I think it's more that their intended use has a ceiling as they were designed for beginners to get a decent finish quickly. For someone as good at painting as Dana, that ceiling is below what she can manage with ease anyway.
They're good for a lot of reasons, not ONLY what GW made them for. As another commenter mentioned, folks who make minipainting videos on UA-cam are probably not speed-painting armies to tabletop standard. The fact that contrast paints CAN be used for other techniques with traditional paints makes them far more valuable to hobbyists.
I painted some of my board game miniatures by priming white and using glaze medium to get this sort of water color effect. I absolutely loved it. I think doing the black outline is a great idea.
Thanks to your underpainting guide I realized I could use contrasts as a super glaze and have had some success doing things like cloth with various undershading hues and create some cool effects. Red really looks bright and warm with brown underpainting, cool and subdued with blues and greys. Lots of fun. So thanks!
I noticed that on a few vids by the company that makes the contrast paints they've recently shown different ways to use them. I've been experimenting with them as more than just a quick way to paint and I'm very glad this video showed up because it gives me even more cool ideas on what to do. Thanks!
wow, I have to say this is brilliant I've been experiencing more with my cardboard characters when I cut them out and paint and design them this is so cool.
Excellent video. New game. New models. New technic. Free style basing. Thank you for expanding the hobby here Daina. Please keep following your muse. Fondly, Patrick.
I love old super robots. In Italy we import anime and mangas since the 70s and I spent my childhood afternoons watching reruns of old mecha series. The translation was not always great but in the end what really matters is that a giant robot is punching giant alien monsters in the face. The Manzinger series is actual pop-culture in Italy, just like pokemon or dbz. I believe that this particular mini is inspired by Gaiking. Love this minis and I love this paint stile, I will check their models for sure!
For the "line art" of the paint job, perhaps you can try using micron pens, gunpla aficionados use them for the panel lines, so perhaps the smaller sizes on those pens can help you with the drawn lines. Overall this was a great idea and i do think you are onto something here.
Contrast paints have such a strange learning curve to them but they’re super rewarding when something goes right with them (plus they make metallic red super easy)
I like the final result. Some of Contrast paints are fantastic (Black Templar) for example, others are either for very specific effects. I had a great time using tallasar blue thru my airbrush to paint a bunch of blue horrid for a friend. I did some zenithal & under painting, then sprayed the blue on as a filter. It sped my workflow up a lot. GW’s marketing of “one thick coat” is definitely doing a disservice to new painters trying these paints out.
Cool to see you diving into contrast paint. I have been using them since release a lot. And as you say. It takes some practice to get it right. It is far from just an easy solution to paint a model (if you want anything above a painted miniature). My experience is that you pretty much always should dilute the paint with contrast medium or glaze medium. This gives more control and as you have noted, several layers can applied for a more opaque finish. I mainly use the contrast paint for glazing, filters, light source (screens and lamps over a silver base color).
A company called Warcolours puts out a version of Contrast paints, which they call "Antithesis paints". I haven't gotten a chance to use it, but they've got videos on their site showing the stuff in action. It seems to work like regular contrast paints. They're also cheaper per bottle than GW, as one would expect.
huh! I *just* started to paint the hellboy boardgame in a cel shaded style and am 100% making it up as I go along, so this was suuuuper helpful! Thanks!
This a truly great game! I tried by chance at adepticon a few years ago and fell in love! Thanks for doing some different figures! I really enjoyed watching this and I think I learned some new techniques.
This turned out really nice and reminds me of my own style. Really stands out at a distance, so it really would spice up the battlefield. I've never touched contrast because I use strictly craft paints but if I used better paints I'd consider trying them at some point
Honestly I have a love hate relationship of with contrast paint. Pete the wargamer has a great series on them of you want more stuff in contrast paint. The amazing Dana has done amazing though!
Really awesome video. Love this style of painting and contrast paints have definitely become a staple in my toolbox. Especially since I do all my zenithal in Wriathbone, which is great for contrast paints.
That piece turned out great! I love that style of paint, and would like to see you do more of the Giga-Robo models. Looks like an interesting game, too - thanks for bringing it to my attention. 👍
I love cell shading... I'm working on getting the style down and this is great to help! Oil washes would also be great instead of black contrast paint and be a bit easier to get into the crevasses.
Great ideas about the contrast paints, I mainly use Games and the old citadel range of paints, if look after your paints they can last for years, the old ink and glaze range will last the test of time, Keep these outstanding videos coming, Happy Easter from the land DownUnder Regards Bob
Good stuff. I think I might use the contrast paints I’ve had sitting on the shelf for the past year to do something like this to a Blood Bowl human team.
I've been using the contrast line for glazing since I got them. I can't glaze worth a damn with your normal acrylics for whatever reason. I find they're extremely good at adding shadowed depth. My absolute favorite thing to do with them is Magos Purple in the shadows of my metallic gold bits. Try it some time! It looks amazing!
You nailed the old school anime look. Looking forward to more 'experimentation' with the contrast paints (Juan Hidalgo has done great work recreating the 'Eavy Metal' style with them, but your aesthetic lends itself to more experimentation and Bob Ross level 'happy accidents') - I think they would be super useful for your Sisters of Battle colour scheme and the cyberpunk/blade runner mashup aesthetic your "40K style" is gravitating towards (which is most definitely a good thing). Even bonus humour with the comment about cold (laughs in Manitoban)
Hey Dana, I absolutely loved the vid! I’ve got a lot of love for contrast paints and what they can do. I think GW didn’t market them too well or just naively didn’t realise their full potential. A couple of channels that have taught me interesting things to do with them which may be worth checking out are Warhipster, he’s experimented a lot with layering them to achieve different types of finishes, and also Juan Hildago Miniatures who has a whole series on using them to get to that ‘eavy metal style which is mind blowing. Anyways, keep up the rad work I’m always stoked when I get notified you have a new video out 😊
I started using them as a catch all to give shade and light, now I kind of use them as a wash in most cases. Except horses, Contrast Paints are perfect for horses...
I must try this method / concept for painting minis. My thinking is it would apply to space marine armour or Dreadnaughts. It might even work on Tanks. Maybe not so much harlequins orks or Imperial Guard/ Astra Militarium.
The latest official warhammer videos show the best ways to use contrast paints, understanding how various basecoats interact with different contrast colours and pre-highlighting gets some great effects very quickly.
Hey Dana! I've been trying out some Contrast paints myself, and found out much the same results with one further discovery. Normally, applying Contrasts onto a pure unitcolor miniature is kinda tricky, since the paint has a habit of pooling up in weird places if you use too much or too little. This creates an uneven look that's not exactly easy to remedy. However, there is an answer to this: wherever you want an even darker color, just add normal paint of the matching color (in my experiment example, dark green paint like Caliban Green for Ork Flesh Contrast) as a layer (whilst avoiding the edges) before going over with the contrast one. You still get easy-ish highlight effect whilst having a much more even darker colour. In fact, this might create very much like an energized look to the piece/area painted via this style. If you're interested in seeing some of my examples from a WIP army, feel free to ask for a few pictures of them ;) (and naturally giving some advice if you spot something being off)
I think the best use for Contrast Paints is applying colour to metals. Sure, I suppose you could just glaze the colour you want over it, but it also shades at the same time and I'm lazy and can never seem to get the right consistency for glazing.
its really is "yes" some colors work better than others. Some stand well on their own, some are blotch city, some are good to use as a sort of guide coat that you can further highlight and shade on.
Contrast paints took some trial and error for me but now that I have the hang of them there's a few that have become my go-to. Just took some playing around with first
Now I want to try this with my Monsterpocalypse minis, looking at super robot shows like Godannar and Mazinger Z for robots and Pacific Rim: the Black for monster inspiration...
Rock on with the Smuckers water pot! Seriously though. Do you think there would have been much of a difference painting in sub assemblies (if it is in multiple pieces that is)
This game looks interesting! I grew up on 70s giant robot dramas and I'm a sucker for them to this day, so I may have to look into this game because NEW STUFFS TO PAINT. I may have to try something like this, but as I am not at all interested in contrast paints, do you think maybe inks would work just as well, here? Maybe ink with matte medium added to it?
1:20 What was that clip from?! I remember seeing that robot when I was a kid and you just unloaded a shotgun full of nostalgia! If you could tell me the name of that robot series it would make my year!
The contrast paints work well for small miniatures or areas with a lot of detail. They are not good for larger flat areas, and they need highlight layering to look good.
Want some of these figures???? Everything's on sale for a limited time here: gigarobo.com/elements/shop-list
This is very much my thing but they only ship to the US and I'm in the UK. =(
Nice work on this mini. Curious do you have a discord channel for your patreon supporters?
I like how the general opinion of the community is “ contrast paints are good for anything but what gw made them for.”
They’re good for painting Cadian armor and fatigues.
They're good for that too, but not all people just want table ready minis. Especially tutorial UA-camrs
I think it's more that their intended use has a ceiling as they were designed for beginners to get a decent finish quickly. For someone as good at painting as Dana, that ceiling is below what she can manage with ease anyway.
I use them with my nieces so they can get a quick result that looks quite good. Also for myself when I paint a lot of models in one sitting.
They're good for a lot of reasons, not ONLY what GW made them for. As another commenter mentioned, folks who make minipainting videos on UA-cam are probably not speed-painting armies to tabletop standard. The fact that contrast paints CAN be used for other techniques with traditional paints makes them far more valuable to hobbyists.
0:13 my face when Games Workshop tell us “We’ll have enough stock” before a huge boxed release.
it sold out fast today didnt it!!!!!
@@DanaHowl true. Fortunately it’s apparently not a limited release so we’ll all be able to get a copy eventually
I painted some of my board game miniatures by priming white and using glaze medium to get this sort of water color effect. I absolutely loved it. I think doing the black outline is a great idea.
Thanks to your underpainting guide I realized I could use contrasts as a super glaze and have had some success doing things like cloth with various undershading hues and create some cool effects. Red really looks bright and warm with brown underpainting, cool and subdued with blues and greys. Lots of fun. So thanks!
That's awesome!!! I wish I had thought to try that sooner!!!
"Even if you're not interested in painting giant robots--" who are these people and how do we help them?
These type of people... are not my type of people
I'd be happy living in a Super Robo world and paiting giant robots for life.
A man can dream...
Indeed. Must help them.
We need to strap them to a chair and play some Mecha Animes and Kaiju movies until they're cured of their afflictions.
I noticed that on a few vids by the company that makes the contrast paints they've recently shown different ways to use them. I've been experimenting with them as more than just a quick way to paint and I'm very glad this video showed up because it gives me even more cool ideas on what to do. Thanks!
wow, I have to say this is brilliant I've been experiencing more with my cardboard characters when I cut them out and paint and design them this is so cool.
It looks like watercolor! I don't know where you can go with that, but that's what I see.
It really does, right??? I want to do more experiments and try to do a watercolour style
The base is almost a seperate project in itself. Very cool and probably a lot of fun finding and creating the base.
Excellent video. New game. New models. New technic. Free style basing. Thank you for expanding the hobby here Daina. Please keep following your muse. Fondly, Patrick.
I know I should be excited about the mini, the paints, and the cool ideas but it's all about that CARDIGAN GAME!
I love old super robots. In Italy we import anime and mangas since the 70s and I spent my childhood afternoons watching reruns of old mecha series. The translation was not always great but in the end what really matters is that a giant robot is punching giant alien monsters in the face. The Manzinger series is actual pop-culture in Italy, just like pokemon or dbz. I believe that this particular mini is inspired by Gaiking. Love this minis and I love this paint stile, I will check their models for sure!
The game is also topnotch.
I have found a stark zenithal with contrast paints and a little dry brushing does wonders for animal mini.
They are quite magical!!! I’m looking forward to experimenting more with them in future vids
Contrast paints are great because it takes 12 steps to do something that any other paint can do in 3.
Dana, I think you nailed the 70's anima robot theme. I love Transzor-Z and the Shogun Comics
For the "line art" of the paint job, perhaps you can try using micron pens, gunpla aficionados use them for the panel lines, so perhaps the smaller sizes on those pens can help you with the drawn lines. Overall this was a great idea and i do think you are onto something here.
Thanks for the share Dana. Excellent work. Love the robots definitely gunna check out their merch!
Contrast paints have such a strange learning curve to them but they’re super rewarding when something goes right with them (plus they make metallic red super easy)
Wow, awesome fig. I'm wanting to do some cel shading with some miniatures and this is gorgeous inspiration. Thank you!
The Copic marker comparison made so much sense.
It’s very similar
I like the final result. Some of Contrast paints are fantastic (Black Templar) for example, others are either for very specific effects.
I had a great time using tallasar blue thru my airbrush to paint a bunch of blue horrid for a friend. I did some zenithal & under painting, then sprayed the blue on as a filter. It sped my workflow up a lot.
GW’s marketing of “one thick coat” is definitely doing a disservice to new painters trying these paints out.
You are my painting hero. I hope I can be half as good as you one day. Thank you for your content
Cool to see you diving into contrast paint. I have been using them since release a lot. And as you say. It takes some practice to get it right. It is far from just an easy solution to paint a model (if you want anything above a painted miniature).
My experience is that you pretty much always should dilute the paint with contrast medium or glaze medium.
This gives more control and as you have noted, several layers can applied for a more opaque finish.
I mainly use the contrast paint for glazing, filters, light source (screens and lamps over a silver base color).
A company called Warcolours puts out a version of Contrast paints, which they call "Antithesis paints". I haven't gotten a chance to use it, but they've got videos on their site showing the stuff in action. It seems to work like regular contrast paints. They're also cheaper per bottle than GW, as one would expect.
Quite interesting, I’ll have to look into it, thanks!
huh! I *just* started to paint the hellboy boardgame in a cel shaded style and am 100% making it up as I go along, so this was suuuuper helpful! Thanks!
Really cool result, and very useful advice for using the contrast paints, thanks!
I'd love to see more of these minis painted in this style. It looks great Dana!
This a truly great game! I tried by chance at adepticon a few years ago and fell in love! Thanks for doing some different figures! I really enjoyed watching this and I think I learned some new techniques.
This turned out really nice and reminds me of my own style. Really stands out at a distance, so it really would spice up the battlefield. I've never touched contrast because I use strictly craft paints but if I used better paints I'd consider trying them at some point
Honestly I have a love hate relationship of with contrast paint. Pete the wargamer has a great series on them of you want more stuff in contrast paint. The amazing Dana has done amazing though!
Really awesome video. Love this style of painting and contrast paints have definitely become a staple in my toolbox. Especially since I do all my zenithal in Wriathbone, which is great for contrast paints.
GURREN LAGANN
SPIN ON
WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!
That's really striking. It's certainly got the comic book look about it! I like it a lot. Thanks for another excellent video!
That's beautiful, thank you Dana
Nice! I like the throw pieces on base and BAM, cool base! im still struggling with those paints but its about testing alot with them.
Looks amazing! I love your subtle sense of humour as well, it really cheers me up!
That piece turned out great! I love that style of paint, and would like to see you do more of the Giga-Robo models. Looks like an interesting game, too - thanks for bringing it to my attention. 👍
This reminds me of when I was a kid and saw Goldorak on tv. Absolutely loved it. Really nicely done Dana, thumbs up.
I love cell shading... I'm working on getting the style down and this is great to help! Oil washes would also be great instead of black contrast paint and be a bit easier to get into the crevasses.
The camera and editing quality makes this video a pleasure to watch. And of course, Dana is awesome.
Well now I ordered a new game! Will have to try out your contrast techniques!
Get in the robot Shenji!
Great ideas about the contrast paints, I mainly use Games and the old citadel range of paints, if look after your paints they can last for years, the old ink and glaze range will last the test of time, Keep these outstanding videos coming, Happy Easter from the land DownUnder Regards Bob
Good stuff. I think I might use the contrast paints I’ve had sitting on the shelf for the past year to do something like this to a Blood Bowl human team.
I hit the like button as soon as I saw the Mazinger and GGG footage, but watching the rest of it only confirmed my choice
Amazing effects and a striking final result!
I an always happy to run across Giga-robo content in the wild:)
I've been using the contrast line for glazing since I got them. I can't glaze worth a damn with your normal acrylics for whatever reason.
I find they're extremely good at adding shadowed depth. My absolute favorite thing to do with them is Magos Purple in the shadows of my metallic gold bits. Try it some time! It looks amazing!
This IS a cool style! Interested to see how far you push it!
You nailed the old school anime look. Looking forward to more 'experimentation' with the contrast paints (Juan Hidalgo has done great work recreating the 'Eavy Metal' style with them, but your aesthetic lends itself to more experimentation and Bob Ross level 'happy accidents') - I think they would be super useful for your Sisters of Battle colour scheme and the cyberpunk/blade runner mashup aesthetic your "40K style" is gravitating towards (which is most definitely a good thing). Even bonus humour with the comment about cold (laughs in Manitoban)
Love this painting style. Reminds me of the transformers comics I read decades ago.
I’d like to see your take on the T’au Empire. Especially the battlesuits. ^^
Hey Dana, I absolutely loved the vid! I’ve got a lot of love for contrast paints and what they can do. I think GW didn’t market them too well or just naively didn’t realise their full potential. A couple of channels that have taught me interesting things to do with them which may be worth checking out are Warhipster, he’s experimented a lot with layering them to achieve different types of finishes, and also Juan Hildago Miniatures who has a whole series on using them to get to that ‘eavy metal style which is mind blowing. Anyways, keep up the rad work I’m always stoked when I get notified you have a new video out 😊
Love these figures. I will have to grab some when they come back in stock. Fantastic painting as well 👍
Very cool. Going to have to check out Giga Robo now
Awesome paintjob Dana! The figure reminds me of the Grendizer tv show
So refreshing seeing some Zetto and Getter!
I started using them as a catch all to give shade and light, now I kind of use them as a wash in most cases. Except horses, Contrast Paints are perfect for horses...
whats hhorses
I did a fox with contrast paints and it turned out to my favorite mini ever.
Basically anything organic (and also horses).
I was gonna say maybe not tyranids but mine turned out pretty alright.
I must try this method / concept for painting minis. My thinking is it would apply to space marine armour or Dreadnaughts. It might even work on Tanks. Maybe not so much harlequins orks or Imperial Guard/ Astra Militarium.
The latest official warhammer videos show the best ways to use contrast paints, understanding how various basecoats interact with different contrast colours and pre-highlighting gets some great effects very quickly.
Always something experimental going on here! Nice stuff, kinda wanna paint a gundam now..
Smucker's Jam is my favourite jam.
Man, I'd love to see this done on a GW Tau model. I need to improve my skills a lot.
GAO GAI GAR!!!!
Hey Dana! I've been trying out some Contrast paints myself, and found out much the same results with one further discovery. Normally, applying Contrasts onto a pure unitcolor miniature is kinda tricky, since the paint has a habit of pooling up in weird places if you use too much or too little. This creates an uneven look that's not exactly easy to remedy.
However, there is an answer to this: wherever you want an even darker color, just add normal paint of the matching color (in my experiment example, dark green paint like Caliban Green for Ork Flesh Contrast) as a layer (whilst avoiding the edges) before going over with the contrast one. You still get easy-ish highlight effect whilst having a much more even darker colour. In fact, this might create very much like an energized look to the piece/area painted via this style.
If you're interested in seeing some of my examples from a WIP army, feel free to ask for a few pictures of them ;) (and naturally giving some advice if you spot something being off)
I died when I saw the Crisis Protocol screen.
I’m gonna do this for my tau
Great paint job Dana!
This is just amazing, Dana. I really love it.
If you’re gonna dig.. errr paint... paint to the heavens and don’t stop no matter what’s in your way!!!!
Who the ?!$! Do u think we arreee
I think the best use for Contrast Paints is applying colour to metals. Sure, I suppose you could just glaze the colour you want over it, but it also shades at the same time and I'm lazy and can never seem to get the right consistency for glazing.
Got me with the Crisis Protocol blip 'XD
its really is "yes" some colors work better than others. Some stand well on their own, some are blotch city, some are good to use as a sort of guide coat that you can further highlight and shade on.
Contrast paints took some trial and error for me but now that I have the hang of them there's a few that have become my go-to. Just took some playing around with first
looks really good
I use liquitex inks with a little varnish to get the same watercolor effects
Thanks Dana! Good video 🥰🐶
Now I want to try this with my Monsterpocalypse minis, looking at super robot shows like Godannar and Mazinger Z for robots and Pacific Rim: the Black for monster inspiration...
Well, I was gonna read some comments but I guess not haha, Great model! (As always)
Dana, here is a comment for the algorithm. Also cool vid! I love the how to style kinda videos. Cel shading is cool
@Dana Howel If you do experiment with the comic book style I would be really be interested to see it
Contrast over metallics are great. You can get great results with the more translucent paints over iron colors like leadbelcher
Rock on with the Smuckers water pot!
Seriously though. Do you think there would have been much of a difference painting in sub assemblies (if it is in multiple pieces that is)
This game looks interesting! I grew up on 70s giant robot dramas and I'm a sucker for them to this day, so I may have to look into this game because NEW STUFFS TO PAINT. I may have to try something like this, but as I am not at all interested in contrast paints, do you think maybe inks would work just as well, here? Maybe ink with matte medium added to it?
Have you ever used fine tipped gundam paint markers? They may make your black and white underpainting easier.
Daaaamn! Great work!
Let's fighting love.
Taisatsu na mono protect my balls!
I think I’d use a flat brush for blocking in colour.
After seeing how amazing you made that miniature look, I would love to see what you would do with Gunpla.
Great video
1:20 What was that clip from?! I remember seeing that robot when I was a kid and you just unloaded a shotgun full of nostalgia! If you could tell me the name of that robot series it would make my year!
I see Gaogaigar, I pop
Loved the video!
The contrast paints work well for small miniatures or areas with a lot of detail. They are not good for larger flat areas, and they need highlight layering to look good.
Awesome tips. Cheers
The soul of Chogokin shall never perish!
A very Zen process...but I'd call it a success
Cardigan mood.
What knives did you use to cut the small areas?
Contrast paints are amazing... but not for the "one thick coat" process that was advertised.
Btw, check EpickDuck for comic style miniature painting.