DDM Guild Repaint: July 2009 (Grimlock Minion)

Megan Smith, a valued community artist and Chapter Master in Brisbane, Australia, brings us the fifth in her series of monthly DDM Guild Repaints. Up this month: the Grimlock Minion from Monster Manual: Dangerous Delves.

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: Dangerous Delves - Grimlock Minion

Paint needed: Khemri Brown Foundation Paint, Devlan Mud Wash (from Citadel/Games Workshop)

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

If ever there was a mini in need of repaint help, this is it … watch amazed as you transform a horrible piece of shiny plastic into a monster worthy of fear! This month’s mini has slightly more painting, and will take slightly longer than normal, but it is well and truly 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. Cover the yellow with Khemri Brown

• Shake the bottle of Khemri Brown paint, then open it carefully.
  
• Dip your brush in your rinsing water and brush it gently on the paper towel to remove the excess water.
  
• Dip the tip of your brush into the paint (it’s often easier to work from the pool of paint in the lid), paint over all the yellow on the mini, getting more paint as needed. Rinse your brush after each mini and brush it gently on the paper towel afterward. If your paint seems too thick and gluey, put some out onto a pallet and mix in a little water, to help it be smoother. Cover all the yellow, but also pay attention to the sculpt -- the armbands on mine often didn’t have yellow all the way to the end of them, so I ended up painting over a little grey too (when it was part of the same object). If there’s yellow somewhere it shouldn’t be (like on the upper arm), cover it anyway -- it’s going to look a lot less noticeable in brown than if you leave it yellow.
  
• Remember to paint the bottom surface of the loincloth (it might face the ground, but if it’s not painted, it will show up a lot).
  
• Once they are all painted, leave them to dry (10-15 minutes, depending on the weather).

3. Wash with Devlan Mud

• 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 mini. 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 mini 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 mini – if you miss anywhere, it will really show up in the final result. You will need to remove a pool of wash from the head of the axe. Make sure you do it, as it will look terrible if you forget.
  
• 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!