New book: How to Paint Miniatures for Wargames

24 August 2022 No re.

A few years back I published a painting book featuring how to paint wargames tanks and edited by AMMO. I had the intention to write a second volume about painting infantry for wargames, but it was postponed because I was very busy doing my PhD. Now, eight years later, the second volume has been finally released again thanks to the support of the AMMO team: How to paint miniatures for Wargames. I was not alone in this project. I had the great opportunity to collaborate with some of the wargames painters I admire the most, including the amazing historical painters…

Camouflages with Chipping Effects fluid (hairspray technique)

4 April 2022 2 Re.

This article was published original on 4th of September of 2012. Updated on 4 of April of 2022. In this post we are going to see how to use a Chipping Effects fluid to create worn camouflages where the original base color is exposed. Basically, after painting the base color of the tank, the idea is to apply a thin layer of chipping fluid and on top of this the camouflage.  After activating the chipping fluid with water, we will be able to remove small pieces of the camouflage paint applied on top. These Chipping Effects fluids replaces what classically is…

How to paint hard edge camouflage with masking putty

1 February 2022 1 Re.

This post was originally published on 12th of February of 2011. And it was updated on 30th of January of 2022 (after reading this I feel very old…). In this article we are going to see how to create a hard edge camouflage (a camo with solid edges rather than blurred) using a very simple tool for masking: removable adhesive putty. The masking will cover part of the tank, so that we can paint the remaining uncovered areas with another color in a very defined way. For example, the camo spots. We can use any mounting putties sold everywhere such…

How to apply decals correctly

21 January 2022 1 Re.

I continue updating old post in my blog. This time we will discuss how to apply decals on our scale models. Originally published on 16th of August of 2010. Updated on 21st of January of 2022. Decals are a very useful, quick and easy option to add the national and tactic symbols to our scale models and tiny miniatures. However, sometimes the result is spoiled for different reasons: inappropriate adaptation of the decal on irregular surfaces, an unrealistic glossy effect, or even worst, the transparent areas of the decal become greyish (this is called icing). In this article will learn how to avoid these…

Filters and Washes

1 September 2021 No re.

  In this article I would like to discuss in detail filters and washes, two painting techniques that although apparently similar fulfill very different objectives. This topic deserves its own article as many people mix up what is what. Indeed, to make it even more complicated, quite often these two techniques are confused with two different types of paint (acrylics and enamels). However, filters and washes (painting techniques) can be applied using either acrylics or enamels (types of paint). First, it is important to clarify that we can use two different types of paints on our scale models: water based…

Color Modulation in 15mm

16 July 2021 4 Re.

We have recently talked about several lighting systems for 15mm scale models (this post). One of these systems or styles is the so-called color modulation that we will discuss in further detail in this article. When painting 15mm tanks we can simply apply the desired color, for example olive green for a Sherman, and then just paint the details. But the results will be likely very flat. Furthermore, the tank will look very dark because small objects, such as our small 1:100 models, reflect less light than bigger size objects, such as the real vehicle. Therefore, it is very important…

Lighting styles in 15mm tanks

8 July 2021 9 Re.

I originally published this post seven years ago (in 2014). Since then, I have painted dozens (even hundreds) of small tanks and learnt from my mistakes. Therefore, I decided to update this article adding a few more pieces of knowledge based on my experience. In this article I would like to talk about some of the most popular lighting systems applied on scale models (or at least, how I understand them), with a special focus on small tanks in 15mm or scale 1:100. I will briefly review and compare a few of them. If you like this topic, do not…

How to paint gladiators in 15mm, and different human skin colors

29 March 2020 3 Re.

Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant! (“Hail, Emperor, those who are about to die salute you”). Today, we are going to focus on how to paint different types of skin using some lovely gladiators in 15mm from Forged in Battle. I will also say a few words about how to paint other parts of these gladiators, so that you will find a complete step-by-step tutorial below. In the following lines I will describe how to paint three different types of skin: dark skin (African people), medium skin (Mediterranean and middle-east people) and light skin (northern people). This is based on my…

How to make foliage camouflage for 15mm tanks

12 January 2020 No re.

Since I published the book Painting Wargames Tanks many people have asked me about how to do the tree branches or foliage I added to some 15mm tanks. Therefore, I  have finally decided to write a tutorial about it. I already shared some hints in the issue of The Weathering Magazine about Kursk, but I will explain everything more in detail here.  During the WWII many tank crews -specially Germans- decided to conceal a little bit better their tanks and other vehicles by adding tree branches and other vegetation. We can easily recreate this in our tiny models to add…

How to paint mid/late WWII Germans (1943) in 15mm

23 June 2019 2 Re.

Since I have been lately busy painting some WWII german miniatures from Khurasan Miniatures, I wanted to share with you this short painting guide where I show how to paint 15mm miniatures, and more specifically, the M43 German uniform (mid-late war). However, if you are looking for a painting guide featuring the early war uniform, you might be interested in this another painting guide I published in Modelbrush a few years ago. Or, if on the other hand you want to know how to paint camouflages in 15mm miniatures, then this another guide is what you are looking for. If…