This has to be the single most useful video I have ever seen regarding miniature hobby painting. I've been painting for over ten years and must have watched hundreds of videos, but I don't think I've seen any of this explained before. Thank you so much.
Seeing that paint go from specs to a pools was so informative. Been struggling with dilution and that one thing alone was such an "ah ha" moment. Thanks!
Back when I initially started this hobby in the early 90's, this information would've been heaven-sent. To say that your videos have been instrumental in my enjoyment of a hobby I had long ago abandoned wouldn't be giving you enough credit. I went from completely disgusted with a process i didn't even know enough about to realize I knew nothing about it, to suddenly having my eyes opened, and having access to information that would've kept me painting all these years, had I been privy to it. Over these months of being aware of your channel, you've addressed every headache I ever experienced as a budding miniature painter; every single roadblock to my enjoyment of this hobby has been painstakingly detailed in such a manner as to not only re-kindle my desire to sit down and paint something I have to squint at to see, but also look forward to doing it. Thank you for that.
@@hewlett-packardlovecraft2297Are you are using a magnified headset (like jewelers use)? If not, they're cheap on Amazon, $10-20. I got a pair for $11. Can't imagine even trying to clean up/prep a mini or paint without one now. You do need to flip it up every so often to check the overall appearance with your "regular" eyes, but it helps so much (you mentioned squinting, this will help). 😁
I'm so glad I found this video, which I'd somehow overlooked. One area that I've always struggled with is smooth base coats, and I knew I must be doing something basic wrong, but wasn't sure what. I'd learned most of the techniques covered in this video from your other videos, but not the "sweeping" technique at 7:50, in fact I'd heard "paint in one direction" from other painters more than once. I just tried out the sweeping motion for base coats, and it's finally fixed the last of my base coat smoothness issue. Thank you!
Great vid. I love the dogs barking in the background. As someone who has a dog that is motion activated and has to make sure that everyone knows that there is a dog who lives in this house, I feel your pain.
I have been through a lot of youtube channels in my recent journey as a beginner miniature painter. Many are really good, with great artists and great tips, but your content is just above all the rest. So many topics covered, such clear, pragmatic explanations, and all with the right mindset... Thank you. I am glad you now have a patreon so that I can repay you a little for all those free lessons.
Thank you Vince. This is low-key one of the best mini painting tutorials on youtube. I don't aspire to be a competition painter or anything, but these brush control techniques have improved my painting hobby so much over the last couple of years! I still have a lot of room for improvement, but it's great to have this knowledge.
Thank you so much I will need to practice all of this and has answered some of my questions I had , why some times I cant get the paint of the brush the way I want to.
Thanks for another quality video with some serious food for thought. I'll definitely be taken note. I have Tourettes syndrome and some particularly annoying motor tics but I find a certain zen in mini painting that helps manage it somewhat. Although every so often I can feel a tic coming in and have to move away from the mini lest it look like its been attacked by the cubist movement. Anyhow keep it up, I look forward to the next one.
So simple, yet so elusive - until you come along, Vince, and ‘splain it clearly so anyone can understand it.I’m off to practice, practice, practice until I can get it all under control (or at least as close as I ever get). Thanks as always for the excellent guidance and teaching.
Vince, your videos are the equivalent of a degree in miniature painting. So much content, so many useful tips and information. As a hobby painter, gamer, collector and overall enthusiast I simply can't thank you enough for making these. Sincere congrats because you really help the community with your knowledge.
I'am so glad you did this video. Being a beginner myself I recognized that I dont't need videos about certain techniques but about the absolute basics of painting like thinning the paint, loading the brush and applying paint to the miniature. This video is great for that. As an addition for your list of criteria for brush control I would add as number 5 the pressure you apply the paint with the brush. You talked about it in the video, but didn't add it to your list. Thanks again for this video!
I’ve been trying to paint minis for about 2 years now and this 10 minute video has been more help than the untold hours of “tutorials” I’ve consumed elsewhere. Thank you so much for this series, Vince.
I was literally just tonight fretting about my lack of brush control and inability to pull off fine lines. I definitely think I need to choke up a bit, I don’t know that I ever do that. While watching videos isn’t some miracle cure, I appreciate it SO much that you take the time to offer it. 🙏
I recently got into Warhammer and your videos are a godsend. As much as I love watching Duncan Rhodes painting tutorials, I love how you deep dive into basic techniques, Makes me wish IU found your videos first before I got started with my SM Intercessors. I still have five more marines left to paint and I'm definitely going to use what I learned from you on those models.
I've watched tons of painting videos and most explain how to get an effect or what to do, but none have ever explained why the paint goes on a certain way. This will help me so much, thank you!
All hail to Vinci V. the one and only painting technomancer. This is guide is so crazy good and one of the topics I’ve rarely seen covered at all and never in a good way. Thank you Vince - I owe you one :-) In a second note - I was laughing hard when I heard Scott and Jon crack that joke in the podcast… but to hear it applied to this awesome guide “bow”.
Thanks a ton for this. I have heard people talk about brush control and improving it since I started painting years ago, but nobody ever bothered to go into detail about exactly what that entailed. It basically just felt like "get better n00b." This gives target points for intentional practice. Huge props, as always.
Awesome video. It shows why I love painting so much. We edge highlight so extremely differently but but both are effective. I prefer a 20/liner w no additional moisture (proacryl thinness) for edges. I think not fighting the paint dry was the biggest hurdle for me and edge highlighting. Opacity and moisture + brush control = joy. Great job. I am giving you an award on reddit in my mind. Platinum baby.
Hi Vince, I just wanted to say this is hands down the best explanation of brush technique I've come across. Understanding the rationale for what you do is so useful in trying to improve. Much appreciated.
This is a fantastic video, and I think a lot more could be discussed about this subject. I think knowing how to use the brush is what keeps a lot of us in beginner territory. When I see people that are actually artists like yourself and other top painters, you guys will move the brush in all sorts of directions with different lengths of strokes going from a long swipe, to a tapping, to short deliberately swipes or scratches. Me on the other hand, I just tend to swipe in long strokes like you did while base coating. Sometimes I'll try to imitate artists by tapping at certain things or using shorter strokes, but I'm fairly sure I'm not doing it at the right time for the right reasons. I'd be very interested in learning more about this.
Like a lot of people have already said, thank you for taking the time to explain this stuff. I love your videos generally, but my favourites are the ones like this that actually explain some of the theory of painting and teach people how to improve the basic techniques. A lot of other hobbyist videos tend to just tell you 'glaze this' 'feather that' without actually explaining or showing what the paint and brush needs to look like. I'm going to try putting a lot more thought into how I use my brushes after watching this video. Probably explains why I've struggled with techniques like wetblending and feathering so much.
Getting into my first steps of mini painting in my mid thirties, and love your videos. They are advanced but always helpful even for the beginning painter. I am glad to see that I have developed some of what you describe in a natural way watching your videos. Next mini will be trying feathering!
Vince! Thanks a lot for this and many, many, many other useful videos. In addition to being informative, they're also very inspirational. Oh and I couldn't agree more with the below comments about how your videos would've been heaven-sent back in the 90's. Much appreciate your style and to-the-point instructions, without all the usual youtuber half-assed comedy baked into it. Keep up the good work! A question about airbrushing (asking here since I figured you may not see comments on very old videos): I get a lot of dripping from the nozzle, i.e. paint pouring out into the little round protective front piece (you know the ones which helps you avoid piercing yourself with the tip of the needle - done that a few times, ouch!). This only happens after some 5+ minutes of using the same paint. This makes it messy, and also more complicated to clean. (I use your method with the squeezy bottle, backwash and dump in a cup, but I find I have to do perhaps 5-6 washes, instead of 2, and I usually need remove the needle between every paint.) Also: in your airbrush cleaning video, you mix 10-12 drops of airbrush medium with 2 drops of paint. Now, on the backside of the Vallejo airbrush medium bottle, I read: mix 2 drops of medium to 10 drops of paint! I'm confused!
Okay, so a few things on the airbrush (and I see all the comments, worry not :) 1) It's happening because of tip dry and the paint leaking slightly out of the needle hole and building up. Keep a wet sponge near the airbrush and touch it tip first into the sponge and then clean the needle. It could also be the airbrush, the needle and the hole don't match completely and let a little paint out. 2) I mix paint more thin than they recommend. You don't have to go that far, but it's good to mix it thinner because you can then apply multiple layers more easily and clean the airbrush easier.
Ive been in painting for a little over a year and wanted to up my game for quite some time. Your videos are great for anyone who wants to up their game and even the long ones are easy to watch. I only recently started watching the channel but it will be on the top of my recommendation list!
I picked up hobbying about 6 months ago and have spent that entire time searching youtube for the "how to paint minis" tutorial that would cover exactly this stuff. Your channel is a gold mine of the kind of useful beginner stuff other channels (who all mean well and are very lovely!) just seem to assume we already know. "thin your paints" yes, ok sure. but how much? at what point does a thinned paint become a glaze? "be sure to edge highlight" ok, sure! but mine always look super chunky, what gives? thank you so much.
I think that brush control and proper tip of the brush are very underappreciated skills to use. I struggle with the proper angles and sustaining the tip. Thanks for the video Vince!
Wow Vince you hit the nail! Very good video about one of the most important topics that is rarely explained. That's the video I'll suggest every beginner to watch. Thanks
Thank you so much for the video, Vincent. Too many times I've heard people say "you need brush control", but none of them ever went into any detail about it. This was very informative and educational.
Thanks Vince. Have probably watched about 50 hrs of your HC series and product reviews recently as I look to get back into miniatures after a decade absent - they've made a huge difference in terms of my understanding of techniques and my excitement about returning. I cannot truly express what, or how much, that has meant but you have my sincere thanks and utmost respect.
Cheers for this, oddly enough I was painting something earlier today and berating myself once again for not being more mindful about brush control - decide to hop onto youtube to see what's new and lo and behold this is the first vid that pops up! I never fail to learn something new when I watch your vids...it mightn't immediately translate to my painting practices but I'm sure it's all floating around in my skull somewhere waiting to click into place. Until then I'll keep watching and soaking up the know-how ;) Thank You!
Love to see more videos like this, about the mechanics of painting! Way more useful than "layer this specific shade, then THIS specific shade". Great stuff!
and tried applying some of the lessons to my own painting with good success. I bought three W&O brushes a month ago and was disappointed in how hard it was to keep the tip pointy, but keeping the angle low by itself made an enormous difference, and painting was less stressful on the teeny bits. You’d think an engineer like me would figure that out, but sadly my emphasis was computer hardware so I missed out on all those wonderful fluid mechanics classes.🤓 Looking forward to digging through the back catalog.
You are a legend, I love your videos and this has concreted for me that you are a great teacher, for months now I have been unsuccessfully searching for this information as I recognised that my roadblock was my brush control but there is very little out there, please can we have more videos that are like this that focus indepth on the motor skills to build up our skills and specifically some excercises on paper and then on models with the common shapes we see. Also some tips on how to tackle those insanely small details that festoon GW's modern Sculpts (Bladeguard and chaos Marines I am looking at you! for example the small chains, crosses etc hanging from their belts that as much as I take my time and try to be neat I end up putting paint exactly where I do not want to and then spend way to much time going back and forth to cleanup only to then get paint on another area-repeat ad Neaseum!) This is content we in the hobby desperately need more of as I feel we are hitting the saturation point of how to paint X videos, how to NMM or blending etc that are great IF you have the brush skills to be able to pull off those steps especially when due to covid a lot of people have started the hobby or returned and their only guide is youtube and because many do not go to their FLGS anymore to paint and learn from others first hand, infact my two FLGS do not even have painting tables and do not run any classes so my only option to grow is self teaching via youtube currently. This kind of knowledge is absolutely fundamental but for some reason has just not been covered or tutorialised, maybe exactly because it is so fundamental if you already know it and learned it so many years ago it is hard to actually teach this to newcomers.
Exactly! My main brush for the last several months now has been a Princeton #3 that I've found does me just fine (though it appears the point is going on it already, sad to say). This was a great video that I will be referring to in the future as a refresher course. One must never forget the basics. Thank you, Vince!
These are the kinds of vids I wish I had when I started, core basics that are not explained that well and yes you learn as your paint but this video gave me a better understanding of why n how
Thank you Vince, this makes a whole load of videos, just make more sense now! Including some of your Hobby Cheating ones. Please keep giving hints like these, to those of us still trying to catch up, to the range of new skills (and some old) out there. Thanks again, Bat.
Why does this video have so few likes and views? It is easily one of the best videos on painting on the internet. No one else actually demonstrates brush control...
Thank you for this video! It's fascinating how often with miniatures painting we forget about the basics. I was painting several months and then realized I might just not do the basic techniques right, including the brush strokes. So Invested three weeks into experimenting with different techniques on a flat plasticard. It really helped me to connect to the medium in a better way and helped my miniature quality.
Are you an instructor/trainer for a living? This video is incredibly informative, provides great detail while remaining concise, and contains information I haven't found anywhere else. It teaches without assuming which is the most important part! This is outstanding content, thank you so much!
Everyone talks about brush control, but very rarely does anyone take the time to really explain the what, how and why they mean by that! Let alone try to show how the paint elements for each should look like loaded on/in the brush or on the palette. The closest I've seen before, an most often, is edge highlighting. Even then they only tend to talk about angle and maybe the area on the brush to use (belly/bristles and NOT the tip/point). As always, Thank You Very Much!
Thank you so much for this! Everything here is so valuable as a newbie painter and I didn't realize it was exactly what I needed to see in order to work on improving my skills. Your explanations are clear and concise, absolutely fantastic!
Damn, this is probably the most informative video you have ever done and that is saying a lot!! You should really consider teaching people brush control in a class setting, especially for newbies. Thank you so much!
Great Video! I haven't painted since 94ish, and recently decided to try out painting miniatures again. Wanting to make sure I don't start with bad habits, and found your channel! you definitely have earn a subscriber! thank you for your time and knowledge!
Like so many others, so thankful for these videos! Two quick questions for you: What are your feelings on army painter paints, particularly for use in airbrushes? And what technique of painting would you encourage a novice to try to learn for painting Infinity models? Thanks for all your help in these videos!
So I have a miniature brand paint review and I talk about army painter. My answer is they are pretty average, but fine. They aren't great for the airbrush, but they aren't terrible or anything. For a new person, and infinity, something like Vallejo Game Air will servive you much better. Infinity, just focus on cleanliness and contrast.
"Brush control" is certainly one of my weak spots. It is very helpful to explain all those little details that most painters probably just do subconsciously. If there's one thing I have learned from revising SOPs in the past, nothing should be considered "obvious" for everyone. Please never stop explaining! EDIT: What made you switch from W&N Series 7 to Raphael 8404?
It is that time of the week again. Love how in-depth, informative, and your delivery in your videos. I've definitely shied away from the larger brushes but have started to follow your advice; it is definitely surprising to see how much control you can have with seemingly too large a brush. It is great to see the up-close action shots. Theory is great and all but seeing it in action is a whole other ball game. Keep up the amazing work and super bummed I didn't win one of painted models by you. Maybe next year.
Great vid and topic. I need to work on good brush habits, seeing how little the paint goes up the brush and how tidy the point of the brush is, mine is often not like that. Its one of those things where I 'know' what to do but find myself not doing it.
Very timely for me. Yesterday I was doing some painting and trying to figure out why I seem to get it so wrong. Even with a decent brush I will lose the sharpness after less than a minute, and constantly seem to have hairs going off at odd angles.
Always coming up with one of the best miniature painting content on UA-cam ! Thank you I loved the video about creating color scheme, creating triangle within the mini to keep the eye moving around etc, looking at amazing paint jobs and what makes them great. Do you think it would possible to create a similar video more in depth ? Especially about creating more realistic paint job or/and complex scheme with 3/4 colors without creating a mess
as always, wise words from the book of Vincent great tips as always, have been working on a few of these things anyway. I found that getting a painting grip that was comfortable and didn't put stress on the joints was also a must for good brush control, as well as it allowing smooth brush movements. I actually use to use the claw grip as well, but I found straight lines would always curve for me. choking up on the brush.... you didn't use to play lacrosse did you?
Vince, I've heard from some that True Metallic paint will damage Sable brushes due to the metallic flakes. Have you found that to be the case for your work?
I'm pretty sure this is the case and something Vince has advocated against in the past. It's less that it is due to the nature of the sable brush and more just the nature of the metallic flakes themselves. Common agreement is that the metallic flakes can damage the brushes, and therefore using a cheaper synthetic brush is wise due to the requirement to replace them. It doesn't mean you can't use a sable brush for it, just that it would be more expensive in the long run. Personally I also use synthetic brushes for washes aswell as the paint consistency is notorious for getting in the ferrule.
This has to be the single most useful video I have ever seen regarding miniature hobby painting. I've been painting for over ten years and must have watched hundreds of videos, but I don't think I've seen any of this explained before. Thank you so much.
100% agreed
Glad it was helpful!
I say this about so many VV videos
Another one of those "wish I had seen this 5 years ago" videos. Thanks Vince!
Seeing that paint go from specs to a pools was so informative. Been struggling with dilution and that one thing alone was such an "ah ha" moment. Thanks!
Me too! Even seeing how much water he wicks off was helpful I definitely wasn't getting enough out of the brush !
I think i’ve heard a lightbulb sparking sound at that moment
What's happening when it begins to pool, and what's causing it to behave that way?
@@worm1618 surface tension mainly
Wonderful to hear. :)
Back when I initially started this hobby in the early 90's, this information would've been heaven-sent. To say that your videos have been instrumental in my enjoyment of a hobby I had long ago abandoned wouldn't be giving you enough credit. I went from completely disgusted with a process i didn't even know enough about to realize I knew nothing about it, to suddenly having my eyes opened, and having access to information that would've kept me painting all these years, had I been privy to it. Over these months of being aware of your channel, you've addressed every headache I ever experienced as a budding miniature painter; every single roadblock to my enjoyment of this hobby has been painstakingly detailed in such a manner as to not only re-kindle my desire to sit down and paint something I have to squint at to see, but also look forward to doing it. Thank you for that.
That's wonderful to hear, always happy to help. ;)
Would have killed for these painting tips back in '96. those how to manuals from gw never seemed to be adequate.
Ok dude, your name... you win :D
@@borna1231 Ha! Thanks... not trying to humble, but I usually forget about it. Have a good one.
@@hewlett-packardlovecraft2297Are you are using a magnified headset (like jewelers use)? If not, they're cheap on Amazon, $10-20. I got a pair for $11. Can't imagine even trying to clean up/prep a mini or paint without one now. You do need to flip it up every so often to check the overall appearance with your "regular" eyes, but it helps so much (you mentioned squinting, this will help). 😁
I'm so glad I found this video, which I'd somehow overlooked. One area that I've always struggled with is smooth base coats, and I knew I must be doing something basic wrong, but wasn't sure what. I'd learned most of the techniques covered in this video from your other videos, but not the "sweeping" technique at 7:50, in fact I'd heard "paint in one direction" from other painters more than once. I just tried out the sweeping motion for base coats, and it's finally fixed the last of my base coat smoothness issue. Thank you!
Great vid. I love the dogs barking in the background. As someone who has a dog that is motion activated and has to make sure that everyone knows that there is a dog who lives in this house, I feel your pain.
Yeah, they are very excitable. :)
I have been through a lot of youtube channels in my recent journey as a beginner miniature painter. Many are really good, with great artists and great tips, but your content is just above all the rest. So many topics covered, such clear, pragmatic explanations, and all with the right mindset... Thank you. I am glad you now have a patreon so that I can repay you a little for all those free lessons.
Well thank you on all counts, always happy to help.
Thank you Vince. This is low-key one of the best mini painting tutorials on youtube. I don't aspire to be a competition painter or anything, but these brush control techniques have improved my painting hobby so much over the last couple of years! I still have a lot of room for improvement, but it's great to have this knowledge.
Great to hear!
Thank you so much I will need to practice all of this and has answered some of my questions I had , why some times I cant get the paint of the brush the way I want to.
Thanks for another quality video with some serious food for thought. I'll definitely be taken note.
I have Tourettes syndrome and some particularly annoying motor tics but I find a certain zen in mini painting that helps manage it somewhat. Although every so often I can feel a tic coming in and have to move away from the mini lest it look like its been attacked by the cubist movement.
Anyhow keep it up, I look forward to the next one.
It's a great place of zen for sure, I am glad these are helpful. :)
So simple, yet so elusive - until you come along, Vince, and ‘splain it clearly so anyone can understand it.I’m off to practice, practice, practice until I can get it all under control (or at least as close as I ever get). Thanks as always for the excellent guidance and teaching.
Always happy to help. :)
Mind blown. Its this kind of masterclass that keeps me coming back time and again to your tutorials. Thank you
Great to hear!
Vince, your videos are the equivalent of a degree in miniature painting. So much content, so many useful tips and information.
As a hobby painter, gamer, collector and overall enthusiast I simply can't thank you enough for making these.
Sincere congrats because you really help the community with your knowledge.
Thank you, that means a great deal. :)
I'am so glad you did this video. Being a beginner myself I recognized that I dont't need videos about certain techniques but about the absolute basics of painting like thinning the paint, loading the brush and applying paint to the miniature. This video is great for that. As an addition for your list of criteria for brush control I would add as number 5 the pressure you apply the paint with the brush. You talked about it in the video, but didn't add it to your list. Thanks again for this video!
Glad it was helpful!
I’ve been trying to paint minis for about 2 years now and this 10 minute video has been more help than the untold hours of “tutorials” I’ve consumed elsewhere. Thank you so much for this series, Vince.
Awesome, happy to assist.
I was literally just tonight fretting about my lack of brush control and inability to pull off fine lines. I definitely think I need to choke up a bit, I don’t know that I ever do that. While watching videos isn’t some miracle cure, I appreciate it SO much that you take the time to offer it. 🙏
Happy to help as always. :)
I recently got into Warhammer and your videos are a godsend. As much as I love watching Duncan Rhodes painting tutorials, I love how you deep dive into basic techniques, Makes me wish IU found your videos first before I got started with my SM Intercessors. I still have five more marines left to paint and I'm definitely going to use what I learned from you on those models.
Wonderful, glad to have you along on the hobby journey!
I've watched tons of painting videos and most explain how to get an effect or what to do, but none have ever explained why the paint goes on a certain way. This will help me so much, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
All hail to Vinci V. the one and only painting technomancer.
This is guide is so crazy good and one of the topics I’ve rarely seen covered at all and never in a good way. Thank you Vince - I owe you one :-)
In a second note - I was laughing hard when I heard Scott and Jon crack that joke in the podcast… but to hear it applied to this awesome guide “bow”.
It just had to become the intro. :)
Thanks a ton for this. I have heard people talk about brush control and improving it since I started painting years ago, but nobody ever bothered to go into detail about exactly what that entailed. It basically just felt like "get better n00b." This gives target points for intentional practice. Huge props, as always.
Thank you, always happy to help. :)
Awesome video. It shows why I love painting so much. We edge highlight so extremely differently but but both are effective. I prefer a 20/liner w no additional moisture (proacryl thinness) for edges. I think not fighting the paint dry was the biggest hurdle for me and edge highlighting.
Opacity and moisture + brush control = joy.
Great job.
I am giving you an award on reddit in my mind. Platinum baby.
Glad it was helpful! :)
Thank you, genuinely, for helping me understand how the *hell* glazing even works.
Happy to help!
Hi Vince, I just wanted to say this is hands down the best explanation of brush technique I've come across. Understanding the rationale for what you do is so useful in trying to improve. Much appreciated.
Awesome, thank you!
This is a fantastic video, and I think a lot more could be discussed about this subject. I think knowing how to use the brush is what keeps a lot of us in beginner territory. When I see people that are actually artists like yourself and other top painters, you guys will move the brush in all sorts of directions with different lengths of strokes going from a long swipe, to a tapping, to short deliberately swipes or scratches. Me on the other hand, I just tend to swipe in long strokes like you did while base coating. Sometimes I'll try to imitate artists by tapping at certain things or using shorter strokes, but I'm fairly sure I'm not doing it at the right time for the right reasons. I'd be very interested in learning more about this.
I'll have to see what else I can do to expand on this subject. :)
Like a lot of people have already said, thank you for taking the time to explain this stuff. I love your videos generally, but my favourites are the ones like this that actually explain some of the theory of painting and teach people how to improve the basic techniques. A lot of other hobbyist videos tend to just tell you 'glaze this' 'feather that' without actually explaining or showing what the paint and brush needs to look like.
I'm going to try putting a lot more thought into how I use my brushes after watching this video. Probably explains why I've struggled with techniques like wetblending and feathering so much.
That's awesome. :)
Getting into my first steps of mini painting in my mid thirties, and love your videos. They are advanced but always helpful even for the beginning painter. I am glad to see that I have developed some of what you describe in a natural way watching your videos. Next mini will be trying feathering!
Wonderful! Always happy to help.
Vince! Thanks a lot for this and many, many, many other useful videos. In addition to being informative, they're also very inspirational. Oh and I couldn't agree more with the below comments about how your videos would've been heaven-sent back in the 90's. Much appreciate your style and to-the-point instructions, without all the usual youtuber half-assed comedy baked into it. Keep up the good work!
A question about airbrushing (asking here since I figured you may not see comments on very old videos): I get a lot of dripping from the nozzle, i.e. paint pouring out into the little round protective front piece (you know the ones which helps you avoid piercing yourself with the tip of the needle - done that a few times, ouch!). This only happens after some 5+ minutes of using the same paint. This makes it messy, and also more complicated to clean. (I use your method with the squeezy bottle, backwash and dump in a cup, but I find I have to do perhaps 5-6 washes, instead of 2, and I usually need remove the needle between every paint.)
Also: in your airbrush cleaning video, you mix 10-12 drops of airbrush medium with 2 drops of paint. Now, on the backside of the Vallejo airbrush medium bottle, I read: mix 2 drops of medium to 10 drops of paint! I'm confused!
Okay, so a few things on the airbrush (and I see all the comments, worry not :)
1) It's happening because of tip dry and the paint leaking slightly out of the needle hole and building up. Keep a wet sponge near the airbrush and touch it tip first into the sponge and then clean the needle. It could also be the airbrush, the needle and the hole don't match completely and let a little paint out.
2) I mix paint more thin than they recommend. You don't have to go that far, but it's good to mix it thinner because you can then apply multiple layers more easily and clean the airbrush easier.
Ive been in painting for a little over a year and wanted to up my game for quite some time. Your videos are great for anyone who wants to up their game and even the long ones are easy to watch. I only recently started watching the channel but it will be on the top of my recommendation list!
Great to hear! That means so much to me, always happy to help and sharing and recommending to others is hugely impactful and appreciated.
I picked up hobbying about 6 months ago and have spent that entire time searching youtube for the "how to paint minis" tutorial that would cover exactly this stuff. Your channel is a gold mine of the kind of useful beginner stuff other channels (who all mean well and are very lovely!) just seem to assume we already know. "thin your paints" yes, ok sure. but how much? at what point does a thinned paint become a glaze? "be sure to edge highlight" ok, sure! but mine always look super chunky, what gives?
thank you so much.
Happy to help and I have lots of videos in the playlist on just the topics you're describing. :)
I think that brush control and proper tip of the brush are very underappreciated skills to use. I struggle with the proper angles and sustaining the tip. Thanks for the video Vince!
No problem, happy to help. :)
Wow Vince you hit the nail! Very good video about one of the most important topics that is rarely explained. That's the video I'll suggest every beginner to watch. Thanks
Thats wonderful, sharing is always the best thing you can do. :)
What an excellent breakdown and simplified description with great demonstration. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Great vid! I think Trovarion would approve of the message. And Bob Ross appreciate those happy little brushstrokes.
Thank you, this was fun. :)
Thank you so much for the video, Vincent. Too many times I've heard people say "you need brush control", but none of them ever went into any detail about it. This was very informative and educational.
That was the goal for sure. :)
This is the video I need as a beginner! All beginners need to watch this! Well done Vince!
Glad it was helpful! :)
Continues to make super helpful "I didn't think about that" videos. Keep on making hobbyists better painters!
That's the goal. :)
Thanks Vince. Have probably watched about 50 hrs of your HC series and product reviews recently as I look to get back into miniatures after a decade absent - they've made a huge difference in terms of my understanding of techniques and my excitement about returning. I cannot truly express what, or how much, that has meant but you have my sincere thanks and utmost respect.
That's wonderful to hear.
Mini painting video of the year, informative and straight to the point. Tnx 👍
Thank you. :)
Cheers for this, oddly enough I was painting something earlier today and berating myself once again for not being more mindful about brush control - decide to hop onto youtube to see what's new and lo and behold this is the first vid that pops up! I never fail to learn something new when I watch your vids...it mightn't immediately translate to my painting practices but I'm sure it's all floating around in my skull somewhere waiting to click into place. Until then I'll keep watching and soaking up the know-how ;) Thank You!
Awesome, great timing. :)
How did you know that I have been thinking about my brush control recently?!?!? But seriously, surely a master class from a master!
Happy to help as always. :)
i had this video on a tab for a few days waiting to be watched. Definetly worth it thank you a lot Vince!
Awesome, happy to help. :)
Love to see more videos like this, about the mechanics of painting! Way more useful than "layer this specific shade, then THIS specific shade". Great stuff!
Thank you, more to come. :)
Thanks for the wise words, im guilty of some of the pit falls you mentioned and have flayed many a brush by not using correctly
We all are at some points.
Great example of how to control. I've heard a lot of people talk about control but never seen someone demonstrate it. Thanks!
Thank you, happy to help. :)
This is probably the most important video I've seen since I started painting.
Thank you, always happy to help. :)
Yes! Fundamental painting education!! Like jolt cola for the grey matter!
Awesome. :)
Thanks this was super useful. Seems like it would be something basic but it's rarely addressed by the majority of hobby youtubers.
Yeah, it felt like something that wasn't really covered.
and tried applying some of the lessons to my own painting with good success. I bought three W&O brushes a month ago and was disappointed in how hard it was to keep the tip pointy, but keeping the angle low by itself made an enormous difference, and painting was less stressful on the teeny bits. You’d think an engineer like me would figure that out, but sadly my emphasis was computer hardware so I missed out on all those wonderful fluid mechanics classes.🤓 Looking forward to digging through the back catalog.
Awesome, more than happy to help as always. :)
You are a legend, I love your videos and this has concreted for me that you are a great teacher, for months now I have been unsuccessfully searching for this information as I recognised that my roadblock was my brush control but there is very little out there, please can we have more videos that are like this that focus indepth on the motor skills to build up our skills and specifically some excercises on paper and then on models with the common shapes we see.
Also some tips on how to tackle those insanely small details that festoon GW's modern Sculpts (Bladeguard and chaos Marines I am looking at you! for example the small chains, crosses etc hanging from their belts that as much as I take my time and try to be neat I end up putting paint exactly where I do not want to and then spend way to much time going back and forth to cleanup only to then get paint on another area-repeat ad Neaseum!)
This is content we in the hobby desperately need more of as I feel we are hitting the saturation point of how to paint X videos, how to NMM or blending etc that are great IF you have the brush skills to be able to pull off those steps especially when due to covid a lot of people have started the hobby or returned and their only guide is youtube and because many do not go to their FLGS anymore to paint and learn from others first hand, infact my two FLGS do not even have painting tables and do not run any classes so my only option to grow is self teaching via youtube currently.
This kind of knowledge is absolutely fundamental but for some reason has just not been covered or tutorialised, maybe exactly because it is so fundamental if you already know it and learned it so many years ago it is hard to actually teach this to newcomers.
Yeah, this was one I felt was really important, but it was very tough to cover.
Exactly! My main brush for the last several months now has been a Princeton #3 that I've found does me just fine (though it appears the point is going on it already, sad to say). This was a great video that I will be referring to in the future as a refresher course. One must never forget the basics. Thank you, Vince!
Exactly!! :)
These are the kinds of vids I wish I had when I started, core basics that are not explained that well and yes you learn as your paint but this video gave me a better understanding of why n how
Thank you, very much apprecaited. :)
Thank you Vince, this makes a whole load of videos, just make more sense now!
Including some of your Hobby Cheating ones.
Please keep giving hints like these, to those of us still trying to catch up, to the range of new skills (and some old) out there.
Thanks again, Bat.
No issue, glad to be of assistance.
Thanks to you I am a better painter today than I was yesterday!
Keep it up, it's one day at a time. :)
Why does this video have so few likes and views? It is easily one of the best videos on painting on the internet. No one else actually demonstrates brush control...
Thank you, that is deeply appreciated. :)
Fantastic video.
Simplicity, is the ultimate sophistication.
Indeed. :)
Thank you for this video! It's fascinating how often with miniatures painting we forget about the basics. I was painting several months and then realized I might just not do the basic techniques right, including the brush strokes. So Invested three weeks into experimenting with different techniques on a flat plasticard. It really helped me to connect to the medium in a better way and helped my miniature quality.
That's fantastic. :)
Are you an instructor/trainer for a living? This video is incredibly informative, provides great detail while remaining concise, and contains information I haven't found anywhere else. It teaches without assuming which is the most important part! This is outstanding content, thank you so much!
As a newbie this was so informative! More by good luck than good management I am using some of these techniques, but I didn’t know why!
You got this!
Just starting with mini painting ant this GEM of a video is packed with useful info. Great job. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! :)
Everyone talks about brush control, but very rarely does anyone take the time to really explain the what, how and why they mean by that! Let alone try to show how the paint elements for each should look like loaded on/in the brush or on the palette.
The closest I've seen before, an most often, is edge highlighting. Even then they only tend to talk about angle and maybe the area on the brush to use (belly/bristles and NOT the tip/point).
As always, Thank You Very Much!
Happy to help as always :)
Thank you so much for this! Everything here is so valuable as a newbie painter and I didn't realize it was exactly what I needed to see in order to work on improving my skills. Your explanations are clear and concise, absolutely fantastic!
No problem, happy to help as always. :)
What a fucking amazing video, Vince. Really fills in the blanks of why my blends weren't working
Awesome. :)
Thank you so much for demoing brush control and not just talking about it, this is so helpful!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you - these type of short but condensed tipps are really very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
This was super useful! I've been thinking about my brush control alot and this helped me solidify what I was feeling and correct things that were off
I'm so glad!
Damn, this is probably the most informative video you have ever done and that is saying a lot!! You should really consider teaching people brush control in a class setting, especially for newbies. Thank you so much!
Thank you, happy to help. :)
Great Video! I haven't painted since 94ish, and recently decided to try out painting miniatures again. Wanting to make sure I don't start with bad habits, and found your channel! you definitely have earn a subscriber! thank you for your time and knowledge!
Awesome, always glad to help. :)
Like so many others, so thankful for these videos! Two quick questions for you:
What are your feelings on army painter paints, particularly for use in airbrushes?
And what technique of painting would you encourage a novice to try to learn for painting Infinity models?
Thanks for all your help in these videos!
So I have a miniature brand paint review and I talk about army painter. My answer is they are pretty average, but fine. They aren't great for the airbrush, but they aren't terrible or anything.
For a new person, and infinity, something like Vallejo Game Air will servive you much better. Infinity, just focus on cleanliness and contrast.
@@VinceVenturella thank you! I’ll look for that review video!
Thanks Vince. This has been exactly what I was looking for. You’re the best!
Happy to help as always. :)
I'm just about to start painting miniatures and found this great video. Really helpful
Glad it was helpful!
"Brush control" is certainly one of my weak spots. It is very helpful to explain all those little details that most painters probably just do subconsciously. If there's one thing I have learned from revising SOPs in the past, nothing should be considered "obvious" for everyone. Please never stop explaining!
EDIT: What made you switch from W&N Series 7 to Raphael 8404?
I just liked the feel and the snap a little better. They are both good and I still use some W&N as well.
@@VinceVenturella Thank you! Where do you get yours from? They seem to be harder to find than W&N
“Eating the paint or whatever you do”
I feel so called out right now
It really does look like you're eating the paint every time you go to clean it, now that you've put that in my head.
Some people do, no hate if you do, but I am not here. :)
Very very detailed tutorial, thanks Vince.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've been looking for this videos, is what I need the most right now
Happy to help!
We are not worthy of your greatness, Vincy V. I will give this a try. Thank you.
Happy to help as always.
Thank you so much! I was just thinking this morning about these issues.
Awesome, good timing. :)
Thanks Vince, another video covering an interesting area of the hobby
You bet :)
It is that time of the week again. Love how in-depth, informative, and your delivery in your videos. I've definitely shied away from the larger brushes but have started to follow your advice; it is definitely surprising to see how much control you can have with seemingly too large a brush. It is great to see the up-close action shots. Theory is great and all but seeing it in action is a whole other ball game. Keep up the amazing work and super bummed I didn't win one of painted models by you. Maybe next year.
Thank you, happy to help. :)
That was super educational....great advice presented very clearly!
Glad it was helpful! :)
Yup, most useful video yet. Can’t wait to try out all of this!
Great to hear!
Great vid and topic. I need to work on good brush habits, seeing how little the paint goes up the brush and how tidy the point of the brush is, mine is often not like that. Its one of those things where I 'know' what to do but find myself not doing it.
Glad it was helpful!
Vince you are awesome! Thank you very much! This was extremely helpful - saved it on my paint techniques playlist
You're very welcome!
What a great video! Concise, excellent examples - I’m always impressed with your videos Vince!
Much appreciated!
Very timely for me. Yesterday I was doing some painting and trying to figure out why I seem to get it so wrong. Even with a decent brush I will lose the sharpness after less than a minute, and constantly seem to have hairs going off at odd angles.
Awesome, I hope this helps. :)
Always a pleasure 🙏
Boss that pyramid’s eye mark is really creepy 🤣
Very! ;)
Always coming up with one of the best miniature painting content on UA-cam !
Thank you
I loved the video about creating color scheme, creating triangle within the mini to keep the eye moving around etc, looking at amazing paint jobs and what makes them great. Do you think it would possible to create a similar video more in depth ?
Especially about creating more realistic paint job or/and complex scheme with 3/4 colors without creating a mess
Thank you so much 😀
I never don't learn when I watch your videos! Great video today, as always, and thanks for doing what you do
I appreciate that!
The true alpha of mini painting right here.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for this, fantastic tutorial, really well explained.
Glad it was helpful! :)
Thank you, Vince! Always learning from you!
Happy to hear that!
@@VinceVenturella There are great painters and there are great teachers. You, sir, are both!
A very good video on brush control.
I thought its impossible to be explained, You proved me wrong :)
This was one I thought about for a long time.
Thank you for sharing Vince :) have a good weekend.
Thank you. :)
This explained brush control so well! Thank you!
You're so welcome! :)
as always, wise words from the book of Vincent
great tips as always, have been working on a few of these things anyway. I found that getting a painting grip that was comfortable and didn't put stress on the joints was also a must for good brush control, as well as it allowing smooth brush movements. I actually use to use the claw grip as well, but I found straight lines would always curve for me.
choking up on the brush.... you didn't use to play lacrosse did you?
Never played lacrosse, just football. :)
Now that's the ultimate useful video!!
Thank you!
Great video! Especially to recommend to newcomers to the hobby!
Thank you, sharing is always deeply apprecaited.
Vince, I've heard from some that True Metallic paint will damage Sable brushes due to the metallic flakes. Have you found that to be the case for your work?
I'm pretty sure this is the case and something Vince has advocated against in the past.
It's less that it is due to the nature of the sable brush and more just the nature of the metallic flakes themselves.
Common agreement is that the metallic flakes can damage the brushes, and therefore using a cheaper synthetic brush is wise due to the requirement to replace them.
It doesn't mean you can't use a sable brush for it, just that it would be more expensive in the long run.
Personally I also use synthetic brushes for washes aswell as the paint consistency is notorious for getting in the ferrule.
Yep, in general, keep metals away from your sable brushes unless you want to buy them often.
Great content as always! In a future episode maybe you can show a bunch of exercises for brush control?
Great suggestion!