Painting With the Pro: How to Paint a Power Sword

Award-winning pro painter Sam Lenz shows us how he brush blends his amazing power swords so you can give your HQ unit a sword to make your opponent's HQ cry in shame.
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[@monsterfrequency2549]

I really like the way this guy calmly explains steps he's taking and what he's going to do next. Brush licks to brush lick god.

[@tabletopminions]

+MonsterFrequency Sam is a good teacher. Thanks for watching!

[@klobbson]

I've been using this video as an aid for power swords for the last 2 year. At first, I thought the brush licking was a bit weird. But yesterday I tried licking my brushes when I was painting to see what all the fuss was about. I don't think I'll ever be able to stop now. It is probably _the most_ efficient way to get a sharp point on your brushes in my new enlightened opinion.

[@SparseS17]

Well we dont just do it for no reason haha

[@JasonRoe71]

Really inspiring to watch someone with Sam's skills pick up the same tools I use and make something amazing.

[@tabletopminions]

+Friar Tuckk The thing that's really crazy is that he's so fast, too. It's nuts to watch him work. Thanks for watching!

[@adamkimberley2575]

I found this really helpful. Especially Sam's discussion of the little rip he had in the base coat. It's so much more useful to hear a pro talking about what to do when making a mistake than just seeing them perform everything perfectly. Thanks Sam and Atom!

[@ParallelTwinWings]

who needs to smoke weed when you can lick paint.

[@CharleswoodSpudzyofficial]

It helps to stay chill

[@xr8dmoose135]

Can always do both, I find Vallejo and Silver Haze go smashingly together

[@steffensimon2949]

I had to stop watching as the perma licking was pissing me off real bad after a while

[@Eurodance_Groove]

One thing is sure... That with all that salive slime on the models your friends will grant you a victory by "table"... Without even play the match !!! lol lol lol And the common painters at the local gaming store or club will not steal your minis due to stomachache in touching them all slimed around !!! lol lol lol

[@31000stuart]

Ignorant pigs

[@fire460]

Finally found a "How to Paint a Power Sword" with really nice wet blending and not a "How to spray a Power Sword" with .. well .. "pshhh pshh .. done" =)

[@tabletopminions]

I was glad Sam was able to show how to do it with wet blending. I'll admit, I mainly do it be an airbrush, myself. Thanks for watching!

[@fire460]

Some of my friends do it with airbrush too ;) I'm not crying about airbrushing since I finally can buy one. I will go with =) But ye a How to with brushes is pretty rare. You'r welcome.

[@sinfullydelicious.8978]

+Tabletop Minions Ty u so much all I could find for this paint job on KZbin was all done with a airbrush

[@tvmuffin4666]

Because of this video my blood angels claws and power swords look awsome

[@twoinchrazorblade]

wow cant believe i didnt get told to go pay to get into the vault to see more painting tips

[@thatguy_apu]

well , even the vault has more content than netflix

[@theminiaturepaintingtutor7885]

Hahaha ;)

[@ripinthechat6813]

And then right here, we'll put a little happy cloud.

[@jasonmolenaar119]

And then you do another, because everyone needs a friend

[@bimboleiro8068]

Sometimes happy accidents can happen

[@simonkal4066]

😂😆😂😄lol!!!

[@maxschmidt666]

Imagine Bob Ross having put his big brushes in his mouth while casting.

[@Morbus47]

The humor of everyone making fun of the dude for licking the brush, and those same people not having won any Golden Demons.

[@joshhiggins9431]

Nice!!! ..that ink wash really made it 'pop' I have a strong stomach but the licking made my gut turn everytime

[@stepheneaton4978]

I loved the subtle glance at Uncle Atom: "You philistine, using an airbrush for blending!"

[@thejmax]

4 years old video, but that knowledge is as useful today as ever! Thanks

[@blastalldaybitch]

Man great positive attitude, among the best on youtube

[@cmm30]

Too much talent in our one person... and he is a super nice helpful cool guy. Thanks man. You rock it for the whole community.

[@stevenray3888]

Love this guy you can tell he loves what he does.

[@roemersworkshop]

Simple but effective. Perfect for the Grey Knights! Thanks to Uncle Bob and Samson for the great tutorial.

[@tabletopminions]

+Roemers Workshop I'm not sure who Uncle Bob is, but thanks for watching!

[@roemersworkshop]

+tabletopminions Erm, damn you autocorrect?

[@oldmansharples9700]

I could just listen to Sam's chill encouragement all day

[@ComfortsSpecter]

He mixed my two favorite power blades designs Shine and crackle Good man

[@josephskiles]

Every time I watch pro's paint like this it amazes me

[@xr8dmoose135]

Im new to the hobby and watching you paint is hypnotizing and inspiring.

[@Thameno]

I always try to paint from the darker colors to the lighter, with this video I start to beginn to try it vice versa :) Thanks for that!

[@tabletopminions]

+Heiko Wolff Its always fun to try new things. Thanks for watching!

[@NIMMHATVRapBeats]

how did it go

[@Brickerbrack]

Been a while since I painted anything like this, but I used to finish my power blades off with a diluted opalescent glaze, with the little mica particles, and that gave it a really nice effect.

[@tabletopminions]

Kinda glittery. That'd be pretty cool. Thanks for watching!

[@isisnmagic1812]

Great video, also good to see a pro make the same mistakes I do. This was so brilliant in the way he worked and explained it step by step .

[@TheGlosoli]

these tutorials have really taken an allready great channel to the next level! good job man! looking forward to more vids.

[@diaz5292]

+Falckon Yeah you're right. This channel has been taken to a HNL... "hole nutha level!".. lol

[@alwoodsmodellingmayhem]

Sam you tutorial technique is great. Just a calm approach to the project and a slow progression, I hope I learn from this 'cause it will definitely improve my paint work. I lick the brush too. picked up the habit 30 years ago when watching GW staff painting stuff in te shop. I can't help it now! Thanks for this vid and I am now going to settle back and watch some more of these. Al

[@athollmcnicoll256]

First time I have actually witnessed how its meant to be done for the maximised effect - well done you!

[@zi0]

That is by far the best looking sword I've seen someone paint. You are the literal paint God

[@droog40k]

Lick paint=get high=great art

[@jamesgordley5000]

Lick paint containing retardant=get stupid=yay, look what I did!

[@HiveMind3006]

Acrylic paint is a non toxic, non irritating medium. So if you can get high on that you have a very strange metabolism indeed! A HUGE percentage of pro painters lick paint for certain techniques such as void blending AKA spit blending. It maybe doesn't harm you but having said that it wouldn't be good for you either - I guess, I am not a paintologist. Sam Lenz is amongst the best in the game, feel privileged you are watching a master at work!

[@snickdesnick]

Damn nasty habit, picked it up myself off the guy who showed me how to block paint years back.

[@Keckegenkai]

*deep purple starts playing in the background*

[@alexanderking9462]

acrylic paint isn't non-toxic. it uses the same pigments as every other medium, some of which contain heavy metals.

[@thestarlitwaters]

Now I must listen to Scorn Defeat while I work on Rubric Marines. It's been ages since I put it on!

[@fairday2570]

O I was wondering if that was a Sigh shirt, that album is so good👍

[@yarlzxmyrsh]

Sweet Sigh shirt. Black Metal and painting are a good combo. Awesome video. really helped with some stuff I was doing wrong.

[@philippelepage3709]

You two clearly smoked a fat one moments before shooting the intro. TY for the lesson Sam. Real usefull.

[@JK-hr6py]

I get the taste of paint in my mouth watching sam paint

[@cetiah]

Your rule of 3's addressed a lot of my questions about painting.

[@EngineerJeff]

[@impulse8797]

+EngineerJeff lol

[@tabletopminions]

+EngineerJeff I've never been a brush licker. Maybe that's what I need to start doing to bring my painting to the next level? Do they make paints that taste like bourbon?

[@EngineerJeff]

+tabletopminions you may be on to something there!

[@jamesgordley5000]

+Tabletop Minions Some people do water down their paints with alcohol, actually. :)

[@Wintershot]

Yes, it tastes exactly like *bourbon*!

[@ElectronHexagon]

This video has changed my hobby painting life. Thank you so very much for sharing this tutorial.

[@cfcoachkev]

Brush lickers unite!!!

[@ElectronHexagon]

Dyslexic Brush Lickers Untie!!

[@Sorrowdusk]

@Sam Lenz LOVE THE SHIRT! Sigh is a great band!

[@matthewbirdsall9518]

Thanks Sam, doing my first proper power sword right now!

[@stroopatroopa]

He didn't mention the saliva he was adding into the mixture

[@theminiaturepaintingtutor7885]

Few do. The viscosity of spit is hard to match. But i had to give it up for water for health reasons. Now tho my skills and health have improved because of the sacrifice :)

[@SleepyNinja2002]

For half the video EVERYTIME the brush was dipped into the water I thought that was the sound of him licking the brush >.

[@tabletopminions]

He's a brush-licker. Thanks for watching!

[@Mikey__R]

"You can do both." Sam is great!

[@redding_oliver]

I can't remember who told me this, possibly I heard it at art school, however it goes something like; there's an enzyme(?) in our saliva that helps soft brushes made of natural fibres, sable for example, hold a finer point for longer. Makes sense to me in a superman-spit-curl kinda way or when cats push their fur in one direction while grooming.

[@xmaTKDmma]

I just started painting and my buddy mostly just uses a wash so these blending techniques are awesome and I will try and apply this to my next paint job

[@gmpbuilder]

Saliva - nature's own solvent. Good video.

[@SerMattzio]

Not sure about the licking myself, but really talented work here. Very nice, thanks for showing us :)

[@patinho5589]

So it’s basically one long blend on one side And same but other direction on the other side Seems like a nice way to simply practice blending / transitioning .. along a clearly defined flat edge.

[@alclewley9309]

Dude, you are the Jason Mewes of the painting world! Soongans!

[@Cartoon1250]

thank you tabletop minion and thank you Sam for making this video possible you've added another technique to my skills🤓

[@tgamingbelgie182]

The fact that you 2 say, you can do it both. primo words!

[@tgamingbelgie182]

Weird to see you taste paint tho :p

[@simonkal4066]

I am now a subscriber to this channel thank you for making this video,

[@gamelover260]

Been wanting to practice some blending for NMM to get it down. Now I know how it WILL!!! thanks dude. now i just need a mini that has a sword lol.

[@bencemayer5785]

This guy is way high. I love it!

[@amandawhite9303]

If I could just stop watching these vids, I may could get some painting done

[@woutervanasseldonk8600]

Just wanted to let you guys know I actually learned to wetblend (it was meh at first, but it's really going well now) from the information on this video. at least one person was taught, I do still am a brush licker though :')

[@markuswegelius1267]

This was an awesome tutorial. I have to sit down some day and attempt this myself.

[@Brynja78]

Awesome brother!!! Loved the painting, looks amazing. Keep up the good work and thanks 😈

[@Gritt4reel]

Some would say it's "Brush lickin' good" I take a bucket full of paint and some brush fries. Thanks

[@williamtveten1568]

Much better then the Airbrush....I think the airbrush looks to generic...hand painting is the way!!!! Wet blending is the KEY!!!!!

[@Rookblunder]

He's painting with Acry lick

[@RagDo77]

I'm 4 years late... but ive found a vivarium heat lamp helps with drying times. And i do like a good paint lick.

[@lexzbuddy]

Wow, very cool. Thanks

[@stevendevries9850]

Great video! Question: How would you go about painting the other side? The exact same way? Or inversed?

[@tabletopminions]

Probably inversed because it'll make the contrast higher. Thanks for watching!

[@titanterrainstudio]

Dont worry sam, alot of us are brushlickers :P

[@melgibson5029]

Dang, this guy is like 40k's bob ross

[@goodeldash]

What a lovely guy

[@ih8people]

He licks the brush @5:13 if anyone was looking for this moment. I was =D

[@arcanesoup9351]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who licks my brushes.

[@StefanTrifunovic]

Its okay to lick the brush, but.. to lick the paint?

[@tabletopminions]

+JenK's PLAYSEA Technically, acrylic paints are non-toxic. But I'm still not licking the paint, which is why I'll never be a pro painter, and Sam is. Thanks for watching!

[@XFreedomPrimeX]

so basically if you want this guy's DNA all over your mini' s just put in an order and your good to go.

[@bobuscesar2534]

XFreedomPrimeX Maybe you want to clone him.... And than enslave his clones to paint your power weapons.

[@bjornironside9471]

great video. wouldn't be opposed to more like it. thank you.

[@TimeIsMine93]

Sam rip. I knew the paint was gonna get to him

[@MurderHoboRPG]

Hey Atom! Can you ask samson if he would like to showcase how to do plasma weapons real sweet?

[@crucialjusticewarrior3307]

Something inside of me can't help but think that eating paint makes you a better painter.

[@tabletopminions]

There's no science to back it up, so it must be true. Thanks for watching!

[@tommyakesson8858]

You are what you eat, and Im guessing eating paint gives you some of its power?

[@sarissanhunter7227]

This was super cool.

[@TheManAmongAll]

Awesome stuff guys :) Thanks heaps for the vid and keep them coming!!

[@alexquigley87]

Ooo my noob is showing! "Not watered down, thin coats." I thought water was how you made the coat thin.

[@Splatterpunk_OldNewYork]

Using saliva (in a pot) to do effects is good. Eating paint (does not matter if it is acrylic, oil, enamel, etc.) means that you are ingesting metal oxides and possibly cadmium petroleum blends. All paint pigment is made the same, only the glue part is different. Arsenic anyone?

[@stompreaper]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing.

[@darkstorminc]

@Tabletop Minions next time you talk to Sam ask him which color tastes the best lol

[@Wardads1]

Brush lickers unite ! Was awful when I used to use oils eeerrrgghh, Thanks for this excellent tutorial !

[@briancline7349]

I was looking for Bob Ross and this came up... 🤔

[@SJTAZ1]

Wow that was an awesome video! Great channel!

[@Chivas6]

Is licking the brush potentially harmful? For the body I mean, not the brush.

[@tabletopminions]

+Chivas6 I'm no scientist, so I don't really know. Acrylics are supposed to be non-toxic, but I can't say for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@VictorQues]

Great tutorial!

[@sampsongonzalez4046]

Now how would I do a power axe

[@grason2776]

DO IT AGAIN!

[@miles0543]

This guy is the bob Ross of minis

[@thedungeondelver]

if I could paint like this I'd call myself a mini painter.

[@babyboysmooth1353]

most of my normal tactical marines have power swords

[@jonathandomke2049]

Looks very nice, does anybody know what colours he used?

[@GreenskinHolland]

Great paintjob. I thought you can only get those results with an airbrush

[@tabletopminions]

+GreenskinHolland Personally, I can only get these results with an airbrush, but I'm going to start trying it Sam's way to see how it works for me. Thanks for watching!

[@Kyle-jg7qr]

I remember when I first started collecting warhammer, not once did I see anyone use an airbrush

[@theminiaturepaintingtutor7885]

The viscosity of spit is hard to match. But i had to give it up for water for health reasons. Now tho my skills and health have improved because of the sacrifice :)

[@tachikoma82]

Not to knock this guys' technique, as it seems to work fine, and he's probably a way better painter than me, but I've done similar blends by just using straight matte medium on a brush before the several colors dry entirely and it blends them great... takes way less time and you don't need to water down the paint as much. Also, you probably shouldn't be licking your brush and paint, aside from the obvious health issues, saliva still has digestive enzymes, so I'd wager it ruins brushes faster

[@im160bpmplus]

watching paint dry is a lot easier with a few kidnapees in a basement

[@xx1norm1xx]

That's fantastic

[@tabletopminions]

Sam's a fantastic painter. Thanks for watching!

[@nienienie7567]

Japaneese Sigh !! FUCKING AWESOME BAND :D Scorn Defeat is easily one of the most overlooked and under-rated black metal albums of all times :D Cheers bro !!!

[@SiegeSpace]

Don't eat paint kids.

[@Seelenschmiede]

When we build up ceramic teeth we lick our brushes too to keep them in shape 😉 for us it isn't a habbit but a necessary step in maintaining our tools. But you would never lick your brush with ceramics on it. It's like taking a big bite out of the beach 😂 always first wash it off in water

[@icecoldrugby]

Someone get this guy a Mountain Dew!