"Warlord Pike Painted with GW Contrast Paints" Topic

I picked up a copy of Pikeman's Lament a while ago and thought it would be fun to play. I recently moved to Pittsburgh and don't know anyone yet, so I should probably paint both sides. I needed inexpensive figures and a way to paint them up quickly.

theminiaturespage.com

‌"TMP link

Although I planned on mostly using Bloody and Bicorne miniatures, I realized that I could use Warlord's plastics for pike and shotte units as long as I slipped a washer under them to give them a height boost. So I did.

These pikemen were painted almost entirely with Games Workshop Contrast paints. The exceptions were the metals, a few quiclk shirt highlights, and some blue highlights. Only having to paint one color on a surface is fast and a great way to build an army quickly.

You can see more pictures here: squadpainter.blogspot.com

The pikemen in blue look fantastic!

Army Painter Speed Paints are great too, and about half the price of contrast paints. I just cranked out 12 Victrix Norman Knights and 24 infantry, 12 Fireforge Byzantine Lancers, 6 Horse Archers, 12 Gripping Beast Arab spearmen, and a Fireforge Byzantine Emperor and Strategos in a WEEK. This would have normally taken me months to achieve using my old painting technique. Speed paints are aptly named!

The pikemen in blue look fantastic

Thank you! I wasn't happy with the blues right out of the pots, so I mixed my own color with Contrast Ultramarines Blue 1:1 Contrast Talassar Blue. That worked well.

Everything went so quickly with the Contrast Paints that I didn't mind adding a quick highlight to the blue. I used Vallejo Game Color 023 Electric Blue mixed with a touch of white to add some edge highlights to the base of the coats and I stippled a bit onto the shoulders. It took about a minute per figure and gives the illusion that I spent time doing it on the rest of the figure!

Army Painter Speed Paints are great too, and about half the price of contrast paints.

Yes they are. I picked up the GW Contrast Paints before Army Painter came out with their offerings, so I use what I have. Chasing all of the different paint ranges is a quick way for me to spend too much money.

From what I understand the AP paints are much smoother on flat surfaces than GW paints. However, the AP paints can reactivate if one isn't careful. Each line has its good and bad qualities… and good and poor individual colors.

Both GW Contrast Paints and AP Speed Paints save so much time that either of them are fantastic deals. They really come into their own after a bit of quick highlighting.

Looking good.

Another speed paint option are those from Green stuff World. Come in much bigger bottles for the same price as GW contrast. Reviews that I have seen rated them highly (they work more like GW, don't reactivate)

Nice work. I like your blog; lots of nice eye candy.

Looking good.

Another speed paint option are those from Green stuff World.

Thank you! I appreciate your blog as well. You've been an inspiration for me to pursue ECW in 15mm, albeit with Steel Fist miniatures. link

I originally purchased my GW Contrast Paints to use on my Kickstarted 15mm S.Fist ECW, but I couldn't wait and tried them out on a few packs of ECW Peter Pigures that I had laying about. After those tests the paints languished until I dusted them off for my Pikeman's Lament project. I'm glad I did.

Most hues are wonderful and I wouldn't part with them now that I figured them out. Skeleton Horde for linens, SW Grey for a cool off-white, GorGrunta Fur for brown hair, Basilicanum Grey for a neutral that goes with every coat color, … and on and on. Black Templar is spot on for blackened armor. It would probably take me a long time to get up to my current level of proficiency if I switched to another paint line. But it is good that other options are out there. Different strokes, right?

Thanks SquadPainter – apologies if the blog has 'lightened' your wallet.

I must confess that whilst I have looked at contrast paints, I've been put off by the need to be careful. I'm anything but a careful painter – I slap paint on quickly, then do a tidy up before washing. I think I might be able to be more careful with bigger figures!

Thanks SquadPainter – apologies if the blog has 'lightened' your wallet.

I must confess that whilst I have looked at contrast paints, I've been put off by the need to be careful.

"Lead me not into temptation; for I can find the way myself." – Rita Mae Brown

Your blog is exceedingly helpful in continuing to keep my wallet thin, but it was already in its svelte state before I landed on your site. Ha ha!

On my first few efforts the Contrast Paints were anything but speedy… on 15mm or 28mm. But once I learned to use them properly, in both application and color order, things sped up quickly; I'm becoming an expert in cutting in dark paint near light areas. Paint application order is so important. The old rules, such as painting from the inside to out, don't apply. At times it's best to paint straps first. Heresy!

Nice work. I like your blog; lots of nice eye candy.

Thank you!

Yeah… there's a lot of stuff on there. Ha ha! Luckily everything is labeled so it's easy to find what interests you.

Early on I was just learning how to paint (French Napoleonics and Flames of War). Then I went into my everything must be a museum piece phase (Space Hulk Terminators and Genestealers). Now I'm trying to see how quickly I can finish up units but still keep a high standard (Blood Bowl Skaven, English Civil War, anything with the Speed Paint label).

There's also entries on jamming my finger with an X-Acto blade (graphic), my first game store link (Military Emporium in El Cajon), supergluing my fingers together, making wargaming counters, and other oddities.

A lot of them have ideas to share with other painters. Many have helped me on my journey and this blog is my way of giving back to others.