Painting to get that smooth effect....

[darkone26]

When painting large surfaces (Tau Manta), how do you get the smooth effect and not lose the detail?

I got distracted from organising what I wanted for BFG on friday cos one of my mantas arrived. I wanted to paint up with similar colours to the Codex Tau; Vermin brown and scab red etc.... Black as the undercoat went on fine but as soon I I put on vermin brown it looked awful I washed off the vermin brown and tried again this time washing over the lumpy parts with a wet brush. This seemed to even out the paint so it looked reasonable, however the black crevices(sp?) were painted over

I was using the largest of brushes as I couldnt find in the local GW any spray paint for that colour. Could someone tell me where I am going wrong?

Thanks in advance

Doug

[CyberShadow]

I have found that the trick to this is to thin the paint. Everyone says that you should do this, but I never listened until I had the same problems as you. The trouble with thined paint is that it does not cover well, and you need loads of coats. Still, it is smooth.

Alternatively, I almost dry-brush the model, including any flat surfaces, and this can work quite well.

[Shadow_Hunter]

Aye, the trick is to water down your paints. Especially so if your paints are not that new, as you will have lost a lot of its consistancy already through evaporation. If I'm doing a lot of area the same colour, I will add water into the inverted cap, this with the paint already there, should give you a consistant colour, at the right consistancy for a decent coverage. You then have the option of drybrushing lighter, and leaving the crevisses dark, or washing with a darker colour, that seaps into the folds/creases/pits to create the shadeed effect.

Remember when you thin your paint, that you want it to leave your brush easily, but not run away over the model. This is hard to explain how 'runny' is right, but with practise you'll know.

[darkone26]

thanks. I will do that.

I just didnt think it would have been so hard to paint a manta