Rocktroll
February 1st, 2012, 08:25 PM
I moved this here, thought it would better fit this thread.
Gnids
Intro
CV3 team made an awesome unit called the Gnids using Confrontation miniatures the Phemoras.
There's two versions of this unit, the green ALPHAS and the tan OMEGAS.
The Omegas look closer to the marro units they belong too but are more expensive.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Gnids1-2.jpg
The cheaper Alphas are easier to find but they look nothing like marro unless they are repainted.
I am going to write this tutorial for those who have never repained a figure before. I will break it down step by step and try to keep it as simple as possible.
The following is a tutorial on how to repaint Phemora Alphas ( Green ones) to look like marro units based loosely on Marro Nagrubs paint scheme.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/1A-2.jpg
Materials
I used only one paint brush to paint these guys but if you can get two even better. One basic standard brush and a small detail brush to clean up small mistakes and fine details.
I painted my units using a mix of Games workshop and Vallejo. I will refer to the Games workshop versions of the colors for simplicity but you can find some decent paints in any craft store for under $2 each. The best way to match your colors is to take a few marro with you to the store and try and match the colors you want with what you find. Remember the tan base will change with the wash, so you want a very creamy white for the body. I will mention over and over when using cheaper craft paints about mixing it.
When using craftpaints ( like applebarrel ) the key is you need to water it down. The cheaper craft paints come much thicker and will cover up your details making your sculpts look like molded clay instead of finely detailed miniatures.
Colors
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Colors.jpg
I used the following colors;
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/2Colors.jpg
Body - Elf Flesh ( Any creamy white or light tan will work, remember the color will change with the wash)
Armor plates - Dark Angels Green , Highlighted with Goblin Green ( Use a darker green and a lighter green for the armor, or just use one color green and make it lighter or darker by mixing black or white into it)
Blades - Boltgun metal , highlighted with mithril silver ( any metalic silver will do, you can do the same, make it darker mixing a little black into the silver)
Claws / Teeth - Bleached bone ( Or any light color , or even white )
Tongue / Eyes - Any neon color. Have fun with it, and choose the brightest wildest colors you can find.
Wash - Terracota paint mixed with black ink and a little brown ink. This is the big one, it wont be easy but you need to find something that looks like the burgandy or darkish brown/red used in the marro wash. I will explain how to use or make a wash further down.
For the body notice how this is a very light color, it will become darker with the wash, any creamy white will work well for these guys. Check out Leifkicker's tutorial on how to make Marro Terrain for some examples of the colors he used.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/A-BodyColor.jpg
Any dark green color will work for the plates, I used two very diferent tones, a dark green and a very light neon green for sharp contrast.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/B-ArmorColor.jpg
The wash makes all the diference. It might take a while but its worth playing around with till you get a shade your happy with.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/C-Drybrush.jpg
You can find lots of silver colored paints in craft stores, if you cant find two diferent shades make your first coat a mix of the silver with black and the second highlight just pure silver. Remember craft paint will be very thick and must be watered down. I dip my brush in the paint, spread it on a tile or bottlecap, then dip the brush in water and mix it up. It gives nicer smoother lines instead of of clumps and lines in your paint. You might have to paint more then one coat but the end effect is much much smoother. This is more noticible on large flat surfaces like the blade arms.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/D-MetalBlades.jpg
When choosing colors the best way to do so is to grab a few marro or a nagrub and just compare the colors to what you find in the store.
Bases
Here is an example of a figure I recieved as part of an ebay lot. It's got a cool color scheme going for it and it looked pretty good untill you looked at the base and saw a sloppy finish.
I have seen a lot of good customs do really well on the main figure and on the body but when it comes down to the base or around the feet you find this messy finish which really takes away from the finished effect.
Just by covering the figures base with painters tape or tacky note you can protect it and not worry about being a little messy with your paint job.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/MessyBase.jpg
I planned on rebasing the phemora I am painting so I didnt bother to cover up the ones I was working on for this tutorial.
Prep / Basecoat
If your figures are fresh out of the box they might be ready to paint over with out priming. They already have a coat of paint on them that will retain the new colors very well.
If the figures have been on display or have been handled you will want to wash them with light soap, to remove oil and dirt from handling. Wait untill they are completly dry before painting.
They wont need a base coat to repaint, as that might cover up the details you are trying to display.
Base Colors
Important note on using craft paints. YOU NEED TO WATER THEM DOWN !!
There is a reason I have mentioned this at least a dozen times.
Dont try to cover up everything with one coat of paint as this will cover up all your important details. Water the paint down enough so it gives a light coat. It takes longer to paint but the results are much much beter. Notice on this example how you can still see the original colors on my first 2 coats. It wasnt untill the third coat that I had a complete coverage.
You can skip this step and just do solid coats , it will be faster but it will cost you some cool looking details.
I painted the body except the metal claws and the head, since I would be covering it in green later. Dont forget to paint the mouth and lips since these will be tan color.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/3BaseCoat.jpg
After I have a good tan base I started on the armor. I left this model on its base, making it harder to paint for me. I prefer to remove them from the base and glue them on a paper clip so I can move them around. Before I painted the armor plates I painted the eyes with a bright orange. These guys need to look wild, so feel free to use any really bright colors you can find. The chin/jaw was the hardest part to paint at this angle because the claws are on the way. Take time to look at your models before you start painting so you know where the armor starts and ends. I also did part of the ridge line on the back, this part is optional but I thought it gave it a really cool look.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/4ArmorBaseCoat.jpg
After the armor plates I painted the Tongue and touched up any mistakes I made with the green paint.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/5TongueColor.jpg
After that I did my first highlight, I drybrushed a small amount of white paint on the teeth and claws.
Drybrushing is when you dip your brush in the paint then clean most of it off on a rag or napkin untill theres very little paint left. When you pass it over the mini only the raised areas will be highlighted. Dont use your main brush for this as it will destroy the tip, use a cheap older brush for drybrushing.
Lots of great tutorials on how to drybrush online.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/6ClawsTeeth.jpg
This is the make or break part of the model the ;
Wash
Mixing the wash is the key part. I saw alot of good colors at the crafts store, all you need do is mix a small amount in water and keep adding water or paint untill you get the right viscosity. You should be able to paint your hand and only your fingure prints should be highlighted. I made a small amount and saved it in an old paint pot to save for future projects. It really sucks when you make the perfect wash, then have to try and make it again a month later because you didnt make enough the first time.
I think I saw an Applebarrel Terracota that looked like a great match.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/7MarroWash.jpg
Make sure you make enough of the wash to give the models several coats.
This is something you build on, one coat at a time. It took me 3 coats to reach the level of shading I wanted. It changes the colors of everything. I coated the whole model except the metal blades.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/8MarroWash.jpg
Take your time and build it one layer at a time. Doing a very heavy coat will just cover up all the details instead of highlighting them. Take advantage at this time to use the wash to cover up all the borders and corners that didnt look as sharp as you wanted.
Look online for guides on making washes, from just adding water, to mixing with a small amount of future floor wax to make the colors sink into the corners and provide a protective coat. You tube has some great tutorials.
Highlights / Details
After you have finished your layers of wash. Clean up all the mistakes you have made, I made a ton :)
Touch up again your teeth and claws. If needed the eyes and tongue also.
Now comes the fun part. Highlighting the armor. Have some fun with this make some crazy patterns. When I painted the armored crest on the head of the phemoras/Gnids I went from back to front, this gave me a really nice definition of the ridges on the crest. I will include a few examples of some of the patterns I drew on my first batch of gnids. If you drybrush too much, just pass your finger on it and wipe it off and start again.
I used a neon green for this step because I really wanted the highlights to stand out. Next time I might try red or yellow stripes to make them look like venomous vipers.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/9DrybrushArmor.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/10Finishing.jpg
Touch up any mistakes and give the teeth and claws another drybrush if you think they need them.
I left the blades for last, first I painted them with boltgun metal then tiny highlight on the edge of the blade with silver. If you only have one metalic color, make your first base coat a mix of a tiny amount of black mixed with your metalic. The edge with just the pure metalic color. Notice the blades have a thick side and a thin ( blade side)
Finishing / Clear Coating
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/11FinishedGnid.jpg
This is my finished Gnid, all I am missing is to rebase him and give him a clear coat to protect him. Carefull with spraying a clear coat as too much can make him look foggy or icey. Use a very thin coat or a paint-on clear coat. I use Vallejo Mate clear coat, as I dont like the glossy look.
Rebasing
To snap off the base with our breaking the pegs, I made the cuts point towards the peg, a little at a time, untill I could bend it back and forth untill the base snapped exposing the peg.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/12Rebasing.jpg
Check out Mac122's and Llamaclown's great guide on rebasing and what bases are out there. I use Impactminiature's bases and stickers and Cavalier's stickers.
I swear Ill post links to these threads at some point !!!
Done!!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/13DONE.jpg
Here are a few finished examples
Doomed
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Doomed.jpg
Gnid Squads
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Example1.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Example2.jpg
Any comments or questions feel free to post. I know this was long and borring but I wanted to break it down step by step for those who have never painted before.
Gnids
Intro
CV3 team made an awesome unit called the Gnids using Confrontation miniatures the Phemoras.
There's two versions of this unit, the green ALPHAS and the tan OMEGAS.
The Omegas look closer to the marro units they belong too but are more expensive.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Gnids1-2.jpg
The cheaper Alphas are easier to find but they look nothing like marro unless they are repainted.
I am going to write this tutorial for those who have never repained a figure before. I will break it down step by step and try to keep it as simple as possible.
The following is a tutorial on how to repaint Phemora Alphas ( Green ones) to look like marro units based loosely on Marro Nagrubs paint scheme.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/1A-2.jpg
Materials
I used only one paint brush to paint these guys but if you can get two even better. One basic standard brush and a small detail brush to clean up small mistakes and fine details.
I painted my units using a mix of Games workshop and Vallejo. I will refer to the Games workshop versions of the colors for simplicity but you can find some decent paints in any craft store for under $2 each. The best way to match your colors is to take a few marro with you to the store and try and match the colors you want with what you find. Remember the tan base will change with the wash, so you want a very creamy white for the body. I will mention over and over when using cheaper craft paints about mixing it.
When using craftpaints ( like applebarrel ) the key is you need to water it down. The cheaper craft paints come much thicker and will cover up your details making your sculpts look like molded clay instead of finely detailed miniatures.
Colors
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Colors.jpg
I used the following colors;
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/2Colors.jpg
Body - Elf Flesh ( Any creamy white or light tan will work, remember the color will change with the wash)
Armor plates - Dark Angels Green , Highlighted with Goblin Green ( Use a darker green and a lighter green for the armor, or just use one color green and make it lighter or darker by mixing black or white into it)
Blades - Boltgun metal , highlighted with mithril silver ( any metalic silver will do, you can do the same, make it darker mixing a little black into the silver)
Claws / Teeth - Bleached bone ( Or any light color , or even white )
Tongue / Eyes - Any neon color. Have fun with it, and choose the brightest wildest colors you can find.
Wash - Terracota paint mixed with black ink and a little brown ink. This is the big one, it wont be easy but you need to find something that looks like the burgandy or darkish brown/red used in the marro wash. I will explain how to use or make a wash further down.
For the body notice how this is a very light color, it will become darker with the wash, any creamy white will work well for these guys. Check out Leifkicker's tutorial on how to make Marro Terrain for some examples of the colors he used.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/A-BodyColor.jpg
Any dark green color will work for the plates, I used two very diferent tones, a dark green and a very light neon green for sharp contrast.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/B-ArmorColor.jpg
The wash makes all the diference. It might take a while but its worth playing around with till you get a shade your happy with.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/C-Drybrush.jpg
You can find lots of silver colored paints in craft stores, if you cant find two diferent shades make your first coat a mix of the silver with black and the second highlight just pure silver. Remember craft paint will be very thick and must be watered down. I dip my brush in the paint, spread it on a tile or bottlecap, then dip the brush in water and mix it up. It gives nicer smoother lines instead of of clumps and lines in your paint. You might have to paint more then one coat but the end effect is much much smoother. This is more noticible on large flat surfaces like the blade arms.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/D-MetalBlades.jpg
When choosing colors the best way to do so is to grab a few marro or a nagrub and just compare the colors to what you find in the store.
Bases
Here is an example of a figure I recieved as part of an ebay lot. It's got a cool color scheme going for it and it looked pretty good untill you looked at the base and saw a sloppy finish.
I have seen a lot of good customs do really well on the main figure and on the body but when it comes down to the base or around the feet you find this messy finish which really takes away from the finished effect.
Just by covering the figures base with painters tape or tacky note you can protect it and not worry about being a little messy with your paint job.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/MessyBase.jpg
I planned on rebasing the phemora I am painting so I didnt bother to cover up the ones I was working on for this tutorial.
Prep / Basecoat
If your figures are fresh out of the box they might be ready to paint over with out priming. They already have a coat of paint on them that will retain the new colors very well.
If the figures have been on display or have been handled you will want to wash them with light soap, to remove oil and dirt from handling. Wait untill they are completly dry before painting.
They wont need a base coat to repaint, as that might cover up the details you are trying to display.
Base Colors
Important note on using craft paints. YOU NEED TO WATER THEM DOWN !!
There is a reason I have mentioned this at least a dozen times.
Dont try to cover up everything with one coat of paint as this will cover up all your important details. Water the paint down enough so it gives a light coat. It takes longer to paint but the results are much much beter. Notice on this example how you can still see the original colors on my first 2 coats. It wasnt untill the third coat that I had a complete coverage.
You can skip this step and just do solid coats , it will be faster but it will cost you some cool looking details.
I painted the body except the metal claws and the head, since I would be covering it in green later. Dont forget to paint the mouth and lips since these will be tan color.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/3BaseCoat.jpg
After I have a good tan base I started on the armor. I left this model on its base, making it harder to paint for me. I prefer to remove them from the base and glue them on a paper clip so I can move them around. Before I painted the armor plates I painted the eyes with a bright orange. These guys need to look wild, so feel free to use any really bright colors you can find. The chin/jaw was the hardest part to paint at this angle because the claws are on the way. Take time to look at your models before you start painting so you know where the armor starts and ends. I also did part of the ridge line on the back, this part is optional but I thought it gave it a really cool look.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/4ArmorBaseCoat.jpg
After the armor plates I painted the Tongue and touched up any mistakes I made with the green paint.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/5TongueColor.jpg
After that I did my first highlight, I drybrushed a small amount of white paint on the teeth and claws.
Drybrushing is when you dip your brush in the paint then clean most of it off on a rag or napkin untill theres very little paint left. When you pass it over the mini only the raised areas will be highlighted. Dont use your main brush for this as it will destroy the tip, use a cheap older brush for drybrushing.
Lots of great tutorials on how to drybrush online.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/6ClawsTeeth.jpg
This is the make or break part of the model the ;
Wash
Mixing the wash is the key part. I saw alot of good colors at the crafts store, all you need do is mix a small amount in water and keep adding water or paint untill you get the right viscosity. You should be able to paint your hand and only your fingure prints should be highlighted. I made a small amount and saved it in an old paint pot to save for future projects. It really sucks when you make the perfect wash, then have to try and make it again a month later because you didnt make enough the first time.
I think I saw an Applebarrel Terracota that looked like a great match.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/7MarroWash.jpg
Make sure you make enough of the wash to give the models several coats.
This is something you build on, one coat at a time. It took me 3 coats to reach the level of shading I wanted. It changes the colors of everything. I coated the whole model except the metal blades.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/8MarroWash.jpg
Take your time and build it one layer at a time. Doing a very heavy coat will just cover up all the details instead of highlighting them. Take advantage at this time to use the wash to cover up all the borders and corners that didnt look as sharp as you wanted.
Look online for guides on making washes, from just adding water, to mixing with a small amount of future floor wax to make the colors sink into the corners and provide a protective coat. You tube has some great tutorials.
Highlights / Details
After you have finished your layers of wash. Clean up all the mistakes you have made, I made a ton :)
Touch up again your teeth and claws. If needed the eyes and tongue also.
Now comes the fun part. Highlighting the armor. Have some fun with this make some crazy patterns. When I painted the armored crest on the head of the phemoras/Gnids I went from back to front, this gave me a really nice definition of the ridges on the crest. I will include a few examples of some of the patterns I drew on my first batch of gnids. If you drybrush too much, just pass your finger on it and wipe it off and start again.
I used a neon green for this step because I really wanted the highlights to stand out. Next time I might try red or yellow stripes to make them look like venomous vipers.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/9DrybrushArmor.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/10Finishing.jpg
Touch up any mistakes and give the teeth and claws another drybrush if you think they need them.
I left the blades for last, first I painted them with boltgun metal then tiny highlight on the edge of the blade with silver. If you only have one metalic color, make your first base coat a mix of a tiny amount of black mixed with your metalic. The edge with just the pure metalic color. Notice the blades have a thick side and a thin ( blade side)
Finishing / Clear Coating
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/11FinishedGnid.jpg
This is my finished Gnid, all I am missing is to rebase him and give him a clear coat to protect him. Carefull with spraying a clear coat as too much can make him look foggy or icey. Use a very thin coat or a paint-on clear coat. I use Vallejo Mate clear coat, as I dont like the glossy look.
Rebasing
To snap off the base with our breaking the pegs, I made the cuts point towards the peg, a little at a time, untill I could bend it back and forth untill the base snapped exposing the peg.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/12Rebasing.jpg
Check out Mac122's and Llamaclown's great guide on rebasing and what bases are out there. I use Impactminiature's bases and stickers and Cavalier's stickers.
I swear Ill post links to these threads at some point !!!
Done!!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/13DONE.jpg
Here are a few finished examples
Doomed
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Doomed.jpg
Gnid Squads
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Example1.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/Gamgan/Example2.jpg
Any comments or questions feel free to post. I know this was long and borring but I wanted to break it down step by step for those who have never painted before.