"Wet blending?" Topic

Can someone familiar with this technique please give me a brief description of it?

David McL

I guess I can try. You start with the two colors you are going to be blending together – I usually do my wet blending on a wet palette – and I usually add several additives to the paints. I first add a blending gel which also tends to delay the drying time of the paint (some use extenders for the same purposes). I then add some acrylic thinner to thin it down a touch so that it still is more like a paint than a gel. Once both colors are ready for painting, I begin with the darker of the colors and where I want to begin the blending and then you work with both colors by blending them on the model until you obtain the result you like. It is difficult to describe the "blending" part as it all depends upon the surface. If it is a large flat surface, you use a different brush technique than you would with cloth with folds which change colors with the folds.

I also have a "cheater" version of wet blending but it only works on certain objects which have certain size flat areas. I use it for "power swords" and the like where I want the sword to fade from a color to another color over the length of the blade. In these cases – I place a drop or two of each color very close to each other on the wet palette and place a drop of extender/blending gel between them, then I use a wide flat nose brush and dip it into both colors and the blending gel so that one color is on one side, the other color is on the opposite side and the blending gel is in the middle – then you begin the blending by gradually working the two colors together. I should probably put this into pictures to show it better. Then you have the paint "blended" on the brush – and you just brush it on to your primed surface and let it dry. Works well in my experience.

It's blending two or more colors while the paint is still wet or workable. It takes a good bit of media extender or slow dry to do this. You first lay a base coat then add a line or two of the color to be blended, dip your brush into the base color again and pull through the lines you made into the direction you want the blending.

I think the technique generally is done on the figure. Place your two colors, usually a lighter and darker shade of the color, close to each other and blend the area between by drawing paint from both wet colors into the area you are shading. You can also place a lighter or darker color on top of an wet color and draw them into each other to produce a shadow.

I start with the darker color and a wet (not dripping brush) and lay down the color until there is no more on the brush.or not enough that it matters) Then I pick up the 2nd color and start blending that into the first color, working quickly. I don't use extenders. If you alternate between small amounts of both colors and work quickly on small areas you can achieve a nice blend. Wipe the brush on a towel between colors if you need to. I find extenders just make a thicker layer more prone to brush marks.

Are there any good websites or you tube tutorials on how to blend on miniatures?

M-

Is this what you guys are talking about?

link

CC

Thanks all. I wasn't sure about the technique to use and now I've got some alternatives to try. I'll get something disposable and practice and see what works best for me.

After many years of using 10mm and 15 mm figures for mass armies, I'm going to try painting 25/28mm again. The figure I have in mind for blending is the Reaper Children of the Zodiac: Leo. It has a lion head on a human body, and I thought this might make for a nice blend from tawny to flesh. This may take me a while to paint it, but I'll let you know how it turns out.

David McL

CC, thanks for the YouTube link. I've picked up some ideas from that as well.

David