In this tutorial, we will explore techniques for enhancing a basic paint job using oil paints. Unlike acrylics, oil paints require an organic solvent like White Spirit or turpentine (which is toxic, such as Enamel Odourless Thinner A.MIG-2019) instead of water; and take hours to dry, as opposed to mere seconds with acrylics. However, this extended drying time lends oils the advantage of effortless blending, allowing for the creation of multiple effects. For instance, we can employ this property to generate shadows, thereby enhancing the sense of volume, or to simulate various weathering effect ..read more

This article was originally published on the Battlefront website, here. This article is a follow-up of Painting WWI German AV7 tank: the art of enamel washes. As demonstrated recently in another tutorial on painting Painting WWI French Fusiliers: How to create mud bases, the idea is to create mud effects rather than simply painting them. While wargamers often resort to the dry-brush technique using acrylics to simulate mud, the results, while interesting, may lack the texture typically associated with this particular effect. To address this, we can turn to specialized products designed to achi ..read more

This tutorial was originally published on the Battlefront website, here. Acrylic paints are the most popular choice for wargamers, and in most cases, the only option on the painting bench. This preference is quite logical, as acrylic paints are readily available, non-toxic, quick-drying, and overall user-friendly. However, if we take a closer look at what Scale Modelers do, we will discover that they employ a variety of paint types, including acrylics, lacquers, oils, enamels, and powder pigments. The distinct features of each type of paint can be utilized to perform specific steps or achieve ..read more

This article was originally published on the Battlefront website: here. As wargamers, we frequently opt to paint bases rather than create them. While it is true that we usually incorporate some form of texture, often achieved by adhering sand with glue, the subsequent step typically involves multiple layers of drybrushing painting. However, for the sake of achieving more authentic bases and scenery, it is advisable to create the texture entirely instead of relying on painting. A notable example is mud; painting mud effects can be quite challenging, while creating realistic mud effects becomes ..read more

A while back, we reviewed the U-Rust kit from AMMO, which allows for the creation of realistic rust effects in a simple and effective manner (see more here). Capitalizing on the knowledge obtained from that test, I decided to use it to paint one of my Grave Guard units for my Soulblight Gravelords army in Age of Sigmar. This seemed ideal, given that these miniatures are predominantly clad in rusted armor! In collaboration with AMMO, I created three video tutorials featuring how to create rust effects using the U-Rust kit, how to paint bones, and how to paint fabric. The ..read more

After 10 years since the publication of my very first painting book I am delighted to announce another PaintingWar (PW) publication, made possible by Miniaturama Publishing. This marks my third contribution to the PW series (with the previous two being WWII German army and Spanish Civil War), delving again into one of my favorite topics in historical wargaming: World War II. While my initial PaintingWar issue centered around the German army, this latest book shifts its focus to the British and Commonwealth armies. Using exclusively Warlord Games miniatures in 28mm, and similar to previous Pain ..read more

In a couple of weeks, I will be attending the Flames of War National tournament in Finland (Talvisota 2024), for which I have spent the last few months assembling a new German army. Given that the theme of the army is Berlin, 1945, I wanted to craft something unique for the bases of the infantry and Flak 88 guns. In this tutorial, I will demonstrate how to create urban bases with debris in a straightforward, efficient, and effective manner. While this tutorial primarily targets 15mm miniatures (Battlefront), its principles are adaptable to other scales or projects with the simple adjustment ..read more

  Wargamers frequently find themselves seeking a balance between painting and gaming, which often leads them to prefer fast painting techniques. These methods are typically straightforward and swift, and, importantly, highly effective. However, it is worth noting that the trade-off is often between speed and quality, with quality being inversely proportional to the time invested. In this tutorial, we will explore the fusion of a fast-painting technique that involves washes with a more sophisticated method by incorporating successive layers of highlights. To clarify, we will begin with the ..read more

It has been a bit since my last blog post, but that does not mean I have forgotten about it. I am working on some neat stuff that I hope will be ready to share soon. In the meantime, I have put together a short and simple article explaining how we can create bases using simple materials while still achieving very realistic results. The trick is to utilize natural elements, such as soil and small branches. We save time because we do not need to paint them, plus they look precisely how they are supposed to on our tiny models ..read more

I previously wrote a short tutorial describing how to paint TMM steel (you can read it here). And it was about time to write a similar post about how to paint TMM gold, taking advantage of a bunch of Easterling warriors (Games-Workshop, 28mm) I am painting right now. I am also expanding the tutorial to explain how to paint the red and marine blue clothes. The bases are unfinished, but I am planning to prepare another tutorial explaining this part. I would like to clarify that this is my own interpretation of this technique, meaning that is not the only ..read more