Talking about trends: Do they exist in miniature painting?

[@rupertlane3424]

Come back! We miss your videos. Talented artist, making it easier for the rest of us to do better

[@wssmagazine]

I should have addressed this in the video, but as a couple of you pointed out, there weren't any pictures of any of the trends I mentioned! Obviously, that would have been a good idea, and I would have liked to show some pictures too... the problem is, that would have involved singling out painters and models on my channel without their permission - and especially if my thoughts on a certain trend were somewhat negative, I didn't want people mistaking that for disliking a model! However, if anybody reading this wants to link to photos of some of the trends I mentioned, please feel free! I just don't feel comfortable doing that myself.

[@banditb86]

Christy where have you gone no posting for a while hope you are OK

[@jschmons]

Possibly the most insightful discussion about miniature painting ever. I really, really like this. This shows that the discussions around the hobby, at least publicly, are maturing. This really helps me to better understand whether I'm really far behind in certain areas, or if they are merely "new" techniques / methods for painting, if we really have new breakthroughs, or what is best suited for certain niches within the hobby. Take wet blending, for instance. Maybe I'm just noticing it recently in painting videos and pictures, but I don't remember seeing a lot of it before. Overall this kind of discussion takes us up a level, and I'm hoping you and the community will continue to push them. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing more!

[@AzraelThanatos]

There are trends, a lot of them tend to develop in the various sub communities that develop from different games with their own styles to the various minis that then spread out to others. I tend to like them for what they are because they often bring new ideas into things and perfect different looks that can help advance the painting part of the hobby to new levels.

[@wssmagazine]

That's a good way of looking at and explaining it!

[@peterholland4481]

Thought you might like this quote from Wargames Journal No 4 from 2006:- ''I also hate the trend for painting fake folds and shadows where none can exist, as it shows painters have no sense of how material hangs or where the shadows really should be. Some applications of layering end up with trousers depicted as if they’ve been laid out in crazy paving, or craggy, lined faces that look as if they’ve seen 80 years of life, not 18. I think you can define the lines of a face and give it character with a few simple brush strokes.'' Seems that nothing is new under the sun But you make important points about it.

[@jesseseals7461]

In general trends are good. I go back to the days of if the figure is sculpted good you do not need shadow and highlights. What I see in trends is someone starts it. It gets way crazy then tones itself back down.

[@Jbickley00]

I think the dominance of 2-d techniques is in someways due to sites like CMON, where people see a 2-d image. So things like nmm work well from the photograph. But in actuality, even the very best painted nmm looks off from other angles

[@turtleandbear1179]

hi! just discovered your channel and am enjoying it greatly. Are you still painting? And are you doing it more for yourself or also producing content somewhere? at any rate, i wish you all the best!

[@90Gunni]

Excellent point you make here! Really interesting!

[@scotsbillhicks]

I think non metal metal might be the best example of that. When rackham was a thing, (bursts into tears at the memory of Confrontation miniatures), non metal metal was almost compulsory. Their painting guides always used. Now? It is an option

[@wssmagazine]

I actually had a bit about NMM I cut out. I think it sort of WAS a trend that has died down. Sure, it's still around, but I think people have a more healthy attitude to it - you can have good models now that are with NMM or regular metallic paints. I think that's what happens with most of these - after the hype goes away, people see the trends for what they are - useful techniques to be used appropriately and incorporated into their own style, but not overdone.

[@wyrdhunter]

I still see tons and tons of "colored NMM" used on weapons and only the weapons for some reason. Even GW teaches it for any kind of non-standard melee weapon.

[@scotsbillhicks]

I have seen a few techniques appear over the years but I would not say any of them have particularly fallen out of favour: Object source lighting. Inks. The Base colours+ dip/wash. Non metal metal Under painting Embracing colour sets, e.g. Andrea/scale75/wargames foundry triad.

[@wssmagazine]

I may have edited that out of the video (because I talked waaay too much), but I don't really think most trends totally go away, it's more they die down to a healthy level of use. It's not so much everyone doing something and then not doing it at all after that, but more everyone being obsessed with a certain style and then calming down and using it after that in a more balanced and moderate fashion.

[@davidcollins2648]

A subject I don't believe anyone has addressed is textures on models. Each texture being defined by the amount of reflected light which is difficult to define and replicate. Of course no one wants shiny figures yet certain parts would in reality be glossy; polished leather, gun stocks, barrels, certain horse coats. I would love to see methods explored on reproducing those textures to get fur to look "furry", polished bit shiny etc. I'm stuck on realism so I find it hard to use unrealistic paint schemes to make things look more exciting at scale. i work exclusively at 1/72 and have found this to be a real challenge but one that certainly adds to the overall look of a figure. I really enjoy your videos, thank you for making them. Cheers.

[@gwensdad2003]

I hadn't even heard of edge highlighting until last year, and now I'm seeing people overdoing it with everything. Also scenic bases used to be unheard of and now they're the norm but could go away in a few months.

[@wssmagazine]

One thing I find hard is telling the difference between just a general technique and a trend. For me personally, something like edge highlighting is more of a technique than a trend, but I admit I find it sometimes hard to articulate when something is just a new technique and when it is "trendy"

[@GreySeerSqueek]

Any pictures that can be used as examples while you are talking about each trend?

[@maxbrandt6]

I agree with you on that OSL technique on space marines, very few can pull it off effectively and it is usually way overdone.

[@Robin-fp6sx]

I miss your video's. It's sad you're MIA. Above all...I hope you're okey. Be well.

[@THECAPI13]

Hello Christy, I recently got into miniature painting again in a proper way (since it's quite common for people to start at a very young age without knowing what they are doing and eventually quitting the thing, as it was my case). I've watched some of your videos and recently discovered the one about 5 top mistakes people make when painting. I've got to say that I completely agree with everything you said there, specially of the washes and eyes part. I once painted like that, having very "dull" and PTSD eyes looking models as a result, but then tried the way you do and obtained much better results. As for drybrushing, I also only use it for terrain or vehicles. What I didn't know was about the shitty brushes from "certain" (gw looking at you) big brands, and lately have experienced this issue myself as I bought some "artificer" "premium" "high quality" OVERPRICED brushes from gw. The guy at the gw store told me they would stay pointy for a long time, yet after like 10 minis hairs started to go wild and brushes were splitting in two. I'm a sad potato now :( So, looking to buy those sweet looking kolinsky series 7 brushes, but alas, I don't know which ones and how many of them would I need to properly paint 28mm scale models. I beg for your assistance, I'd appreciate it a lot ^^ (also dunno if you have some video about brush care and maintenance, (if yes point it out please) and I'd love to see one since all I do at the moment is cleaning them with cold water). On another note, I subscribed to your channel, lots of quality videos and the commentary is really entertaining. I'm also amazed on how you almost paint with no washes and yet obtain much better results on shading/highlighting, very good work! Keep your channel going, it's amazing, and I'm here to stay :D Best wishes from Spain

[@wssmagazine]

Hi - As far as the Series seven brushes go, not a lot at all! I'd recommend buying a #1 and a #0. POSSIBLY a #2 for some larger coverage work, but that sort of stuff you can just as well do with a cheap brush. If you are careful, those two should last quite awhile before you need to replace them. Glad you like the videos!

[@Tightheadproppainting]

Hi , I think trends are imortand for painter who spend a lot of time at the painting table... you can try to pick up good things from new trends. I guess you see the most new trends in sci-fi painting... with the glowing and very bright colours. For me... who is painting 95% WW2 minis are the technical trends are importand... like to paint the minis more and more with an airbrush.... or to work with modulation technique on ww2 vehicles. For a painter who paint historical wargaming minis is it always a tightrope walk between historical correct and to make the mini atractive at the gaming table. The result is importand. And for commission painter is the time you spend to paint a miniature one of the most importand things. I would say it is importand to see new trends....and to discover what people like. If you want to paint your miniature only for a gaming table in a normal tabletop standart is it not so importand.

[@Tightheadproppainting]

btw.... more videos where you like a discussion would be great. I like that... !!!!

[@chriscongemi2109]

good thoughts but this is a video that really needed some pictures to go along with it. otherwise a fine video.

[@solowarmaster9141]

The best trend was Goblin Green bases with flock.

[@carlos-7695]

Hello Christy! Thank you very much for all the great information in your videos. I would appreciate if you could answer a question: I followed your advice in using Revell gloss varnish and I had a near miss disaster :( I was trying to varnish a miniature, painted with Vallejo Game Inks and Game Color paints, that dried for more than 3 days. I thinned the Revell gloss varnish with Revell's "Color Mix" thinner and the mixture (varnish+thinner) dissolved the Vallejo inks!!! The good news is that I realize it after the first stroke of the brush so no major damage was inflicted into the miniature. Did you ever have a similar problem? What do you use to thin the Revell gloss varnish? Thank you very much :)

[@wssmagazine]

Hi Carlos - See my response in the other video. :-D

[@mikewood4242]

it's the builders art..they can do whatever they want

[@carbon1255]

Biggest example I have seen is blue metal as a heat stained effect. on ALL. METAL.

[@panzerleader49]

I think you may have actually referred to this sort of phenomenon before.You did a Warhammer figure about a year ago as a demo of the specific style. Warhammer has a very distinctive style and that never translated to broader figure painting, it just won't work on Napoleonics- I've seen it attempted mmmmm no way. The opposite trend is what I call(and I've see it referenced in model mags) is the 'button counters'. The idea is to make the figure PERFECT as the full sized authentic figure would have actually appeared in life- ugh! so pretentious. Let's all remember to HAVE FUN!!! Take pride in your own work!!! Learn from others, don't criticize for the sake of criticism!!

[@wssmagazine]

Interesting idea that the "GW style" is a trend in and of itself. And I definitely would agree that you probably only see certain trends on certain types of figures because they don't work on everything across the board!

[@redpianominiatures]

It's really difficult to understand what you're referring to without photographic examples. These seem like very negative views towards people doing more artistic things with miniatures and if that's the case I'm sad to hear that, but it is very difficult to know what exactly you mean without photos, so all I can do is attach your words to miniatures I'm familiar with that seem to fit your descriptions.

[@wssmagazine]

See above. I wanted to show pics, but I don't know how I could without singling out artists. And I'm not at all negative about any of the things mentioned above in and of themselves - in all cases, I've seen superb examples of everything I mentioned. What I object to is when too many people blindly emulate these styles or overuse these techniques to the exclusion of developing their own style or way of working. As I pointed out at the end, trends can be good or bad and there aren't any absolutes.