Contrast Paint? Make Your Own Custom Washes Instead!

Contrast Paint? Make your own heavy washes for use on minis, using the games workshop contrast paints for Inspiration. I share my thoughts on the contrast paint release. I also talk about the value of experimentation when painting minis.
I gathered up my Dark Eldar test models, primed them white, and went to work! I compared dozens of my own homebrew washes with the shiny new contrast paints, and I had a lot of fun! I found a few great recipes, and I know there are more yet to be discovered. In this video I encourage you all to spend some time just playing with your hobby supplies. Get the feel for them and learn how to modify them. As the artist, YOU control your paints, not the other way around :-)
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Products I Frequently Use!
Paint Vallejo Model Color amzn.to/3nGYKB2
Paint Vallejo Game Color amzn.to/2IIPJJ7
Paint Game Color Extra Opaque amzn.to/3nAKWrG
Washes from Army Painter amzn.to/37ljEiT
Paint Rack (wall mounted) amzn.to/3313da5
Chair (super comfy) amzn.to/2ITqZh5
Lamp amzn.to/3kXjaUI
Airbrush Kit (compressor with tank) amzn.to/364KBb7
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Inks FW (intense colors that airbrush well!) amzn.to/2JaHvJm
White Ink (smooth zenithal highlights) amzn.to/2Hyuwkl
3d printer (Creality) amzn.to/39a0lvn
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3d printer BIG (Anycubic) amzn.to/2UYcKKt
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Brent of Goobertown Hobbies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

[@egodreas]

After almost 30 years in the hobby, I might very well have a bigger selection of paints than anyone else, and it probably didn't cost me much more than 100 bucks. I did use Citadel paints back in the 90's, when I first got into the hobby and didn't know any better, but have long since given them up for cheaper and better alternatives. Just like you, I like mixing my own paints, either from thickening inks, or by thinning down professional soft body acrylics. With all the attention these new Citadel contrast paints have been given, my old frustration with the GW price point have returned. The way they take advantage of hobbyists in general, and beginners in particular, is appalling. I have even been thinking about making a video similar to yours, explaining how easy they are to make. The main point I would wish to get across though is not how easy it is to make contrast paints or washes specifically, but rather how silly it is buying large selections of paint of any kind. In theory, you only need three good primary colors (plus black and white), and you can mix whatever you want from them. When working with real pigments though, it's hard to find ones with perfect mixing properties, so I normally use 6 primaries in practice. But once you've learnt how to mix paint properly, that is truly all you need. No color in the world will require you to mix more than two of those primaries to get the right hue, and then you break it with black and white to find your desired shade, tone or tint. This is how traditional painters have done it for centuries. They find the handful of pigments that best suit their taste, and then mix whatever else they need. And if you ever doubt the validity of this approach, remember that pretty much every single color image you have ever seen in print media (including GW box art, magazines and posters) have all been made using only cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks. Together with the white of the paper it's printed on, those 4 inks can recreate every colour you see. So save yourself a lot of money. Buy a small selection of professional acrylics that are high in pigment, and complement them with some acrylic media and a couple of mixing agents. I would say that the most enjoyable part of any painting session is to sit down and premix the colors you plan on using for your figures. Just store the finished paints and washes in plastic dropper bottles (which you can buy in bulk from Amazon) and they will keep forever. You even get to name them yourself, which is a surprising amount of fun :-)

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Andreas, this is an awesome post! I'm really trying to learn as much as I can about the different pigments. The color wheel is beautiful & fascinating- but apparently flawed? (well, mixing doesn't always go the way we think it should). Also it's so interesting to me that the primaries that printers use are NOT the primaries we get taught about in school! What are your favorite primaries? Do you have 6 go-to favorite artist pigments? I do plan to make a series of videos just on pigments someday, so I'd love to pick your brain if you have any good starting points on learning this stuff. So far I've been consulting this website www.artiscreation.com/ and trying to use my chemistry knowledge to get a handle on things.

[@johns.4862]

What are the professional brands you recommend out of curiosity?

[@toffthegoblin7790]

I've always wondered why model painters dont mix their own colors. although a different medium, when i paint with gouache i only use cyan magenta and yellow with white (i sometimes use tube black, but you can just mix cmy to black as well) to get just about every color possible. CMY are the true primaries for subtractive mediums, so no reason it shouldnt work with acrylics.

[@markbigbadbear]

I can see where mixing your own paints have definite advantages. But isn't it hard to keep your mix consistent? That's something you don't have to worry about with store bought modelling paints.

[@DMNKLR_official]

I'm the type to see it from both perspectives, myself. I "get it", about why and why not to buy individual colors, but the pricing model is what puzzles me. As to the argument about needing only a few select colors, the big issue is that the quantity is still going to be equal, so it's just more convenient to buy it pre-mixed. The catch to that, however, is those price tags. I use everything from Apple Barrel to Citadel (sans a few brands I've yet to acquire, such as Warcolours and Scale75), including inks from Daler-Rowney, Amsterdam and Liquitex. Of course, I, too, come from the artist background, not just a mini painter's background, so like yourself, I see it all from that perspective. It really is amazing how far one can stretch a buck and still maintain quality. The hobby-elitist crowd like to try stifling those who make such claims, but I've compared my own work to that of others, and even using AB gives me more than satisfactory results, every time, and I'm probably one of the most artistically-picky people you'll ever meet. Anal-retentive doesn't even cover it, haha. Anyway, great comment, and I'm very glad that we've a place to have such useful and in-depth discussions w/out quarrel.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

"There's no substitute for experience" 👏👏👏

[@alexr.5389]

you guys are great teachers to help build upon skills.

[@pigstiches]

I love that you comment on other peoples shit.

[@nathanexplosionn]

Shut up Jeremy

[@thundercricket4634]

Goobertown is like.... the Bob Ross of mini war game painting. Also, fun fact: That Liquitex brand of products you've used so often was one of, if not THE first company to take the recent invention of acrylic paints and market them specifically to artists. They've been doing it since at least the 1950s.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

:-) I'm liking these liquitex products, It seems like a good brand to do some serious exploring with.

[@TheNezzzzzz]

same exact thought

[@Bawgle]

@@GoobertownHobbies I use Liquitex Gesso to prime my minis now, since I live in the Chicagoland area and it gets humid in the summer and freezing in the winter, so sprays are out of the question

[@KungKras]

lol, I just wrote the same comment before scolling down and seeing this one. Agree 100%

[@animalyze7120]

Yep and they are easily found in most craft sotres like Micheal's and Hobby Lobby. Liquitex is an old go to and has been reliable and steady over the years where others come and go Liqutex remains loyal and accessible.

[@homertipton2102]

"Goobertown Hobbies just isn't the place for rants." I love that. That's why I keep watching your videos. :)

[@FoEDekker]

I tried this last night, being able to mix any color I want in 15 seconds was amazing. 9 drops medium, 12 drops ink, 2 drops flow, and 2 drops water. Worked perfectly.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Cool! Thanks for sharing an exact ratio, I'm glad that you found something that works well for you! :-)

[@flaviuscosta]

Hello, i succeeded to make my contrast using your ratio and scale 75 inks. Thanks! Failed to achieve a good result using vallejo or warcolours using this ratio... any thoughts? Do you know if it's possible to use a paint other than inks? For example, citadel bases or layers? Thank you!

[@FoEDekker]

@@flaviuscosta My take from it was that inks are a colored chemical, where paints are solids suspending in a solution. I think that is why they work better. I've been hunting around, and Hobby Lobby has the largest selection of inks by far. Most other stores sell 8-10 colors. HL sells at least 30 colors including most primary colors.

[@jamesclinton8544]

I'll try this out this weekend...thanks

[@drjohnsmythe2968]

I find this formula works for very light shades but the darker colours must use a LOT more ink to achieve their colours.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Goobertown Hobbies isn't the place for rants, but Midwinter Minis is, haha. Awesome video matey, I knew you'd nail the Contrast blend, you chemical genius.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Your video wasn't ranty! It was methodical and very well explained :-)

[@MrJouke1988]

I agree on the price part. I do want to try the paints out but, watching how easy making them myself, is really an eye opener.

[@KelRiever]

Perfect! Because sometimes you gotta get your rant on! (fyi this is a great site too for painters!)

[@lonegoat81]

I loved Penny's (sp?) sound logic on the absurd pricing in the guess the color and model by name vid. lol

[@toversnoleu8769]

So good to see all my fav hobby channels all in one comment section =D

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

Came to hear the voice of an angel, stayed for the content!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

You're always welcome in Goobertown, Emil! :-)

[@gosuckyourmomsballs]

Omg ! Yes!!! This comment exactly his voice is angelic

[@toversnoleu8769]

Haha so true, master painter from sweden. We go to your videos for your good looks, then we stay for the content!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Happy Goobertown Tuesday! Have a great day everyone :-)

[@darkrexi]

Have a great day too!

[@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284]

I'm really grateful for this video. I want to get into hobby painting, but the prices have me floored. I'm actually here while searching for alternatives to just plopping down a ton of cash to get launched. This was encouraging.

[@patrickfurtado4261]

Thanks for making this video. I was just thinking about making my own wash the other day.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

@@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284 A medium amount of cash helps, but you're right to do a bit of research before you jump in! This hobby is great, do it!!!!! :-)

[@GoobertownHobbies]

@@patrickfurtado4261 Do it!!! :-)

[@rchallguy]

Another great video, Brent. Your content has a certain 'Bob Ross' quality that is quite pleasant.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thank you- that is truly the highest compliment :-)

[@megmaplesart]

I totally agree! I was gonna say the same.

[@fhammer07]

exactly what i got too, haha. Invoking the Ross, man! :)

[@forrestegan]

I think this is the third time I’ve watched this video since getting involved in miniature painting several months ago. Watching it today, I think I understand the issue I recently had with an Army Painter Speed Paint, I’m not applying it thick enough for the desired effect. For the record, I have been using mostly Craftsmart paint on my miniatures and gotten some pretty solid results, it can definitely be done if you thin your paints. Thanks for the video!

[@timbuktu8069]

Oh I LIKE this. It looks like my afternoon is booked.

[@TheLolilolilili]

Hey Brent, your videos, painting philosophy and general outlook are everything that is great about the hobby!

[@theandf]

Some years later, I finally bought a bunch of liquitex inks and some medium, and I'm ready to try these techniques. They look fun!

[@mooregaminglounge5170]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to share your experimentation and thoughts

[@joshuaevensen7647]

Lord in heaven. So glad I found this, was about to go spend a small fortune on the contrast paints tomorrow, but I'm way more interested in tinkering. Great video! Thanks man!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hahaha, Have fun tinkering Joshua! :-)

[@raidenparren8985]

I'm go glad I found this video! I'm still quite new to the hobby and expensive paints is one of the reasons I haven't gotten into it as much as I'd like. Knowing there are other options and I CAN experiment with paints really reawakened my excitement!

[@benitoferroviere5995]

I just had a pretty bad day at work and came back to this video to check up on the receipt. And I have to say, you really calmed me down. Your videos are genuinely nice and easing. A quality thats underrated I guess. So thanks for making this. You substantially improved my mood today.

[@Hcaz1113]

You're like the offspring of Bob Ross and Mr Rodgers of the miniature world. Seriously thank you for sharing this and thank you for sharing the way you do.

[@jesspatton972]

Your videos are fantastic! I'm impressed by your mindset regarding experimenting and not being afraid to fail. That's a rare trait and appreciate you helping perfectionists, like myself, not to see a screwup as a reflection of who we are as people.

[@aaronchiusano8732]

Thank you for creating this video and sharing your contrast experience.

[@dan_zehner]

I enjoyed this video a lot! I'm looking at ways to get my six year old son (almost 7!) into miniature painting, and found that contrast paints looked like a really good way. Seeing that we can experiment with making our own paint is really cool! Thanks for showing us how to do this!

[@charliecompanywargaming1715]

Thanks Brent! I’ve always struggled with DIY washes (30+ years ). You’ve broken them down into there component ingredients and made the DIY ink process simple and easy to understand. Thanks buddy.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

You're welcome! I'm just beginning to understand this myself, but I think this little experiment is a good starting point :-)

[@L3GHO5T]

Thanks Brent I appreciate what your doing! Keep up the wonderful work!

[@amata415]

Thank man! I took your advice and mixed my own washes. Created the depth I need for my space marines.

[@kcaudle52]

I have painted 40+ models to completion using contrast paints this year so far. They are expensive but, for me, my gray wall of shame has really started to shrink. I do have these inks and plan to use your recipe to make some homemade contrast paints.

[@igelkott255]

Thank you for doing this video. I found out about Les's wash recipe a few years ago and I have a handful of FW inks. I really like learning how paints work and now I have another tool in my toolbox. One thing I like to experiment with is mix just a few drops of the inks to see what color I get and then dabbing some on a model to see if it looks like what I want. I can then easily wash it off with water.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

You're welcome! A day of experimentation is totally worth it to put another tool in the toolbox :-) I have a feeling that we'll find a lot more great uses for those inks!

[@danielangevine1346]

whoa! those colors really pop! thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience

[@ruddyadam]

"I'm also someone who spends most of my time in a good mood". That totally shows! Thanks for the DIY tips, and for your ever-present focus on relaxing and having fun with creating and exploring. :) It is easy to make that a stressful experience.

[@goodjessehobbies]

I cannot commend you enough for this video. You did and said so many proactive and positive things, this is exactly the kind of spirit I aspire to take into all of my projects and folks like you set a shining example to communities, especially competitive communities. If you are the type of hobbyist who like to get behind the scenes, under the layers, make/mix your own materials, this approach is for you. If you are the type of hobbyist who enjoys more using the fastest/tightest products/tools, that is perfectly fine too. The Miniac also made an excellent alt-video to the overwhelmingly positive response of contrast paints in which he actually had a friend who was brand new to the hobby paint with them in addition to himself who had been painting for years, then compared the two perspectives.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked this approach. Like I said in the video, I wanted to do a video on this technique ever since I bought those inks back in january, and it was just coincidence that GW claimed to invent the technique in the meantime :-) I saw Scott's video and thought it was REALLY well done. GW did their best to encourage good reviews for this release, flying people to warhammer world in the UK, giving reviewers free cases of paint, etc. I was really glad to see Scott take that free paint and then give a completely honest review!

[@Arjadia]

Hi Goobertown, i just wanted to say i stumbled across your channel randomly on this video and was expecting there to be a bunch of negativity like the rest of the internet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your positivity and open and honest discussion. Even though you have a problem with the gw paints, (my exact same problem) you very respectfully stated it and didnt fly off the handle. I want to commend you for your bravery and role modelling in this video. I have now set myself the task of going back through and watching all your vids and i think im not gonna be disappointed. You seem to have a similar attitude to the hobby as i do and am stoked to see an experimental hobbyist who thinks outside the box and brings positivity and reason to this community in a much needed dose. I may have a new favourite youtube channel. Haha

[@GoobertownHobbies]

This really makes my day- thank you!!! Yeah I figured the rant niche of the internet is pretty full, and building a positive community is way more worthwhile :-) I'm glad that you like this experimental stuff! There's a lot of wayyy better painters out there than me, but I'm learning, and I think that documenting the learning process can be really interesting. Anyway, nice to meet you! I'm really glad that you found your way here! :-)

[@bluelover929]

love your videos, im rusty from not having painted in over a year ( someone in the hobby that I knew gave me ptsd. SA and more...) but I'm ready to take my hobby back, thank you for being a big inspiration for me and many others

[@dm7206]

As someone who is new and getting into painting minis for the first time, I appreciate the knowledge that you've shared! citadel paints are expensive and I love looking for budget solutions so i can spend more money on terrain or more minis lol. Thank you for sharing!!

[@jaretmoskal5558]

Your cat channel has way too much hobby content. There isn’t enough cat videos on the internet

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Yeah... that lazy orange one didn't even show up in this video! I'm gonna have to have a little chat with that fat cat.

[@toversnoleu8769]

What are you talking about? don't you know the cat is the one doing all the camera work and editing! ;D

[@CoolTrainerJulio]

I was going to pick up some contrast paints to try out this weekend. What timing on this video! Love your point of view and thank you for making this. New subscriber here!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Welcome aboard Julio! I'm glad you found your way here :-)

[@adamfox1669]

Another great video! I remember painting a bunch of ww2 Russian infantry using washes over white years ago! The whole vibe of your channel is excellent! Keep up the great job & please be safe during these crazy times

[@benhillman1673]

You're legit the Bob Ross of mini painting and I love your channel so much for that

[@seagullseb7040]

This is my first video of yours. You are the modeller’s Bob Ross. Subscribed for more laid-back good vibes 😊

[@fhammer07]

ditto!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hey I'm so glad that you found the channel! Welcome aboard friend :-)

[@michimatsch5862]

I like how this is laced out like a scientific essay. Intro:say what you are gonna talk about Main part: make your point Conclusion: summarize your point into something that is easy to remember

[@manuelmangual4587]

Thank you so much. I just recently started this hobby. I’ve been on the fence about miniature painting for quite some time but your message really inspired me to keep trying and focus more on honing my paint skills rather than cranking out a finished but rushed model.

[@zwergentyp3]

"I`m not done experimenting and I´m not done learning. I`ve only just begun" is a wonderful finish. It`s a cool slogan for your channel and the hobby in general

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hoho! I'm glad you liked that bit, I was super happy when that one popped into my head. A good line to close on :-)

[@dustinbainbridge1872]

I make my own washes for terrain. Pre-mixed washes from almost any company are just too expensive for it. I use the Liquitex Carbon Black and Burnt Umber inks (for black and brown washes) along with a 50/50 ish mix of liquitex matt medium and water. Then a bit of fabric effects for the flow. Black Magic Craft's youtube channel gave me the encouragement to mix it myself. Took some trial and error to get the mix how I like it.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

That's what I like to hear!! That sounds like a good mix to me. I love the way Jeremy approaches the hobby. On the GW channel for one of their terrain boards, Duncan said with a straight face "you'll need 3 or 4 pots of nuln oil for this" :-)

[@womblissimo6666]

@@GoobertownHobbies WTF?? .. lol some people .. I love the fact that a lot of channels - yours and BMC included, are demystifying what goes into creating your own paints and washes etc .. And Terrain Tutor, Vince Venturella, Marco Frisoni, and Sorastro are providing a bunch of free information to help everyone make better decisions re their hobbying. Thank you, sir .. although I've long thought about making my own paints .. you've given me the impetus to start some of my own experiments with acrylics .. and Macro has me wanting to start throwing oils over the acrylics.. Although I think he crashed the Kimera website - as ever since he did a tutorial about making all your own colors from their pure pigment range - they've been out of stock - lol. Awesome stuff.

[@TheKiltyONeal]

GW: "Can we just drone strike this guy?!"

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Lol whoops I've made a huge mistake! :-)

[@sheridanfalkenberry5611]

"No! That would prove him right!"

[@gordonyork6638]

@@GoobertownHobbies Yeah, GW thugs are coming for you. Hide your copyrights.

[@MrBeef-sh3lc]

"He can't do that! Shoot him, or something!"

[@maxwest6595]

They'll have to get past the cats.

[@mcwarrington]

"This hobby is amazing, and I want more people to discover it." Great video. I like your posi attitude and sense of painting adventure. Tabletop wargaming and modeling is a hobby for life. Thanks for sharing.

[@arkadiuszkrzos666]

I love your approach to the subject and overall positive attitude that you are maintaining. Keep it up and thank you.

[@bgnorm2]

I think the recent price hikes are difficult to justify. The price of contrast is crazy high especially after watching this video. I'll be doing my own experimenting soon with paints. Just to learn more in general. Great video, thanks!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Oh hi Ben! Yeah... I'll pay high prices for sisters of battle, they planted those seeds long ago, but wow is that contrast paint expensive. Have fun with your experiments! :-)

[@shrekmcnuggets3213]

Fantastic video! it was very helpful

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Glad to hear it!! :-)

[@andrewmoulton8019]

Really appreciate your thoughtful insight. Just getting into the hobby, I find myself leaning heavily into your channel. Thank you.

[@spencerwhitney5265]

Man, you have got to be one of the most thought-provoking and freeing hobbyists making content on youtube. Your style reminds me a little bit of Bob Ross. I've been in a bit of a painting rut. I've been focused on results and it's honestly been stressing me out, but you've reminded me to breathe and enjoy myself again. Thank you.

[@lucianasser]

Didn't know the channel but I'm already in love! Awesome video! You've got yourself a brand new subscriber! 😊 By the way, you've got such a cute cat! ❤

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Oh hey Luli! Welcome aboard, I'm glad that you found your way here :-) Yeah snuffles is pretty cute. Gordon the orange one wanders into some videos too!!!

[@cyagen9782]

I find that the more heavily pigmented Contrast paints are really something special, they do a great one coat job. If they are leading to less grey plastic, then they are working. Totally with you on the pricing, but GW is always overpriced. Looking forward to the competition offering cheaper alternative. Looking at you Army Painter....

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I really do like that ork flesh that I picked up, I'm definitely going to find some excuses to use that now that I have it! There's just no way I can justify buying to whole range to find a handful that I really like though :-) Yeah I've got a good feeling about an army painter release also!

[@TheMiniJunkie]

Vallejo has been pretty consistently mirroring GW paints, so hopefully they will do that with these!

[@Th0rnable]

@@GoobertownHobbies If you want a good review for the whole range check this one out kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpq1hGeqor2YZq8

[@alcovitch]

I hope that the other brands don't go crazy and mimic this style of painting. It's just going to lead to a sea of awful, splotchy, coffee stained armies as far as the eye can see.

[@Th0rnable]

@@alcovitch Still better than Hordes of Grey Minis i'd say ^^ i am pretty new to painting minis myself and seeing all the pro painter videos around intimidated me a little ... and with the contrast paints i got a decent looking army in a relatively short amount of time .. still goona go and experimet with the "classical technique" sooner or later

[@geoffhudson7385]

I think over the past two years ive watched this video 10 times love all your videos . Always lots of good info like to watch them as my day winding down.

[@AJDeLaRosa]

I love how chill and informative these videos are. You're the Bob Ross of the hobby. 🎨 😊

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hehehe Thanks! WAIT- There's a palette emoji? I gotta learn how to use those!!! :-)

[@LeeAllanSpades]

I actually began painting miniatures with 50 cent wal-mart craft paint. At that time I wasn't sure if mini-painting was going to be a hobby I would get into, so I didn't want to drop a ton of cash on good paints and then regret the purchase if I didn't like doing it. Let's just say that I ended up really loving the craft and did upgrade to nice paints, but the craft paint was serviceable. It has a wide range of colors, including some AWESOME colored metallics, and do a decent job at painting. They are INSANELY difficult to thin, however, because their pigmentation is a little on the lower end of the quality scale. So while it isn't the ideal way to paint minis, it is a good way to do it on a budget.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Nothing at all wrong with making the best of what you have! I do want to try thinning down those craft paints and either using them as washes or try shooting them through my airbrush. Sure, they're not ideal, but you can get so many colors for so cheap, and it's a fun challenge! :-)

[@codykrueger796]

There is an upside of the high priced contrast paints - it encourages me to look up videos like this and become really educated about my new craft and hobby. My mom has been an artist for years so it is great to have a way to connect but in my own area of interest. Thanks a bunch for the in depth info on paints and how they work so I can mix my own. I just was at the art store last week picking up clay for her and had to take a look around the ink section and wondered if I should get matte or gloss medium, now I know a lot more than that, thanks!

[@timothykoch5463]

I'm so happy I discovered this channel. It's super helpful for a beginner like me. Thanks for the helpful content!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Oh hey Timothy! I'm glad that you found your way here and that you're liking the channel! I'm hoping to get my first tutorial aimed squarely at beginners posted tomorrow :-)

[@alvaromoreno8673]

thank you so much for the point of view you're showing here. Maybe experimentation and experience are the most important things in this kind of things. really appreciate!!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Absolutely! I'm glad this was useful and got you to think a little bit :-)

[@ForrTheXP]

I swear my fellow Brent, you are the Bob Ross of mini painting

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Lol thanks Brent!

[@ForrTheXP]

@@GoobertownHobbies I am so sorry in advance that I am probably gonna do this every time xD

[@stephenlopez4172]

They're also bumping the price of their minis. Again. Thanks for the video! Good to see there's an easy custom solution to contrast paints!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thanks for wathching! And yeah... I remember when 20 cadians were 20 dollars...

[@TheMiniJunkie]

Stephen Lopez it’s not a great look for GW to raise prices while they are delivering fantastic profits and financial results. Jeez give the customers are break on the price increases for a year or two!

[@adamholt5395]

Thank you for the video! It was very insightful. That's a really clever idea for your spray stick. That's really cool.

[@herrunterberg665]

best video about the hobby so far this year.thank you.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Whoa thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you liked it :-)

[@potcookies96]

I think the price of contrast paints and the recent price hike on older models will all add up to discouraging new players.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Yeah... I've got a bunch of smaller/ medium sized model companies that I'm going to try to feature in future episodes. There are lots of other entry points into the hobby of mini painting!

[@Coproquim]

Yup, tbh tho, I think the price hikes are specifically designed to put pps off buying the old style marines and switch to Primaris instead, but all it's gonna do is put older players like me off for good

[@potcookies96]

@@Coproquim I would agree with you on the primaris thing if it didn't affect every army in 40K right now. Every faction had something go up in price

[@masterabaddon6992]

Their paint is too expensive, they just raised the prices of older models, and a lot of the Forgeworld models just saw another price increase which is the second one in less than a year. Games Workshop is not concerned with the entry level of the hobby just how much money they can make in the moment.

[@potcookies96]

@@masterabaddon6992 I'm still okay with the price of regular pots of citadel it is what it is but the price hike on 40K models will keep me playing Warhammer underworlds and kill team, and even then I've been looking at alternative models.

[@SnoddiesHobbies]

Great video! Thought you where going to take a shot in that opening segment.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thanks Dave! Haha, nahhh, I'm gonna try to keep Goobertown from being a straight outrage-machine :-)

[@thomashernandez9331]

Luv your video. I use different primers, White, light gray, medium gray, light tan and medium tan. You gave me a great idea, I have a box full of shields that I will never use with some basic textures molded on them. I plan on building me a board, base coating shields in each of the base coats, mount them and apply all my washes, inks and contrasts and home made washes and contrasts. I know citadel posted a picture of bases using their primers and contrast paint but when you repurposed your old models you inspired me so I am in the process of making mine. Again thanks for the great video's..

[@GoobertownHobbies]

There you go! Shields would be perfect for running tests like this! That's a nice little Sunday right there :-)

[@LordOOTFD]

Thanks for this video, I first watched it when it originally came out and you sent me down the rabbit hole of paint chemistry. It's been very handy knowing how to tune the properties of my paints!

[@matthiasjagdm3949]

Could you do a video on dirt/grime washes? Also mud stains/splatters/lumps, oil stains, burns and rust?

[@GoobertownHobbies]

That's a very good idea, I'll add it to the list. I've got some ork stuff on the horizon, that might be a good excuse.... :-)

[@thornback82]

I would also love to see a rust experiment.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

@@thornback82 Cool, it's been added to my list! :-)

[@benhayden9198]

Yes please

[@chicodanks5241]

I tried out the contrast paints and while not for me (I much prefer a dark a gritty paintjob over a black undercoat) they do what they are meant too do, but I agree their pricing is just insane.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Absolutely!

[@johnnieoperator]

I think it's great you show people they can work things out for themselves.

[@wearytraveler3524]

Your honesty is very refreshing and much appreciated!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hehe, I try!

[@BoonKiatTan]

I did a similar experiment for Contrast paint and arrived at the same conclusion, they are a thicker wash. Similar to their Shades , you can make your own, you just need to adjust the ratios of your Acrylic Ink : Matt Medium : FlowAid add in some PaintExtender / Retarder. I believe some of the Contrast paint have little to no FlowAid as they seems to just stick to the mini when i painted them( Ultramarine blue / Dark Angels green/ FleshTearer Red )

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Cool! Yeah that stickiness of contrast paint when you lift the brush off of the model is really interesting, I couldn't figure out if it was something IN the paint or something NOT in the paint. I'm going to keep working on my recipe- thanks for the insight!

[@danny3tricks377]

Great video dude! My only question is that the focus seemed to be on ink based versions of the wash. I was really keen to see the thinned paint versions against the other two to see how they held up. Did I miss this?!

[@kyubimage9526]

I was wondering how to mix paints from pigment for about a week now. This video is a superb first step and came out at a pretty convenient time. Your videos are wonderful. The effort you put into them always shines through.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thanks Scott! Yeah this is something that I had wanted to learn about, and it's a decent place to get started in figuring this all out- I'm glad it's useful :-) Sometime soon I need to just add those pigment powders to medium and see what happens. I bet with a bit of sonication we can get that to work!

[@jamesclinton8544]

This is the first vid I've watched on this channel...going to be checking out more. Thanks

[@CaveMonster]

I seriously think you need to do some mini painting videos in a style ala bob ross. You're videos are all zen like, man XD

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hehehe, maybe I'll give that a shot as a bit of a joke. I'm glad you're liking the videos, hopefully folks like zen mini painting :-)

[@darthrex354]

I actually went out and bought a couple of the Liquitex inks after seeing your video, and will be testing them against some comparable GW contrast paints and washes. I've always painted using washes to tint metallic paints, so I'm curious to see how they all look over Leadbelcher and Mithril Silver.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

That will be awesome. I love putting washes over metallics! I'm still really happy with those ink purchases, I'm getting a lot of really good use out of them :-)

[@LordMagiru]

Don't limit yourself to leadbelcher and silver. Warm tones can look great over gold and similar colors as well.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

@@LordMagiru I'll give that a try, thanks for the tip! :-)

[@Coproquim]

I don't even bother with GW sprays, the Poundland gold and silver are nearly as good, and you can buy 14 cans for the price of one

[@Coproquim]

And I assume there are dollar store equivalents in the USA

[@acmaurer50]

A great video. Good info, well organized and presented. Thanks!

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Thanks Al, I'm glad that you liked it! :-)

[@gabrielebiffi9018]

Great video! Goes immediately into my favorites!

[@Coproquim]

Honestly, some of the darker colours are fantastic, (flesh tearer for example) by most of the lighter ones are beyond rubbish, especially for the cost per pot. I'd give the range 7/10 at best

[@GoobertownHobbies]

I totally agree with this. Of the six pots I bought, that ork flesh green is amazing, the guilliman flesh brown is pretty bad, the rest are decent but not worth the money (to me at least).

[@TheOnlyEstebenloco]

I figure you can probably just add flow improver to regular paints and get to the same thing as contrast if you don't want to start all the way from scratch. Also, preach about the GW prices being too high. I am a huge voice in all my hobby/friend groups of NOT buying citadel paints, because they are always overpriced to a ridiculous degree. Not only that, but often times there are better alternatives out there. People just need to not be afraid to experiment with other paint lines and techniques and find out for themselves.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Absolutely! I'm just in love with those inks, so I gravitated towards doing most of my experiments with them. Plus that bottle of medium had been sitting around for a while without getting much use, so I felt like playing with it. With craft paints even adding water and a little bit of colorless dish soap made something that wasn't terrible.

[@TheOnlyEstebenloco]

@@GoobertownHobbies I hear you buddy. I have a ton of products lying around from my days as a canvas painter, and I've recently begun trying to find ways to incorporate them into mini painting. The other day I found out you can make brush on primer out of acrylic gesso, which is fantastic news considering I have a ton of the stuff. I love how much freedom to create and experiment there is in this hobby. Glad to see you feel the same way.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

@@TheOnlyEstebenloco That's a good tip! Gesso is something that I don't have yet, but I'll give it a try someday. Experience with canvas painting must be super useful, I'm actually thinking of taking a few classes or something to broaden out my skills...

[@TheSpazztech]

Not only are the GW paints over priced ,but the pots are intentionally designed to waste paint and make the pot dry out as quickly as possible. So you will buy more pots to compensate for the pot drying out and all the wasted paint the smears all over the rim every time you use it. I am currently doing my best to use the last of my GW pots so i dont have to deal with them anymore.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

@@TheSpazztech They've gone through like 4 terrible pot designs in the last 20 years. Coincidence? :-)

[@hatefuldisplay]

Just happened to find this video after getting back into painting. I do adore the contrast paints and use them a lot. After catching your video, I decided to pick up some Liquitex to try making my own. Happy new year!

[@jacks7239]

This video was incredibly helpful. Using your base ratio, and then playing with various cheap primers (the experimentation you talked about) , I found a very cost and time effective way to get my Salamanders finally painted. Thank you

[@TheSpazztech]

The half dozen contrast paint i picked up varied in results. The darker colors seemed okay , but the lighter colors seemed to just be a water down wash. I tried using different base colors and varnished with satin gloss and matt and they just didn't deliver what i have seen from GW promos. At this price point these paints are just disappointing.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Totally. In the 6 that I bought, I really like one (green), one is pretty bad (guilliman flesh), and the rest are OK but nowhere near $8

[@alcovitch]

@@GoobertownHobbies Man everywhere i go on youtube people are saying Guilliman Flesh is amazing. It looks awful as a one coat skin tone frankly.

[@harrisonsaynor8568]

You should make your own version of contrast paint and sell them for half the price of gw Call them Goobertrast Paints

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hehehe, I smell a lawsuit!! :-)

[@harrisonsaynor8568]

@@GoobertownHobbies imagine how much money gw make on this paint from something that's so easy to cook up yourself when you know the recipe

[@Mephiston]

At the very least poke Secret Weapon and see if they're willing to tweak their wash recipes

[@1crlski]

@@GoobertownHobbies Only if you use "contrast" in the title, just call them heavy washes and you're good to go

[@benmiles00]

It's good watching this video again. Every time I find myself tempted to buy a Citadel shade or contrast paint, I rewatch these videos and remember why I haven't bought them. I can make my own.

[@Ulthuan38]

I love your videos, your channel kept me a good company during the lockdown.

[@ravingmad8]

I bought some GW Contrast paints and I was also a bit shocked at the price. Then I thought that the traditional GW method of painting is a base, shade, highlight, and finally an edge highlight. So one bottle of Contrast is suppose to replace 4 bottles of paint for the traditional GW method. One bottle of Contrast costs $7.80 whereas to buy 4 bottles of GW paint costs $21.45. So if you look at it from that perspective, you are saving money. I can see there use and how they really help speed the painting process along. Especially if you were getting ready for a tournament and had a limited amount of time. For speed painting, I still prefer the block paint the colors and dip the whole miniature. You can make a whole bunch of dip with some artist ink, Future Floor Polish, and a little flow aid.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Hehe, that's a good rationalization! I have rationalizations for most of my GW purchases, but I haven't internalized a good one for contrast paints yet :-) I love that floor polish trick too!! I use Pledge Floor Care :-)

[@Jake0997]

​@@GoobertownHobbies considering you go through a bottle of contrast 4x as fast because you can't use thin coats.

[@ozisnice]

I am not going to try Gw contrast paints. The cost is too high and I own so much much paint and washes already, plus the price is just too high.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

3 very solid reasons :-)

[@egodreas]

Don't forget that they are also very expensive.

[@Splatterpunk_OldNewYork]

And too high.

[@grantfoster8833]

@@egodreas They cost alot of money as well.

[@dziwic]

Following I mean as a compliment: Did some party uppers tonight and later on started watching your videos - there's nothing that brings me down so gently and easy, sending up to hard day's sleep. Thank you so much for that. Also, I'm new to the hobby and find your content very helpful and needed. Keep up good work :)

[@AKRenlor]

I have had great success with contrast paints on my models that I needed to get done quickly for a tournament. I have loved GtH and the information that I have learned. I look forward to gaining more experience with hobbying and being able to be in a position where I'm not trying to rush to get something done for my next game. I enjoy the craft/art side of the hobby. Thank you for having a platform free and educational channel that supports the hobby.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Oh hey Jared! I'm glad you're liking this style of painting and liking the channel. I really enjoy doing these experiments, but I understand that it's a bit of luxury to be able to find a free afternoon to play around like this :-) As I find the the time to do these experiments I'll definitely share the results! BTW, this is the first time I've seen the "GtH" abbreviation- I really like it! :-)

[@alcovitch]

I got into painting models when I was very young. 12 or so. I dropped out for many years because I couldn't afford the ridiculous prices for models from GW. At the time, they were the main source for this hobby for me. Fast forward till now. I have much more disposable income and got back into the hobby. I still avoid buying GW models because they are even more outrageously priced than before. I tend to paint a lot of board game miniature heavy games to supply myself with models without breaking the bank. GW's doubling or tripling of their prices, along with refusing to provide sales of any kind (go in a GW during the holidays and see if anything is on sale..) is a really big deterrent into the hobby for new people. GW makes amazing models but are horrible at everything else business wise.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

Yeah... The recent price hike of 10 cadians for 35 dollars reminds me of when 20 of the same sculpt cost $20... And yet I'm going to buy some sisters of battle because they planted some awesome IP seeds 20 years ago :-)

[@Sergent_Mantuok]

Thanks a lot for tips, I'm starting painting minis since 2 weeks and your videos help a lot ! I've suscribed to your channel, pressed the like button and clicked the bell. Cheers from France !

[@peakdistrictseo1928]

Love you, attitude man! "so we'll leave it there" Love it!! Great video, thanks for sharing the techniques.

[@comptonzero2314]

I'm very lucky. I recently gotten into miniature painting. And due to the current situation going on in the world I was able to get over 100 citadel paints including washes contrast paints tech dry glaze and others for less than 3 dollars a pot. Also got a army painter set for 10 bucks. My local shop was liquidating his paints and minis due to having to move his shop and didn't want them to go to waste. I got a great start up to my new hobby for very affordable prices. And it was my birthday recently so some were also presents from friends and gf. I must say I really enjoy the new community I've stepped into and finding these very talented people and learning along the way. I must say I have a new addiction and I love it. I love learning more and more about this hobby

[@sophovot5079]

I love watching your videos to relax, and I'm even learning something!

[@danielmaine1]

I just stumbled across this video as I was about to stock up on paints. Very inspirational so now my funds are going to go on some mixing agents and acrylics and give this a go! Thanks for the content, really enjoy these cathartic videos.

[@dancoles2235]

I appreciated you explaining the basics of the core chemistry components.

[@eaglessguest]

Amazing video, really useful and with a good way to see this hobby. Thanks a lot, tomorrow I'm going to start to paint again!

[@mrRHZ]

Great videos as always! Keep em coming!

[@pabazario]

I found this video surprising relaxing. Thanks for the ride chief, you have my sub.

[@ruffnarbobnar5960]

Just subbed. I havnt really started the hobby yet. I plan on walking into it over the winter with my boys. You gave some good food for thought. I like the idea of trying to mix my own instead of buying. I'll still buy a few starter type sets for us but you have given some good ideas. Thanks and keep up the content

[@Abhothra]

Hi Brent, just popped in to say THANK YOU!!!!! for this video. Just came back to 40K after a hiatus between late 7th and now 9th and had something of a shock whilst out looking for paint seeing how GW has split their range into Air, Base,Contrast, Layer and Technical from the top of my head. Then you come along and show how to make paints and such which best of all turns my colours out actually like how I want them to and best of all, I don't have to go out for a new jar every box or so. (Which perhaps might be a unintended side effect but you're helping me reduce waste and for me that's a big bonus) Once again thank you and keep up the awesome!