people have problems with their protective sprays, either changing the colors of the paint or "frosting". I've never used any so I am curious if you have any tips?
I live in Colorado where it is very arid so I assume that is a good thing for the varnish but I don't know.
Hi Chris! I find Testor's Dullcote very reliable and hasn't given me any problems. I'd advise that whatever brand of varnish you use to simply follow the instructions RE ideal spray distances (specifically don't spray from too far away as this - along with high humidity - can cause cause issues such as frosting), and if you're nervous - test it out on a spare mini before using it on your masterpiece. I think you'll be fine :)
You are an amazing painter. Thank you for these videos!
I'm eagerly waiting for the Sea Serpent. I hope you upload it soon.
+Clint Gh Thanks a lot Clint! I'm also looking forward to painting the serpent :)
How exactly do you go about the rations? Spoons? Brushes?
Hi! I usually just measure with the brush :)
Hey Sorastro,
thanks a lot for this awesome Video! I'm new to painting miniatures and found your explanations on why you chose what color(s) very helpful!
However in this particular video I'm confused, why you don't prime your miniature. Did you prime it just like the Frost Giant, or did you prime it white, but didn't explicitly say it out loud? I can't really tell by the video.
Thanks a lot Yaron! I usually show the priming process in the first episode of a series but not for all of the subsequent videos, but I do mention it in the introduction - think the line you may have missed is here: th-cam.com/video/dqPMrdr2G6I/w-d-xo.html :)
awesome paintjob as allways😎
Thank you David! :D
Did the troll plait its own hair? unlikely with fingers that size.
Ha ha - I like to think his mom did it for him :)
beautiful 😀 i notice you dont use a wet palette at all. how are you keeping your mixes from drying so quickly?
Thanks MarkSubie! I use a wet palette when I'm testing out colours etc on my own but for filming I like to keep things clear and simple for the viewer by using a traditional palette.. I guess I thin the paints enough and use them continuously so that they keep from drying :)
How do you keep your paints so in your palet? Do you mix them with water or something else? I don't seem to be able to keep mine wet and runny for such a long time and they end up drying and chalky even in a wet palet.
Thanks!
Hi Raul! I usually just thin them with water, but occasionally I'll also add some Vallejo's Glaze Medium which has some built in retarder which slows the drying time :)
I really do love. Nice work !
Greetings from France.
Thank you very much! 😃
Do You plan on painting the Sea Serpent?
Yes Bruno! :)
i really serioulsly think to buy this game . your videos for this game really give a ++ to buy it
Thank you sir! 😀
Hi, sorry to bother through the comments, but since Dark Souls the boardgame should be out now in the UK, I wanted to ask if you have reconsidered painting it.
Hi gjdakin! I was actually due to cover some Dark Souls (funded by my sponsor at GTS Distribution) but I've yet to receive my copy of the game yet so I'm not sure what's going on. Watch this space... :)
Sorastro's Painting As I said I'm starting my first miniature soon, which is Dark Souls. So I'm looking forward to your videos :-)
King Lynceus may I suggest that you start out with a couple of Reaper Bones miniatures. They are cheap but descent miniatures to get some practice and experience with. Painting miniatures is not as easy as Sorastro makes it look! I would hate for you to end up with a paint job you don't like on an expensive fig that's part of a set.
Chris DeMint Thank you, they look nice. I'll order some of those :-)
For german grey for hair do you mean mechanicus standard grey? Since I dont see The german grey in your paint list.
Hi Dick! No - that's just an error in the paint list; I did use German Grey :)
Sorastro's Painting do you know of mechanicus standard grey is a near perfect match? Since i dont have german grey. Thanks for the quick response
No problem! A roughly equal mix of Mechanicus Standard Grey and Black will give you something close to German Grey :)
You should get in touch with the good guys at Monolith. Maybe they'll sponsor you for doing stuff on their Conan or recent Mythic Battles game (which has some awesome larger scale minis, that you could excel on too).
Thanks Waldgeist! I'm trying not to take on too much sponsored content at the moment but I did back Mythic Battles so it's possible you may see something from me on that in the future.. :)
Now you got me grinning from one ear to the next. :D
Wow!!! A fantastic work!! what product do you use to dissolve the paint? Water? Medium?...
Thanks Ortego! Unless I state otherwise in the video, I just thin with water :)
You're world class, sir. Well done. Painting this game right now myself. You are at once inspiring and depressing.
2 questions. 1) I find that I am losing some of my dry brushed highlights after applying my dullcoat. What am I doing wrong? 2) Do you have plans to paint Rising Sun when it's released? So many good figures in that box ripe for paint.
Thanks!
Thank you so much Nathan! Regarding your questions: 1) Hmm, all I can suggest is that the dullcoat is EXTREMELY matt which may give the impression of a flatter finish that is perhaps making your highlights seem a little less "pop"-ish? You may want to try a different brand - perhaps with a little less of a matt finish and see if you prefer the look. 2) It's possible I may paint a mini or two from Rising Sun if my patrons are interested in seeing me do so. I'll find out more when I conduct my Summer patron poll in August. :)
Just recently found your channel, great tutorials! I’m particularly fond of the Blood Rage and Zombicide: Black Plague figures. When/are you gonna do the hero figures from Blood Rage? These molds are really cool with lots of neat details.
Thanks Clayton! Actually, I'm thinking of doing a speed paint of the infantry for Blood Rage, using just monochrome colours for each faction. I will do the sea serpent first though :)
How much do you thin your paints? It goes on soooooo smooth, and i can't ever get mine to look quite as nice. :(
Hi Drew! It varies quite a lot depending on exactly what I'm doing, but typically up to around 50% water :)
Maybe I just need to mix mine more then. It just always seems like too watery. Thanks!
No problem! It does take a bit of experimentation and practice to get used to working with different consistencies :)
Amazing stuff as always, looks like it literally just crawled out of a storybook :D
Thanks Vecks! :D
How long do you have to wait after each application...I seem to have a hard time blending..😭
Hi Francis! I find the paint dries pretty quickly to be honest (and a hair dryer can certainly help speed the process up!) :)
Thanks for all of these great tutorials. I'm a relatively new subscriber and I'm almost through all of the videos. It's great to see the way you break down each step and take the time to explain it so the viewer can transfer the instruction into their own painting techniques. I think this approach really is very encouraging because getting into such a hobby can seem a bit daunting lol. I'm sure a lot more people have taken the jump into mini painting feeling way more confident after watching your content.
I tried to reach out on Facebook with a few general questions and if you would be Ok with answering them it would be great :) I figure you must be way busy and it might be easier to connect with you here.
1. What is the best way to strip a paint job off a mini that has already been primed? Vallejo and Reaper acrylic paints were used.
2. I've been using an extender medium in place of water to thin paints. Will this mess up layering at all or other techniques?
3. Are the primers and Testors Dullcote you mention in your tutorials safe to use on resin miniatures?
4. Would the techniques you are using for the smaller scale miniatures for faces clothing, etc. work on larger scale miniatures such as 54 mm to 75 mm or even large 1/6 scale?
Thanks :)
Tom
Hi Tom! I'm sorry we failed to connect on FB; It's strange - I've checked my messages and I can't see anything from you. Anyway - I'm happy to answer your questions here :)
1) I've never actually tried stripping a mini before but I believe soaking Simple Green (or Dettol in the UK) will do the job.
2) As long as you're happy with the consistency I don't think it should be a problem.
3) I don't see why not but I've yet to try it myself.
4) Yes, although working on larger scales certainly opens up more possibilities in terms of techniques and complexity of colours etc. I'd certainly do more "zoning" of the different parts of a face on a larger-scale bust etc for example. :)
I hope this helps! :)
Thanks for such a quick reply :) I'm not sure about FB but who knows lol. I likely went to the wrong page. Thanks for the feedback. Very helpful. There are so many tutorials out there it's hard not to get overwhelmed and to narrow it down to folks who seem to be on the right track :) Keep up the great work. Looking forward to your next Blood Rage tutorial :)
Nice as always. Do you have a schedule for the next descent figures? Can you hint what will be next on?
Thanks Toby! Yes it will be the ettins next :)
Awesome. We got into painting just this week with my GF, we wanted to paint Gloomhaven miniatures. Hope I'm gonna improve fast, cause I paint like crap :(
Doh! I just received Gloomhaven actually; not sure if I'll find the time to paint them though :)
I would love to see you paint a couple of minis from GH! I'm yet to find a decent tutorial for it. It's nice to see what you can do with a little paint on a mini, especially for someone just getting started.
Seems like you had the same issue as I did with the back side of the hammer handle. That one was a bitch to paint, messed the skin so many times trying to get the underside painted.
Ah well, (almost) no-one looks back there :)
Great work as always! Wonderful!
I have a question: putting colorful plastic rings at the bases of monsters to distinguish their possession during the game is not likely to ruin the color at the base? Is it just the simple varnish? Do you have any advice on it? Many thanks in advance!!
I always follow you as a devout apostle! :D
+Luca Rizzonelli Hi Luca! Hmm that's a good question. I haven't tried putting the coloured bases in yet so I'm not sure how likely it is to scrape the paint off. Maybe a coat of gloss varnish on the base might be enough to protect it; I'll have to test :)
Hi! Those shades can be the same as washes?
Hi! Yes, the Shades are actually just washes 🙂
A brilliant tutorial about the skin, the cool shadows and warm highlights are great. Only a little complaint, I see that you centre each tutorial in a part of the mini, showing an specific technique or group of techniques, keeping the rest simple, but it seems that this time you have kept the metals a bit too simple. Anyway a really good tutorial. Keep on doing blood rage tutorials, they are great.
Thanks Mikel! You're absolutely right, and the simplistic treatment of the metal areas is a very fair criticism. For me, the metal bands just weren't where the interest lied, but hopefully viewers of the series will be able to draw on previous tutorials to do something more fancy with them should they wish :)
Hey there Sorastro, Are you planing on doing the rest of the figurines for the game ?
+GoldFish_Gamer Hi! I know it's been a while but yes it's on my New Year resolution list to finish! :)
Hi Sorastro. My daughter and I have a question for you. The miniatures you paint, are they for your own personal collection or are they commissions for others? If they are your personal figures, do you play the games that they are for? Do you paint them for selling? We were just curious. Thanks for your time.
Hi Jason! I essentially "paint to play" - so I mostly paint figures for games that I actually like to play; having said that I spend a lot more time painting than playing! I don't paint on commission but sometimes paint duplicates of the minis as practice which I then usually give away to my patrons. :)
Amazing !
Thank you so much! 😀
Amazing, im going to start painting my troll.. and take this video as example :)
Thank you! Have fun :)
Amazing work as always ! Any chance we will be seeing Warhammer40/ Age of Sigmar tutorials from your hand in the future ?
Thanks Marko! I've learned never to say "never" but I don't currently have plans to cover any 40K or AoS. I think there's a fair bit of good content out there for them already?
Yeah, I know there are a few good painters on youtube for WH, but I find your tutorials "newb" friendly and a pleasure to watch :)
More videos on Blood Rage pleaseeee
I'll do my best :)
Thanks a lot for videos! All of them are A-W-E-S-O-M-E masterpieces. Bought some paints and start to learn)
Btw what are you thinking about Vallejo Washes series? Are they equal to GW Citadel Shades series?
Thanks Quidel! The Vallejo washes are OK-ish, but I prefer the Citadel Shades for how well they settle into the recesses creating more contrast :)
Vallejo Wash makes miniature "mud" in addition to shades
Hi Sorastro, we need more Blood Rage vidéos 😉
Hi Raphaël! I hear you! I'm just a bit snowed under with other projects at the moment but I'll return to Blood Rage when I can :)
The work of a true master craftsman. Thank you Reddit for bringing me here. Out of curiosity, how many hours invested on this piece?
Thanks a lot! I can't actually remember how long I spent tbh as it was a few years ago..! 😁
The next vídeo ???
Sorastros you're the best
That's too kind but thank you Erivelton :)