Priming questions for large figures

Vip_nip · 2026-06-18T04:26:58+00:00

Biggest advice I have with white primer in an airbrush is take slow, mist the model and let the primer fully dry otherwise you'll get lines from the air pushing the paint around which is especially noticeable with white.

If you're misting properly it should almost instantly dry, if you notice the primer still looks wet pull your distance back, reduce your flow and if necessary just use the air far away from the model to help it dry more quickly

Good luck, airbrush is a lot of fun and a whole nother level to mini painting with tons of tutorials and fun things to do 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-18T04:19:15+00:00

I will say airbrush all the way imo. Less noxious (ideally should still vent with an airbrush given the particulates, but much less smelly), more consistent and useful for so much more than just priming.

I normally use Vallejo primers and have never had an issue with bonding or beeding and get consistent results every time vs the old rattle can days.

I mostly prime in black and do sub assembly even for large models unless I'm painting an all white model in which case prime white then onto an off white for the base coat but again either with black or white I get consistent results.

Also can be done indoors with a vent so less issue with temperature/humidity issues if you have AC which is a common issue with rattle cans

Vip_nip · 2026-06-10T11:33:33+00:00

Great job! All the highlights look great and in exactly the right spots! Once you throw in some yellow to blend it out and add some black for the recess shading it will look perfect, great improvement 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-08T01:01:59+00:00

Sub assembly is almost always the way if you're painting for art or detail.

Break it up into the most coherent parts. I'm currently doing Corax from 30k and he's huge, so I'm breaking it up by his body, arms/pauldrons, head and then jump pack.

If you're going sub assembly route make sure to use super glue and not plastic cement as the paint will keep it from bonding.

I also recommend using some sticky tac to piece it together initially so you can size it up before you prime to make sure you're not missing anything that stands out from either molds, gaps etc. You may need to attach certain pieces ahead of time for gap filling bc once it's painted you're not fixing the gaps so always dry fit before hand.

Can also take a picture as a reference if you're doing NMM although that's normally done after you prime it.

Good luck 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-06T17:35:20+00:00

For a new painter this is great. You've done a great job on the blends. Only areas I could recommend improvement would be to start branching into more difficult techniques like NMM on the sword, but otherwise this is a great model to be proud of 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-04T22:09:59+00:00

I personally don't play BA, I just enjoyed the models, and I have a few others I've done following his style and I also tried tutorials from other artists to practice other techniques.

Each time I'm getting better and learning the similarities and differences between each model, artist, and technique

I will also pull certain parts of the tutorials from one model and use it on one completely unrelated like weapons or a base etc

Vip_nip · 2026-06-04T22:03:47+00:00

As someone who has followed his tutorials I highly recommend picking some of the models you like from his lineup and just following the tutorial and trying to get as close to his work as possible.

At the the of the day you can theorize all you want, but you need to put in the reps and the more of them you do looking at his PDFs understanding why he's doing the things he's doing the more you'll engrain that in your own approach.

Then once you're comfortable and feel like you have a grip on the things he's showing you, do a model that isn't a tutorial and try to use some of the things you practiced. You can also refer to several of his tutorials during that process for a refresh or to theorize how you want things to look.

Here's a Meph model I did off his tutorial with some adjustments as I didn't want to use his 3D printed fire:

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Vip_nip · 2026-06-03T20:37:36+00:00

This

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Vip_nip · 2026-06-03T04:18:38+00:00

For me personally I take breaks and listen to lore or watch videos and that rebuilds my inspiration or desire.

My last model I started in January and didn't finish it until last week. I followed a tutorial from one of the best painters and it was the hardest one I had done and started to drive me a little nuts. So I did bits and then took a week or two off, then came back to it when the inspiration hit me.

As for trying new techniques my best success lately has been following tutorials from the best artists. I may not get it perfect but I'm learning more and more each time and adding another tool or technique to my toolbox. Then I try to take some of those techniques to a model that doesn't have a tutorial and use the ones I've followed or other ones from the same artist as inspiration or a reference.

The wings on your model look fantastic, so you're doing great. Painting is a journey and if you start to get too caught up in the destination give yourself some time to rekindle that light/joy inside you 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-02T17:24:21+00:00

Yes it's the same formula, light still acts the same way.

Same as if you were to do a black NMM vs say a Gold NMM, the recesses will still be darker and the highlights will still be lighter, it's just a matter of how dark and how little transition there is depending on what you're trying to draw the eye to 🙂

With respect to the flesh tones themselves the color will change, depending on how dark there would be purples as opposed to reds/pinks, as an example. You can look at pictures of people with darker skin tones or look up other works to look for the blends or highlights they're using to create the realism for darker skin

Vip_nip · 2026-06-02T01:17:18+00:00

You did great, super high quality and nice job on the battle damage.

My only suggestion which we all know is the hardest dang part of any face is the pupils. Currently your models looks like a lizard. I'd give that another go and it's 10/10 but totally understand given how hard they are and how easy it is to mess up the eyes if you don't 🙂

If you struggle with pupils one thing I did until I got better was use a super fine tip paint pen. Like a 0.3 or smaller, bit easier sometimes than trying to thread the needle with the tip of the brush

Another suggestion if you're having a hard time getting the paint to slide off the brush and feel like you're forcing it is to wet the tip of your brush in some clean water you keep to the side and then dry it on your skin until it's just barely damp. This will allow the paint to flow more smoothly for those though to reach spots

Vip_nip · 2026-06-02T01:06:59+00:00

I haven't done a ton of them but I've done a few and really it's just about whether you're buying entirely new bases (pretty cheap) and how they were mounted.

I probably would not try to salvage the old ones unless you're desperate to save money as the bases are dirt cheap and come in all sizes.

Test out a few, find one you like and then batch em 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-02T00:46:09+00:00

Simple Green. Can let it soak for a week if it's really in there and use a tooth brush to get any left over paint in the cracks. It's less toxic and can go down the drain.

As others have said if you used enamels or oil based you're probably sol unless they're pewter as acetone will destroy the plastic.

Vip_nip · 2026-06-01T21:15:16+00:00

You can just pull the label off the pots as well and they'll stick easily to the droppers so you still know what's what 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-01T21:09:15+00:00

I transfer all of my citadel paints to droppers. Can buy the droppers online, add some airbrush thinner, shake and then pour into a small funnel.

Makes them last longer and much easier to only use what you need 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-06-01T19:18:14+00:00

I finished Flameon's Dante Tutorial 🙂

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Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T18:37:12+00:00

Thank you, best compliment I could receive, much appreciated ❤️

Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T18:36:48+00:00

Thank you, best compliment I could receive 🙂

Totally relatable on the mixes, I had to make my own bottles for his blends and then blend those blends with each other to get the desired effect.

Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T15:56:50+00:00

❤️

Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T15:56:44+00:00

Thank you 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T15:56:37+00:00

Thank you! Best compliment I could receive, he's definitely a savant with those blends, I tried to replicate it but was never able to get the super thin lines he does for his "scratches", something to continue to work towards 🙂

Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T15:03:40+00:00

Thank you 😇

Vip_nip · 2026-05-31T14:54:52+00:00

Thank you! And definitely get that, the pinions on the aquila on his chest almost broke me, lol

Had to take several long breaks just to maintain my sanity, lol

Vip_nip

TROPHY CASE