painting - Foundry paint system - thoughts?

alexelf · Post by **alexelf** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:52 pm

My idea of painting miniatures used to be slap on some colour so I can get on with the game (this was mainly because I used to play in large Warhammer/40k battles that needed lots of figures). I've decided with new teams I buy for BB it will be definately be worth taking more time over them. Having done a bit of research I've seen good things about Foundry paints and their system of having a set of basic colours, each with a colour lighter, and darker, for highlighting etc. Has anyone have any views on these?

I'd also like to ask a stupid question as I'm a complete newbie when it comes to proper painting. When you are painting say a red highlight on dark red, do you wait for the darker shade to dry? If not do you have a wait a bit for it to slightly dry, before putting on the lighter shade? I always assumed you don't let it dry, but I don't actually know

Any help would be appreciated.

Snorri · Post by **Snorri** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 7:56 pm

I let it dry, but then that's me!

Some people use different methods, but I just let it dry.

alexelf · Post by **alexelf** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:03 pm

Doesn't it look a bit odd where the lighter shade meets the darker?

Snorri · Post by **Snorri** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:12 pm

alexelf wrote:Doesn't it look a bit odd where the lighter shade meets the darker?

I drybrush it most of the time. So it doesn't look odd.

alexelf · Post by **alexelf** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:20 pm

Snorri wrote: I drybrush it most of the time. So it doesn't look odd.

Sorry that wasn't the criticisim that it seemed

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:01 pm

Having done a bit of research I've seen good things about Foundry paints and their system of having a set of basic colours, each with a colour lighter, and darker, for highlighting etc. Has anyone have any views on these?

I haven't used them, but I like the look of the Foundry range. Seems like decent value compared to the other ranges of miniature paints, and the way it's arranged seems like it would help one achieve a decent, economical style, like Foundry seem to favour. Of course you could probably get any range of paints and arrange it the same way yourself if you wanted.

When you are painting say a red highlight on dark red, do you wait for the darker shade to dry? If not do you have a wait a bit for it to slightly dry, before putting on the lighter shade? I always assumed you don't let it dry, but I don't actually know Any help would be appreciated.

I think most people wait for it to dry. You can wet blend, as I think it's called, but you have to mess around with diluting the paint and adding flow improver or extender. I like to paint straight out of the pot if I can.

Doesn't it look a bit odd where the lighter shade meets the darker?

Have you checked out the painting guides on Foundry and Kevin Dallimore's websites? I really admire the results they get using what I would call rather stark highlights. I'm going to concentrate on this style from now on.

I drybrush it most of the time. So it doesn't look odd.

I find that drybrushing can leave a chalky finish, so I'm trying to move away from it.

alexelf · Post by **alexelf** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:08 pm

Thanks, they're quite useful comments, I was impressed by Kevin's style as well. The black undercoating technique seems quite good too.

sturmjarl · Post by **sturmjarl** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 2:19 am

Apparently, I've been using the "Foundry Method" for years now without even really knowing it.

I use to paint over a white undercoat but with my SLOW painting style I've adapted over black undercoat now. i think the Foundry's 3-tier paint sets are a good idea for newer painters with the cash but you can also simply use any 3 shades of paint.
Black undercoat is quicker for most jobs giving instant depth without inks. Armor is also easier over black. The trick is to experiment (or save the time and use Foundry's color chart) to find the dark base coats that will cover black but still let you get a bright finish to blue, red, and yellows. Whites are actually pretty simple after figuring out the grey base coats.
I hardly ever use ink washes for shadows but another trick is to highlight up to almost white for most colors. This will probably leave a very unappealing "chalky" look to the color. Then I will take a compatible ink and water it down considerably along with a drop of dish washing soap (soap evens out the wash so it will flow into the folds and not spot the highlights). This watered down ink glaze will deepen the shadows and mellow out the bright white highlights to a more even color.
I still paint pretty slowly but undercoating black, 3 (sometimes more) levels for each color, followed by the glaze has produced award winning results in less time. Take your time, experiment and practice will make you better over time.

OdoGoodgrubb · Post by **OdoGoodgrubb** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 4:19 pm

I agree...I have also been using this method for years. I use mostly crafty paints, of which there are literally hundreds of colors to choose from. Works great, and it makes it quicker to get the job done.