Noobs and their paintbrush: Q and A with The Noobs!

What?! A Q&A in an odd month? What's going on here?

Well, we decided that it might be fun to set some questions to the current Noobs writing for the blog to get a feel for the differences in how we might approach things in comparison to each other.

How would you categorise yourself? Painter/Gamer/Collector/Other?

Merkeysa: I would like to think I am a painter first, but with the size of my pile of to do models I am turning into a collector as well lol.

Shamikebab: Painter! More specifically display painter rather than army or tabletop.

Necropocalypse: I started the hobby as a gamer/painter when I was 11 (28 years ago) but I've become less of a gamer of late and more of a painter. I really enjoy painting, especially when you see an army taking shape, one model at a time.

ArkMechanicus: Difficult one to answer really! I'd say mostly a painter, but occasionally I get really into a game for a few months and morph into a gamer.

Brambleten: Collector. Definitely Collector.

Name 3 Paints you couldn't be without?

Merkeysa: Not so much three paints, but Kahki highlight and khaki and scale 75 been playing with them and very happy.

Shamikebab: I'm going to ignore black and white because they're a given.
Reaper Clotted Red - a really nice deep red
Vallejo Smoke - my go to for leathers
Vallejo Ivory - make things lighter but not pure white!

Necropocalypse: Mephiston Red, Black and White. A lot of the armies I collect are red! Blood Angels, Khador and Khornate Age of Sigmar. All three use red and black in abundance, and white is always good for highlighting.

ArkMechanicus: I have a grey from Cote d'arms, unfortunately I don't know the name, since it's rubbed off, but I love that paint, I'm struggling to replace it now!
Hawk turquoise

Brambleten: Necro Grey and Rlyeh Grey from Scale Color and Sanguine Base from P3.

What sort of lighting set up do you use for painting?

Merkeysa: in the Box room I have a 3 foot trip light and when I need to make sure its perfect I have a 3 tube, daylight desk lamp by Pk-Pro very good and very bright! but some times its not as good as you would think to have to much light as you lose alot of contrast when not under that intense light and other times a good model under poor light look crap under good light.

Shamikebab: A simple lamp with a daylight bulb, I'd like to get a tritube some day

Necropocalypse: I use natural daylight when I'm painting, and when it gets dark and the lights go on, I have a 100w LED lightbulb. It's not as good as using a desk lamp, but a lot of the stuff I paint uses pre-mixed colours, so light really isn't an issue.

ArkMechanicus: I have one daylight lamp and one normal angle poise.

Brambleten: I've got a triple bulb daylight angle poise lamp that sits over my work space, along with a standing lamp just behind my seat and a daylight bulb in the regular ceiling light.

Wet Palette or dry?

Merkeysa: Both wet for normal painting and dry for Inks and metallics

Shamikebab: Mostly wet but I do use both

Necropocalypse: Dry Palette. Never tried a Wet Palette, but thats something on my list, when I finally get a painting area sorted out.

ArkMechanicus: Dry for me, I've tried the wet palette, but didn't get on with my painting style I think.

Brambleten: Dry - I mainly paint using thin layers so in a wet palette the paint would go everywhere!

Brushes of choice?

Merkeysa: Winsor and Newton 1 and 0 and Raphael number 3

Shamikebab: WAMP brushes or Rosemary & Co Series 33 are my workhorses. Have a smaller W&N Series 7 for detail work.

Necropocalypse: I have been using GW brushes and Army Painter brushes. I know there are others on the market, and I will definitely look at other options.

ArkMechanicus: Winsor Newton Series 7's and a GW basecoat brush for mixing paint.

Brambleten: Wamp Select Series for me. I haven't used GW's latest offerings or W&N Series 7's to compare them, but they're the best brushes I've used so far.

Airbrush or no Airbrush. If Airbrush, what model?

Merkeysa: Yes I have five - one broken Iwata neo and a broken royal max I think it is called the one I use is a Harder & Steenbeck infinity cr which I got because it was made for people who are good and braking them and not using it right the other two are generic ones that I got for practice.

Shamikebab: Nope, some day when finances and workspace allow it.

Necropocalypse: No Airbrush. I'm of the older generation that paints everything with a brush. If I had a titan then I'd probably airbrush it. Again, its something to look at when I have a more permanent painting area.

ArkMechanicus: No airbrush, I've often considered it but am put off by the amount of time I'd have to spend learning!

Brambleten: Airbrush, but only recently. I've got a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution.

What inspires you to take your painting further and push yourself?

Merkeysa: When I was young about 13 ish I started painting and thought I was good but as I got older I stoped now 16 years later as a dad I found out that if I did not do something like painting then all I would be is a mess cleaning daddy baby sitter so I started painting again at night wile my daughter is in bed to remind myself I was allowed to be more then a dad.
I push myself to be better because thats the type of person I am I always do it and what inspires me the list is endless.

Shamikebab: The world. [/cheesy] I love getting inspired by other media, especially gaming and film. I already did a dota inspired Rackham piece and I do have another one kind of planned.

Necropocalypse: There are a lot of awesome painters on Facebook these days, and some of the work they are doing is unbelievable! I draw inspiration from them. And not just the pro painters either! Even the guys and girls who have been painting for a short time can inspire you with their choice of colours on a model, or a particular colour scheme.

ArkMechanicus: Mostly other people's finished models, but also music, traditional paintings and artwork.

Brambleten: Having a vision in my mind of what I want a miniature to look like and not being able to match it yet. When I get a miniature looking as my mind says it should look, then I'll have pushed myself enough and it'll be time to try something different, with a different technique.

What's the last miniature related crowdfunding project you backed/received?

Merkeysa: Wamp brushes.

Shamikebab: Backed: Infamy Oneshot #3
Received: 28mm SKulls and Bones. Just a little one for some basing stuff. Will do an unboxing at some point.

Necropocalypse: I backed the Dark Souls game. I went for the top pledge as I just had to have everything. I really love the console games, though I keep getting killed. Something about it just makes me want to come back for more! I also backed the Maki Roljordan Chaos Pact Bloodbowl team. Every single model.

ArkMechanicus: I really haven't backed many, it was actually the artbook that Massive Voodoo did a few years back!

Brambleten: The last funded is the Space Foundation Modular Space Base system from Z1 Design as I need more Sci-Fi terrain, while the last one I received was the first part of my Raging Heroes Toughest Girls in the Galaxy pledge.

What do you think you struggle with?

Merkeysa: what dont I struggle with I think you mean. but for a long time has been faces but I feel I am making a turn with that thanks to scale 75

Shamikebab: Sitting down and just painting. My hobby area is also my computer area and I get distracted too easily or just procrastinate.

Necropocalypse: I struggle with a few things. Completing a large project without getting distracted is my biggest issue. That and painting gold and brass. I really struggle to paint these to a finish I like. I think a study in painting gold is in order as I'll need that for the Blood Angels!

ArkMechanicus: Finding time to paint! No but seriously.. I feel like my colour choices are sometimes suspect and i'm in awe of people who can do the very fine brush control for textures on pieces. I also think the mental block of completing large projects is a serious problem.

Brambleten: Aside from choosing which mini in my collection to paint? Probably metals, either getting regular metallics smooth and shaded/toned realistically and Non Metallic Metals getting the blends right, with the right colours in the right places.

Do you have a favourite primer?

Merkeysa: grey vallejo I like it as I can then make the paint lighter or darker myself and not have to fight the primer because its to dark or light.

Shamikebab: GW's new white primer is really good and I still like their black. I also use Halfords Grey primer for some projects.

Necropocalypse: Halfords Red Plastic Primer is by far the best primer I have used. All paint ranges go over it smoothly, and even the inks and shades work straight onto the primer, which makes painting all these red armies a piece of cake!

ArkMechanicus: Army Painter Uniform Grey, I like to prime in a neutral colour.

Brambleten: I've recently started priming using the airbrush, but it's got to be Halfords Grey primer in a can. Good coverage, decent sized tin and easy to pick up when I'm in town if I need more.

Name a company or game you haven't painted a miniature from yet but really want to? (maybe name/link a particular mini?)

Merkeysa: I have not painted anything by Kingdom death and would not mind trying them out.

Shamikebab: Oh gosh, Infinity (despite having owned a few minis for like 3 years, one is even half painted) Warmahordes and Malifaux!

Necropocalypse: Anything Malifaux. It's a game I've not bought into, but the models are amazing. I don't have a particular favourite, but I like the models. The detail is fantastic.

ArkMechanicus: Can I give an entire miniature type? I've never painted a bust and I'd really like to, seeing some amazing pieces online.

Brambleten: Black Sun Miniatures. I want to buy and paint their Barbarian range so much. Only a self-held promise not to buy another large scale mini until I actually paint one of the many I've bought to see if I like the scale or not.

What was the last paint job that made you say "wow!" (name piece and artist with photo/link to piece ideally).

Merkeysa: Mother of Stars (The milk Way) by Francesco Farabi

Shamikebab: It's actually a WIP but it's already looking amazing. Kingdom Death assortment from Matt Cexwish

Necropocalypse: My favourite painter is Axia Fish. The Blood Bowl teams he's painting are really nice and the colour schemes are stunning. Some of his personal work is also top notch too, like the Slaughterpriest he painted recently. I'd definitely commission him to paint a Blood Bowl team. Pick any team he's painted and you'll see that they are consistently brilliant.