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Best acrylic paint for chainmail

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Joseph Lappin

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Mar 20, 2003, 10:39:30 AM3/20/03
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I was on vacation last week and painting up some HAT republican Romans.
When I got to the mail I wasn't happy with the paint I'd used before. I'd
been using a burnished pewter from a line of artist's paint , whose name
escapes me here at work :( . Any way it seems to have thickened up and it
also didn't look as good. I'd previously used it over grey primed leads and
these figs are white primed.

Any suggestions would be appreciated for particular paints and/or techniques
for obtaining good looking mail in 20 mm. Tips regarding 15mm would also be
appreciated.

Thanks

Joseph
He either fears his fate too much, or his desserts are small,
Who will not put it to the touch, to win or loose it all.
(but remember he wrote that in a love poem)


Duncan MacLeod

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Mar 20, 2003, 1:25:59 PM3/20/03
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"Joseph Lappin" <lapp...@different.gov.ns.ca> wrote in message
news:Sglea.3701$Jf.3...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...

I use Citadel/Games Workshop's "Bolt Gun" as a first coat - its a dark
metalic colour. Then dry brush on GW's "Chainmail" paint.

Duncan
>


Quid Veritas

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Mar 21, 2003, 1:49:18 AM3/21/03
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I like to "black" the chain mail area first then dry brush with Iron
from Armory (Armory chain mail is too shiny). I have also been messing
around with Vallejo grimy steel appied with a dry brush technique --
pretty shiny but not bad.

mjc

Tom Bryant

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Mar 21, 2003, 5:33:10 AM3/21/03
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Joseph,

Check out a color in the craft paints called "Black Pearl"
mettalics. This is perfect for the "blackened mail" effect. It also
works great for gunmetal or cast iron.

Tom Bryant
President, HMGS-GL

DDetmer89

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Mar 21, 2003, 8:22:15 AM3/21/03
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A trick I used in the past. Before anything is painted, coat the figure with
india ink. After daying, brunish lightly with a fine steel wool. Coat with a
clear water based gloss varnish. Then paint the rest of the figure. The metal
parts look like metal because they are metal. I learned this from Shep Paines
books.
RJS

Duncan MacLeod

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Mar 21, 2003, 2:46:53 PM3/21/03
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I failed to mention that my 'Bolt Gun' paint is so old that the silvered
metalic flecks have settled on the bottom of the tub. This leaves a useful
metalic black colour.

How do you find the Vallejo metalic? I've only a few of their paints so far,
but none are metalic.

Duncan

"Quid Veritas" <quidv...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:3E7AB8B...@netscape.net...

steve

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Mar 21, 2003, 2:55:27 PM3/21/03
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>How do you find the Vallejo metalic? I've only a few of their paints so far,
>but none are metalic.

Do a web search for 'vallejo paints'. There are quite a few retailers who sell
this brand of paints. I have only dealt with US online retailers so can not
recommend any outside the country. But have had good success dealing with Chaos
Mail Order, Albino Rhino, and Fantization. Fantization and Chaos are normally
well stocked, including the metallics. Albino Rhino, can be a bit hit or miss
with stock, but is a good service otherwise.

My own preferences for painting are gun metal over a black base with a dry
brush of natural steel on highlighed areas (shoulders, etc.)

Rotwang

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Mar 21, 2003, 5:49:11 PM3/21/03
to

> I was on vacation last week and painting up some HAT republican Romans.
> When I got to the mail I wasn't happy with the paint I'd used before. I'd
> been using a burnished pewter from a line of artist's paint , whose name
> escapes me here at work :( . Any way it seems to have thickened up and
it
> also didn't look as good. I'd previously used it over grey primed leads
and
> these figs are white primed.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated for particular paints and/or
techniques
> for obtaining good looking mail in 20 mm. Tips regarding 15mm would also
be
> appreciated.

Black undercoat and gently scribe it with a soft graphite pencil. It gives
a very satisfying metallic effect, much better than the "pixellated" silver
effect you get from most paints. Alternatively you could try the Vallejo
Alcohol-soluble paints. I understand they require some practice but give a
very good effect.


Rob Singers

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Mar 21, 2003, 7:46:42 PM3/21/03
to
Joseph Lappin startled all and sundry by ejaculating the following words
of wisdom

> Any suggestions would be appreciated for particular paints and/or
> techniques for obtaining good looking mail in 20 mm. Tips regarding
> 15mm would also be appreciated.

If you look under paint on http://www.rgmw.org you'll see a list of
paints and manufacturers that I've started to compile.

Test technique I can suggest is to paint a silver or other apropriate
metalic colour like GW's Boltgun metal and then wash with thinned black
or dark brown ink. I find that an ink wash rather than trying to
drybrush over a black undercoat copes better with defects in castings
and other weird effects due to the peculiar nature of the way chainmail
is sculpted.

--
rob singers
pull finger to reply

Ty

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Mar 21, 2003, 8:54:00 PM3/21/03
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"Rob Singers" <rsin...@naespam.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns934681FA8...@202.20.93.13...

> Joseph Lappin startled all and sundry by ejaculating the following words
> of wisdom
>
> > Any suggestions would be appreciated for particular paints and/or
> > techniques for obtaining good looking mail in 20 mm. Tips regarding
> > 15mm would also be appreciated.

I like to spray the figure black and drybrush with a silver-black mixture.
This picks up the rings and looks great, with minimal effort on my part. The
smaller the figure, the more silver I put in the mixture.

Another technique I use on 25mm figures is to drybrush with gunmetal (or a
similar color), then lightly drybrush with silver. I don't know how well
this would work with 15mm figures.

-Ty


PMSA00

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Mar 21, 2003, 9:05:02 PM3/21/03
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I would like to second Mr. Bryant's recommendation. I use Black Pearl Decoart
craft paint for all mail, gun barrels, ect., then I brush with Delta Ceramcoat
silver. I like the effect.

Paulonious

Quid Veritas

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Mar 22, 2003, 2:46:40 AM3/22/03
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I have not used this stuff a great deal. Thus my guarded comments
earlier. The only Vallejo paints I have are the Civil War set. Still I
have been quite pleased with these. The pigment is quite fine which
allows you to airbrush it without all the problems associated with other
paints like Armory Colors.

Despite the fact the paint pigment is fine, it covers remarkably well.
The only color I have a gripe with is the Yellow. However, in all
fairness, there are very few yellows that cover in one coat on larger
surfaces.

What I really like about these is the "squirt" bottle. This allows me
to squeeze a small drop on a figure or palate and away you go. No fuss,
no muss. I just apply it directly to the aircraft when doing cammo on
my WWI planes.

mjc

Duncan MacLeod

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Mar 22, 2003, 9:59:21 AM3/22/03
to

"Quid Veritas" <quidv...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:3E7C172C...@netscape.net...

> I have not used this stuff a great deal. Thus my guarded comments
> earlier. The only Vallejo paints I have are the Civil War set. Still I
> have been quite pleased with these. The pigment is quite fine which
> allows you to airbrush it without all the problems associated with other
> paints like Armory Colors.
>
> Despite the fact the paint pigment is fine, it covers remarkably well.
> The only color I have a gripe with is the Yellow. However, in all
> fairness, there are very few yellows that cover in one coat on larger
> surfaces.
>
> What I really like about these is the "squirt" bottle. This allows me
> to squeeze a small drop on a figure or palate and away you go. No fuss,
> no muss. I just apply it directly to the aircraft when doing cammo on
> my WWI planes.
>
> mjc

I have some of their tubes, and agree with the comment on the yellow. The
eye-dropped bottles are great, easy to shake, store and don't dry out. My
cheap palette is a peice of foam core.

I got mine from Caliver Books here in the UK. I based by order on the
painting guide set up by David Imrie of the League of Ausburg. The metalics
I have are GW. I use their Chaos Black for undercoat, and Colour Party for
some others (their yellow and reds are good).

Duncan


Rob Singers

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Mar 22, 2003, 7:07:59 PM3/22/03
to
Duncan MacLeod startled all and sundry by ejaculating the following words
of wisdom

> I have some of their tubes, and agree with the comment on the yellow. The


> eye-dropped bottles are great, easy to shake, store and don't dry out. My
> cheap palette is a peice of foam core.

The yellow is better than any other acrylic yellow I have tho'. That being
Modern GW, Old GW\Coat d'Arms, Tamiya, Ral Partha, Windsor and Newton, and
generic student acrylics.

Duncan MacLeod

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Mar 23, 2003, 8:44:53 AM3/23/03
to

"Rob Singers" <rsin...@naespam.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns93477B6AC...@202.20.93.13...

Sounds like you've had the same search I had for a decent yellow - do you
have the same difficulty with reds?

Duncan


Ty

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Mar 23, 2003, 1:28:33 PM3/23/03
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"Duncan MacLeod" <dima...@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:3e7dba54$0$236

> "Rob Singers" <rsin...@naespam.hotmail.com> wrote in message

> Sounds like you've had the same search I had for a decent yellow - do you


> have the same difficulty with reds?

FWIW, the best acrylic red I've used was the Games Workshop red -- though it
comes in those horrid jars. The best red period that I've ever used is the
Testors enamel Flat Red.

--Ty


Duncan MacLeod

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Mar 23, 2003, 3:51:07 PM3/23/03
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"Ty" <tbe...@SPAMtyler.net> wrote in message
news:v7rv733...@corp.supernews.com...

I can't figure out if I prefer the Colour Party MA12 "Tunic Red" to the
Games Workshop. I use both - CP for thickness of colour in small areas, and
GW for covering areas.

I haven't used enamels for years as the cleaning fluids (white spirits) gave
me migraines.

Duncan


John Secker

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Mar 23, 2003, 5:05:55 PM3/23/03
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In article <v7rv733...@corp.supernews.com>, Ty
<tbe...@SPAMtyler.net> writes
Coat d'arms do the original GW paints - in the original flip-top lids.
Recommended to anyone who still misses the old style GW paints. I refuse
to buy the new ones under any circumstances. If you are lucky you might
get to use a quarter of the paint before the lids sets solid, or the
paint goes dry. If it is a colour you don't use very often it is quite
possible to get only one use out of a bottle before it goes hard.
--
John Secker

Robert Singers

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Mar 23, 2003, 5:16:18 PM3/23/03
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Duncan MacLeod simpered meekly

> Sounds like you've had the same search I had for a decent yellow - do you
> have the same difficulty with reds?

The Vallejo red I have is excellent. As part of a trade I picked up an old
pack of GW (Coat d'arms) Paints which I ressurrected with a little bit of
boiled water and the red from that is great too.

Generally tho' I basecoat with a GW colour and then I use Windsor & Newton
artists paints to get exact shadings. It makes blending and fades much
easier too. Using artists acrylics if you're used to them has a lot of
advantages. Maybe not at a smaller scale than 28mm.

Irv Horowitz

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Mar 23, 2003, 2:43:31 PM3/23/03
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"Ty" <tbe...@SPAMtyler.net> wrote in message
news:v7rv733...@corp.supernews.com...

Testors Pla Enamel! How many pleasant evenings I've spent huffing the fumes
from that stuff, while I daubed globs of it onto soft plastic figures and
styrene kits. I gave it up because the shelf life is so limited. I just turn
my back for a year or two, and the paint congeals into a rubbery lump. Do
you have a technique for preventing Testors enamel from solidifying in those
blessed little glass jars?


Ty

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Mar 23, 2003, 6:42:02 PM3/23/03
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"Irv Horowitz" <zi...@fuse.net> wrote in message
news:3e7e3624$0$89186$a046...@nnrp.fuse.net...

Not really, though I have not had that problem so long as I (a) clean the
mouth of the bottle and (b) keep the pasteboard seal in the cap. I also do
*not* use the caps for mixing paint; I try to keep the threads on the bottle
caps clean of paint. Thta way, I have pain that lasts years and years.

One thing I do like to do is put some lead sinkers into the paint. Then, I
can shake up the bottle and they will be quickly mixed. Do not use BB's --
they will eventually rust.

--Ty


Robert Singers

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Mar 23, 2003, 6:52:34 PM3/23/03
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Ty simpered meekly

> One thing I do like to do is put some lead sinkers into the paint. Then, I
> can shake up the bottle and they will be quickly mixed. Do not use BB's --
> they will eventually rust.

I use cheap plastic beads. They're cheap and there's no risk of them
reacting with the paint. IIRC correctly Lead Oxide is white and soluble in
water and alcohol and therefore might actually lighten your paint.

Tim DuPertuis

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Mar 23, 2003, 7:25:29 PM3/23/03
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The ex-GW (now Coat d'arms) color "Chainmail" is my favorite
for doing steel. It has this interesting , almost 'greasy'
effect that no other steel metallic has (and have tried
lots of them).

tim

John Secker wrote:
> Coat d'arms do the original GW paints - in the original flip-top lids.
> Recommended to anyone who still misses the old style GW paints.

snip
> John Secker

--
Tim DuPertuis: ARMORCAST
3200 Dutton Ave. Ste 424, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
(707) 576-1619 voice/fax E-mail: ti...@armorcast.com
Armorcast Web Site: http://www.armorcast.com

Quid Veritas

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Mar 25, 2003, 1:21:35 AM3/25/03
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The Armory Yellows are not too bad guys. Other than you cannot airbrush
the stuff. Armory Reds I like and frequently use (although I generally
drybrush over a brown for those nice shadows).

mjc

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