"6mm, Bright Colors & The Dip" Topic

Bashytubits once wrote:

Bright colors make 6mm look good, the dip makes them too dark.

Do you agree?

He sounds like he is in the know, so yes I agree.

Agree

I think the Dip is better suited for larger size figs

Yes for figures, but for vehicles a good wash helps.

Keeping the colours bright enough to be visible in 6mm is a struggle. Particularly with regards to infantry, vehicles and things with larger flat surfaces are easier to keep bright.

This means the colours need to be whitened ie desaturated. The shading also has to be sharp. This is better done with a narrow brush and a finger or swap to take the shading off the surfaces. Blacklining with inks can a big difference.

I prime white or pale grey, ink, paint by block and then re-ink/wash. I think the actual "dip" method isn't really suited to the smaller figures however I think washes are just as valuable as any other scale. They add dimension and depth which can be difficult to produce in 6mm with paint alone.

Agree with Prince. I've done a lot of 6mm with a weak wash of Windsor & Newton Blue-Black or medium-dark brown. Use best quality oil paint x a little liquin x about 10 parts distilled English turps. Gives a lovely faint shadowing which I also use on 10mm and 15mm. Goes over my acrylic paints without staining and seeks crevices. Don't make the mix too strong. If it looks just slightly too weak when it goes on, it will probably dry perfect.

The most important thing is contrast in any figure painting. As the size gets smaller you need stronger contrasts, ones that would work well at 6mm will look too stark and unrealistic on 28mm figures, you need more subtle contrasts there.

For more modern uniforms it becomes almost impossible to paint using accurate colours and still maintain contrasts so you may need to choose colours that give the correct 'look' rather than matching the real ones.

Don't fully agree with Anthropicus that desaturation is always the best solution. It works with blues and, to a certain extent, with greens (adding yellow works as often) but not with reds or yellows.

I tend to use the same technique as PAR – shadows made with a dark wash over the primer, block painting and some quick, lighter touches as highlights after a final wash.

Personally I think blacklining on figures make them look like cartoon characters, I don't like the look at all.

Using a black prime and then spots of bright paint on the high spots of the component surfaces on the figure is a much quicker way of achieving a similar effect and usually looks better on a 6mm figure. I still wouldn't use it myself but it is quick and the effect produces some good looking armies viewed on the table.

Yes.

You paint those little fellows with bright florescent paints before the dip and they will look GREAT!

Mine tend to look like clowns before I dip them. They turn out great! Lastly I hit the raised areas with a highlight color for the finish!

Don't Bashy's always come out looking like cats anyway?

Any of you gentlefolk willing to post pics of your lovely work?

No. It depends on the nature of the dip and the paint. It's all about getting the proper gradient. The surface texture of the paint and the flow of the dip are key.

Personally I think blacklining on figures make them look like cartoon characters, I don't like the look at all.

If you think lining, instead of blacklining then you can get great results. Brown for white uniforms for instance.

John

A full on dip may be overkill I just use a light wash

Don't Bashy's always come out looking like cats anyway?

You got something against cats?
Note to TMP: DO NOT use the dip on cats, you WILL be sorry. You have been warned.

Agree. The wash does not look good for 6mm.

Don't fully agree with Anthropicus that desaturation is always the best solution. It works with blues and, to a certain extent, with greens (adding yellow works as often) but not with reds or yellows.

Absolutely correct, that was an oversimplification. To make red look red and not dark and muddy in 6mm I find I have to start with scarlet and highlight right to orange.

Personally I think blacklining on figures make them look like cartoon characters, I don't like the look at all.

And yet you're talking about block painting over black. Doesn't that leave black in the creases the same way? In any case the lining should be thin enough that it doesn't stand out.

I'll try to take some pictures tonight to illustrate.

Quick and dirty shot:

imgur.com/a/cb27g

@Anthropicus
Those are 6mm ? Awesome painting and a fantastic demonstration of how powerful blacklining can be.

John

Thanks! They are indeed. It helps that Baccus has such crisp sculpts to work with.