"Quickshade" Topic

I'm pretty new to the wargaming scene, especially when it comes to painting figures. I'm going to start painting my Flames of War figures soon, and I was wondering if 'Quickshade' by Army Painter is any good. If so, which should I use (there are three to choose from): Soft, Strong or Dark tone. Apparently you use it by dipping the figure into the tin.

Also, is it a varnish, a protective covering for the paint, because that's basically what I am after.

link

Thanks all

You'll get a swath of different answers here on this subject here.

Some will say it's great.

Others will say it's a good idea but you can save money by using household wood stain.

Others will say rhat its rubbish and it dulls colours down.

Most of the above is mostly true.

Personally, I find it invaluable for speed painting mass armies in 15mm. I highlight heavily (dry brushing) first, then dip the models in the appropriate colour (choice of which depends on the colour predominant on the models) then – when dry – I add any decals as it gives a fairly glossy, varnished finish and I then spray matt varnish.

My recommendation would be buy a tin of the mid shade and try some out.

John T

Thanks John

Also heard it can be messy and ruin brushes. But I assume that's the issue for all finishes.

Yep it's a solvent based product. In the end I went to holding with pliers and dipping and shaking (as army painter recommends).

Try their inks too: they are very good for smaller areas and don't wreck your brushes.

John T

I find it is great for past painting. For 15 mm figures I would apply it with a brush instead of dipping. Strong Tone works in most cases.
Figures are shiny when dry. Therefore you must spray a matt varnish to get good results.

Can I just matt varnish and cut out the Quickshade? I'm really only looking to preserve my figures and get them on the table to wargame

2 coats of matt vanish thats all you need if you dont what to use quickshade.

Or 1 coat of gloss varnish then matt varnish.

I used to use Quickshade. It gave the kind of effect I wanted on my "Dark Age" units, but I found that it soon dried up up in the tin As it's quite expensive, I don't feel it's good value for money. I also tried the wood stain route- absolutely hopeless. Incidentally " dipping" is the wrong technique , brush it on, starting at the top and working to the base of the figure.
I then discovered "Magic Wash"- basically it is Future floor polish to which you add your own ink to colour. I usually use black acrylic ink, but for some uniforms brown would be better. You can make up small batches of whatever colours you want and the basic uncoloured stock is sealed up in its container. It cost me about £3.00 GBP (compared to around £17.00 GBP for the Quickshade) and I reckon it will last me till I die! Brushes are cleaned in water, as it's basically an acrylic varnish.
I find that if I use a gloss or satin varnish first, then it does not muddy or darken the paint colours, it just flows into the creases and depths of the model, giving instant shading. As it is a varnish, it provides an additional layer of protection. If you don't like the shiny finish, a quick coat of matte varnish soon sorts it.
Save your money!

The recipe below dilutes it with water, I use less water (generally equal volumes, but you can experiment) there is also aYouTube video- just do a Google search.

link

Thanks for the tips and link Dave

Thing is I'm quite new to painting and I think mixing stuff at this moment in time may be a bit beyond me. Truth be told I don't enjoy painting so I just want to get the figures on the table with minimum work.

Sparky…. all good advice so far.

If you are new to painting you might try this, you are correct mixing might take a little practice.

Primer the figure with flat black, there are lots of choices…. I like Krylon spray.

Paint the basic area of the figure in the primary colors, go slightly lighter and brighter than you would think. it's ok if the color's don't touch and you leave a little black showing between colors… better than letting them overlap.

Get a small bottle of GW Agrax Earthshade or Nuln Oil. Yes they are overpriced GW stuff, but great for beginners to work with because they are easy to use, pre-mixed and water based. Agrax for almost anything, Nuln for figures with mostly white grey or black….

Brush the painted and dry figure with one of these and let it dry. After it is dry, if you want a clear gloss varnish use a nice water based one like ceramcoat, then I would spray it with Testors Dullcoate.

The results will be good and easy…. then after you get the hang of it you can play with army shader or minwax…. or mix your own with some acrylic and inks….

The hard part of the shading "dips" which you should brush on by the way not dip… is balancing the base color (go brighter than you think) and then how to soak up some of the excess. You can end up with huge blobs of shade which are way to dark. When I use minwax I soak of a lot of it after the figure is brushed with small dabs of paper towel to wick away the excess… have seen some people shake figures, or even use a salad spinner to get the excess off. it takes a little practice.

The army shader / minwax process is slightly faster (except for drying time!), but takes some practice, it's a little messy, and smelly :)

Or you can prime white, paint the figure with flat colour as neatly as you can, no shading. Apply Quickshade with a brush and leave it to go really hard. Then matt varnish.

A friend of mine has a brilliant Quickshade technique – he tells me black primer makes the final effect look far too muddy. He also uses white spirit to dab the QS off the highlight areas.

At this point I think you can afford to do some experimentation to see what works best for you.

I've found that if I matt varnish without a gloss the colour shifts whereas the gloss preserves the colour but of course this might be down to the varnish I use.

Thanks for the tips both

Quickshade is lovely stuff. I prefer the Light Tone for 15mm figures as it doesn't dull the colours so much but the results are really good.

I brush the stuff on instead of dipping it (because I'm clumsy and I don't like it when figures slip out of the pliers and I have to go fishing around the pot for them) and even though it's hard on brushes, I have about 3-4 cheap brushes I use solely for applying Quickshade. Wait about 4 hours or overnight and spray matt varnish them. the results are great.

I second what Dervel has to say especially if you are just getting started. Besides, as you say, these are WWII for the wargames table. Don't be afraid that the colors are too bright before shading as you will get that army drab result after the ink dries. Both Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil work great! I like to prime in black instead of white since it helps to cover any mistakes and gives more definition for belts and straps.

I bought the US and Germany army paint sets off Wayland games a few days ago. So at least I know I have the right colours :D

Trouble with Quickshade is that it's expensive

I'd avoid the quickshade for you. Stay with all acrylics and if you want try the future magic wash mixes go for it. All water based and easy clean up. No fuss, odor, or clean up issues.

Thanks Snafu

I was told to wash the figures with a water detergent mix before applying paint. What detergent should I use and do I use warm water?

Also, do I assemble the whole figure (infantry man, tank etc) before applying paint?

I get good results with white primer, block painting, dry brush highlights, ink wash and then seal with diluted Liquitex Matte Medium.

However, I can get good results quicker with skipping the ink wash and actually combining my ink or diluted paint with diluted Liquitex Matte Medium as my final step. Shading and sealing combined. I use brushes for everything.

Vallejo primers in various armor and infantry colors are great for small jobs, such as micro armor. Better than starting with white primer since you aren't worried about painting every nook and cranny and the primer color often works as the base color, leaving only camo and detail painting to be done before dry brushing and a chosen finishing process.

I have used Quick Shade Soft and Strong tone on my figures for many years. The latter have a brownish tint while the Dark tone has a blackish tinge to it. I use the dark tone for buildings and equipment only as it gives a grimy appearance…use it sparingly to minimize this effect.

The previous positive comments are largely valid. I always brush it on for more control ie to avoid dark blobs. Generally, I use the soft tone on lighter colored figures and the strong tone on dark uniforms.

Allow your figures to dry for at least 72 hours, particularity if some metallic paints are used, before applying the QS.

After applying QS I wait at least 48 hrs and then spray dull cote for a matte finish.

The QS, in addition to providing easy shading, also acts as hardened veneer to protect the paint of your figure.

The dull cote in addition to providing a matte finish also acts as wear indicator due to handling, ie. if you discern any gloss on figures then it time for a dull cote spray.

To avoid the drying out as was mentioned, clean the lid and the inside rim with turpentine or mineral spirits and most importantly, store the tin up side down. This keeps any trace of air out. I have tins that are over five years old and have not any issues with drying out.

When you are ready to use the tin again shake it vigorously for several minutes. Then with the tin right side up wait a few minutes to let the QS liquid settle. Pry open the lid and immediately clean the lid and inside rim removing any trace of the QS.

When you are ready to apply with a brush stir the QS well to ensure that the pigment is evenly distributed throughout the tin. Also, stir periodically during your brushing.

This method may seem tedious at first but it works every time. It is a great product that speeds up the painting process for painters like me who are not great painters or layers type painters or those who do not have the the time required for detailed shading.

Good luck with QS.

Thanks Ironduke, very informative and helpful

Biggest worry for me is the brushes it seems to ruin. Other than that, I think I could us QS (if it wasn't so pricey)

QS is essentially a solvent-based, urethane-stain mixture, the same as Minwax Polyshades Urethane Stain. The Minwax comes in two shades which are the most popular, among mini's gamers: Tudor (black, only sold in hardware stores in the USA, or special order from other vendors), and Royal Walnut (dark, muddy brown; available nearly everywhere which sells the brand). Painting it on, is safer, and more efficient, than actually dipping it.

Be sure to stir it thoroughly, as the pigment is heavy, and it settles to the bottom overnight -- this causes uneven shading, and worse, if you get to the uber-thick pigment, with very little urethane… Use the edge of a paper towel to absorb excess pooling.

If painting with craft paints, they have a rough texture, which will absorb/trap the Minwax: paint the figures with undiluted Pledge Floor Shine, first; let them dry 15 minutes, or longer, then apply the Minwax. This will avoid the overall darkening, as already discussed.

By the way, the Minwax product is known as the now infamous, The Dip Technique. Mixing a water-based ink/craft paint with Pledge Floor Shine (essentially a clear acrylic medium -- just add pigment; extremely durable, designed to be walked upon -- literally), is known as the infamous, Magic Wash Technique. Both of these are tried, and true methods, both are very inexpensive, compared to QS products.

For applying The Dip, I use a 30-pack of brushes, for a dollar, from Wal-Mart, in the school supplies section. I wait until I have a batch of figures to Dip, then I paint it on, dab off the pooling excesses, and pitch the brush when done -- they cost around $0.03 USD each. The Pledge Floor Shine is available from your supermarket, in the floor cleaning aisle, for around $7 USD in the USA. Experimentation is king. Cheers!

For the washing question. I use an old soft toothbrush and warm water. I use liquid hand soap, not the scented stuff, just the basics. Place the figures in a tub of warm water and put some soap on the toothbrush. Rinse in warm water. Let dry.

Lots of folks say that washing figures is a waste of time. It removes the mold release agent and you can see the difference of the before and after.

Matthew

Sparky,

I think it's worth washing the figures. I scrub them with a toothbrush and they come out brighter than they went in. However, I have recently been told that detergent actually leaves a microscopic film on the figures. To counter this, having washed them I now degrease them with cellulose thinners, which is never a bad thing to do to get any skin oil off them. Having degreased them I'll only handle them by kitchen towel damp with thinners. This might all sound like a waste of time but…

The next step is to spray them with an etch metal primer (designed for tricky metals) and it gives the most amazing result I've ever got priming. With no barrier and a clean bare surface the etch really bites the metal and is simply brilliant. All the varnish in the world isn't going to stop paint chipping unless the primer bonds to the surface. That is the weakest part of the whole paint job. Zillions of folks will say it's all a waste of time and they get no chipping using black Humbrol enamel. It might be a great undercoat and there's the difference. However, I've primed some AB figures with this etch and you can see the amazing level of detail that just disappears under black enamel.

Again try priming with several colours to see what look you like the most. I used to paint over black enamel but my way of painting gives far better result over white, there really is no right or wrong, experiment.

All good advice on the forum as usual.

Washing is never a bad idea…. I usually don't bother with lead, but I wash any soft plastics.

Primer is important… white, black, acrylic, brush spray, Gesso….

Use a decent primer.

As for the base color, depends on painting styles and the figure as mentioned above. Black is very easy for beginners because it hides mistakes.

If you were coming to flintcon on Saturday you could take part in our paint and take class :)

(oh, and make sure you mount your figures onto something to hold onto while painting!!)..

Thanks all. I think I'll go with

A warm washing liquid wash prior
Spray can black primer
Army Painter paint sets for individual armies
A brush on varnish technique

Do you flock the base before placing figures in their stand?

Also, are these good purchases:

Modelling Knife: link
Protective Mat: link

No, flock is the last thing typically… (it will get into your paint)

You need a modeling knife, but I only use the one blade style typically… (the one shown in the handle)

The cutting mat is nice, especially for working with terrain, but I also use one as a general work surface.

Also, you want a plastic lid from a cool whip container (paint pallet) or something to put small amounts of paint on to work with.

Thanks Dervel

How about these for clippers: link

Yup, I have some just like those.

Thank you

Re: Washing

Just to be sure, are we talking about putting the sprue attached figures in a bowl of warm soapy water and lightly brushing them?

Yes.

Thank you

Would zenithal priming help? Basically, you spray prime completely in black, then give a shot of colored primer from an overhead angle. This jumpstarts the painting process. You can then give it an optional wash, then block painting, then the dip?

That sounds interesting ced

So spray black, and then, say, a grey overhead for the German infantry?

Lots of good stuff here – As John Treadaway says there are loads of different opinions. I have never had a problem with the dipping method. I tried brushing but found it messy and then cleaning the brush is a pain….me being lazy I guess. I agree with Steamingdave47 – probably when the contents get below 50% a skin can form on the surface ( No matter how careful I have been replacing and the lid after each use), and once that happens I find it unusable – I remove the skin but the solution has got thicker….time for a new tin. I am definitely interested in the acrylic methods mentioned in some of the posts.

If Quickshade was at half price I'd buy it. But it seems too fiddly and it doesn't seem to have a long shelf life.

What about a spray can of matt varnish, is that a good technique to use?

Take a look at the Super Shader products from Coat d'Arms. They do the same thing but are wtaer based.

Thanks Crispy