"GW Contrast Paints: segway into Dip/Magic Wash techniques?" Topic
13 Posts
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Sgt Slag | 30 Jul 2019 1:25 p.m. PST |
Serious question here, folks. GW's new Contrast Paints remind me of simple block painting, followed by The Dip/Minwax Polyshades Urethane Stain. It is definitely a step down from their Golden Demon painting contest quality. It seems to me that their Contrast Paints are a step towards block painting + a dark wash, approach. Magic Wash is just Future Floor Polish (a clear, acrylic medium, without any pigment in it) with your desired color of acrylic paint added to it, to create a custom color wash. So… Do you think GW will migrate to offering their own Dip/Magic Wash products, to truly speed up the painting process, as well as to make their tournaments see nearly every table covered in fully painted miniatures? I have wondered, for years, why they did not eschew a more modest approach to painting, to facilitate better tournaments, where nearly every miniature put on display on their gaming tables, is actually painted with more than just a single color of spray paint. Do you think it will ever happen?… Cheers! |
Extra Crispy | 30 Jul 2019 3:55 p.m. PST |
Or as has been noted in many places, this is an updated version of "stain painting" which was white prime with a heavy wash of the basic colors, then details over that (flesh, boots webbing, etc). They basically already offer "magic dip" type products in their washes. "Nuln Oil" is basically a browninsh "dip." |
YogiBearMinis | 30 Jul 2019 4:26 p.m. PST |
@SgtSlag—I suspect you are right that GW would like to see more painted miniatures, for several reasons. People who paint are far more likely to stay in the hobby (and thus spend more) than ones who just assemble and play with the models like 8-year olds with Airfix figures. GW can sell paints and supplies, etc., on top of models if more customers paint their figures, and I bet the margins are better on paint, etc, than on figures. Last, painted armies in tournaments and local stores is better eye candy to lure new customers in. |
Lucius | 30 Jul 2019 4:37 p.m. PST |
I doubt that they will go the dip route, because it masks the bright colors that are their trademark. In reality, the new contrast paints are really pretty good, and pretty fast. I don't see the incremental increase in speed with a dip, trumping the brighter autoshade of the contrast paints. |
Mr Elmo | 30 Jul 2019 5:23 p.m. PST |
I think Contrast Paint works better than the dip. Shade in dipping is always the color of your Minwax. Also block painting before the dip looks like hell and is quite demoralizing. Not to mention, block paint and dip is two steps. I have yet to decide if contrast is best "inside out" or "light to dark". I'm currently favoring the former (mostly$ |
Pictors Studio | 30 Jul 2019 7:14 p.m. PST |
I think the goal was just to see most of the bare plastic disappear from the table. I'm sure it will work to some degree, probably we will see a lot more armies where the contrast paints work well in one step like Imperial fists and Alpha Legion. It won't get everyone though and there will still be those with one unpainted plastic model on a base and 9 empty bases to represent their tactical squad. |
Syrinx0 | 30 Jul 2019 7:38 p.m. PST |
Ouch. I had never run into an empty bases army before. Plenty of stand-ins for a test match of a rule set but never empty bases. It would be better to use paper chits at that point. |
bong67 | 31 Jul 2019 5:02 a.m. PST |
Hi, GW's washes, like Nuln oil are just a proprietary version of future-based magic wash. I use both my own future-based magic wash and the GW washes and they perform identically. The GW washes have been embedded into their painting methods for quite some time and there are good ideas for their use in the GW paint app. The contrast paints aren't really like a future wash. They give much brighter colours than block painting and dipping. You can also use them with regular paints. Again the GW app has examples of using the contrast paints to give a basic paint job and how to enhance them by using the contrast colours then tidying up or edge highlighting with regular paints. The contrast paints are great for doing basic paint jobs but if combined with regular paints and techniques also offer a faster way to paint in a more advanced way whilst giving brighter colours. |
Sgt Slag | 31 Jul 2019 8:39 a.m. PST |
Thank you for the replies, everyone. They helped me to clarify what my original question/intent in asking was… I view GW's Contrast Paints as if GW were dipping its toe into the 'slippery slope' of more basic painting techniques. In my view, the bottom of the 'slippery slope' is, of course, The Dip Technique. For the record, I am a dyed-in-the-wool, Dip'er, and damned proud of it. I am not slamming The Dip, nor am I denigrating anyone who chooses to use it. The thought of GW coming down from the very high mountain that eschews Golden Demon Award-level figure painting, makes me smile, and chuckle, inside, with a slight sneer making it to my face, outwardly. There will always be those who strive for Golden Demon Award-level painting. Nothing wrong with that. However, few can achieve it, and many give up on the hobby trying to achieve it, and walk away in frustration. I've always thought pushing that level of painting as "the norm", which everyone should be able to achieve, is poor marketing, for customer retention. Alas, GW has no desire to retain customers, long-term… But could this be a crack in the shell of their marketing schemes, with their eyes looking longingly at the droves of former customers? Cheers! |
Sgt Slag | 31 Jul 2019 8:46 a.m. PST |
bong57, thanks for explaining Nuln Oil. I've seen it used in a few videos on YouTube. It struck me as a version of Minwax Urethane-Stain, to be honest. "A rose by any other name,", and all that jazz. The Minwax, and Future + Acrylic Craft Paint, are just washes, of a different flavor, but still, just washes. I'm OK with that, just as I'm OK with "Contrast Paints." It's all good. Cheers! |
Dervel | 31 Jul 2019 1:54 p.m. PST |
The GW washes and contrast paint are slightly more user friendly than minwax, but essentially provide similar end results. Minwax does provide a nice coating as a bonus. |
HansPeterB | 31 Jul 2019 2:27 p.m. PST |
I've been using the contrast paints for about three weeks and like them quite a bit. They do have some similarity to washes, but they are (imo) quite a bit more versatile. I think they work best over a carefully primed and preshaded mini -- darker shadows and pretty bright areas of highlight. That and a coat of the contrast gives a fair approximation of a lot more time spent carefully layering. You will need the GW contrast medium (or equivalent) to thin some of the colors, and unfortunately the paint is extremely thin and will wear away with even minimal handling, so a good matte varnish is essential. So there's a learning curve with these, but I think it will help beginners and table top painters (like me). |
Condottiere | 31 Jul 2019 6:10 p.m. PST |
The GW contrast paints are excellent. Tried a couple, then based on my "experiments" bought the rest of the line. They are great for not just painting for the shading, highlighting, etc., but mixing with other paints. Works well with most acrylics. It does speed up painting, but also for the "average" painter it improves the overall appearance of the final, finished product. |
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