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The
Hobby of Painting
To
people who are already involved in the great hobby
of tabletop battle gaming the painting aspect is
an unmentioned part of the fun. For sure, the models
do not have to be painted to play, and when you
first open up your boxed game of Warhammer, Warhammer
40,000, or any of Games Workshop’s other complete
games, we fully recommend that you try a few practice
matches as soon as you've assembled some models.
We do exactly the same things ourselves!
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Games Workshop really
feels that putting the finishing touches on a unit of newly
painted troops and then placing them onto the fields (well,
tabletops really) of battle is one of the greatest pleasures
of the whole hobby. Indeed many people find painting to
be the hobby, and rarely if ever game, instead they display
their miniatures in glass cases or on shelves. On the other
hand, some players would far rather rush a basic base coat
onto the models and get onto the gaming! Regardless of whether
you fall into one extreme or the other, or like most of
us, somewhere in the middle, there is no denying that a
painted army of Citadel Miniatures is an impressive sight
- and the only way to game!
What
you need to get started
Before
you can really get launched into painting Citadel
Miniatures you will need a few basic pieces of equipment
and a place to paint. The ideal place to paint would
be a desk or table where you can leave your things
out. It will get quite frustrating if you have to
constantly pack away your work area, or conversely
your family or roommates will probably be quite
discouraged if there is no elbow room at the kitchen
table because your new regiment has taken up a permanent
residence.
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The equipment you
will need is very basic - the first of which is paint itself.
We recommend you use Citadel Colour paints. Other hobby
paints will work, but here are the Citadel Colour advantages
- the paints are water soluble and easy to work with. You
will find some paints so thick that they obscure the details
on such small pieces, but Games Workshop has specially formulated
these paints specifically for painting metal and plastic
miniatures!
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Both polystyrene
cement (for plastic models) and super glue (for
metal models) are needed as is a modelling or craft
knife. You will need an old cup or mug for your
water, paper towels, and a palette for mixing paint
(we find old plates and ceramic tiles work just
as well as palettes and you might already have them
around the house!). Finally we recommend that you
spread down some newspapers under your painting
area in case of any spills.
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Preparation
and Undercoating
Before
you begin the fun part of painting, you have to
make sure that your models are ready to go. A quick
cleaning job with a hobby knife (and maybe a file
if you have one) can quickly remove any mould lines
or "flash" from plastic or pewter models.
The next step is to prime or undercoat the models.
Paint will stick far better to the primer than it
will to bare plastic or metal - after all, you don't
want to paint your miniatures and then have it all
chip off do you? The best (and fastest) method of
undercoating your models is with a spray undercoat
- just make sure you have adequate space and ventilation.
Now comes the good stuff...
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Painting
Your Models
The
first colors you paint on are known as base coats.
In our example with the Bretonnian archer above
we have worked from the inside out - that is, starting
with the flesh, then the next layer of clothing,
and then the next layer which might be armor, etc.
Using this method you can just paint over any mistakes
you might make.
Once
you have base coated an area you can then shade
it - that is, use darker colors to paint into creases
and folds on the model, adding a sense of depth.
Citadel Colour shading washes are ideal for this,
as they sink into the recesses of the model. In
some cases where you want a very dark line, like
where the sleeve meets the flesh on our archers
hands, a thin black line is painted in the joint.
The
next step is highlighting - that is painting the
raised areas where the light catches and brightens
a color. You only need to add highlighting to the
very edge of what you are working on.
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There
you have it, Now Paint an Army!
Those
are the basics of painting. Some will want to advance
further in this aspect of the hobby by applying
glazes, blending, and even working on minute details
such as tattoos, insignia, and more. It really comes
down to how much you want to put into it!
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For
more painting examples you can look every month to
White Dwarf magazine where you will find 'Eavy Metal
articles with the best model painters in the world
unleashing their talents on the latest Citadel Miniatures.
As well as Mike McVey's Masterclass which skips from
new techniques for the really advanced to basic tips
for the beginner. But that isn't all the painting
advice you'll find! Games designers and White Dwarf
staff regularly chip in with great tips for painting
your own models. |
So
if you've never tried painting, give it a go! With
a little patience and practice you can turn out the
kind of models that you'll be proud to put out on
the battlefield. And remember, even if you lose your
games, you can at least take comfort in having the
better painted army!
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