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Welcome to Painting Marbe tutorial. Here I will take you on a Step-by-step trip through the process of painting marble the same way as seen at: Gallery: Horus Lupercal
Before we start, some notes:
Step one: Undercoat
I started with a solid layer of Vallejo German Red Brown. Any similar colour would do.
Step two: Base texture
For this step I used a life hack. I took few pieces of steel wool, taped them together and used them as a stencil. I then airbrushed pure white paint through the stencil and onto the bases.
Step three: Texture
Next I applied more layers of marble texture. This time I manually applied irregular stains of Army Painter Strong Tone Ink, waited half a minute then removed the paint with a paper towel. I then repeated the process once again applying and then removing excess Strong Tone Ink.
Step four: Sealing the colour
I then painted entire base with Army Painter Soft Tone Ink thinned with Games Workshop Lahmian Medium. I tried to keep the layer smooth and even.
Step five: Gloss
Finally I applied two layers of airbrushed Gloss Varnish. This resulted in a nice polished glossy look. Depending on the effect you aim for Gloss Varnish can be switched with either Satin ot pure Matt.
Here’s how the finished base looks like.
Note from the author: This tutorial is by far the most popular article on Scarhandpainting.com. It was first published in early 2016 and then refurbished exactly four years later. I hope you enjoy this new look and that the tutorial is now much easier to follow. Comments and Critique are welcome.
I see a model and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the minis go by painted in studio schemes
I have to turn my head until my darkness wins
I see a line of parts and they’re all painted black
With primer and my brush both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a newby painter it just happens every day
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my minis I must have them painted black
Maybe then I’ll wash away and not have to paint the lines
It’s not easy highlightin’, when your whole mini’s black…
Another twelve months and a wide range of awesome projects accomplished – all dim in face of the latest developments. My family is now four. Basia, my daughter, joined me, my wife Anna and our dog D.Va to form a quartet that will shake the world! Not your world of course – but mine… totally!
Thus this anniversary is sponsored by number four marking Scarhandpainting.com’s fourth birthday and a new era in my life.
For those of you wandering how an arrival of a young child impacts a commissioned miniature painter’s life I can only say this: Everything is turned upside down and any trace of a coherent painting routine is dead. I’m used to an empty house, clear mind and being a master of myself. Nowadays I still manage to paint, but it’s just totally different than before.
Back to miniatures – 2019 was a year of quality over quantity. I took on some really challenging projects and feel I learned a lot thanks to it. Last year tested my prowess as a painter and kept me switching between comfort zone and the unknown. I believe that constant self improvement is imperative in this line of work, and appreciate how 2019 abounded in opportunities for me to take bold steps. Looking back I can honestly say I feel accomplished as a hobbyist.
It’s cool to see that Scarhandpainting.com Blog popularity is holding up. With only 29 articles published hitting over 100k visits in last twelve months is a feat! This year I plan to revamp and update some of the old articles, as well as bring in new ones – all in hope to keep you peeps entertained! ;*
29 new articles showed up since previous anniversary. These are the ones you found to be the most interesting…
Colour Recipes: Infinity Aleph S.S.S.
Review: Guild Ball Legacy Collection (Resin) Mortician’s
“Infinity Cars” Special Project
Colour Recipes: Infinity Yu-Jing IS
…and unexpected TOP 3 of all time favorites:
TUTORIAL: PAINTING MARBLE 16k views!
TUTORIAL: INFINITY DIY CONSOLE 13k views
TUTORIAL: INFINITY ‘DO IT YOURSELF’ GAMING TERRAIN 8k views
Last year was fantastic! I enjoyed every bit of it and for this I would like to thank all of my friends and customers. You supported me, you gave me a job and let me live the way I love. That is the best gift a hobbyist like myself can hope for.
Special thanks to Sarah, Romana, Bettina, Michael, Andreas, Thomas, Max and Clemens. You guys humble me with your continuous support and trust.
I look forward to 2020 and all the cool stuff already scheduled. Some nice projects ahead so stay tuned and remember – if you want, or know someone who wants, to get miniatures painted – you know where to find me 😉
Here are some Colour Recipes for Sa’Cea Tau from Gallery: Tau Sa’Cea. Please take note that this is a simple colour scheme, not covering multiple overlapping layers and blends in between, that lead to the final product. It is supposed to be used as guideline not a step-by-step.
BLUE armour:
French Blue (Val), *
Ultramarine Blue (Val), *
Mix Ultramarine Blue (Val) 5:2 Light Sea Blue (Val), *
Black Wash For Dark Vehicles (Val), *
Hoeth Blue (GW), l&p
Glacier Blue (Val), l&p
GREY:
Dark Panzer Grey (Val), *
Cold Grey (Val), *
Wolf Grey (Val), l&p
Dark Tone Ink (AP), blend
ORANGE:
Macharius Solar Orange (GW),
Fire Dragon Bright (GW),
Elf Skintone (Val), l&p
GREEN OSL:
Duck Egg Green (Val), *
Light Livery Green (Val), *
Ivory (Val), l&p
SKIN:
Shadow Grey (GW),
Mix Shadow Grey (GW) 1:1 Frostbite (P3),
Mix Shadow Grey (GW) 1:2 Frostbite (P3), drbr
Frostbite (P3), Soft drbr
l&p – lines and points,
p – points,
bl – blend,
gl – glaze,
drbr – drybrush,
fltbr – flatbrush,
lobr – loaded brush,
stpl – stippling,
*Airbrushed (with multiple layers and mixes)
In this step-by-step tutorial I’m going to show you how to create Cityfight bases same way I did for Gallery: Tau Sa’Cea.
I used:
Step one: Special detail
Using a hobby knife I cut all the sticks, sprues, toothpicks, plasticard and tube into small pieces. I made sure to cut one side of each piece at an angle, to better position each piece on the base. I then glued random pieces on top of a base using Super glue.
Step two: Gravel
I applied PVA glue around previously glued pieces. I then applied Super glue on top of it and, before super glue hardened, covered entire thing with thick sand mixed with hobby gravel.
Step three: Texture
I then textured rest of the base using Games Workshop Astrogranite and Astrogranite Debris paints.
I started with Black Undercoat, then airbrushed a layer of Vallejo Cold Grey, followed short by Vallejo Stonewall Grey. I then washed everything black using Army Painter Dark Tone Ink and once it dried I drybrushed entire base with Games Workshop Administratum Grey.
For metal debris elements I used a mix of Games Workshop Warplock Bronze and Army Painter Gun Metal, followed by a highlight of Army Painter Shining Silver. I then washed all the pieces brown with Army Painter Strong Tone Ink.
For additional depth and effects I blended in some watered Vallejo Earth. Next I washed all metal debris with a mix of Vallejo Dark Red Ochre Pigment and Army Painter Soft Tone Ink. Lastly I drybrushed grey areas with Vallejo Ghost Grey.
Edges repainted black and job done!
You like this article? Don’t be a stranger! Let me know what you think in the comments below or at my Facebook profile! Cheers!
Welcome to Painting Daemonic Purple Skin tutorial. Here I will take you on a Step-by-step trip through the process of painting purple skin the same way as seen at: Gallery: Confrontation Mid-Nor
Before we start, some notes:
* This one requires basics of loaded brush technique.
* For the purpose of this tutorial I used a Confrontation Mid-Nor miniature that has a large detail and is better to show the steps on.
* As usual, please take note that what works for me might not necessarily work for you.
Ready to do this? I assume your miniature is already painted black (or in my case first layers of “Infinity Black“), so buckle up and let’s go!
* Start with a solid layer of Warpfiend Grey (GW). The layer does not have to be perfectly smooth. The goal is to make sure all deep areas are filled with paint. I tend to thin down the paint with a bit of water to fasten this step.
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* Time for a little bit of magic trickery. Wash with a mix of Purple Tone Ink (AP) 2:1:1 Strong Tone Ink (AP), Lahmian Medium (GW).
* Back to Slaanesh Grey (GW). Here's where loaded brush becomes handy. Repaint all the exterior areas with Slaanesh Grey. Might be a bit thinned, the paint has enough pigment to do the job.
* Now same thing, but with a mix of Slaanesh Grey (GW) with just a bit of Pale Flesh (Val). This time though focus in edges and middle points of larger areas.
…and that’s it. You can further highlight edges and important points adding more Pale Flesh (Val) to the mix. The end result looks like this:
Let’s talk Stencils. There’s just so many awesome airbrush stencils out there. The world around us is filled with them, even though we’re used to pass them by without further notice…
No, I ain’t talking about these! These are all professional stencils, some of which are crazy expensive! Nope – I’m talking about all the stencils that you might already have at home and not know about it! Some may be found in the kitchen, some inside your bathroom, some can even now be in your reach, across the hobby desk!
“But Maciej, you resourceful genius” I hear you say “how come?!”
Here’s the thing: “Anything can be a stencil!” Still don’t believe me? Check these out!
Dirty, dusty effect – why not?
Still haven’t used, but I know there will come a time to do it 😛
Cuz there’s never enough hex in your life!
I call upon thee God of Thunder!
Not a stencil, but totally worth consideration 😉
My favorite source of elastic, detailed stencils.
Feel inspired to rampage across your home and try to find as many stencils as possible? Feel like “gonna catch them all!”? I wish you good hunt!
PS: What are yours favorite DIY stencils? Let me know in the comments or under THIS facebook post 😉
Today is a special day. The Army Painter – a worldwide supplier of hobby products, such as paints, colour primers, glues, brushes, tufts and more, is now twelve years old! It’s hard to believe that the company which entered the market in 2007th introducing a medium sized offer of hobby products grew to be a giant we know today. I remember when Army Painter appeared for the first time in a hobby store I ran. Easy to say I fell in love with some of their products and stuck with AP to this day.
So, let’s celebrate Army Painter’s 12th birthday with a review of my favorite AP product of all time – the Army Painter Super Glue!
The Army Painter Super Glue comes at a suggested price of 4,99€. Compared to a small tube of glue this might come across as expensive, but taking into account how much stuff you’ll be able to glue with a single bottle of AP’s glue and the fact it will stay functional long after first use – it’s totally worth it! Not to mention Games Workshop glue, which comes in four 5ml tubes, that once opened don’t stand a chance against Army Painter’s king of a glue!
I simply love this glue. I use it for twelve years now and used up more than a hundred bottles. I prefer it over any other Cyanoacrylate glue and I totally recommend you to try it out. I just can’t imagine hobbying without it. For me it’s essential.
Best to ask in your local hobby store, but if you want to support the great company Army Painter had become – head to Army Painter Website and order from them directly.
Moving painted miniatures to a tournament or painting competition can be a real challenge. I bet that every single miniatures painter had one or more miniatures damaged while being transported. Sad truth is that no matter what we do, situations like these happens. Still, when it comes to safe transportation of our beloved miniatures, we’re not completely helpless.
In the world of miniatures painting there are two well established ways of professional miniatures transportation, both with their own pros and cons: Foam Bags and Magnetic Bags. Today I would like to talk a bit about the latter and present to you the A-Case Hybrid Series from A-Case, one of the leading companies in the market.
During my years as a hobby store manager and a hobbyist, I’ve seen my share of transportation bags. This imho allows me to say that when it comes to quality A-Case is king. Everything fits, everything is smooth, no thread going wild along the stitches, inner metal casing of great quality plus the overall feel of an exclusive product.
New A-Case Hybrids saw a lot of improvements compared to previous series, such as a much sturdier construction, reinforced trays, strapped side pins to keep the trays in place and more.
I know this part is totally subjective, but Dayum! The new case looks so good! Everything from design, through quality makes it feel prestigious, both in the inside and the outside. To be fair the sole look is what made me crave a Magnetic Case of my own when I scrolled through facebook and saw it time and time again. Just couldn’t resist. At least now you know why I’m so hyped about it.
Coming from a position of an orthodox foam fan I have thoroughly tested this carrying case during last month. Apart from obvious features like light weight, comfort of use, adjustable strap with a shoulder pad, handle, large pocket and removable trays the Hybrid has some cool features that improve on the case’s functionality. A Velcro strap on top and at the front allows to attach badges, while water resistant material will keep your miniatures safe in case of bad weather. My favorite though are side pins to immobilize the trays in place. In previous series these might get lost but now attached with flexible straps they will follow the trays around.
It’s not easy to compare A-Cases to other transportation cases as there’s really no high tier competition in the market. Yes, there are some magnetic cases out there (Battle Foam, Tablewar etc.) but most is just out of this league. The A-Case is more expensive than foam counterpart, but it offers a totally different method of miniatures transportation. One that does not involve your paint job touching anything, even as soft as foam. One that allows you to transport large quantity of miniatures in a rather small bag. Most importantly one that is durable and will last for years to come. In addition A-Case offers free shipping around the world and in some cases (like US) that means huge savings.
For me the pricing of this exclusive product seem fair. Taking the cost of miniatures and time/money spent on painting into consideration, it seems like a reasonable price for solid, comfortable and very aesthetic protection.
To summarize, if you’re looking for a solid and comfortable way to transport your miniatures – A-Case is the thing. It looks great, it is very comfortable to use, made of high quality materials and with utmost care for detail. A bit on the expensive end of the hobby, although still reasonably priced. Personally I love it, as A-Case totally revolutionized my approach to Magnetic transportation and ended twenty years of my foam addiction.
A-Case Hybrid Series is available at:
A-Case website,
A-Case Facebook,
I hope you find this review interesting. Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments at Facebook or Instagram. I would also appreciate if you considered sharing this content with your friends, who might find it useful. Finally if you are looking for a professional miniatures painting service, be sure to contact me with this contact form. I always reply within 24 hours, after which please check out your spam folder.
In this step-by-step tutorial I’m going to show you how to base miniatures.
Basing miniatures is an overall easy thing, still every now and then I stumble upon hobbyists asking on how to properly do it. Let’s start the answer with: “There’s no one proper way, but there are certainly plenty of bad ways to base miniatures.” A quick example of a “bad way” would be if you glued irregular sand on top of a base and tried to glue a miniature on top of it with cyanoacrylate glue. Glue would go on a rampage all over the sand while it won’t hold the miniature in place due to insufficient area of contact. Another example of a “bad way” would be gluing a miniature on top of a painted base without a pin resulting in miniature being glued to paint rather than the base. This can only end badly for the miniature and your paint job. Ok, so what are the “proper ways”? Here’s three major techniques I use:
Some miniatures seem stable and have a large, flat area at the bottom be it giant feet, or an underside of a robe. In this case I usually go with with no pin at all and trust in the vast area of contact to keep the miniature in place.
Here’s how I go about it:
I use this method in case of wobbly miniatures with small area of contact that for some reason don’t have the rail. Such miniatures require to be pinned to the base to ensure their safety and durability. Note that pinning requires additional tools as well as proper pins. Alongside a trusted hand drill you can also purchase original hobby pins, but these are expensive. Depending on how thick is the miniature I use either paperclips or a thin steel wire.
The steps I undertake to pin a miniature:
This is my favorite method. I believe that a natural part of the miniature is better at holding it in place rather than a smooth steel pin.
This is what I do:
From all the other methods this one works the best for me. Plus it’s faster than normal pinning. Just remember, there’s no one proper method. If you feel like a miniature might use a pin – Just follow your guts on this and pin it. Better safe than sorry.
I might drop another article on basing miniatures in the future. Maybe some Painting Philosophy type with insight on why I paint my miniatures based and not separately. If you think it’s an interesting topic and/or if you liked this article – consider letting me know in the comments or at my Facebook profile… or even share if you think the article deserves it. 😉
PS: Check this stuff out! It blown my mind! XD
In this step-by-step tutorial I’m going to show you how to magnetize resin bases – easy and fast!
Magnetizing entire army for an upcoming delivery of a brand new A-Case carrying bag seem like a great opportunity for a tutorial, doesn’t it? The thing about resin bases is that they rarely come with magnet holes at the underside and even when they do (for example Warsenal) it’s still better to drill your own precise holes. Below are some of the shortcuts and hacks I use when magnetizing resin bases.
Step One: Drilling
Tip number one would be to use a drill that is the size of the magnet you want to put into the base. This would usually be too big to use in a hand driller, thus we land on Tip number two – use a regular driller instead! I know this might come up as crude and a bit scary, especially when we’re talking fully painted miniatures, but with just a bit of focus it goes smooth. To ensure your miniature’s safety, hold the base firmly and avoid holding the miniature itself.
Step two: Inserting Magnets
I recommend Army Painter Super Glue, or any similar glue to mount the magnets firm inside the holes. Tip number three would be to use a hobby knife. This way you can “cut off” a bottom magnet from the stack and simply insert it into the hole, using blades side to push the magnet in until it’s parallel to the bases bottom line.
Step three: Sealing Magnets
You can skip on this one, but if you want your magnets to hold firm inside the base and for the miniature to come off the case with it’s base attached you might consider this Hack. Simply glue a circle of paper thin plasticard on top of the magnets. This barrier won’t be as thick as to significantly weaken the pull, but will definitely make the transition onto and out off the metal surface smoother. It will also keep the magnets inside the holes – no matter what.
Do you find this article helpful? Please consider sharing it and/or dropping me some feedback down below or at my Facebook profile!
