Speed painting Zulus with Armypainter?

[oldbear1962]

As I get older and lazier in my painting ways my reliance on the Armypainter dip method has become something of a de rigueur requirement. However I sit looking at a huge pile of 28mm Zulus wondering whether there is a suitable brown undercoat available that will allow me to finish them rapidly. Has anybody tried this already? I have the two browns that Armypainter already do but neither look to be dark enough, although I don't have the darkest dip shade that they do, but being as I would only use it for Zulus in all likelihood I don't want to waste the money unless it's a viable proposition.

[aecurtis]

Matakishi describes one method:

http://www.matakishi.com/paintingzulus.htm

TMP is down for maintenance at the moment, but searching there for "Painting Zulus" will give some other recipes.

Allen

[robh]

You can make your own version of "dips" by mixing small amounts of enamel black and/or dark brown matt paint in gloss household varnish. Works just as well and is a fraction of the price. Plus you get to choose the exact shade you want.

Also works with dark grey paint for shading whites (which the Armypainter colours are dreadful for) or any other colour you care to mix.

You have to practice to find the tone you want but a 5 or 6 part varnish to 1 part paint is a good starting point.

[Remington]

I painted some Masaai with the Strong Tone dip and was quite pleased. Sadly I cannot show you any pictures because I also used the AP Matt Varnish, which completely messed up the paintjob. Win some, lose some... 

[Belgian]

Hi, I just undercoat the miniatures black and then paint them scorched brown and the details. They will not win any contest but you can paint them very fast I have now painted 50 of them this way. I can paint them faster than I assemble them!

http://wargameterrain.blogspot.be/2011/07/kapiti-warriors.html

[oldbear1962]

I painted some Masaai with the Strong Tone dip and was quite pleased. Sadly I cannot show you any pictures because I also used the AP Matt Varnish, which completely messed up the paintjob. Win some, lose some... 

Did you use a spray undercoat? I was hoping to find one that would act as the base flesh colour as well as an undercoat.

[Remington]

Yes, I used the GW Black spray but then painted my Masaai a nice dark brown (any will do that is a bit reddish, I used quite a few for variety). After blocking all the colours in I applied the dip with a brush.

[oldbear1962]

Yes, I used the GW Black spray but then painted my Masaai a nice dark brown (any will do that is a bit reddish, I used quite a few for variety). After blocking all the colours in I applied the dip with a brush.

Ah... being the lazy sod that I am I was hoping to find a suitable brown to use as the undercoat spray as well!   

[abu iskander]

Rust oleum Flat Brown is suitable IMO. Dip with Strong tone after.

[abu iskander]

Rust oleum Flat Brown is suitable IMO. Dip with Strong tone after.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=37317.msg436773#msg436773

[oldbear1962]

Rust oleum Flat Brown is suitable IMO. Dip with Strong tone after.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=37317.msg436773#msg436773

That does look good. Locating the flat brown spray in the UK is proving tricky though. The only stuff coming up on Google is 5 litre tins

[TWD]

Plastikote Chocolate Brown Satin is a good match for the old GW Scorched Brown:

http://www.plasti-kote.co.uk/Product/pcode---4181/pccode---6751

I've picked this up in Wilkinsons before.
However it is Satin, so somewhat laboriously I've sprayed with this, then sprayed with Army Painter Matt to get a matt undercoat that will hold washes (otherwise the satin surface doesn't hold the washes, and I would assume dip, well enough).
However I notice Plastikote are claiming a Matt version of chocolate is available so that might be worth picking up.

[jazbo]

There you go, a complete blog post on painting zulus quickly using army painter:

http://colonials.6sided.net/2012/01/11/workbench-warlord-games-plastic-28mm-zulus/

[FifteensAway]

Don't know if you have Krylon brand spray paints in the UK but you probably can find cans of spray paint for camouflage - and, if so, in dead flat.  I use it as a base and then do a heavy wash of some brown, like burnt sienna, from the craft store (tons cheaper, like twenty times per ounce) and then normal painting on top of that.  Works pretty well for me.  Not searching for art work but playable figures.  Now if I could just paint twenty times faster.