Marching In Colour - EZ Painting Starter Pack: Dark Ages
Hi, thanks for taking the time to check out this pack I have put together aimed at getting started with painting Dark Age miniatures. This is what I would consider a good foundation to begin with.
It consists of a selection of colours which I have used a great deal in my work, as well as the brushes you need, and the glue to start assembling your plastic miniatures.
This guide is a step-by-step list of instructions. I use only the items in the pack and I give advice on a couple of basic techniques - dry-brushing, and ink work.
Lets begin by having a look what is in the pack -
In the pack you get 13 Vallejo paints, which includes 1x Black and 1x White (for undercoating and mixing colours), 1x Brown Ink (for the wash), and 1x Varnish for finishing and protecting your models. The other colours we will discuss as we go along.
You also get a pack of 4 brushes. This is one of my favourite little sets. It contains 4 very useful sizes, is very economical on cost and durable enough to make them value for money.
You also get 1x Humbrol Poly Cement. This is my personal 'go-to' brand for quality and is excellent glue for assembling plastic miniatures.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED - The Celts! These are volunteers solely for demonstrating the paint pack. Though I do stock multiple plastic sets with miniatures starting from as little as 50p each!
You can also add to the pack with additional Vallejo paints for £2.55 each.
Lets start the tutorial with having a look at the Poly Cement.
Poly Cement actually burns/melts the plastic very slightly to produce a very secure fix. Coat both edges of the model, leave it a few seconds, then push together tightly.
Once it grips it will set tight within a few minutes.
Once it grips it will set tight within a few minutes.
Once the models are set, use the Size4 Brush, and undercoat the models in either Black or White. For this tutorial we are going with Black.
Once you have dry-brushed the Oily Steel, the next phase is to start the painting. As all the models have some level of flesh, we will start with the Flat Flesh. If your models are mainly hands and faces, use the Size 1 brush, if its a lot of flesh (like the bare chested Celts in our example), the Size4 brush may be best.
Once all the flesh is painted (you may need two coats as we are using a black undercoat), its time to move on to the clothing. You'll notice in the photo below that two paints - Flat Earth, and Leather Brown - are set slightly aside. Use the Flat Earth for wooden weapons and some hair, and use the Leather, for well... leather. Size 1 or 4 Brush depending on how large the are is. The bigger the brush, the larger area it paints in one stroke, the faster you will complete.
When it come to belts and small detail, use the 00 sized brush.
By this point we should have something like the models below. There are 3 basic cloth colours in this set, but we also have a White and a Black. By mixing paint we can get lighter and darker shades.
When mixing paint, use the Size 4 brush. Its big enough for the process, but not so large it swallows all the paint. To mix, try using a small dab of water and always start with a little amount of white paint and add more as you wish. This allows you to better control the degree of shade.
Bonus Tip: If you have any white left on your palette, don't clean the brush you are using to mix, dip another little bit of water and run the brush through the white. You'll get an even lighter shade for further highlighting.
Bonus Tip: If you have any white left on your palette, don't clean the brush you are using to mix, dip another little bit of water and run the brush through the white. You'll get an even lighter shade for further highlighting.
The Refractive Green when painted as a base colour and when you add a bit of white to the mix.
As you can see you can get very different colours.
Once the basic work has been done, it is now time for the master action - the Ink work!
This Brown Ink is very versatile and very effective. Do not use it straight from the bottle - mix it with water first. A good mix to start with is 50/50 ink to water. More Ink will give a darker wash, less ink will give a very light wash. Avoid using too much water though, and ensure you have fully agitated the ink first!
The results of a 50/50 water-ink wash.
You can now add details to the fabric, paint the weapons and armour with the Oily Steel, and do any jewellery in Gold
Use the 00 brush for fine detail. When painting metal jewellery it helps to re-paint them black first.
This set contains the basics you need for painting Dark Age models, and it also includes a bottle of Matt Varnish for sealing and protecting your models. Apply liberally with the Size8 brush.
The finished Celt volunteers using the sequence above and the paints and brushes for this set.
I cheated a little by adding flock to the bases. I also sell flocks and grasses and have a large variety in stock. Please contact me or see my eBay store.
I cheated a little by adding flock to the bases. I also sell flocks and grasses and have a large variety in stock. Please contact me or see my eBay store.
Thanks for reading. I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Any feedback is always appreciated.
