This is my basic painting guide for the Doom miniatures for the
new Doom Board Game by Fantasy
Flight Games. I hope this provides a an easy to follow guide
for anyone interested in painting to a similar scheme that I came
up with. I've tried to explain all terminology along the way, to
make sure anyone can follow along. The Doom Board Game probably
converted a lot of videogamers over to miniature gaming who need
some help painting. To start I'de like to talk about Primer, Paints,
Inks/Washes, and Brushes, and Other Necessities.
I've received a few emails from readers, and I thank you for
the kind words and the questions. Don't be afraid to drop
me a line, I'de love to hear what you have to say.
Just wanted to add: Sorry I haven't updated lately, I've been
pretty busy recently and went out of town for a while. But
I'm back at it, and the Demon's guide is almost done. Im planning
for it to be up tomorrow.
I'm also working on a Solo Play and Random Dungeon Mods for
Doom. I'll post a link once they are completed. Its all coming
together quite nicely, I think you'll like it.
PRIMER Primer is one of the most important
things that a lot of beginners don't use. You will need a can or
two of primer. I suggest going to your craft or hobby store and
asking for Armory Primer, if thats not available then try Games
Workshop Primer. It comes in three colors, white, grey, and black.
For Doom miniatures, I would consider buying a can of black and
grey, and also buying a Reaper paintpot of paint-on primer.
The three primers are used for different overall color tones of
the finished miniature. If the miniature is going to be quite dark(Undead
for example), use black primer. If the miniature is going to be
very bright and vibrant(High Elves, Happy Things) use white. For
an in between, grey.
How To Prime:
Before priming, make sure to take an exacto knife, and clean off
any moldlines and rough areas of the miniature. This will help the
miniature look a lot better after its been painted.
Setup in a well ventilated newspapered area(preferrably outside),
and stand your handwashed(with soap and water) and dried miniatures
up for spraying. You will want to spray from a distance and very
quick and all over the top and sides of the miniature. You want
to be as quick as possible to make sure the primer isn't too thick.
Too much primer can kill detail. After its dried, lay the miniature
on its back or side, and spray the missed areas, again quick and
from a distance. Repeat as neccessary until the miniature is covered.
If there are tiny missed areas, you might try the paint-on primer
for that. The paint on primer is also good just in case the miniature
chips in the process of painting, then you can recoat that spot
with primer and fix it again.
PAINT
There are many paints out there that you can use, but the three
most common among miniature painters is Games
Workshop, Reaper, and
Vallejo Paints. After many years of painting, I try bypassing
all these except in certain situations. Miniature paints are highly
priced for the little paint given. I use Delta
Ceramcoat and Folk
Art acrylic paints. They can be found at Walmart, Jo Anne Fabrics,
and just about any other craft store around. The bottles are huge
compared to GW pots, and they are for half the price. The only time
I use GW or Reaper are for inks/washes(see below) and metallic paints.
My personal favorites are Tin Bitz(GW), Bolt Gun Metal(GW), Plate
Steel(Reaper), and Mithril Silver(GW).
I suggest finding empty film canisters, or even buying empty paint
pots to mix in. I do a lot of mixing for unique colors I can't find,
or don't wish to purchase a whole container of.
As a side note, Reaper does something unique and cool. They add
a miniature skull into their paint pots, to act as a ball bearing
to help shake up the paint. I generally buy tiny fishing weights
for this purpose and add them to my pots. I then take out the skulls
from Reaper and use them to decorate the miniature base.
INKS/WASHES
Inks and washes are nice for creating detail. Basically the ink
is very thin compared to the paint, and runs into the cracks and
crevices of the miniature creating darker areas with ease. I personally
like the GW Inks much better than the Reaper ones. The Reaper inks
tend to be a bit glossy/shiny, which can look really ugly at times.
The two main inks I use are Flesh Wash and Black Ink.
BRUSHES Brushes are a main part of your painting package. You will
need some decent sized brushes, and some fine detail brushes. For
regular brushes, I suggest buying a pack of Plaid
Fine brushes. These can be picked up at Walmart or just about any
craft store. But for the detail brushes, goto an art supply store
or check your Game/Hobby Shop for Reaper or GW brushes if that will
work better. You want the finest, smallest, pointiest brush tip
you can find. Avoid any brushes with wandering hair that point out
in obscure directions.
You will also want to set aside a decent sized brush specifically
for drybrushing. The technique really fans out the bristles, so
you will want to designate one for this purpose.
VARNISH
Varnish is a coat of sealer that bonds the paint to the miniature
so that chips and cracks occur less often. Obviously playing with
miniatures in the dirt and horseplay will automatically remove the
paint, but we're all mature gamers right? So, if you want your minis
to last, try finding some matte varnish through GW, Reaper, Vallejo,
Armory, Delta Crafts or Plaid. I use Plaid
Clear Acrylic Matte Sealer, it works well, and doesn't leave
an ugly glossy varnish. I picked it up at Walmart in the Craft section,
but you can probably find this at any craft store or even order
it online.
OTHER
A few other suggestions would be to get a small dixie cup(or anything
that can hold water) for frequent brush cleaning. NOTE:
never leave a brush point down in a water glass, it ruins the
tip. Again, try picking up film canisters or anything
that can work as a nice mixing cup that you can keep sealed. GW
and Reaper both sell empty paint pots, but finding film canisters
is cheaper. You will also want to keep newspaper or cardboard down
where ever you might be painting. For the clumsy, you might consider
putting down a cloth on your lap just in case. One last optional
piece of equipment would be a paint mixing tray. If you don't wish
to spend the money, use a paper plate or even just the newspaper
=) The tray is not only useful for mixing, but the Delta and Folk
Art bottles have tops similar to Shampoo bottles, so it is neccessary
to squeeze it out somewhere. Be sure to sqeeze in small droplets
to save as much paint as possible. Its better to have less and need
to squeeze out more, than wasting a lot of paint that in the end
just dries up on your mixing tray.
Questions? Comments? Care to chat about if the
moon is really made of cheese?
E-mail me: jesse.acosta@gmail.com
ICQ: 24574669
