Some experiments with oil and Contrast

[lowlylowlycook]

So as my elves start towards the finish line (probably to stumble with a just a few key models half done) I’ve started to think about doing some orcs. To which end I’ve bought a lot Oathmark orcs and a few models from elsewhere. I actually already have a bunch of GW orcs and I have a bunch of Mantic orcs that I used to play WHFB but I actually prefer a LoTR style to my minis so into the breach we go again. Or something.

Long explanation out of the way there are going to be a lot of these guys to paint and I’ve thought about using Contrast style paints. Slapchop is the most popular way to get decent results but I’m not a fan of that much dry brushing. In the past I kind of liked the effect of pre-shading with Gloss Nuln Oil and in some cases using an off white base coat under that (maybe a pinkish skin tone or Iraqi Sand). But they don’t make Gloss Nuln Oil anymore.

Long explanation out of the way, why not use and oil wash over some gloss spray primer and get to painting real quick? Answer the thinner you use to take off the oil wash is real good and removing spray primer. Doh. Having learned that let the experiments begin.

Both spray primed and brush primed orcs with half the brush primed and all the spray primed minis given a gloss medium coat.

A quick oil wash the the wash removed from highlight areas. (in theory this was supposed to be more brown but lamp black oil paint is very strong)

Then apply some Vallejo Xpress color.

Obviously this experiment foundered on a few problems.

• I didn’t really think about metallics and most of these orcs are wearing mostly armor. Not really sure what speed painters that use Contrast do with their metals.
• Most of my Contrast style paints are browns, ochers or colors too bright for orcs to wear.
• I’m not sure what brushes to use when trying to paint contrast onto details like armor straps.

At least there were no catastrophic interactions with the various paints and primers. The upside is that with all the unpainted armor you can see the undercoat. Which didn’t really affect these colors as much as I expected. They might be a bit less transparent than paints I’ve tested before.

On this limited data I think this process could work.:

Prime and protect (it’s easier to get a good even coat with spray primer).
Paint in armor with a metallic paint
Apply oil wash
Remove oil from highlights
Apply Contrast.

I think that should give results good enough for a horde army (each regiment should have 22 of these guys and 1 leader on a 1" washer) and not take too long. What I wonder is would I enjoy this process it as much as using paints and washes.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

[Gerrcinn]

for any speed paint you need to apply a lot at once to get it to work, so a brush with a big belly is important otherwise you’ll end up in a world of pain. As long as it comes to a sharp point so you can do the straps it doesn’t really matter I have a size 1 brush that I use for most of my base painting.

Army painter do a range of metallic speedpaints, it may be worth looking into those, I’m still in two minds about them.

Have you thought about doing it in reverse, contrast then oil wash? It will tint the contrast and mute the colour if you think it is too bright for orcs to begin with.

Looking forward to seeing the unit when you’re done and dusted goodluck

[FredOslow]

If you are applying the oil wash just to create some difference between dark and light areas to help the speed paint, maybe a non-oil wash would work just as well? oil wash seems hard to work with.

That being said, I am also a fan of painting on the colors first and then using shades afterward.

[lowlylowlycook]

Well over on the Reaper forums I’ve been advised by a professional painter that this whole thing is a bad idea due to oil paints taking oxygen to cure over a long time and the acrylic speed paints blocking that oxygen.

Just for a sense of completeness I guess I’ll try some oil washes over the contrast and see how that turns out.

In any case, I don’t think that any of these attempts to put down washes over some base coats are really grimy enough so I have more work to do on this front as well. Also until now I hadn’t really realized how fully armored some of these heavy infantry orcs really are. I always have trouble making fully armored figures look good and interesting.

Left two figures using Vallejo rust metallic and on the right three Speed Paint Talos Bronze. Middle figure shaded with diluted brown speed paint the others with either strong tone or strong skin tone from AP.

[lowlylowlycook]

Watched some videos about using contrast over either silver or silver drybrushed over, in this case, dark brown. So why not give it a try.

On the left dry brushed, on the right solid silver. The helmet, top mail, mail skirt and the shoulder pads were all done with different brown paints, some diluted a bit.

On average I think Either a full strength paint over the silver or half strength over the dry brushed silver work. Like the helmet on the right or the shoulder pads on the left.