"How quick are GW contrast paints?" Topic

Thinking from a 15mm perspective here. I recently timed myself producing a 34 figure ECW regiment from opening the packets to having them varnished and based. They came in just shy of 11 minutes work a figure. See link

I didn't include drying times, as I paint a bit here and a bit there.

Any 15mm GW Contrast painters hazard a guess on how long it takes to paint a figure? Any quicker?

Footnote: actually timing how long it takes to produce a unit can become a bit of an albatross when you sit down to start the next unit. Just shy of 11 minutes isn't too bad, but total time for a unit (6hours or so) seems a bit daunting

Ain't no such thing as "painting a figure." Always, ALWAYS depends on number of colors on the figure, amount of gear carried and overall fussiness. The Contrast paints speed up painting figures which are predominantly one color. I'd say no net savings at all on most horse & musket armies until you get to 28mm. Troops in robes or single-color uniforms like most troops from the World Wars should see some improvement--or you can use regular acrylics with a very wet brush and get to about the same effect.

Don't worry. I'm sure GW is already working on the next line of miracle paints.

+1 Robert

Though horses may be easier I understand.

Horses have very few textures. Contrast doesn't work on relatively smooth surfaces like hirses and vehicles. It needs lots of nooks and crannies

P.S. I do 15mm World War II Soviets in 6 minutes from bag to base:

link

Horses. I've read of someone getting good results with Contrast. But tube acrylics over black primer works for me, and a tube will last through generations of GW paints.

For the record, I regularly use GW paints. I've bought and used some of the Contrast, and I have some GW figures in my SF and fantasy armies. I just get tired of them recycling 40 or 50 year old ideas as new inventions. In the hobby shop, I always refer to Contrast as the Duke Seifried Memorial Paint Line purely for the pained look on the clerk's face.

LOL

contrast with a light drybrush should work on horses , 15mm and up . haven't seen any 10mm or 6mm but i think they won't work very well with such small models .

surprisingly good results here in 18mm
YouTube link

How do these differ from Duks's "Stain Painteing" process?

They don't differ. They are designed to be used for stain painting. They work well for that purpose. There are other tricks for them as well. For knights I have been painting with the black and then dry brushing silver. It does a good job.

Joe Collins

Last night, my daughter hogged the TV at 9pm to watch Love Island (I know…the shame!).

I mooched upstairs and by the time that vacuous rubbish had ended had painted twelve 15mm Sumerian infantry from undercoated to finished using GW Contrast paints.

And they look good.

Best thing since sliced bread!

The method has been around for who knows how long. The Duke promoted it in the 70s with his Heritage paint line. The first time I saw him hours before the demo he was dressed as Darth Vader. I would guess the GW paints may flow a little better and have higher pigment but the idea is not new.

Thanks for your answer Vis Bellica. I was under the impression that drying times are fairly long for 'contrast'. I'm guessing that this wasn't an issue for you and your Sumerians?

Extra Crispy – 6 minutes, how does that compare to your 'normal' technique?

My normal method would average 20 minutes

To KYPD38: it's pretty hot and humid here, but I was painting 12 infantry at a time and the first one's Contrast paint was largely dry by the time I'd finished number 12.

Certainly dry enough to do the next colour.

vislardica.com for some pics

Thanks again EC and VB (nice pics too VB)