First time painted game pieces for 3G40

I have had a 3D printer hobbyist CAD design a new BB playing piece and a new DD playing piece.
The BB is based on the WW1 UK Iron Duke modified for appearance. It is, certainly, better looking than the original BB design. Additionally, I (we) used a depiction of a WW1 US 4 stacker DD to make a modified DD playing piece for A&A WW1. The rationale that the Sub replaces the need for a DD just doesn’t ‘cut it’ (make sense). Most of the colour filaments used to 3D print these units are a good match to the original playing piece colours. I will post pictures of these as I have assistance doing so.

Sweet, thanks man. I’ll give it a shot!

@cavestone I also use vallejo paints. The key question here is are you brush painting, or using an airbrush, or both?

The Vallejo paints have a “Model Air” line that comes pre-thinned. You can buy a thinning product (from them) to add to the “Model Color” series paints, which are the exact same thing, just more concentrated and thicker.

If you’ve never used an airbrush, its a bit finicky–it requires regular cleaning and a without a good brush and compressor the paint will flow very inconsistently. The process will be very frustrating unless you use the pre-thinned paints because the brush can only blow paint that is within a certain set of thickness parameters that are difficult to achieve, especially if you are trying to mix the air in the brush’s reserve or in small quantities. That’s why having copies of both Model Air and Model Color is fine by me–unlike Warhammer 40K I’m using primarily earthy colors, greens, dunkelgelb and dunkelgrau… other AFV and camoflage colors and so i don’t need a collection of primary or bright colors.

But I recommend it. The airbrush creates a sublime, beautiful layer and slight mix variations can be used to create shadows, grades, etc. Then you go back over with your brush, adding highlights, lines, details. Then, back over again with a drybrushing…then back to the airbrush to blast Flory Wash all over it.

Can’t see your photos, you can’t post photos until you have a certain post count. I wouldn’t use water to thin paints, they are water soluble but the mix and viscosity is all wrong (though water is obv. cheap and easy to clean up)

As for oil-based paints, these require thinner to clean up, they are much more difficult to drybrush with and are not used for airbrushing. The days of the old testors paints is long behind us–even apple barrel paints are easier to work with and cheaper. The early painting methods were much more about glomming thick layers of paint onto lead miniatures and the modern approach with water based paint and a series of different techniques creates much better results.

I’ve always had a problem with HBG’s “orange” Japanese units not being of the same tone of orange from OOB A&A… most other colors of custom HBG units seem to match pretty good, but that orange always seemed off to me… so much so I’ve never kept a custom HBG Japanese unit in my nation bins… sad, cuz I really like some of them.

(and yes, I’m one of those anal-retentive guys where if the color is just off a tad, it “ruins” it for me… I know I’m odd that way).

P.S.
Dang, I just realized this forum won’t let you use the first three letters of Japanese units without blanking it out as a profanity.

Nice work - Dare I ask how many hours you put into it? For interest’s sake.

@dangermouse650:

@John:

@dangermouse650:

Great work John

Thanks DM.

Where have you been?

Have you been working, as of late?

Yes, work has been very hectic and other life happenings that are keeping me too busy to paint……but keep up with yours your doing great. :-)

Appreciate it DM. I hope you get to paint soon. :-)

John

Very nice

Thanks  :-) that worked a treat. My planes are now all airworthy!