Few random questions/advice needed...

[Ratamaplata]

Some advice would be much appreciated...

1a. I need a desk lamp as my current lighting situation is harsh spotlights so it's really tricky to paint certain parts of minis. What lamps are recommended? Not too bothered on price range but I like things which are good value.

1b. Is it worth getting one with a magnifying glass? I haven't found myself struggling to see details so don't think it's necessary.

2. Is green stuff easy to use and what tools would I need? I've never done any modelling work like that before but really fancy having a go at some point. I loved doing conversions as a kid.

3. Do you prime in black or white? Or in the general base colour of the eventual mini colour scheme? What are the pros/cons to each? At present I'm just using black.

4. I've seen a lot of people seem to complete their bases before painting the minis. Is this the best option? I'm planning on sorting out bases after I've painted everything.

5. Does anyone make plastic glue with a brush? (I'm sure that's how I remember the old school GW one) All I can see in local stores are the dropper type bottles and mine keeps clogging up and also produces long stringy bits while applying it.

 

I think that's it for now! Absolutely loving being back into this hobby and will be grateful for any and all advice cheers.

[elfhead]

What i really like about this community is that everyone is eager to help eachother out. It seems people that need advice on painting and modelling get the most replies. I think you'll get your answers. Here's what I know/think.

1. I prefer daylight, but in the eventing I just use the big lamp over my diving table. However, I'd recomended a lamp that mimics daylight.

2. I'm getting better and better with greenstuff but it isn't very easy to use. There are some nice tutorials on how to use it. It's important to use some kind of lubricant (I use sulliva, which may sound weird but it works) so that it doesn't stick to your tools. Filling gaps with green stuff isn't that hard but really sculpting new shapes is. It takes a lot of practice. 

3. The basecoat depends on the model. Black basecoat is easier, because it is an instant shade. But a white basecoat makes colors pop a lot more and makes it easier to see the details on the model. So I prefer the latter.

4. I remember the glue with the brush, it was way better. I use superglue for everything, as it doens't 'melt' the plastic and is easier to break loose if you decide to change something.

 

[Ratamaplata]

Cheers dude. Yeah this is a wicked community... when I was researching what game to get back into I checked loads of forums and all the others had loads of totally unnecessary negativity.

Do you think this lamp would be ok? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00K24O24E/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1471195721&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=daylight+work+lamp&dpPl=1&dpID=31evN4T5VyL&ref=plSrch 

I pretty much only get time to paint from 8pm onwards at earliest... usually 10pm onwards!

Superglue sounds like a good option... cheap too. And I guess I'll just have to get stuck in and try out green stuff.

[Ademo]

Agree greenstuff can be a pain - worth starting small and working up eg try and do some patching first like take an existing fur cloak and attach to a model with the greenstuff, blending the cape to the mini - that way you get to see what it should look like whilst doing it.. just my thought though

As for undercoat - I actually go brown, I find it helps give a natural tone and isnt as hard to paint over as black as well as being a bit more forgiving than white - miss a bit? No problem, now it's ingrained dirt and not white spots showing!

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[DangerClose]

@Ratamaplata

Regarding bases I will just advocate my favorite way of doing bases: Painting model and base separately and glueing them together afterwards.

This enables you to drybrush and use messy techniques without staining the model. It really speeds up the process too. 

Downside is that can't play with your unpainted models unless you sticky-tac them to the base.

I've used this technique for my WH40k  army and are going to do the same when making Realm of Ghur bases for my upcoming Bonesplitterz army: Agrellan earth base with shade and drybrushed highlights. Attach model to base. Spray dull varnish. Apply optional tufts and pigments for dusty desert feel  

[Ratamaplata]

Cheers guys. I'll definitely leave bases until the end then... I only have the squares they came with at the moment so won't be using those.

Black primer seems to work ok for me too so I'll stick with that.

[pez5767]

As an alternative to green stuff, you might want to try Milliput. If you are using the greenstuff to do gap filling, or bulking up a large shape then milliput is much easier to work with because it is water soluble and, therefore, much easier to smooth onto the model itself.  That said, green stuff does a better job with fine details, but you can apply it on top of the milliput once the milliput has had a chance to cure/dry.  The mistake I see most people make is that they try to do too big of a piece all at once.  It's easier to work on a small area and do a little bit, then build out from there in layers... much like painting.  In  terms for green stuff tools, most craft stores will have a clay sculpting area and you can pick up some great stuff there, the one tool I would recommend, that makes life a lot easier, is a "Flat-Chisel, Soft, Colour Shaper." It's a tool with a soft triangular tipped rubber bit at the end.  It makes smoothing the surfaces and transitions of green-stuff to model SO much easier than trying to do the same with a metal or hard plastic tool.  

Hopefully, some of this helps.  Welcome back to the hobby. Don't be afraid to share your progress! 

[Ratamaplata]

Cheers mate.

I've just got to almost finished on my latest mini which I'll post in my other thread now...

[Arnie]

Here you are ref your lamp question.