Great video so far! Your paint spinner there. You could probably get one of those magic arm camera mount with a clamp end to hold it so you don't have to.
On vortex mixers; I have chronic joint pain which makes shaking bottles (or any repetitive action like it) uncomfortable up to painful rather quickly. So while it seems silly, they are incredibly helpful because it takes some of the unnecessary wear and tear from my joints. If your joint health or general longevity of your hands is a concern, I highly recommend getting one!
I actually own one too! Super love it - even for airbrushing I use it by dropping my paints/extruder/thinner etc in a 5ml test tube and voila~ amazing airbrushing
1. I learned the 50/50 mix of Milliput and greenstuff from you. Absolute game changer. Best of both worlds. Greenstuff I can sand! Milliput that shapes great! Like a Reeces Peanut Butter cup. Thanks, man. 2. Vortex Mixer: I mocked these mercilessly. Then I bought one, complaining about the cost with every breath. Worth. Every. Penny. 3. "Adult lubricant." I know there's a million ways to keep putty from sticking to tools, but one drop of "adult lubricant" on my cutting mat does the job for me and doesn't foul my greenstuff or make things goopy.
the Superglue Problem has confounded me for longer than I'd like to admit. I am glad to learn 1) I am not alone 2) the solution was painfully simple. The warhammer store manager who gave me my first and only in-person painting tutorial said something like "controlling the finish on different parts of a miniature is key to higher level painting" took me a couple years to know what he meant. Anyone who's watched a Vince V Hobby Cheating video will know you can varnish anything and often. Playing with varnishes and mediums is an invaluable exercise.
New to the hobby, started shaking the paint and realized there was some pain. So I bought a shake to prevent injuries, and get well mixed paints faster, at 47 years old every second counts.
A couple of tips and tricks I've picked up this year: - Gel super glue is a god send. It doesn't run everywhere leaving white marks all over your miniatures. - "Really Useful Boxes" are great for keeping things organised. There are countless sizes available and they are very rugged. - Utilise magnets as much as you can. Linked to the above, I riveted metal sheets to each inside wall of a large Really Useful Box and I store all my miniatures in it. - Tamiya extra thin cement is an awesome plastic glue. You can be really accurate when applying it, instead of squirting glue all over your miniatures with the glues that use a needle.
I actually learned about Zinc White from Marco Frisoni! He did a video talking about how artist paints have this "mixing white" and how it solves the issue where you lose a lot of saturation when mixing with white.
Cleaning the desk is most underrated tip. Not only it is good for the desk, but it gives you spark to do hobby! Cleaned desk is so welcoming and you can clean it even if you don't feel like hobbying, and it gives you push in the right direction.
I made a point to get into some Discord communities when I was laid up from surgery a few months ago, and the 52 mini's discord is my favorite by far! Stacked to the rafters with friendly, helpful people, and I love seeing what everybody's working on.
This is one of the great Alex vids, absolutely full of really well chosen ideas. It's like sitting down in a new restaurant and finding the menu full of awesome ideas you've never thought of, except here you can try everything!
25:30 that numbness can also happen with vortex mixers, especially during longer sessions. My tip is to use the palm of your hand to press down instead of your fingers. If your prefer your fingers, than alternate between them.
Cleaning the desk thing is something I've realised I need to do more often, since I moved house I've got a dedicated painting desk instead of using the kitchen table. Using the kitchen table meant I had to tidy it all up every time which was a pain, but this also forced me to keep my paint setup tidy. Like you I've rarely tidied up my desk properly this year, only when I had to move it when we had some work done on the house.
Same. Now that I have a set table, I force myself to do it after finishing every mini. Worth it. Lots of single-used tools end cluttering the arms-reach space.
Soda-can metal might be alright, to great for armor and such... But for banners and sculptural cloth in general, you have to try the foil that comes over the cork and around the top of wine bottles.
Hej Alex! I think the glue trick of it not solidifying is because when you don't close the bottles, the glue will slowly drip back into the container, leaving the tube clean of glue. But you restrain the amount of air that comes into contact with the glue, also reducing the amount of it that solidifies aftwewards. The tube then functions as a physical barrier and protects the glue. You can probably leave them unscrewed for a few minutes after using them and then clos9ng them after. Lovely tips! Learned quite a bit from this! ^^ thanks!
Ferrule. Good tip. I could probably use my third hand jig for holding brushes upside down to dry. Or maybe mount a strip of alligator clips to the side of my paint rack...
Mmmm, I have an idea for a 3D printed strip with cutouts for a rubber band that could be mounted to a desk or whatever to hang brushes inverted. Might have to give it a shot when I get my new Sermoon this week. Also need to refine my dropper bottle rack design to use less filament. Might start selling that on etsy for a reasonable price. Holds 60+ droppers and it's only about 12" wide and 3" deep so saves desk space tremendously. Maybe offer bespoke paint rack designs on a made-to-order basis.
Away back in the old days :) the 80's when toothpaste tubes were metal, we used those for banners. They were really good. I assume medicinal tubes of cream would also be good. Its softer and more flexible than cans.
@user-yi9ng8jm8v it was exactly as I remember the toothpaste tubes were: bendy enough to represent trashed newspapers or campaign maps unforded over ammo crates. At the arts store I got it they cut as much as I needed, then rolled it into a cylinder. I think it's worth asking at your local art supply store. Dunno about hobby stores though. Cheers buddy.
After my son was born I didn't have time to paint and my hobby room became a catch all. I wanted to go back but my paint had separated. A friend gave me his older vortex shaker. It brought dead paints back to life and saved me hundreds of dollars.
Good video! As far as the finish of paint part is concerned, if the surface is too glossy for blending and highlight coating, you can simply hit it with somehing like AKI Ultra Matte Varnish and that problem will be solved for application of future layers. I will often use a high gloss varnish before pin wash as it allows the wash to glide into the recesses. It also has the added bonus of creating multiple protective layers as you work a model up.
I've been using micro pens for eyes for years and have learned from experience (a whole squad of racoon-eyed WWII Brits) that you have to varnish them if you plan to use a wash afterwards. It doesn't matter how long you let them dry, the wash will reactivate them. Another use for dried out micro pens is writing custom slogans on 15mm vehicles. I use the 'dead' pens by dipping them in white (or whatever color you want) paint and writing the slogan on the vehicle. It takes a bit of practice, but I find I have much more control than with a fine-tipped brush.
The best thing I picked up in 2022, was this hobby! I attached a piece of foam tube, with slots cut out, to my desk. As a means of drying brushes. Seeing as I have numerous metal stands around the desk, the magnetic clip seems like a much cleaner and less neon green option haha. Thanks! :)
I'm laughing out loud as you're discussing my super glue woes. The loosely sitting lid fix is something I accidentally discovered with my most recent bottle, but I didn't realize it might actually be a thing until I saw this.
On the Brush storage. I basically build a little upside down stand. You basically just want to have some firm but flexible material, like dense foam padding, insulation boards (the ones for building gaming boards) etc. and you just cut a slit into them, cut a bit to size and you can stick the end of your brush into the slit. It will stick and it is a great storage open and can be attached to the wall, to a mobile painting shelf or be modular if you have some magnets on this holder.
Being part of the 52 Miniatures community was one of the highlights of the year for me. Love the videos, love the livestreams and love Hobby Hangouts on Discord. Thank you Alex and best wishes for the New Year.
Very interesting video, thanks for share your knowledge. My best buy in 2022 was the Wowstick, is a low-speed minidrill. I love it. Ak 3rd Gen Paints are really good. I recommend Jose DaVicin's starter sets, awesome for beginners.
Thank you for all the time caps in the description Alex! It made navigating the video up and down much more enjoyable, and helps re watching. Thank you and a merry Christmas And a happy New Years Eve!
I also dabbled in sculpting this year, I practiced by sculpting some busts about 4 cm tall, it's a lot easier to build up the skills at a large scale than to dive straight into miniature scale sculpting. And the busts I created can be used for terrain etc.
I found your channel late in 2022 and I have really been enjoying the content, even though my modleing niche is very different. Thanks for everything you have taught me, I look forward to more of your content in 2023.
I too also started to sculpt for the want and need of my own miniatures last year around Oct 2021 and still do. But I never used Milliput or green stuff or polyester as my base to sculpt not even Sculpey or any polyester clay. I highly, highly suggest start with Ceramic (natural) clay because it's water based and super easy to use. Then advance to using oil-based clay like NSP Chavant High Melt soft or medium. From there, it's super easy to learn how to make casting molds with #1 Pottery Plaster for everything. Silicone molds and resin molds are easy peazy compared to plaster molds for casting (or even learning how to do slipcasting!)
scale 75 sable is amazing. you will enjoy. the one that came in the smog riders starter set is so good. took me a year to appreciate it. instar's water+ is god tier, too
Ak interactive pastel range is awesome. Not that I would use the colours raw on most projects, but because they are great for mixing to get different values out of your other colours.
The physics of paint finish and how they react was really interesting to hear. Never thought about it but that was fascinating and will help in future. I need to figure out how to unbreak patreon so I can support such good chaps as this Alex person.
I've been buying tiny containers of superglue, intended to be single use, and had it stay useable for weeks, without a lid! Its crazy stuff, and I can't explain it, but its handy! And a 5-pack is $1, so they last me for months! Thanks Alex, and Happy New Year!!!
17:15 a lot of great mini painters have been liking the Ak 3rd gen paints. I remember Andy Wardle calling them "Vallejo Model color 2.0" as in same finish and same names even. They might be made in the same factory as Vallejo.
Hi Alex. Here's something I find handy. I've drilled several different diameter holes partially through a piece of 2x4 inch ( ~ 5x10 cm) lumber and use it to hold tools that I use frequently. e.g. jeweler's files, hemostats, sculpting tools, scissors etc. It keeps things separated, organized and was free. Happy New year.
I know it runs counter to every anecdotal piece of advice out there, but Winsor and Newton recommends letting watercolor and acrylic brushes dry with bristles facing up.
Thanks for this lovely collection! Haven't been able to paint for a while because my Master thesis takes up so much time.... But now I'm more motivated than in the last weeks to finish it up and get painting again with the tipps! :D
A shed load of experiential advice packed into those 1849 secs Alex, many thanks as always for your videos! The Green Stuff centrifugal, vibrating, RSI inducing paint mixer was hilarious; so a special thank you for that edit 🤩🤣😂👍🏻 I have also wondered if GS have recently brought Professor Heinz Wolfe and Dr Emmett Brown into their ranks 🤔
Alex, I don't know how you manage to hit it out of the park every time - it is such a pleasure to see your work! Speaking of your work, have you ever seen the film "The 3rd Man"? I think of your videos as like 'hobby film-noire': it is an art within an art (about art?)
24:25 for some paints you can shake them by hand all you want, they won't mix properly. Sometimes vortex mixers are not even strong enough (not even the 100 euro ones) to mix paints. With those I hand mix (stir) using a old airbrush needle. I actually like vortex mixers for fluid paints as well, because you can mix a fluid paints (airbrush ready ones for example) without the paint getting into the cap, which will happen when you shake them.
Happy and successful New Year Alex. One obvious tip I will add regarding our hobby - Never give up! Success/ failure / inspiration - it’s all a mystical concoction. 👍
I use a vortex mixer because I have EDS and Carpal Tunnel so paint shaking is torture, though even if I were perfectly able bodied I'd still likely use one for the consistency of thoroughly mixed paints ^^
If you're going to try use smooth metal as armature for sculpting with putty, try scuffing it up a bit with a rough file or sand paper or an old piece of concrete and the putty will stick better. Regarding Gloss Matte ... if you like a paint and it's to far on either end of the spectrum, you can totally varnish w/ a matte or gloss varnish in between steps. This is also great because it kind of acts like a "save point" in your paint job, if you mess up you can use a little IPA to clean off down to where you varnished and start over without having to start completely from scratch.
Fairly new to the channel at its great to see it's growing. But I'm kind of sad that it's at 56k subscribers not 52k...But really all the best for the new year and look forward to your future videos!
Pure Ref is a pretty handy software. If you browse online for visual references/inspiration, you can drag those images into Pure Ref, as it simply acts as a pin board of sorts, to have all your images laid out in front of you.
Awesome vid very informative thanks a bunch . For the mixer maybe wrap the handle in a thick cloth to dampen vibration. Me I got $20 nail polish bottle shaker with mixing balls, noisy but works or you could diy some large deep sockets and attach them to a hand drill same spinning action but longer power time.
I often use the metal foil from a (good quality) wine or champagne bottle for custom banners and standards. You can bend or manipulate it a good deal to get any desired effect from blowing on the wind and paint is easily applied to it. Who doesn't like a decent glass of wine while they paint?
6:33 I use Guerrilla CA glue and so far haven't had this problem. Of course, I store it standing up and I wipe the nozzle off with a paper towel that has a bit of Isopropyl alcohol. I discovered while using IPA to strip a metal miniature that IPA disolves CA or at least cause the bond to fail enough that parts seperate.
Regarding the white pigments - Titanium is opaque, while Zinc is typically considered semi-translucent (or semi-opaque). That's why your colors retain more saturation when zinc white is added.
Nice tips! I had to struggle with my brain to think about something I could possibly add (it's etched in my DNA, sorry😅). I'd say about the finish topic that, satin colors always look deeper than matt so let's say you are a masochist and you are painting black: lighting it is a pain but shading it is nearest impossible as there isn't a darker color than black. Or there is? Try using satin black (just mix gloss varnish into regular black) to shade deepest recesses of black parts: it goes an extra step darker. Enough of chit chatting! I just wanted to wish you happy holidays 😚
It's a bit draining to do for something bigger like priming multiple minis, but for small deep shadows on a mostly finished piece I sometimes reach for the blackest depths of my withered soul and dab some of that in there
Have you tried supersculpy? It required baking, but it's a great sculpting material that lets you decide when you're done as opposed to the chemical reaction from a two-part. I sculpted most of a Beast of Nurgle and kitbashed the rest a few years ago and supersculpy was priceless.
24:10 - Go ahead and let a bottle of Golden High Flow Fluorescent Pink sit for a year and tell me how much progress 15 seconds of shaking makes towards mixing it. Mine looked like a strawberry milkshake.
Please get a vortex mixer for yourself. It is expensive. But I promise you, you will know the difference in the paint and realize you never had your paint mixed correctly. Theres a reason piant mixers mix for an hour or two in hardware stores :) have fun!
On the scale75 brushes, those really look like they're Escoda Reserva and escoda Optimo brushes that scale75 has branded. They're wonderful brushes, and prices look similar. Love my Escoda Reserva and Da Vinci Maestro series 11.
With superglue, I've largely shifted entirely to the small tubes from Dollar Tree...cheaper, works the same, and if something happens with it, just toss the bit left in that tube and grab another of them
Super glue hack. After each use coat a paper towel with a few drops of olive oil. Wipe it around the super glue applicator head. Loosely pu the cap back on and store in the freezer. Never worry about not going through a whole bottle again.
Those Vortex mixers are great, but I like my Typhoon mixer better. It's superheated duty, never fades and I can shake a spray paint can on the. It costs the same as a Vortex. 👍
re: sculpting tools Not to discourage people making thier own tools, thats a good thing, but worth knowing that a set of 10 or more wax sculpting tools can be found online on amazon or ebay for €5-10 and will set you up nicely for all kinds of sculpting work re: superglue clogging A thick sewing needle does a very good job in my experience, just brace the end of the needle against something like a desk and push the clogged bottle into it, and clean any glue off the needle afterwords. just be careful and push with the same caution you do when using a model knife, where you've braced it from over traveling its target.
Great video. The only thing that disappointed is that you did not say why you did not like the GSW brush washer. I was thinking of getting one, so was anxious to hear your opinion.
I have a condition with the tendons and nerves in my hands that means that i don't have a great grip and suffer from hand pain. the mixers not only help me mix the paints but can also be the difference between being able get in 30min of painting before my hands really start to hurt and 10 min after spending just a couple of min shaking a bottle (and inevitably losing my grip and throwing the bottle across the room)
Great video, Alex, that tip about the cap of super glue will be too useful! :) A tip from me, check out Vevor vortex mixers. Not too expensive and comes in many different prices. Bought one for about 30 euros (about 32 USD) and it has kept going fine for many months now.
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Great video so far! Your paint spinner there. You could probably get one of those magic arm camera mount with a clamp end to hold it so you don't have to.
On vortex mixers; I have chronic joint pain which makes shaking bottles (or any repetitive action like it) uncomfortable up to painful rather quickly. So while it seems silly, they are incredibly helpful because it takes some of the unnecessary wear and tear from my joints. If your joint health or general longevity of your hands is a concern, I highly recommend getting one!
I'm in the same situation as you! Vortex mixer has been a lifesaver :D
They are also great if the paint has reached such a level of separation that shaking it like loon won’t work so I love them
My vortex mixer was the best purchase I made this year.
I have a vortex mixer. I brought paint that has sat for 20 years back to life using this mixer. Absolutely swear by them
I actually own one too! Super love it - even for airbrushing I use it by dropping my paints/extruder/thinner etc in a 5ml test tube and voila~ amazing airbrushing
1. I learned the 50/50 mix of Milliput and greenstuff from you. Absolute game changer. Best of both worlds. Greenstuff I can sand! Milliput that shapes great! Like a Reeces Peanut Butter cup. Thanks, man.
2. Vortex Mixer: I mocked these mercilessly. Then I bought one, complaining about the cost with every breath. Worth. Every. Penny.
3. "Adult lubricant." I know there's a million ways to keep putty from sticking to tools, but one drop of "adult lubricant" on my cutting mat does the job for me and doesn't foul my greenstuff or make things goopy.
Thanks Shawn!
the Superglue Problem has confounded me for longer than I'd like to admit. I am glad to learn 1) I am not alone 2) the solution was painfully simple. The warhammer store manager who gave me my first and only in-person painting tutorial said something like "controlling the finish on different parts of a miniature is key to higher level painting" took me a couple years to know what he meant. Anyone who's watched a Vince V Hobby Cheating video will know you can varnish anything and often. Playing with varnishes and mediums is an invaluable exercise.
I continue to say that people need to try magic sculpt. Great stuff and works well mixed with green stuff, and dries rock hard.
New to the hobby, started shaking the paint and realized there was some pain. So I bought a shake to prevent injuries, and get well mixed paints faster, at 47 years old every second counts.
A couple of tips and tricks I've picked up this year:
- Gel super glue is a god send. It doesn't run everywhere leaving white marks all over your miniatures.
- "Really Useful Boxes" are great for keeping things organised. There are countless sizes available and they are very rugged.
- Utilise magnets as much as you can. Linked to the above, I riveted metal sheets to each inside wall of a large Really Useful Box and I store all my miniatures in it.
- Tamiya extra thin cement is an awesome plastic glue. You can be really accurate when applying it, instead of squirting glue all over your miniatures with the glues that use a needle.
Phil is genuinely a treasure. Dude has a plethora of useful tips and tricks.
Agreed, he is always happy to help out and give advice when asked!
You guys are awesome and you're so kind to say that because you're guys I really respect the opinions of, so it's hard to dodge the good feeling
I actually learned about Zinc White from Marco Frisoni! He did a video talking about how artist paints have this "mixing white" and how it solves the issue where you lose a lot of saturation when mixing with white.
Yep, been using it since Marco's tip vid and it makes such a difference to mixes to have both white options
Cleaning the desk is most underrated tip. Not only it is good for the desk, but it gives you spark to do hobby! Cleaned desk is so welcoming and you can clean it even if you don't feel like hobbying, and it gives you push in the right direction.
My desecrated altar can never be scrubbed of its corruption but every so often I give it a razor scrape, acetone wipedown and black prime.
I made a point to get into some Discord communities when I was laid up from surgery a few months ago, and the 52 mini's discord is my favorite by far! Stacked to the rafters with friendly, helpful people, and I love seeing what everybody's working on.
Very glad to have you
Thanks for the shout out Alex! Nice video!
Always Ryan :)
This is one of the great Alex vids, absolutely full of really well chosen ideas. It's like sitting down in a new restaurant and finding the menu full of awesome ideas you've never thought of, except here you can try everything!
Thanks for contributing with the knowledge Phil :)
I really love the lighting and color of your videos. Great subtle attention to detail.
Thank you very much
25:30 that numbness can also happen with vortex mixers, especially during longer sessions. My tip is to use the palm of your hand to press down instead of your fingers. If your prefer your fingers, than alternate between them.
Cleaning the desk thing is something I've realised I need to do more often, since I moved house I've got a dedicated painting desk instead of using the kitchen table. Using the kitchen table meant I had to tidy it all up every time which was a pain, but this also forced me to keep my paint setup tidy. Like you I've rarely tidied up my desk properly this year, only when I had to move it when we had some work done on the house.
Same. Now that I have a set table, I force myself to do it after finishing every mini. Worth it. Lots of single-used tools end cluttering the arms-reach space.
Fantastic video, thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Soda-can metal might be alright, to great for armor and such... But for banners and sculptural cloth in general, you have to try the foil that comes over the cork and around the top of wine bottles.
See you next year Alex, thanks for making so many wonderful videos in 2022!
Happy new year W
Holy smokes that super glue hack is just what I need 😀
Hej Alex! I think the glue trick of it not solidifying is because when you don't close the bottles, the glue will slowly drip back into the container, leaving the tube clean of glue. But you restrain the amount of air that comes into contact with the glue, also reducing the amount of it that solidifies aftwewards. The tube then functions as a physical barrier and protects the glue. You can probably leave them unscrewed for a few minutes after using them and then clos9ng them after.
Lovely tips! Learned quite a bit from this! ^^ thanks!
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
Loving your journey and looking forward to 2023 with you
Love this video and love the stuff you do! Glad I found you!
Yay! Thank you!
Ferrule. Good tip. I could probably use my third hand jig for holding brushes upside down to dry. Or maybe mount a strip of alligator clips to the side of my paint rack...
Mmmm, I have an idea for a 3D printed strip with cutouts for a rubber band that could be mounted to a desk or whatever to hang brushes inverted. Might have to give it a shot when I get my new Sermoon this week. Also need to refine my dropper bottle rack design to use less filament. Might start selling that on etsy for a reasonable price. Holds 60+ droppers and it's only about 12" wide and 3" deep so saves desk space tremendously. Maybe offer bespoke paint rack designs on a made-to-order basis.
Away back in the old days :) the 80's when toothpaste tubes were metal, we used those for banners. They were really good. I assume medicinal tubes of cream would also be good. Its softer and more flexible than cans.
The good ol' dark days... once that became an uncommon resource I started to buy sheets of it at my local arts n craft store
@@zamo9660 was the stuff pretty flexible like the tubes. Never thought if that.
@user-yi9ng8jm8v it was exactly as I remember the toothpaste tubes were: bendy enough to represent trashed newspapers or campaign maps unforded over ammo crates.
At the arts store I got it they cut as much as I needed, then rolled it into a cylinder.
I think it's worth asking at your local art supply store. Dunno about hobby stores though.
Cheers buddy.
@@zamo9660 cheers dude :)
Good tip!
After my son was born I didn't have time to paint and my hobby room became a catch all. I wanted to go back but my paint had separated. A friend gave me his older vortex shaker. It brought dead paints back to life and saved me hundreds of dollars.
Good video! As far as the finish of paint part is concerned, if the surface is too glossy for blending and highlight coating, you can simply hit it with somehing like AKI Ultra Matte Varnish and that problem will be solved for application of future layers. I will often use a high gloss varnish before pin wash as it allows the wash to glide into the recesses. It also has the added bonus of creating multiple protective layers as you work a model up.
I've been using micro pens for eyes for years and have learned from experience (a whole squad of racoon-eyed WWII Brits) that you have to varnish them if you plan to use a wash afterwards. It doesn't matter how long you let them dry, the wash will reactivate them.
Another use for dried out micro pens is writing custom slogans on 15mm vehicles. I use the 'dead' pens by dipping them in white (or whatever color you want) paint and writing the slogan on the vehicle. It takes a bit of practice, but I find I have much more control than with a fine-tipped brush.
The best thing I picked up in 2022, was this hobby! I attached a piece of foam tube, with slots cut out, to my desk. As a means of drying brushes. Seeing as I have numerous metal stands around the desk, the magnetic clip seems like a much cleaner and less neon green option haha. Thanks! :)
Welcome to the hobby! And to the Patreon :)
Thank you for all of your content in 2022. I've very much enjoyed your episodes, and it has been incredibly enjoyable!
Glad to hear it!
I'm laughing out loud as you're discussing my super glue woes. The loosely sitting lid fix is something I accidentally discovered with my most recent bottle, but I didn't realize it might actually be a thing until I saw this.
Thanks for your amazing work Alex, I love watching you.
Thank you!
Nivea cream is good for keeping putty from sticking to your tools and fingers. I picked that tip up from Tom Mason's Sculpting super show.
On the Brush storage. I basically build a little upside down stand. You basically just want to have some firm but flexible material, like dense foam padding, insulation boards (the ones for building gaming boards) etc. and you just cut a slit into them, cut a bit to size and you can stick the end of your brush into the slit. It will stick and it is a great storage open and can be attached to the wall, to a mobile painting shelf or be modular if you have some magnets on this holder.
Happy new year, miniature painting g-man.
Happy new year!
Best superglue I have used is Gorilla Super Glue Gel. Have had zero issues with it so far. 👍🏻
Monument Hobbies brushes are fantastic. Both synthetic and sable. especially the sable ones.
Being part of the 52 Miniatures community was one of the highlights of the year for me. Love the videos, love the livestreams and love Hobby Hangouts on Discord. Thank you Alex and best wishes for the New Year.
Happy New Year Mark 💜
Very interesting video, thanks for share your knowledge.
My best buy in 2022 was the Wowstick, is a low-speed minidrill. I love it.
Ak 3rd Gen Paints are really good. I recommend Jose DaVicin's starter sets, awesome for beginners.
Thank you for all the time caps in the description Alex! It made navigating the video up and down much more enjoyable, and helps re watching. Thank you and a merry Christmas
And a happy New Years Eve!
Happy New Year
I also dabbled in sculpting this year, I practiced by sculpting some busts about 4 cm tall, it's a lot easier to build up the skills at a large scale than to dive straight into miniature scale sculpting. And the busts I created can be used for terrain etc.
Thank yousouch for telling me about meshmixer! I dont know how i didnt find it sooner
Back in the day I remember we used flattened metal toothpaste tubes to make battle standards. Worked really well.
I found your channel late in 2022 and I have really been enjoying the content, even though my modleing niche is very different.
Thanks for everything you have taught me, I look forward to more of your content in 2023.
Awesome, thank you!
Great collection of tips, Alex! I’ve started using a stirring rod to mix my paints in addition to a vortex mixer.
Great video!
Thanks!
I too also started to sculpt for the want and need of my own miniatures last year around Oct 2021 and still do. But I never used Milliput or green stuff or polyester as my base to sculpt not even Sculpey or any polyester clay. I highly, highly suggest start with Ceramic (natural) clay because it's water based and super easy to use. Then advance to using oil-based clay like NSP Chavant High Melt soft or medium. From there, it's super easy to learn how to make casting molds with #1 Pottery Plaster for everything. Silicone molds and resin molds are easy peazy compared to plaster molds for casting (or even learning how to do slipcasting!)
Happy new year Mr.52, thanks for all the good videos this year.
Happy new year!
Great overview! Love this kind of videos!
Thanks Bart
The greenstuff world mixer work great for me, and it's way cheaper than it's competitors.
Just bought my first individual set of AK paint from our friendly local hobbystore.
scale 75 sable is amazing. you will enjoy. the one that came in the smog riders starter set is so good. took me a year to appreciate it.
instar's water+ is god tier, too
Thanks for the tips!
Ak interactive pastel range is awesome. Not that I would use the colours raw on most projects, but because they are great for mixing to get different values out of your other colours.
The physics of paint finish and how they react was really interesting to hear. Never thought about it but that was fascinating and will help in future. I need to figure out how to unbreak patreon so I can support such good chaps as this Alex person.
Thanks Clyde 🙏
I've been buying tiny containers of superglue, intended to be single use, and had it stay useable for weeks, without a lid! Its crazy stuff, and I can't explain it, but its handy! And a 5-pack is $1, so they last me for months! Thanks Alex, and Happy New Year!!!
Nice work, A! I picked up some useful tips here. Thanks and Happy New Year! : )
Happy new year!
17:15 a lot of great mini painters have been liking the Ak 3rd gen paints. I remember Andy Wardle calling them "Vallejo Model color 2.0" as in same finish and same names even. They might be made in the same factory as Vallejo.
Thanks for a great year Brother I appreciate every minute of it.
Happy new year!
Hi Alex. Here's something I find handy. I've drilled several different diameter holes partially through a piece of 2x4 inch ( ~ 5x10 cm) lumber and use it to hold tools that I use frequently. e.g. jeweler's files, hemostats, sculpting tools, scissors etc. It keeps things separated, organized and was free. Happy New year.
Good tip! Thanks 🙏
I know it runs counter to every anecdotal piece of advice out there, but Winsor and Newton recommends letting watercolor and acrylic brushes dry with bristles facing up.
Thanks for this lovely collection! Haven't been able to paint for a while because my Master thesis takes up so much time.... But now I'm more motivated than in the last weeks to finish it up and get painting again with the tipps! :D
Great to hear, thank you.
A shed load of experiential advice packed into those 1849 secs Alex, many thanks as always for your videos!
The Green Stuff centrifugal, vibrating, RSI inducing paint mixer was hilarious; so a special thank you for that edit 🤩🤣😂👍🏻 I have also wondered if GS have recently brought Professor Heinz Wolfe and Dr Emmett Brown into their ranks 🤔
That’s a lot of seconds :) thanks C!
Great video Alex, Happy New Year to you Sir!
Happy new year!
I use a muscle massager as a paint shaker, works like a charm :) Some paints won't burdge by handshaking,
The paint shaker made me laugh so much.
Alex, I don't know how you manage to hit it out of the park every time - it is such a pleasure to see your work! Speaking of your work, have you ever seen the film "The 3rd Man"? I think of your videos as like 'hobby film-noire': it is an art within an art (about art?)
Thanks Z! I appreciate it
24:25 for some paints you can shake them by hand all you want, they won't mix properly. Sometimes vortex mixers are not even strong enough (not even the 100 euro ones) to mix paints. With those I hand mix (stir) using a old airbrush needle.
I actually like vortex mixers for fluid paints as well, because you can mix a fluid paints (airbrush ready ones for example) without the paint getting into the cap, which will happen when you shake them.
Happy and successful New Year Alex. One obvious tip I will add regarding our hobby - Never give up! Success/ failure / inspiration - it’s all a mystical concoction. 👍
I need a end of year book video.
On its way
I use a vortex mixer because I have EDS and Carpal Tunnel so paint shaking is torture, though even if I were perfectly able bodied I'd still likely use one for the consistency of thoroughly mixed paints ^^
If you're going to try use smooth metal as armature for sculpting with putty, try scuffing it up a bit with a rough file or sand paper or an old piece of concrete and the putty will stick better.
Regarding Gloss Matte ... if you like a paint and it's to far on either end of the spectrum, you can totally varnish w/ a matte or gloss varnish in between steps. This is also great because it kind of acts like a "save point" in your paint job, if you mess up you can use a little IPA to clean off down to where you varnished and start over without having to start completely from scratch.
My biggest purchase this year (outside of minis) is AK Interactive Kolinksy Sable brushes which are wonderful brushes.
Never heard of zinc white before. I wonder if it's less chalky, as that's often a complaint with whites. Will have to try it.
Life goals. Find someone who looks at you the way this guy looks at a Phrozen Sonic...
Wow, your gamer market had some cool stuff. I saw those boxes of Rackham Confrontation! We have a few stores that do them a few times a year.
Fairly new to the channel at its great to see it's growing. But I'm kind of sad that it's at 56k subscribers not 52k...But really all the best for the new year and look forward to your future videos!
I've found for mixing my paints simply going outside and finding some pebbles and cleaning them was alot cheaper than the ball bearings
Congrats on everything, always a fan of your videos and admire your hard work + creativity :)
Thank you very much!
Pure Ref is a pretty handy software. If you browse online for visual references/inspiration, you can drag those images into Pure Ref, as it simply acts as a pin board of sorts, to have all your images laid out in front of you.
Reason I got a vortex mixer: S75 paints are great, but dang can they be a paint to mix.
Sketchbook is a free app for the iPad that can also be used to mockup paint schemes - take picture of mini, import, colour
Awesome vid very informative thanks a bunch . For the mixer maybe wrap the handle in a thick cloth to dampen vibration. Me I got $20 nail polish bottle shaker with mixing balls, noisy but works or you could diy some large deep sockets and attach them to a hand drill same spinning action but longer power time.
Thanks for the tip
I often use the metal foil from a (good quality) wine or champagne bottle for custom banners and standards. You can bend or manipulate it a good deal to get any desired effect from blowing on the wind and paint is easily applied to it. Who doesn't like a decent glass of wine while they paint?
you BLOW MY MAIND about superglue, im shock... wow i will try it, thx
6:33 I use Guerrilla CA glue and so far haven't had this problem. Of course, I store it standing up and I wipe the nozzle off with a paper towel that has a bit of Isopropyl alcohol. I discovered while using IPA to strip a metal miniature that IPA disolves CA or at least cause the bond to fail enough that parts seperate.
What every store would love to get rid of. All those damn Dominion boxes.
Hah! Yeah. Plenty around.
"There's a hobbit who needs to have a hole in his chest..."
Wait, what?
Oh ya, that little diorama you made. :)
Regarding the white pigments - Titanium is opaque, while Zinc is typically considered semi-translucent (or semi-opaque). That's why your colors retain more saturation when zinc white is added.
Nice tips! I had to struggle with my brain to think about something I could possibly add (it's etched in my DNA, sorry😅).
I'd say about the finish topic that, satin colors always look deeper than matt so let's say you are a masochist and you are painting black: lighting it is a pain but shading it is nearest impossible as there isn't a darker color than black. Or there is? Try using satin black (just mix gloss varnish into regular black) to shade deepest recesses of black parts: it goes an extra step darker.
Enough of chit chatting! I just wanted to wish you happy holidays 😚
Good tip! Yes one of my patrons recommended black ink in the darkest places, as an ink usually is a little glossy.
It's a bit draining to do for something bigger like priming multiple minis, but for small deep shadows on a mostly finished piece I sometimes reach for the blackest depths of my withered soul and dab some of that in there
Have you tried supersculpy? It required baking, but it's a great sculpting material that lets you decide when you're done as opposed to the chemical reaction from a two-part. I sculpted most of a Beast of Nurgle and kitbashed the rest a few years ago and supersculpy was priceless.
I have used it a little, mainly with texture rollers. Thanks!
24:10 - Go ahead and let a bottle of Golden High Flow Fluorescent Pink sit for a year and tell me how much progress 15 seconds of shaking makes towards mixing it. Mine looked like a strawberry milkshake.
Please get a vortex mixer for yourself. It is expensive. But I promise you, you will know the difference in the paint and realize you never had your paint mixed correctly. Theres a reason piant mixers mix for an hour or two in hardware stores :) have fun!
On the scale75 brushes, those really look like they're Escoda Reserva and escoda Optimo brushes that scale75 has branded. They're wonderful brushes, and prices look similar.
Love my Escoda Reserva and Da Vinci Maestro series 11.
kolinsky sable?
Thanks for the info!
With superglue, I've largely shifted entirely to the small tubes from Dollar Tree...cheaper, works the same, and if something happens with it, just toss the bit left in that tube and grab another of them
Super glue hack. After each use coat a paper towel with a few drops of olive oil. Wipe it around the super glue applicator head. Loosely pu the cap back on and store in the freezer. Never worry about not going through a whole bottle again.
that seems unnecessarily wasteful.
Those Vortex mixers are great, but I like my Typhoon mixer better. It's superheated duty, never fades and I can shake a spray paint can on the. It costs the same as a Vortex. 👍
Thanks for the tips!
re: sculpting tools
Not to discourage people making thier own tools, thats a good thing, but worth knowing that a set of 10 or more wax sculpting tools can be found online on amazon or ebay for €5-10 and will set you up nicely for all kinds of sculpting work
re: superglue clogging
A thick sewing needle does a very good job in my experience, just brace the end of the needle against something like a desk and push the clogged bottle into it, and clean any glue off the needle afterwords. just be careful and push with the same caution you do when using a model knife, where you've braced it from over traveling its target.
Great video. The only thing that disappointed is that you did not say why you did not like the GSW brush washer. I was thinking of getting one, so was anxious to hear your opinion.
I think the simple jar or cup of water is all I will ever need when it comes to rinsing brushes.
I have a condition with the tendons and nerves in my hands that means that i don't have a great grip and suffer from hand pain. the mixers not only help me mix the paints but can also be the difference between being able get in 30min of painting before my hands really start to hurt and 10 min after spending just a couple of min shaking a bottle (and inevitably losing my grip and throwing the bottle across the room)
Great video, Alex, that tip about the cap of super glue will be too useful! :) A tip from me, check out Vevor vortex mixers. Not too expensive and comes in many different prices. Bought one for about 30 euros (about 32 USD) and it has kept going fine for many months now.