FJ, Italy. An attempt with Contrast Paint.

[abu iskander]

Took less than an hour. Thinking I can work with this medium, not that I've got a handle on how it works. It took awhile to understand how to manipulate it to avoid excessive coffee staining.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Interesting paint job - what was your technique?

[Gunner Dunbar]

If that’s the look your after, it works pretty well, quick and easy for the wargamer, I’m not a fan though.

[TacticalPainter]

These remind me of Army Painter dip, in that they give all figures ‘painted’ that way a distinctive style or look. As with AP dip, it achieves what it sets out to do - produce acceptable painted minis fast. The rest is a matter of taste. I’ve yet to see anything so far that’s convinced me it’s something I would choose to use, but then I’m prepared to spend time painting because I enjoy it and I know that’s not the case for everyone.

[Plynkes]

I've heard Contrast Paint mentioned a few times, but I'm afraid I have no idea what it is (due to illness I've been out of the painting loop for a good half a year). What sort of a thing is this? Could anyone give a quick run-through of what contrast paint is or does? In the past I've found there is sometimes something to be said for the new "gimicky" things. Even if you don't use them religiously, there is often some benefit to be had (e.g. some of those Citadel washes that came out a few years ago transformed some of my painting techniques in ways I would never have imagined).

[Gunner Dunbar]

I've heard Contrast Paint mentioned a few times, but I'm afraid I have no idea what it is (due to illness I've been out of the painting loop for a good half a year). What sort of a thing is this? Could anyone give a quick run-through of what contrast paint is or does? In the past I've found there is sometimes something to be said for the new "gimicky" things. Even if you don't use them religiously, there is often some benefit to be had (e.g. some of those Citadel washes that came out a few years ago transformed some of my painting techniques in ways I would never have imagined).

I haven’t used it, but I believe it’s a glaze, the pigment collects in the creases, providing shading and highlighting at the same time.

[Captain Blood]

I've heard Contrast Paint mentioned a few times, but I'm afraid I have no idea what it is (due to illness I've been out of the painting loop for a good half a year). What sort of a thing is this? Could anyone give a quick run-through of what contrast paint is or does? In the past I've found there is sometimes something to be said for the new "gimicky" things. Even if you don't use them religiously, there is often some benefit to be had (e.g. some of those Citadel washes that came out a few years ago transformed some of my painting techniques in ways I would never have imagined).

I asked the same thing 
Basically it’s GW’s latest wheeze. You white (or pale) undercoat a figure and then paint it with ‘contrast paints’ which act like a wash, only more pigmented. The effect is very similar to the good old ‘oil wash’ method which was popular in the 1970s before the ‘three layer’ method became the thing for wargame figures...

More here: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=117811.msg1474902#msg1474902

I agree with what others have already said above. I think it provides a distinctive look, which on the tabletop may look more ‘realistic’ at a distance, than figures block painted in flat colour or employing more sophisticated painting techniques. But it’s an acquired taste. Doesn’t do it for me, although I can see the appeal for people who just want to get painted figures onto the table fast.

But it’s a great deal of (classic GW) marketing ballyhoo and PR puff about something that’s actually been around as a technique in one form or another for donkeys years. Now cunningly repackaged with a magical secret formulation blah blah. And probably at a premium price point... 

[fred]

Certainly at a premium price point. But I suppose you are paying for convenience , yes you can mix up your own with acrylic medium, and flow improver, which if you want large volumes (or already have these things) is the way to go, but if you just want a pot or two, then GWs high prices are not too bad.

The linked demons show how effective they can be, and Hobgoblin has some good examples on this thread. I’m not quite sure why they haven’t worked as well on the FJ figure - I may be the brightness of the colours?

They are certainly a tool for rapid painting of armies, not for giving great looking paint jobs on a few show case figures. From the results I have seen some colours work better than others. I went to get some the other week, but our local GW shop has shut down, and the independent one only has Vallejo paints.

They are getting people painting figures, which is always good, and talking and thinking about different ways of painting, which is also good.

[Plynkes]

Thanks for the info, guys. Might try it, but probably won't. Even when I do try out new things like this, I tend to slot them into my usual painting style rather than replacing it, and I'm not sure it would work with these. I'd be going back and adding extra highlights and such, and it would probably take even longer than I usually do, sort of defeating the object.

[gibby64]

I've found it an easy way to get really good basecoat coverage fast, and with more depth then a standard basecoat. Then I go over it with regular paints for highlights, details, metallics.... I really like them. I think they have a place in the tool kit... they are not the "everything" paints that will make every mini amazing. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, I basecoated him in contrast and added all the detail on top...
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=110074.180

[abu iskander]

I'm not a fan of GW in general, Space Hulk is about it. Very little of GW's product line interests me otherwise. And agree that the pricing and the marketing are both excessive, but you'd think everyone would be used to how they do business by now. They're about the only firm in the tabletop gaming sector that approaches it like a modern business instead of a cottage industry, and apparently they know their customer - none of the vocal backlashes seems to have ever seriously effected the profitability of the firm, but I digress...

This is an interesting type of paint, and I've found it rewarding to experiment with it as a new tool in the toolbox.  I've also got a few projects which I'd like to game, but am not interested in becoming too committed to as far as time and effort are concerned.  28mm ECW, for example, and some odds and ends of WWI and WWII skirmish gaming.  What I'm aiming for is getting a finish that's reasonably close to my usual layer painting method - I mean I even do 3 layers on my 6mm stuff. I've got more interests than I have hours in the day, so I'm either going to enjoy painting impeccable details on the figures that most interest me, or try to find an assembly line method for those that I'm less excited about to create a more-than-good effect on the tabletop.

The idea that you can do "one coat and done" with this paint has not been borne out in my testing, but I look at some of the effects achieved by professional painters with this stuff and some of it is pretty striking, just as compelling as some of the most masterful results I've seen with more sophisticated variations of 3 layer/Dallimore type work.  So like gibby69, I'm curious if there's a way to come at this from a hybrid approach and save time while getting Wargames standard figures (at least my standard) done relatively quickly.

[Shahbahraz]

Has anyone tried this on 6mm?

[arktos]

Overall very good painting.
But the job you did in those leather straps, my God they are amazing like true leather ! 

[gibby64]

Has anyone tried this on 6mm?

I've tried it on 15mm and it worked beautifully (scroll down a bit in this thread:http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=117556.15 ... I think 6mm might be hard due to the fluid nature of the paint... would be hard to keep it from running everywhere on such small details... You could do it rather dry and have more control, but that defeats the purpose of the paint..

[fred]

Has anyone tried this on 6mm?

Not by me, but see here https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=118522.0;topicseen they seem to have worked very well.

There are also some photos on LAF of 6mm Sci Fi done with contrast paints.