This is probably the most encouraging and helpful wetblending video I've seen for beginners. It's wonderful. It gives you confidence in working roughly, and most importantly I think, it gives you a place to start and stop. As a beginner, that kind of advice is invaluable I think. Put it this way, I've been putting off wet blending for damn near a decade... And you've encouraged me to try it :)
I'm really glad to hear this RP. I wish you good luck, and keep at it. It does need a bit of just plain old practice. Something that can feel a bit weird when one maybe already has a few tricks to paint minis that look alright. But in the end, I mean, I don't paint a mini nowadays where some part isn't wetblended.
Just caught your channel the other week and I seriously can’t get enough. Your delivery and attitude toward the hobby is truly refreshing. Great job, buddy!
Came over here from Miniac. This is the first of your videos that I've seen, and I love your style. Very calm, and very informative. You've motivated me to get back into my projects. Thanks.
I love your color choices. Just started wet blending recently and I have found that an understanding of color theory has helped immensely when making blends between colors that are not lighter or darker versions of themselves.
Thanks :) And quite true Daniel. I am admittedly no wiz on colour theory.. I just kind of go with what I think looks good. But you are definitely right.
I sat through the video kinda just thinking about how you’re painting, then realized I’ve been painting like this for years and didnt even know the proper name. Im just so used to painting with wet acrylics that ive been painting like this for like its instinct. And its good to know… Im not the only one who… Licks their brush.
Don't recall having start and stopping points stressed before and because of those discreet premixed separate pools on your wet palette instead of a mixed gradient you have defined stopping points. That's really clever and really doable, this vid is a step forward for me to paint sweeps of folded cloth, which can be so exposing of my transitions. Liked your other vids a lot, like your thoughtful well explained approach, but this one was the big step for me, really appreciate it
Yeah, this has all sort of progressed naturally for me the more I wet blend. The "start and stop points" and preparing some mixtures. It makes everything less stressful. It's good to have some "pure" mixes of like the darkest shade and a white as well. For the really contrasty bits.
@@52Miniatures Making really important but challenginghard to master techniques less stressful by looking at them afresh with an unbiased eye... you may be onto something there ;0)
This was such a lovely tutorial on wet blending, a technique Ive been nervous to try for years but you've inspired me to give it a go. I really appreciate your humble, soulful, real delivery of your content. Thank you.
SUPER helpful, thank you! Really love the way you spent a lot of time explaining every single step, but also doing each step a number of times and explaining it more than once so it really sinks in. This is probably the best wet blending video I've watched 🤘
I love that this channel actually inspires me to try new things. Getting a large cloak done so quickly was a nice feeling and it created a really nice effect on an imp's skin too. It's refreshing to have a presenter not claiming to know everything about a subject as well, makes it all much more approachable for relative newbies. Sure, I'd done a little wetblending about 15 years ago but it was just one more technique that I'd forgotten all about since starting again.
This is probably the best explanation and demonstration of wet blending I ever saw. I wet blend only bases for now, but you inspired me to try it on a cloak or something similar. Btw, your channel is so full of great and useful videos. And those videos are such a great quality and a joy to watch. Bravo! I'm going straight to your Patreon page now :)
Just recently found this channel and I have to say I really wish I found it sooner. Your videos and tutorials (even if you don't like calling them that) are amazing. Wetblending has been one of my biggest fears in this hobby, paint dries too damn fast, but this and other videos gave me the confidence to give it a try and I can't say how pleased I am. I might be a total noob but these videos are a genuine treasure. Thanks for what you do!
Well thank you H! I'm glad it helps. It's tricky making specific videos like this, not really knowing if the "learning" is passed on. I'm glad to hear you got into it!
Yea. I started painting in November of 2020, right smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, I had honestly never really painted... anything... ever. Except, you know, walls and the like. I feel, like most people, I probably figured "now is a good time for a new hobby." I think I binged 1/2 of your uploads the day I found the channel, the explanations during the video and the techniques you utilize have been a major inspiration lately and, I think, I'm a bit of a better painter for it. I'm currently painting a Death Guard Combat Patrol box and with 30 poxwalkers I have plenty of plastic to experiment on and play around with, in addition to alot of fun textures and gore effects. This, today's video, and the "stormcast ninja rangers" playlist have been as serious treat and a major inspiration. The liquid pigments, using retarder medium if your new (like me) to wetblending, new techniques, the "little white book" and honestly all the other little wonderful tips I haven't listed.
YT Algorithms surely are strange. Finally stumbled upon your channel after months of watching mini painting channels. Love your content and especially your "semi-autistic" and "unpolished" way to present it. Dont get me wrong, this is not meant to be offensive by any means. I'm a non native english speaker. I just love this relaxed yet informative athmo with outstanding results while having the feeling that you are sitting right next to me. No bs, no excessive post-production, millions of takes or whatever. I love it. Hope the YT gods bless you from now on. You deserve it. liked+subscribed and hit the bell
Really awesome video Alex! Very informative and entertaining! Adding this to "go-to"-videos when I need to remember some important aspects of miniature painting! Thanks for doing this one! 🤘
Since watching this video, i have become addicted to this series of figures, and had to buy the lot. The missus is not happy, as bank balance is now LOW!
Love the channel mate! Since I found you I went thourgh all of your content in almost one go. There's amazing production value in your videos and some great subtle sense of humour too :) I hope you get many more subscibers soon. Keep up the good work :)
Well thank you, I'm glad you enjoy the content. I think my videos are a bit all over the place, I have difficulties with making "the same" video over and over... but you know, I need to have fun while doing this :)
Fantastic video. Thank you. Been trying wet blending recently, and definately pulling hair. Great explanation, made it much clearer. Really helped me. Cheers
so, I am still a beginner and think I slowly get the trick with layering and highlighting - and it is so encouraging to give wet-blending a try when I hear that you are not an expert wet-blender and use "highlighting" technique to finish the miniature. Probably by now you are an expert in wet-blending... or air brushing ;) (i loved the sence with the anonynmous brush lickers!)
This was fantastic! I love your humor and the video itself was very informative. I actually plan on painting the same mini and this video is really going to help me out!
I didn't realize until editing all the other 10 times I licked the brush during the video... It's a habit I just cant get rid of. Thank you, and I appreciate hear what works - and not :)
Great video! I have begun to do wet blending more and more...especially with flesh. You are right that it creates interesting textures and I like how I can create nice shadow and highlight transitions! Also, it is a pretty speedy way of completing your mini. Thanks for the video!
Great video, thankyou. It's definitely given me the confidence to give wet blending a try. I only recently discovered your channel, but I'm quickly becoming a regular viewer. Keep up the great work 🤘
Very good video, it is one of the few techniques that I have not tried yet. I do not have an airbrush and all techniques with brushes I like to try. I think starting with the bases is a very good idea.
I just wanted to say that I love your videos and your calm way in explaining things. also the dry humor of yours is fantastic :D keep the great content coming! PS: Also guilty here of licking my brush and it is sad that some people don't get it why it is so convenient :D
It's a bit of a nut to crack, but the egg inside is real nice... that was a weird proverb but I hope you get my point. I don't think there is a bad time to start wetblening. It's a different technique, not necessarily a difficult technique. Think on the hours we spend learning other ways of painting, putting in the same amount of hours on wetblending would give result. It's just one of those leap of faith things. Try on bases, terrain, banners... anything large.. just to see how the paint acts and what works. Then maybe try something suitable. Skeletons for example can be quite suitable. Getting some green and browns in there with the bone, and most of the mini is just the same paints.
I am in a weird in-between on brush licking. I sometimes do it to get the brush tip nice, but ususally the brush was already swished out and wiped off before that. One tipp I got on reddit when I had issues with wetblending (and I guess that could be a tip if you don't want to start brushlicking) was to have a moist paper towel instead of a dry one. That way it still wipes off most of the runny water, but is not as drying as it would be with a dry paper towel, so basically the same thing you'd get in your mouth.
great video dude ! i really enjoy your tutorials and how kind you do them ! like you did that here ! the way you talk about licking the brush or pulling your hair out ( even if you dont even got any ). + you got a really chilling voicetune... its kinda relaxing listening to you :)
Thanks O, I appreciate it. There is a thin line to "teach" something, that maybe looks effortless, because I've practiced a lot, but maybe isn't... but I try and just talk about how I feel about things and viewers can leave it at that. There is no real right or wrong, just me. (not in a judge Dredd kind of a way)
After watching this really great video I tried wetblending the fist time today and... man.... this was kind of an intense experience! I'm really happy with the result, but this was 1,5 hours constant pressure trying to be as fast as possible in order to to keep the paint wet. I know, I can rest when reaching the darkest tone or the highlight, but also taking this into account, this was intense to paint. But Im quite confident that this will be getting better with more experience. All in all, the result was quite good. Thank you for this really helpfull video!
There are some acrylic paints that contain cadmium in them. If you are putting the brush in your mouth, make a note of any paints in your collection that display warnings for such.
The main reason I lick my brushes is to shape it after it comes out of the water cup. I was taught (from my father) that saliva will help the brush keep its shape too for storage.
Another great video. I have not tried wet blending, I normally just layer lighter and lighter paints over the original but it never comes out quite right. I will try it on my next chaos marine. Thank you again for the content.
Thank you Thomas. Please give it a go, it takes a while to get used to but is a lot of fun (in my book). A little tip, wet blending can be difficult to get smooth, its quite suitable for a lot of things, I use it all over, but I've practiced a bit. I don't know how smooth you want the chaos marines armour? But probably expect an uneven paint jobb when you start out. If you don't mind that on the C Marine, go ahead. Cloth is otherwise a good place to start, because cloth usually looks good uneven.
Hi, my name is Mike and im a brush licker. I know how it looks, but for some reason I just don't care. I cant stop, from the water to my mouth to the pallet. I look down in shame but i will never change.
Fantastic work. That's a really good looking mini. It's to dry for me to try this technique now, but I'll watch it again for inspiration after I move to a less dry climate. I know a retarder is an option, but even with mediums, things dry really fast on the minis.
@@52Miniatures I'm in the southwestern United States. I'll give the technique a go tonight as maybe I'm overestimating the rate at which things dry. If nothing else I could possibly get away with small sections.
Give it a whirl. There is always paint stripper :) maybe go for a base or something first, where you can use “larger” amounts of paint. Also a “larger” brush but with a fine tip might help.
@@James-dk2kx I don't know how Eastern Australian compares, but I use one of those mini humidifiers to keep my painting area humid. I put mine between my palette and the mini : www.kmart.com.au/product/usb-mini-humidifier/3042376
Yeah, I considered that. I'm moving soon to a much more humid area, so I'll try it out then. I figured it would be better to not buy more stuff right before having to pack for the move.
@@mikepearse5196 As I mention it the video, I just think it is a different style of painting. So not many things we have learned previously apply. That makes it seem difficult. But once one gets the hang of it, it's not a difficult technique per say.
instead of licking u can wear an old jumper and then just use the arm of ur jumper thats holding the model, u can then also use that for doing a wipe off for drybrushing etc.
@@52Miniatures lol yeah i hear you, im a creature of habit myself in a lot of ways. i actually used to do exactly what you do when i used to paint models as a kid in the late 80s/early 90s. I had a 25 year gap away from the hobby and when I came back i guess all those habits had reset and rather than have my mum shout at me for getting my clothes covered in paint back in the day im now nearly 40 and can intentionally cover my clothes in paint if i want, so thats what ive been doing :D i have a dressing gown in my hobby room that i wear and it serves as my paper towels, it just feels easier to just wipe brushes on myself.
Ha ha! Lovely. And welcome back to the hobby. Glad to hear it. I guess if I at some point get my own hobby room I’ll be looking into the hobby room dress code :)
you can use a paint retardant, it significantly lengthens drying time for acrylics; that way, you don't have to eat the paint. Unless you want to eat the paint, then all the power to you.
I have used oil washes quite a lot but only painted one mini more “traditionally” with oils. I liked it for some things, like skin for instance. Being able to blend for such a long time. But the entire process felt very different, paints constantly blending, never “staying the same”. Highlights being smudged darker and darker… I need to do this more :) but.. in theory quite similar to wetblending, in practice a lot different.
Thank you coming out that you are a brush licker. I too like to lick my brush but I really do believe I have an issue as I lick my air brush. I draw the line at licking the compressor, that is just weird. Great Video though.
Mainly the “blending”. Going from one color to the other, mixing those two paints while they are wet - creates a “new” color, a mix between several paints. I also like the texture, that is in a way less precise than layer painting.
I have to say man, your production quality is just through the roof. The vibe on these videos is just fantastic. What camera and lens are you using for this because hot damn you have it dialed in. Also, Makers Cult are absolutely fantastic. For anyone into WH40k and 3D printing they are a must in my opinion. I have about 50 of those little Valour Corps guys printed out and they are stellar.
Thank you Paul! My Neighbour is putting an entire army of those little folks together.. a lot of minis.. but he loves the sculpts, and I sure liked this one. I use a BlackMagic 6k with various lenses :)
do you think it's possible to use this technique onto a non zenithaly primed mini ? because I think to use it onto some fabric that a mini of mine have but there is already some airbrush work done on it :(
Definitely, just a bit more difficult. Wetblending, at least for me has a tendency to get thin in places (also depending on paint).. so worst case you have to do it twice. But if it’s similar shades as the airbrushing? Should be no worries. Give it a try on one of the minis?
Yeah I'm using the retarder medium, it's hard to know how much paint to use at first but I'm starting to get the hang of it. Thanks for the response, really been enjoying you chennel over the lock down in Sydney!
Licking the brush… One suggestion could be to make a video on which paints are the best when it comes to taste. Should you use titanium or zink white to spice up your colours? &c
The brush licking part killed me! XD Since coming into the hobbie, I've discovered the true reason I learned about Copper and other metal toxicosis in the body. The main demographics - hobby painters. :p
Because of your video Im into wet blending now and I´m having some issues, mainly: I undercoat black and when thick paints are mixed onto the miniature again and again, the coverage isn´t great, you end up seeing the black, even in my lighter zones. What didn´t I consider? Thanks!!!
My name is darrin and I too,no matter the preparations I’ve made and the loads of napkins I have next to me..I lick that damn brush every time,numerous times. Every now and again I’ll even eat some acrylic
I can't recommend retarder medium. It thickens the color so much, you will have a blobster miniature if you are not super carefully. But you can mix your own retarder by using vegetable oil (Glycerin) and glycol (propylene glycol). You will still dilute your color. But you have more control over the viscousity. And well, my honest recommendation, start painting with oil. Drying times are annoying but while waiting you can paint your pile of shame in the meantime or have fun doing other stuff. Painting with oil is a 5 minute job compared to dozens of hours. You actually save time, if you are patient enough.
Thanks W. I don't use retarder medium any more, but I think it is a good tool when learning wetblending. Takes the edge of things, and one can concentrate on the technique. I still haven't painted a mini using only oils, but I'm sure I will.
The only time I've had a result with wet-blending is when I use a retarder. Is far more forgiving, but LOTS of drying time, so isn't a quicker technique.
Do you find wetblending with certain paints a lot easier than othes? After having real struggles for a long time with citadel and Vallejo I tried with scale 75 last week and it was effortless.
Hey Simon, yes certain paints are easier. I think I actually find Vallejo (the regular line) easier sometimes. It’s both down to the paint line, but also down to specific colors.... because of the different pigments. I find Scale75 greens for example to be pretty difficult but have no problem with Vallejo greens... paints with a lot of white in will overpower other colors. And the thicker the paint, and the more pigment it contains, the easier it it to wetblend.. for me at least. I would not try to wetblend airbrush paints for example. In the end I think one just has to get to know ones paints :)
So here's the thing about using saliva. I used to clean public art for a living. And no matter how much non- ionic soapy water I used, bird poop never comes off. But if you spit on it and use a little terry cloth. Comes off instantly. I 100% support using saliva to clean your brush
I like to glaze more than wet blend. Also, whereabouts are you from? I'm hearing a British accent sometimes and a more swedish/Scandinavian accent other times, and I'm just wondering what country you're from.
Been the whole video on my tippy toes wondering why you weren't using paint retarder. Once I watched the medium bottle making an appearance I kept breathing again. Medium, along using a bigger brush helps a lot. Big brushes are the way to go, as long as the tip is sharp and pointy it will serve the same purpose as a small one with the benefit being bigger it will hold more paint saving you time going in and out the palette. Also having a side clean brush just to blend helps. There's painters who hold a second clean brush with their mouth. I personally don't like wet blending. For larger surfaces I have an airbrush and layering feels more controlled IMHO. If I really want to blend wet on wet I just use oils. The only real benefit I can see about this technique is both how good it looks considering how fast it is to use, and most importantly its looks. It gives the miniature a certain visual style you may or may not like. Recent years haven't been my cup of tea as I like to work at my own pace and don't like techniques nor materials to force me to work in a certain way. Kind of the same way it happened with polymer clays (sculpey, fimo) and epoxy (green stuff...). Once I tried them I had a feeling of freedom to fully enjoy the process with such low pressure I almost never come back unless I have specific needs that just this product or that technique can bring to the table. Love the looks of the mini, congrats. It's both grim and... Bright? You dodged that bullet preventing blue from being dull and lifeless while maintaining the overall grim look. Quite an achievement! You may not have said that on the vid but, looks like you have a full time hobby corner now? It looked like a small place in the house with a shelf up there devoted to painting. I hope that's the case and you stopped being a 'hobby nomad'. All the best, Alex 👍
Yeah! you noticed the corner. I have a little table of my own now. I might even go so far as to see if I can fix up a paint rack on the wall. Don't tell anyone :) I used to wetblend more, but not bravely enough. Doing it a bit more recently I realized how much I enjoy it - especially for keeping the zenithal prime "intact", adding textures - but then going in afterwards to touch thing up. I used to get mad that I could never work up the highligts enough.. now I just paint them on afterwards. I think the initial "time pressure" is good for me, and I don't mid it as long as I can take my time with the final stages. Most of all I enjoy the result, the mini comes alive kind of... textured and a bit desatureated. It is far from a "perfect" surface (probably why I like it). So great on certain things, but of course there is stuff I probably would never wetblend. I'm glad you like the Grim Light! I was going to splash him with dirt and mud. But kind of glad I didn't. Sgt Walther keeps his outfit clean. It was a really fun mini to paint. Thanks Javier!
Right now. Age of Sigmar. And one where you’re supposed to search for dragons eggs, but sometimes the dragon eggs are empty! But the baby dragons are real cute. And my son likes it :)
![[4K 탐방] 1월 24일 건담베이스 고양점 재입고(사자비는 없었다…) #프라모델 #gundam #스타필드고양](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/R81V_q8TEOo/mqdefault.jpg)
I hear Sam drinks a cup of agrax earthshade every morning before he starts painting...
I knew there was doping involved!
This is probably the most encouraging and helpful wetblending video I've seen for beginners. It's wonderful. It gives you confidence in working roughly, and most importantly I think, it gives you a place to start and stop. As a beginner, that kind of advice is invaluable I think.
Put it this way, I've been putting off wet blending for damn near a decade... And you've encouraged me to try it :)
I'm really glad to hear this RP. I wish you good luck, and keep at it. It does need a bit of just plain old practice. Something that can feel a bit weird when one maybe already has a few tricks to paint minis that look alright. But in the end, I mean, I don't paint a mini nowadays where some part isn't wetblended.
Love how you've been doing your content recently, really seems like you got your groove with the video styles.
Thank you, I appreciate hearing this because I have been trying a little bit harder to condense stuff. I'm glad you noticed
These are some of the most high quality miniature painting videos I have ever seen. Well done.
Thank you Reagan!
Just caught your channel the other week and I seriously can’t get enough. Your delivery and attitude toward the hobby is truly refreshing. Great job, buddy!
Thank you Joseph, I'm glad to hear it and appreciate you letting me know. Welcome to the channel!
Definitely this is the best painting miniature channel across the vast wastelands of the Web. Thanks.
Well, that is quite the compliment. I thank you for it :)
This channel needs to be way bigger than it is. Quality Content.
Thanks B, appreciate it.
I am still amazed by how focused your vids actually are. It's really professional.
Thank you!
I absolutely love this video! Sam's sense of humor is really refreshing and enjoyable.
I’m really enjoying watching you talk. I’ve never enjoyed a class quite this much before.
Glad to hear it S, thank you.
It definitely inspired me to try it out instead of sticking with the regular base, drybrush, ink, layer, highlight routine.
Good luck Mihail!
Came over here from Miniac. This is the first of your videos that I've seen, and I love your style. Very calm, and very informative. You've motivated me to get back into my projects. Thanks.
Welcome to the channel Taylor. I'm glad you found some motivation. And yes, big thanks to Scott :)
Cant wait to wet blend more from watching this video and use the tips you've explained so well, thanks.
Glad to hear it!
I wonder why i never saw this channel before. But i have to say, I love this guy. The production quality and writing and skill are just perfect 🥰
Well thank you Timbo, I'm glad you found your way here :)
These are the most detailed and understandable painting tutorials I've met so far. Thx!
Thank you, glad to hear it :)
Obligatory "meanwhile im throwing two coats onto my minis and washing and calling it a day"
Seriously, real dedication in this man.
Well thank you R!
I love your color choices. Just started wet blending recently and I have found that an understanding of color theory has helped immensely when making blends between colors that are not lighter or darker versions of themselves.
Thanks :) And quite true Daniel. I am admittedly no wiz on colour theory.. I just kind of go with what I think looks good. But you are definitely right.
I sat through the video kinda just thinking about how you’re painting, then realized I’ve been painting like this for years and didnt even know the proper name. Im just so used to painting with wet acrylics that ive been painting like this for like its instinct.
And its good to know…
Im not the only one who…
Licks their brush.
Don't recall having start and stopping points stressed before and because of those discreet premixed separate pools on your wet palette instead of a mixed gradient you have defined stopping points. That's really clever and really doable, this vid is a step forward for me to paint sweeps of folded cloth, which can be so exposing of my transitions. Liked your other vids a lot, like your thoughtful well explained approach, but this one was the big step for me, really appreciate it
Yeah, this has all sort of progressed naturally for me the more I wet blend. The "start and stop points" and preparing some mixtures. It makes everything less stressful. It's good to have some "pure" mixes of like the darkest shade and a white as well. For the really contrasty bits.
@@52Miniatures Making really important but challenginghard to master techniques less stressful by looking at them afresh with an unbiased eye... you may be onto something there ;0)
This was such a lovely tutorial on wet blending, a technique Ive been nervous to try for years but you've inspired me to give it a go. I really appreciate your humble, soulful, real delivery of your content. Thank you.
I appreciate it Sean, and good luck with the wetblending.
SUPER helpful, thank you! Really love the way you spent a lot of time explaining every single step, but also doing each step a number of times and explaining it more than once so it really sinks in. This is probably the best wet blending video I've watched 🤘
🙏 Thanks a lot!
I love that this channel actually inspires me to try new things. Getting a large cloak done so quickly was a nice feeling and it created a really nice effect on an imp's skin too.
It's refreshing to have a presenter not claiming to know everything about a subject as well, makes it all much more approachable for relative newbies.
Sure, I'd done a little wetblending about 15 years ago but it was just one more technique that I'd forgotten all about since starting again.
Thanks! Yeah, I try and just show my own journey hoping to inspire rather than say - "this is the only way". I'm glad it comes across.
This is probably the best explanation and demonstration of wet blending I ever saw. I wet blend only bases for now, but you inspired me to try it on a cloak or something similar.
Btw, your channel is so full of great and useful videos. And those videos are such a great quality and a joy to watch. Bravo!
I'm going straight to your Patreon page now :)
Bases is a great place to start, that’s what I did. Cloaks is the next natural step. Welcome to the Patreon :)
Just recently found this channel and I have to say I really wish I found it sooner. Your videos and tutorials (even if you don't like calling them that) are amazing. Wetblending has been one of my biggest fears in this hobby, paint dries too damn fast, but this and other videos gave me the confidence to give it a try and I can't say how pleased I am. I might be a total noob but these videos are a genuine treasure. Thanks for what you do!
Well thank you H! I'm glad it helps. It's tricky making specific videos like this, not really knowing if the "learning" is passed on. I'm glad to hear you got into it!
Yea. I started painting in November of 2020, right smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, I had honestly never really painted... anything... ever. Except, you know, walls and the like. I feel, like most people, I probably figured "now is a good time for a new hobby." I think I binged 1/2 of your uploads the day I found the channel, the explanations during the video and the techniques you utilize have been a major inspiration lately and, I think, I'm a bit of a better painter for it. I'm currently painting a Death Guard Combat Patrol box and with 30 poxwalkers I have plenty of plastic to experiment on and play around with, in addition to alot of fun textures and gore effects. This, today's video, and the "stormcast ninja rangers" playlist have been as serious treat and a major inspiration. The liquid pigments, using retarder medium if your new (like me) to wetblending, new techniques, the "little white book" and honestly all the other little wonderful tips I haven't listed.
@@huntahman80 Well I'm very glad to hear all this. This is the stuff that keeps me going :) Thank you.
YT Algorithms surely are strange. Finally stumbled upon your channel after months of watching mini painting channels. Love your content and especially your "semi-autistic" and "unpolished" way to present it. Dont get me wrong, this is not meant to be offensive by any means. I'm a non native english speaker. I just love this relaxed yet informative athmo with outstanding results while having the feeling that you are sitting right next to me. No bs, no excessive post-production, millions of takes or whatever. I love it. Hope the YT gods bless you from now on. You deserve it. liked+subscribed and hit the bell
Thank you M, I’m by no means offended :) I appreciate your comment.
Really awesome video Alex! Very informative and entertaining! Adding this to "go-to"-videos when I need to remember some important aspects of miniature painting! Thanks for doing this one! 🤘
Thanks Leif! I figured it was about time for a more "how to" with less rambling :)
Since watching this video, i have become addicted to this series of figures, and had to buy the lot. The missus is not happy, as bank balance is now LOW!
Love the channel mate! Since I found you I went thourgh all of your content in almost one go. There's amazing production value in your videos and some great subtle sense of humour too :) I hope you get many more subscibers soon. Keep up the good work :)
I'm glad and appreciate hearing it. Welcome to the channel :) I work hard on these videos, so it's nice to know that it shows. Thanks!
Love your interpretation and explanations! Your video has a style and pedigree that is amazing and digestible at the same time!
Well thank you, I'm glad you enjoy the content. I think my videos are a bit all over the place, I have difficulties with making "the same" video over and over... but you know, I need to have fun while doing this :)
Fantastic video. Thank you. Been trying wet blending recently, and definately pulling hair. Great explanation, made it much clearer. Really helped me. Cheers
Glad to hear this helped J, thank you.
so, I am still a beginner and think I slowly get the trick with layering and highlighting - and it is so encouraging to give wet-blending a try when I hear that you are not an expert wet-blender and use "highlighting" technique to finish the miniature. Probably by now you are an expert in wet-blending... or air brushing ;) (i loved the sence with the anonynmous brush lickers!)
Thanks C, I don't think I'm quite the expert yet... mainly I enjoy challenging myself. And just enjoy trying new things :)
This was fantastic! I love your humor and the video itself was very informative. I actually plan on painting the same mini and this video is really going to help me out!
Glad it was helpful!
The shifty way Alex licks his brush . . . he knows the group would be soooo disappointed 😅 loved the video.
I didn't realize until editing all the other 10 times I licked the brush during the video... It's a habit I just cant get rid of. Thank you, and I appreciate hear what works - and not :)
Great content! Wonderful production value and I love your commentary. Please keep making videos!
Thanks! I appreciate it
Great video! I have begun to do wet blending more and more...especially with flesh. You are right that it creates interesting textures and I like how I can create nice shadow and highlight transitions! Also, it is a pretty speedy way of completing your mini. Thanks for the video!
Thanks Patrick, I'm glad to hear this video inspired!
Great video, thankyou. It's definitely given me the confidence to give wet blending a try. I only recently discovered your channel, but I'm quickly becoming a regular viewer. Keep up the great work 🤘
Glad to hear it Mark, good luck. And keep at it :)
Very good video, it is one of the few techniques that I have not tried yet.
I do not have an airbrush and all techniques with brushes I like to try. I think starting with the bases is a very good idea.
Thanks L! Yes, larger surfaces are a great start. It will make you get a grasp of the concept :)
I just wanted to say that I love your videos and your calm way in explaining things. also the dry humor of yours is fantastic :D keep the great content coming! PS: Also guilty here of licking my brush and it is sad that some people don't get it why it is so convenient :D
Thank you D, I appreciate it. It is very convenient, isn't it.
I really need to start wetblending, heck need to move away from layering a little bit as is
It's a bit of a nut to crack, but the egg inside is real nice... that was a weird proverb but I hope you get my point. I don't think there is a bad time to start wetblening. It's a different technique, not necessarily a difficult technique. Think on the hours we spend learning other ways of painting, putting in the same amount of hours on wetblending would give result. It's just one of those leap of faith things. Try on bases, terrain, banners... anything large.. just to see how the paint acts and what works. Then maybe try something suitable. Skeletons for example can be quite suitable. Getting some green and browns in there with the bone, and most of the mini is just the same paints.
In general - we seldom need to layer. Often we need to glaze. Check Ninjon's latest video.
I never thought of it like that before. Thank you.
I am in a weird in-between on brush licking. I sometimes do it to get the brush tip nice, but ususally the brush was already swished out and wiped off before that.
One tipp I got on reddit when I had issues with wetblending (and I guess that could be a tip if you don't want to start brushlicking) was to have a moist paper towel instead of a dry one. That way it still wipes off most of the runny water, but is not as drying as it would be with a dry paper towel, so basically the same thing you'd get in your mouth.
Yeah, I have no issues with the brush licking but for those that do it’s a good tip.
great video dude ! i really enjoy your tutorials and how kind you do them ! like you did that here ! the way you talk about licking the brush or pulling your hair out ( even if you dont even got any ). + you got a really chilling voicetune... its kinda relaxing listening to you :)
Thanks O, I appreciate it. There is a thin line to "teach" something, that maybe looks effortless, because I've practiced a lot, but maybe isn't... but I try and just talk about how I feel about things and viewers can leave it at that. There is no real right or wrong, just me. (not in a judge Dredd kind of a way)
BLA - Brush Lickers Anonymous. Great content as always mate. Keep going!
Oh yes. Thank you Ryan!
super great work, i loved how it turned out and i would very much like to get a chance to try this out. thanks for the inspiration
Thank you 5, I appreciate it and good luck!
After watching this really great video I tried wetblending the fist time today and... man.... this was kind of an intense experience! I'm really happy with the result, but this was 1,5 hours constant pressure trying to be as fast as possible in order to to keep the paint wet. I know, I can rest when reaching the darkest tone or the highlight, but also taking this into account, this was intense to paint. But Im quite confident that this will be getting better with more experience. All in all, the result was quite good. Thank you for this really helpfull video!
Great to hear S! After a while it stops being intense, so keep at it!
There are some acrylic paints that contain cadmium in them. If you are putting the brush in your mouth, make a note of any paints in your collection that display warnings for such.
Will do! Thanks!
I loved this video and your teaching style
great Craig, hope the wetblending goes well.
Your videos are so relaxing
Awesome S! Thanks
Love the channel. The first “what, when and how” was 75% Christopher Walken.
New to your channel and I like it. Kudos mate.
Welcome P and thank you.
You've given me motivation to use this technique ! :)
Glad to hear it!
that's the magic thing. licking your brush makes you paint better!
I knew it! “Licks brush”
Really helpful video - thanks!
Glad it helped Andy :) Thanks
Very informative, thanks
The main reason I lick my brushes is to shape it after it comes out of the water cup. I was taught (from my father) that saliva will help the brush keep its shape too for storage.
Same here Jared. Also when wetblending, to remove the excess water in the brush after cleaning it (simultaneously getting a nice tip).
Another great video. I have not tried wet blending, I normally just layer lighter and lighter paints over the original but it never comes out quite right. I will try it on my next chaos marine. Thank you again for the content.
Thank you Thomas. Please give it a go, it takes a while to get used to but is a lot of fun (in my book). A little tip, wet blending can be difficult to get smooth, its quite suitable for a lot of things, I use it all over, but I've practiced a bit. I don't know how smooth you want the chaos marines armour? But probably expect an uneven paint jobb when you start out. If you don't mind that on the C Marine, go ahead. Cloth is otherwise a good place to start, because cloth usually looks good uneven.
Hi, my name is Mike and im a brush licker. I know how it looks, but for some reason I just don't care. I cant stop, from the water to my mouth to the pallet. I look down in shame but i will never change.
Fantastic work. That's a really good looking mini. It's to dry for me to try this technique now, but I'll watch it again for inspiration after I move to a less dry climate.
I know a retarder is an option, but even with mediums, things dry really fast on the minis.
Thank you Seamus. I haven't thought about the climate effect, but of course that plays in. Where are you located?
@@52Miniatures I'm in the southwestern United States. I'll give the technique a go tonight as maybe I'm overestimating the rate at which things dry. If nothing else I could possibly get away with small sections.
Give it a whirl. There is always paint stripper :) maybe go for a base or something first, where you can use “larger” amounts of paint. Also a “larger” brush but with a fine tip might help.
@@James-dk2kx I don't know how Eastern Australian compares, but I use one of those mini humidifiers to keep my painting area humid. I put mine between my palette and the mini : www.kmart.com.au/product/usb-mini-humidifier/3042376
Yeah, I considered that. I'm moving soon to a much more humid area, so I'll try it out then. I figured it would be better to not buy more stuff right before having to pack for the move.
wow, an explanation i actually understood
Well, I'm glad. I was kind of worried if it would come across.
It id interesting thst alot of people over complicated wet blending. Agre that this was a very good explanation.
@@mikepearse5196 As I mention it the video, I just think it is a different style of painting. So not many things we have learned previously apply. That makes it seem difficult. But once one gets the hang of it, it's not a difficult technique per say.
@@52Miniatures It came fairly easily to me but I do think you explained it better than even my one on one teacher. Thanks for the video.
@@mikepearse5196 awesome! thanks :)
You got my subscription just by the BLA (Brush Lickers Anonymous) meeting alone.
Hah! Welcome to the channel J :)
instead of licking u can wear an old jumper and then just use the arm of ur jumper thats holding the model, u can then also use that for doing a wipe off for drybrushing etc.
Hey N, that's a nice trick. Thanks! I think I'm permanently stuck with the way I'm doing things but it's a good recommendation for others.
@@52Miniatures lol yeah i hear you, im a creature of habit myself in a lot of ways. i actually used to do exactly what you do when i used to paint models as a kid in the late 80s/early 90s. I had a 25 year gap away from the hobby and when I came back i guess all those habits had reset and rather than have my mum shout at me for getting my clothes covered in paint back in the day im now nearly 40 and can intentionally cover my clothes in paint if i want, so thats what ive been doing :D i have a dressing gown in my hobby room that i wear and it serves as my paper towels, it just feels easier to just wipe brushes on myself.
Ha ha! Lovely. And welcome back to the hobby. Glad to hear it. I guess if I at some point get my own hobby room I’ll be looking into the hobby room dress code :)
Another great vid, thank you 😀
Thanks J, glad you liked it.
@@52Miniatures thank you sir!
you can use a paint retardant, it significantly lengthens drying time for acrylics; that way, you don't have to eat the paint. Unless you want to eat the paint, then all the power to you.
could you do a video about glazing
Good idea! I just have to use it a little bit more. I'm still a bit of a novice to glazing.
Have you worked on minis with oils? If so how does it compare?
I have used oil washes quite a lot but only painted one mini more “traditionally” with oils. I liked it for some things, like skin for instance. Being able to blend for such a long time. But the entire process felt very different, paints constantly blending, never “staying the same”. Highlights being smudged darker and darker… I need to do this more :) but.. in theory quite similar to wetblending, in practice a lot different.
Licking those brushes, sacrificing for the art form.
quite the martyr :)
@@52Miniatures Your work is top notch. Very professional production I think
Is that a death korps of krieg guardsmen with a luger p08
Your guess is as good as mine. A neighbour printed it for me, he gets them from a "Patreon".
Thank you coming out that you are a brush licker. I too like to lick my brush but I really do believe I have an issue as I lick my air brush. I draw the line at licking the compressor, that is just weird. Great Video though.
I mean, if the compressor likes it to... then I can't see the harm in it...
I still don't know whether or not I will bother with a wet palette, I have to admit.
Having a neighbor with a 3D printer is a godsend
Very true!
What's the difference between this and painting by coats?
Mainly the “blending”. Going from one color to the other, mixing those two paints while they are wet - creates a “new” color, a mix between several paints. I also like the texture, that is in a way less precise than layer painting.
hope your channel gets bigger
Thanks M 🙏
great video!!! thanks
Glad you liked it!
Props for the shameless brush likin' ! ^_^
It's just the way things are...
"Ok can I go back to eating paint now?" - the miniac, while using additives.
I'd wipe the brush in my palm slightly closed after eating too much paint.
I find Vallejo tastes better than citadel, the old foundation paints also tasted horrible
Would love to see you take on some death guard stuff
Yeah, it's lovely models. Well see, got a lot on my plate at the moment but one day perhaps.
@@52Miniatures you've got a bit on your 'palette' did you say 😂
I have to say man, your production quality is just through the roof. The vibe on these videos is just fantastic. What camera and lens are you using for this because hot damn you have it dialed in.
Also, Makers Cult are absolutely fantastic. For anyone into WH40k and 3D printing they are a must in my opinion. I have about 50 of those little Valour Corps guys printed out and they are stellar.
Thank you Paul! My Neighbour is putting an entire army of those little folks together.. a lot of minis.. but he loves the sculpts, and I sure liked this one. I use a BlackMagic 6k with various lenses :)
do you think it's possible to use this technique onto a non zenithaly primed mini ? because I think to use it onto some fabric that a mini of mine have but there is already some airbrush work done on it :(
Definitely, just a bit more difficult. Wetblending, at least for me has a tendency to get thin in places (also depending on paint).. so worst case you have to do it twice. But if it’s similar shades as the airbrushing? Should be no worries. Give it a try on one of the minis?
@@52Miniatures I think that's what I'll do : test it on a random mini :)
I have the issue that when I go to blend the colours together, I end up just Removing the paint and you can see the prime underneath, any advice?
Are you thinning the paint? Because that is not something I recommend. Also, you can use quite a fair bit on the brush... it's sloppy work!
Yeah I'm using the retarder medium, it's hard to know how much paint to use at first but I'm starting to get the hang of it. Thanks for the response, really been enjoying you chennel over the lock down in Sydney!
Licking the brush… One suggestion could be to make a video on which paints are the best when it comes to taste. Should you use titanium or zink white to spice up your colours? &c
The brush licking part killed me! XD Since coming into the hobbie, I've discovered the true reason I learned about Copper and other metal toxicosis in the body. The main demographics - hobby painters. :p
I'll give you a ring when I start getting unexplainable tingling sensations 😂
@@52Miniatures xD or grow and extra arm. No, wait, that would actually be helpful!
thank for your video :)
My pleasure!
Because of your video Im into wet blending now and I´m having some issues, mainly: I undercoat black and when thick paints are mixed onto the miniature again and again, the coverage isn´t great, you end up seeing the black, even in my lighter zones. What didn´t I consider? Thanks!!!
Good work! Zentihal highlight! Or a brighter prime, like a grey. But I'd much prefer the zenithal :)
My name is darrin and I too,no matter the preparations I’ve made and the loads of napkins I have next to me..I lick that damn brush every time,numerous times. Every now and again I’ll even eat some acrylic
Ha ha! Napkins always drift off....
I can't recommend retarder medium. It thickens the color so much, you will have a blobster miniature if you are not super carefully.
But you can mix your own retarder by using vegetable oil (Glycerin) and glycol (propylene glycol). You will still dilute your color. But you have more control over the viscousity.
And well, my honest recommendation, start painting with oil. Drying times are annoying but while waiting you can paint your pile of shame in the meantime or have fun doing other stuff.
Painting with oil is a 5 minute job compared to dozens of hours. You actually save time, if you are patient enough.
Thanks W. I don't use retarder medium any more, but I think it is a good tool when learning wetblending. Takes the edge of things, and one can concentrate on the technique. I still haven't painted a mini using only oils, but I'm sure I will.
The only time I've had a result with wet-blending is when I use a retarder. Is far more forgiving, but LOTS of drying time, so isn't a quicker technique.
It's a great place to start Eoin. I used it all the time at first. But no longer.
Great Video about wetblending, now im will follow you in youtube.
Thanks and welcome
Fruity flavored paint, or spicy paint?
#pinapplepizza
Do you find wetblending with certain paints a lot easier than othes? After having real struggles for a long time with citadel and Vallejo I tried with scale 75 last week and it was effortless.
Hey Simon, yes certain paints are easier. I think I actually find Vallejo (the regular line) easier sometimes. It’s both down to the paint line, but also down to specific colors.... because of the different pigments. I find Scale75 greens for example to be pretty difficult but have no problem with Vallejo greens... paints with a lot of white in will overpower other colors. And the thicker the paint, and the more pigment it contains, the easier it it to wetblend.. for me at least. I would not try to wetblend airbrush paints for example. In the end I think one just has to get to know ones paints :)
Brilliant, just top notch tutorial.
Why dip the brush in you mouth ever? Lol.
Edit: ahhhh it’s just a habit.
Ah shure that’s grand.
Thanks T! It’s a habit but also very efficient when wetblending :)
So here's the thing about using saliva. I used to clean public art for a living. And no matter how much non- ionic soapy water I used, bird poop never comes off. But if you spit on it and use a little terry cloth. Comes off instantly. I 100% support using saliva to clean your brush
Well that is something to keep up my sleeve:) thanks!
@@52Miniatures Works on cars too.
Hey, at around the 8 minute area, your painting handle is in frame. Did you put magnets on it?
No, there’s no magnets. Just a regular GW painthandle
I like to glaze more than wet blend. Also, whereabouts are you from? I'm hearing a British accent sometimes and a more swedish/Scandinavian accent other times, and I'm just wondering what country you're from.
Hey! Yeah, I'm Swedish with certain English ancestry... Glazing sure is a thing as well :)
Been the whole video on my tippy toes wondering why you weren't using paint retarder. Once I watched the medium bottle making an appearance I kept breathing again.
Medium, along using a bigger brush helps a lot. Big brushes are the way to go, as long as the tip is sharp and pointy it will serve the same purpose as a small one with the benefit being bigger it will hold more paint saving you time going in and out the palette.
Also having a side clean brush just to blend helps. There's painters who hold a second clean brush with their mouth.
I personally don't like wet blending. For larger surfaces I have an airbrush and layering feels more controlled IMHO.
If I really want to blend wet on wet I just use oils.
The only real benefit I can see about this technique is both how good it looks considering how fast it is to use, and most importantly its looks. It gives the miniature a certain visual style you may or may not like.
Recent years haven't been my cup of tea as I like to work at my own pace and don't like techniques nor materials to force me to work in a certain way.
Kind of the same way it happened with polymer clays (sculpey, fimo) and epoxy (green stuff...). Once I tried them I had a feeling of freedom to fully enjoy the process with such low pressure I almost never come back unless I have specific needs that just this product or that technique can bring to the table.
Love the looks of the mini, congrats. It's both grim and... Bright? You dodged that bullet preventing blue from being dull and lifeless while maintaining the overall grim look. Quite an achievement!
You may not have said that on the vid but, looks like you have a full time hobby corner now? It looked like a small place in the house with a shelf up there devoted to painting. I hope that's the case and you stopped being a 'hobby nomad'.
All the best, Alex 👍
Yeah! you noticed the corner. I have a little table of my own now. I might even go so far as to see if I can fix up a paint rack on the wall. Don't tell anyone :)
I used to wetblend more, but not bravely enough. Doing it a bit more recently I realized how much I enjoy it - especially for keeping the zenithal prime "intact", adding textures - but then going in afterwards to touch thing up. I used to get mad that I could never work up the highligts enough.. now I just paint them on afterwards. I think the initial "time pressure" is good for me, and I don't mid it as long as I can take my time with the final stages. Most of all I enjoy the result, the mini comes alive kind of... textured and a bit desatureated. It is far from a "perfect" surface (probably why I like it). So great on certain things, but of course there is stuff I probably would never wetblend.
I'm glad you like the Grim Light! I was going to splash him with dirt and mud. But kind of glad I didn't. Sgt Walther keeps his outfit clean. It was a really fun mini to paint.
Thanks Javier!
Here in Merica! Its called eating paint!
Expensive meals! :)
Oh, hey also if you don't mind, what tabletop games do you play?
Right now. Age of Sigmar. And one where you’re supposed to search for dragons eggs, but sometimes the dragon eggs are empty! But the baby dragons are real cute. And my son likes it :)
This is one of the hardest things I try
I hope you are enjoying it nonetheless:)
Was Walther printed with resin? Hilsen fra Norge!
Yes, he is resin printed. I didn't personally print him, my neighbour did all that. Hej från Sverige.
Not to pry, but is 52 Swedish?
I think he is. Bra!
He is! :)
@@52Miniatures Fantastisk! Du er virkelig dygtig - og din fortællestil er så behagelig og informativ. Og produktionen er helt i top. Tusind tak!
Tack!
Hello Alex. My name is Chris and I lick my brush to!
Hello Chris, thanks for sharing.