DDM Guild Repaint: May 2009

Megan Smith, a valued community artist and Chapter Master in Brisbane, Australia, brings us the fourth in her series of monthly DDM Guild Repaints. Up this month: the Sharn Redcloak from Demonweb.

Explanation and General Instructions

Megan Smith writes:

I really liked getting monthly repainted minis from Organised Play (when we actually managed to get them in Australia) and would like to keep that going for the DDM Guild. However, as we don't have WotC's vast resources, or Chinese factory labour, the repaints will be done by each Chapter that wants them. I'd suggest that the Chapter Master ask for volunteers - painting skill is not a requirement, and it should only take about an hour of your time to do 6-10 minis.

It will always be a common mini; the person doing the painting is welcome to use their own spares or to collect a mini from everyone who wants a repaint. You will need to paint enough for everyone in the group to have one, and if you can do a couple of extras to hand out to other people as advertising for the guild (or to give to the shop you play at) that would be great.

Each mini will use 1 or 2 paints (only one of which will be new). I'll be using (and testing my instructions with) Games Workshop's Citadel paints because they are very available in most places. If you don't want to spend the $3.50 or so a month, I would hope that the recipients of the minis would be happy to take turns supplying the paint.

If you already own suitable paints, it's not a requirement to use exactly what I suggest, but I'd recommend it, as I will have checked that one coat gives the coverage we need and that the wash (if we are using one) goes over it smoothly.

You'll need a brush -- a size 0 round will work for all guild repaints -- but if you'd like to be able to do washes faster, get something bigger, like a 2 or 3. Natural hair is generally better than synthetics, but anything that's relatively soft will work fine.

For the painters out there (and also the non-painters, I suppose), we are aiming for WotC factory quality in the paint jobs, so they are all the same and are fast to do. So, just do the steps outlined (ie. Resist the temptation to paint the eye, or do a quick highlight on the cloak, etc).

I'll put a thread up in Crafter's Corner on Hordelings each month, so that if anyone has questions, or needs assistance, s/he can get it. If you don't have a DDM Guild Chapter near you, feel free to make a repaint for yourself ... and while you are at it, make a few extras to give to your FLGS (glue them to Guild flyers).

This Month's Repaint: Demonweb - Sharn Redcloak

Paint needed: Knarloc Green Foundation, Devlan Mud Wash (from Citadel/Games Workshop)

Normal Painting supplies: paintbrush, water for rinsing the brush, paper towel.

This month's repaint is slightly more complicated than the early ones,though still very easy. I hope you'll think the end result is worth it.

Steps

1. Clean your minis

Wash your hands first, then scrub each mini with a toothbrush, using warm water and dishwashing liquid. Then, scrub again with just the warm water to make sure there's no oil, soap, or anything weird on the surface of the mini. Throw them onto a paper towel a couple of times to knock off most of the water, and then leave them to dry.

2. Paint them with Knarloc Green

• Shake the bottle of Knarloc Green paint, then open it carefully.
  
• Dip your brush in your rinsing water, brush it gently on the paper towel to remove the excess water.
  
• Dip your brush into the paint (it's often easier to work from the pool of paint in the lid) and paint over the whole cloak. If your paint is too thick and sticky, try putting some out onto a pallet (or something else non-porous) and adding a brushful of water or two to smooth it out a little. Rinse your brush after each mini (brush it gently on the paper towel afterwards). It's easier to paint the back of the cloak when you've just got a new brush of paint, and then move round to the front once there's not so much paint on the brush (you'll have better control over where it goes).
  
• If you look at the photos, there are a few areas to be careful of (marked by the orange arrows). Basically, be careful to cover the whole cloak - get in around the neck, up beside the body, and under the bottom edge.
  
• Once they are all painted, leave them to dry (10-15 minutes, depending on the weather).

3. Wash them with Devlan Mud Wash

• Shake the bottle of Mud wash, then open it carefully.
  
• Dip your brush in the rinsing water and brush it gently on the paper towel to remove excess water.
  
• Dip your brush into the wash and apply it liberally over the cloak. It should flow off reasonably easily and fall off the high points, into the creases, bringing out all the details.
• Keep getting wash, and putting it on the cloak until it is reasonably covered. If it pools anywhere it shouldn't, use the brush to move it to other spots. Make sure you get at least a little wash over the whole cloak - if you miss anywhere, it will really show up in the final result.
  
• You can see on my 'ready to dry', and 'finished' shots what happens if you have a big pool of wash near the bottom of the cloak ... the final result would have been better if I'd used the brush to drag the wash further up the creases, rather than leaving it in the big pool. You want more wash towards the bottom than at the top, but not that much.
  
• After you've done each mini, it's a good idea to rinse out your brush.
  
• Leave the minis for 20-60 minutes to dry (exact time will depend on the weather).

Use your Guild Logo Stamp on the bottoms of the bases, and then you are ... finished! Please tell us about your Guild Repaints. Post a picture in Crafter's Corner on Hordelings and tell us how many you've painted and given away. See you next month!