This is the BEST Way to SLAPCHOP!?

Slapchop is a new painting techniques that combines zenithal priming with the use of translucent paints like contrast paints, army painter speed paints, or inks. In this video, I test 3 slapchop techniques and searched for the best translucent paint. Slapchop is perfect for war and skirmish games like blood bowl, Warhammer, bloodborne (painted in this video), and more!
Products used (some of these may be affiliate links):
Contrast Paint: bit.ly/3X05Kf3
Army Painter Speed Paints: amzn.to/3tyzli4
Army Painter Domed Brush: amzn.to/3X2mjXA
Inktensity Set: scale75usa.com/products/inkte...
Red Grassgames Dry Palette: bit.ly/3hLQCSb
Thanks to Sugar Candy Miniatures for lending me their Bloodborne models to paint!
00:00 Intro
00:45 What you need
1:42 Classic Slapchop
4:52 Color Chop
5:22 Wash Chop
6:21 The Take Away
7:07 Translucent Paint
7:24 Contrast Paint
8:16 Army Painter
8:27 Inktensity Inks
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Lyla Mev The Mini Witch creates beginner miniature painting tutorials and easy-to-understand guides for Warhammer, dungeons & dragons, and more. My favorite things to paint are sisters of battle, display quality miniatures, and focusing on having fun.

[@LylaMev]

What do you think about slapchop? Is it worth the hype? Is it just a fad?

[@funchick202]

I think it will stick around... until the next fad comes up.

[@LylaMev]

@@funchick202 wish I could guess the next trend!

[@ricebrown1]

While not perfect, for a low skill artist like me the slapchop method helped me blow through about 40 of my skink and seraphon models in 1/4 the time it would have normally taken. Contrast paints aren't perfect and slapchop can offer wildly varying results but they act like a force multiplier if time is against you. It's always good to have extra tools in the shed.

[@oakes3902]

I don't personally care for it, but I can see the utility. The rebranding is dumb as a rock though, there's nothing "new" here other than more people trying to sell translucent paints. Also, I love my scale75 Intensity set. I don't use inks a ton, but when I do I'm glad I have them!

[@dootdootbeep]

It is the dumbest name ever for underpainting

[@reallymiish]

Love this, but PSA!!!! DO NOT dab off your brush for the purposes of drybrushing on a paper towel or absorbent surface!!!! You're making the moisture of the paint get sucked out of your brush, leaving you with way more pigment than medium within the paint itself. You will get a way chalkier finish if you do that!!! Instead, dab off on any dry surface like your desk mat, a simple paper plate, or a normal plastic painting palette.

[@LylaMev]

I knoowww. I learned about this after I finished the video 😫

[@reallymiish]

@@LylaMev It's okay! We're all here to learn. Its also not common knowledge yet so it's totally understandable

[@saveversus]

@@reallymiish I was just going to ask about this. 😀

[@TwospotzArtAndCraft]

I LOVE my slightly coated paper plates that I buy at the Dollarstore. They sortof have this vaguely plastic very thin coating that keeps the paint in the spot. I do use some paper towels, but they are really heavy duty and not the fluffy and soft toiletrags or super absorbent kitchen paper. They're the single folded kind for wallmounted holders.

[@aonline_abridged]

I use sacks of rice, I never throw them out. It is like a burlap material

[@kevinfitzgerald9319]

This is best slapchop tutorial I’ve seen and I’ve been watching a lot of them

[@FelixstoweFoamForge]

Funny thing is, I've been painting for about 40 years, and never even heard of slapchop. But this is the way I've been painting 2mm armies for literally decades.

[@druidobianco9734]

The internet discovered the power of underpainting when someone called it “Slapchop”, great marketing name. It is incredible how effective a well done underpainting is even when using traditional opaque acrilics, but the bulk of mini painters didn’t move from the 3-step basecoat-wash-highlight until this magic word was spread

[@doms.6701]

My fav mini painter dropping a vid right when my food is done. No looking for something to watch while my food gets cold 😁 😂

[@cbpoppet1288]

My preferred slapchop plus method is grey prime with a dark wash. Followed by targeted, complimentary highlights for the contrast paint you're going to apply.

[@dosmatrix4470]

I was painting using this method back in the late 80's using a range of inks by Rowney ,Kandahar series inks, they remain to this day the best inks I've ever come across. The first miniatures I painted using this method were the 1st edition Citadel/games workshop Lord Of the Rings miniatures.

[@TheRockDK]

I loved your detailed explaination on the dry brush part. Helped me understand what I was doing wrong.

[@YanniCooper]

Really appreciated when instead of breaking out a fresh paper towel you used a well used one. Most YTers doing hobby videos always break out pristine tools and materials, especially disposable ones and I feel like that makes them seem more like actors than genuine hobbyists. Props!

[@brendanmartin3359]

Inks are great for transparent plastic also! Mix it with a clear medium and you’ll retain the transparent magic effects on the mini

[@gachacaspa]

This technique can be used to great affect on more detailed high standard paint jobs to if used wisely and correctly. Although your more likely to use in certain locations not all over

[@WillMontgomery85]

I've been using the build up to white and a burnt umber ink on wood to some really great effect recently. I know a few people who live for this method and it's great seeing your take on it! Also funny how far you went back to show how long the technique has existed as one of the guys at my game club hates that it's called slap chop because there's nothing new about it :D As always, keep up the great videos and thanks!

[@Kaiyanwang82]

I really appreciated this video because a lot of you tried are questions I asked myself.

[@W1LYKAT]

I highly appreciate your presence on the internet and your down to earth opinion on products.

[@prredgrassgames5337]

Wow! This video is excellent, full of great tips!!!! Thanks 😀

[@brendanarmstrong7802]

My personal favorite transparent paints for underpainting are Golden High Flow. Zenithal with the airbrush, quick artist white drybrush, transparents, oil wash, and then highlight. It's not full slapchop speed, but it works well.

[@joshlegendre]

Thanks for all the tips and explaining them so well! LOVE all the Bloodborne minsi!

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Thank you for the recommendations!!

[@issa496]

Great video, there were a few ideas I wanted to test and now I know how to do them

[@renaudroyer5390]

Thank you. You have explained slap shop method very well👍

[@antongunther3977]

best dry pallette is a ceramic tile you got at the hardware store for .15 cents

[@Bloodfencer1990]

Another small tip: don't use a paper towel to wipe off your drybrush! The paper towel will absorb any moisture from the paint, including the medium. I have an old wooden cutting board that I use and there are texture boards from various manufacturers like Artis Opus. But any kind of wooden object with a bit of texture will do.

[@AdamWhitehead111]

This 💯 The name "drybrushing" is misleading. You don't want it to be too dry. Smooth drybrushing is achieved by keeping it damp (just have very little paint on the brush).

[@todsmith6591]

I always use the back of my hand. Real mess though so maybe I’ll get a board.

[@Jesentra]

@@AdamWhitehead111 Artis Opus and Ninjon both even advocate using a tiny bit of moisture in the brush before you even put the paint in. It's something I'm still trying to experiment and learn with, but their results are beautiful

[@TheBlackFrog79]

Don't do drybrush. Problem solved.

[@todsmith6591]

@@TheBlackFrog79 lol! Nice. It has its place though for painting massive armies on the fly. Def not for your golden demon or your hero’s though.

[@bobavontanelorn5713]

My personal way: mid grey primer as base layer, then nuln oil (or equivalent) for darkening the recessors, drybrush light(er) grey and white edge highlights. Then Contrasts (or equivalent). (how bright the two grey tones are depends on the genre-style of the figure)

[@funchick202]

I really appreciate the review on transparent paint. No one else has talked about that.

[@LylaMev]

Thank you!!

[@Beartree]

Brilliant! Thank you

[@Izzyspaintingworkshop]

Great video as always!

[@SnoddiesHobbies]

Another great video very informative.

[@MiniatureAdventuresTV]

Great video. I have a tip you may want to try for Drybrushing. I don't use paper towel to wipe paint off my brush, I use a T Shirt! I buy large packs of painters rags (basically t shirt material offcuts). Their cheap, don't break up when wiping on them and you're less likely to end up with paper fibres in your paint. They last for ages and while not as cheap as paper, are still pretty low cost.

[@Oznius]

The contrasting undercolor reminds me of the technique used by raphael to achieve an iridescent effect, ARTEnet has a very good video on this. I feel like it would be difficult to achieve on a miniature, but certainly possible! Great video.

[@rumo-mc4dp]

For the Quick Chop, you could do more of an overbrush than a drybrush to set the light areas, and then drybrush the lightest areas for contrast. In my (limited) experience, Speedpaints really need a light basecoat, because they all look black when painted over black.

[@03dashk64]

Thank you for actually talking about the history of Grisaille underpainting!

[@dane3038]

Your videos inspire me to paint. And painting is even more fun when you're inspired.

[@LylaMev]

I'm so glad!

[@urzulus]

$40 for the smallest "dry pallet" jesus. Its just glass. A tile for $1 is as good.

[@migelsker]

I ude my normal wet pallet works ok

[@credoimperialis]

Very interesting experiment thanks for the video .

[@kevincaruthers5412]

Nicely done. I especially like you showing the results of different types of paints. I have always liked using inks. Sub'd

[@septymesk7721]

I actually cut down my slap chop time, even more. I prime black for dark models, buy use field grey or mechanicus grey for lighter colored minis. When I apply the middle coat, I use a nice can of spray primer (like a scale75 or vallejo primer) to apply the middle grey coat by applying it at about a 55 degree angle; don't get the can too close or too far away. I use nice primers for it because the spray primers by them don't speckle over the black base coat. Cuts so much extra time off

[@paulvanappeven3340]

hey we did this back in the 80's. Greetings from Belgium. Im 59. 😉

[@dancingpotplant]

Plenty to think about there thank you

[@headhunterscustoms]

I read a magazine by P3 Paints ages ago and it used a similar technique. This was before contrast paints though. Anyway, can speed up the process and give a more natural feel if you prime black, from a 45 degree angle spray or airbrush prime your mid gray, and from very top spray or airbrush white primer. Let the paint naturally fall where it's going to fall. THEN contrast paint. Will definitely add some speed to your results!

[@Lilrockerdude13]

Just picked up the Goff Rocker from the local WH Store and I have him primed up and ready to try this out on. See how well the few Contrast paints do before I ask Santa for more, or another brand as per the Scale 75 love you have here.

[@Paul-eb4dc]

I’m enjoying your videos and so helpful for a beginner like me. One thing I’d love your opinion on, painting large flat or curved surfaces with a brush. I’m painting a 1/24 scale camper and find getting overlap lines out difficult. Many thanks, learning lots from your vids.

[@LylaMev]

Try stippling! The video I'm releasing tomorrow talks about it!

[@f.g.5967]

Thank you!!

[@Dagglestone]

For a while I’ve been painting like this mixed with zenithal . The the zenny with a can or my airbrush and then highlight different gradients with a dry brush, often in different colors. Let’s you get tons of complex gradients for just a little extra work

[@markgnepper5636]

Great stuff friend 👏 👍

[@NameIsDoc]

For color chop you want to use temperature theory to help you. To give an example, If your final transparent color is going to be a cool yellow then a muted warm dark pink might be best as a base color. When you apply the yellow inks This creates a transition between a dull cool orange to a striking bright yellow highlight. Another way to approach is with complementary colors. If you're final highlight color is say a purple a yellowish base coat or mid coat would be choice. As when the purple covers a complimentary color it makes mud brown which can in some circumstances create the illusion of a color darker than black. Another idea is to do two mid coats. One 50% white another 190% and then your highlight I'd actually a shade darker then the second midtone (90%). This can create a saturated glowing edge you can also go 0-65-50-100 for a saturated core shadow look.

[@Creecher98]

i think its great for knocking out an army fast and looking good

[@Hawkguy327]

+100 points for the choice of miniatures! Love the Bloodborne board game.

[@davidcashin1894]

Thanks for this vid, very helpful. I just picked up a domed brush to try this approach. I like that you also showed the white prime with dark wash. So, many painters never address this. I do it all the time, though I do have puddling or coffee staining issues. I prime white and usually off-white then do a dark wash berfore doing my transparent color. Is it just that I like brighter finishes? Do you think the black prime white brush give more of a zenithal effect?

[@Unholycrumpet]

I like to base black, detail a different base color for skin and lighter colors I may want to lift, then drybrush white.

[@lawrenceelgrin2205]

An experiment worth trying could be. Black primer - Typhus Corrosion, for texture (avoiding deep valleys) - Primer again. This may help when blending in mid-tones and lighter values. I personally think oil paint is best for these techniques. Mini-painters don't ever mention lavender spike oil as a much healthier alternative to mineral spirits either.

[@veritasg9020]

Thanks!

[@nathanielhurley3960]

When doing the wash method your model should be upside-down. This way the wash better collects where the shadows are. I use this method: prime mid tone grey, apply black wash to an invertesd model, white dry brush. Then apply transparent paint through airbrush or contrast paint.

[@clubjer]

Great info as always...but a counterpoint to the RGG glass palette, instead of paying $20 to $30 for their branded product you can get a glossy floor tile from Lowes, The Home Depot or any building supply store for under $5.

[@AlexanderSauerPlaysWithHeroJr]

thanks for the vid. I just wanted to say i recently saw a slapchop vid ...and tried it ..but went little nuts with it. lol...i did the 3 layer highlightbut i did that in a different darkcolor to light basecoat pre-highlighting instead of black to white ...or the whole model in one color.... cus i first did one model black-grey-grey white - white.... but after i had an Ork ..and thought green skin and ran out pf black primer.. but had dark army brown.....used that only on the skin areas..with lighter and lighter highlighting in lighter to white brown... worked perfect for the green... the brown edges looked awesome...better than my first ork i did with black white... Most of hiss clothing is also a brownleather earthy colors ... so i picked different dark blue and dark red color for the rest of the model parts... THe difference is subtle but each mother color per 'material' type ..just seems to go nicer with a proper shadow slapchop style foundation... bit of a pain in the a** to separately drybrush each different body material ...but i think it already seems worth the effort..

[@itsio7188]

Wow! Nice video.

[@guillaumebellanger9716]

Hi. I test many ways of doing this but the best way to do it for me is ot a black grey white. But i base in brown first highlight with a sand yellow and last highlight in white . The shadows are more natural with this .

[@FreelancerND]

Hehehe, I like how people watched Artis Opus videos on the same technic and all of a sudden there's an army of professional dry brushers, who feels oblidged to tell every creator about the proper way of drybrushing because those "professional drybrushers" knew it all along and for years, but surprisingly began to raise the topic only after Artus Opus =)) What a bunch...

[@ShadowxOmega5]

i believe gw also say that their contrast line is meant to be used on a single colour primer (like grey or bone white) because of how it can pool especially if youre doing the whole slap-chop tabletop ready kinda thing

[@Dreoni_]

You can add a tiny amount of water to you brush when you drybrush for a less "sandy" and smoother aplication. Artis Opus has a couple of great tutorials on dry brushing

[@LylaMev]

I'm actually taking about this in next week's video! I felt like such a dork when I realized I did it wrong for this video.

[@Dreoni_]

@@LylaMev Can't wait for that video!

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Slapchop has been around for DECADES; drybrushing is a MISNOMER. You MUST have a little moisure on the brush to help prevent streaking or the overly dusty effect. A small slightly damp sponge is best for giving the domed brush the proper amount of moisture

[@mekko1413]

yeh not sure the whole "don't get your brush wet" is very accurate. I have been using Artis Opus' style of dry brushing for a little over a year now and not drying your dry brush completely out has increased the quality of my dry brushing it no longer looks speckled like the models you are showing.

[@ThePellefantman]

Great video :)

[@davemorris7845]

"Here's what you will need" *shows picture of kitty*

[@LylaMev]

always start with kitty

[@awoken8infinite]

Yeah dude. I seen guys doing skellies back in WHFB with this technique, just using stuff like chestnut ink. also Tyler Mengel paints all his stuff this way.

[@darthvector]

How do you water down your Inktensity inks Lyla? Do you use medium, water or something else?

[@notdeadandnotforsale]

Using a 'domed' brush for drybrushing.. Where do I get one to try? Is that a makeup brush?

[@SaschaKleiber]

I had the same experience with contrast paint regarding having to thin it down for slapchop. Applying it immediately was way too opaque. What about Army Painter, did you thin them down as well?

[@XbrittneyXable]

How do you decide when to use the slapchop method as opposed to just painting it normally?

[@stevensmith909]

I have been using this technique since 2020. It works best if using gray to white, brown cream to white and green to white

[@glych002]

Watching you paint is like spreading peanut butter using a butcher’s knife

[@merb718]

Thank you for such abgreat video full of experiments. I have some inks (including vallejo and Scale 75, Inktensity sets) and would love to try this technique on like you did. How much would you recommend I thin them? 50:50?

[@LylaMev]

I think I started with like 75/25 water to ink, knowing I could apply a second layer if need be.

[@merb718]

@@LylaMev Perfect! Thanks!

[@DaHobbles]

I really liked that green contrast paint in the thumb nail and so I “red” the label and realized I’d been dooped!! 😂 Also! great video! :)

[@LylaMev]

😂😂😂😂😂 you weren't supposed to notice!!!!

[@panzfaust9812]

Would this method work for 1/24 figure (75mm) or larger sizes?

[@myzorbos]

is there a makeup brush equivalent for the domed brush?

[@s6pavey]

Is water the thinner for inktaskics?

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

I find a piece of cardboard to be best at removing moisture from a drybrush. Idk why or how, but it gives the best results for me

[@br7693t]

What did you thin the inks with? Glaze medium?

[@secdeal]

hello, what did you use to thin the inktensity paint in the video?

[@LylaMev]

Just water!

[@tanman729]

not even commenting about the slap chop (or grisaille as i heard it, which i like the sound of better) but i love those bloodborne minis ya got there. i've been thinking of picking that game up for the minis alone.

[@tanman729]

though the statue at 4:49 is technically a ghost, so it was interesting to see her in any color at all lol

[@LylaMev]

The models actually belong to a friend! They told me I am welcome to paint all of their bloodborn models as they own every faction and are happy to get paint on them.

[@whatmaxlikes9977]

I know you did it with the brush because not everyone has an airbrush. But if you do a zenithal (black/grey/light grey) a drybrush with white for the hot spots and the edges and then the ink thru the airbrush. The result is the best. At least for me! :) And I thought It has become common not to use a paper towel for dry brushing because of the medium in the paint. That's what I learned from the dry brush master Artis Opus :)

[@YanniCooper]

That'd be my suggestion if you want to skip the grey step, and you can also do it with rattle cans if you don't have an airbrush

[@philipstroud6327]

I have a really dumb noob question, after you finish dry brushing, do you clean your drybrush like normal, in water? Really sorry for the question

[@the_hybred648]

What ink was that that you used on the vampire thing?

[@aonline_abridged]

How do you dilute acrylic inks?

[@LylaMev]

I used water!!

[@aonline_abridged]

I have the Bombay India inks from Dr. Ph. Martin's and I was thinking of using them for this sort of thing, I sometimes also use Golden High flow transparent paints

[@Fagerlund_]

Despite what GW says Contrast paints go on way better if you use them from your wet palette and add some medium/water instead of going straight from the pot - the same way you would do with inks. :)

[@davidcox6454]

I thoughts that’s why they came out with contrast medium

[@bradlymcfarland2303]

You just reminded me that I have a ton of bloodborne minis to paint...

[@DCUATL]

Starting with slap chop and color chop gives me my favorite results. I've also found success using it as an undercoat and spraying over it with a metallic paint like Turbo Dork. It provides the shadows and depth that can be hard to get with metallic paints.

[@claytongreen5285]

Is there an advantage of this over airbrushing your mid tones and zenithal coat?

[@stormelemental13]

Yes, you can do it without an airbrush. Also dry/over brushing gets you slightly different results than you would get with an airbrush.

[@darkhighwayman1757]

How do ya avoid chalkiness with dry brushing?

[@supercowopp]

Anyone have any suggestions on a good grey midtone to use with this method?

[@alexc2626]

Where did you get the bloody crow of cainhurst mini?? It looks very cool

[@LylaMev]

I'm not sure what model you mean?

[@alexc2626]

@@LylaMev it's the mini you're painting at 3:33

[@tompeters9829]

A good technique is to use a thin-ish coat of contrast paint to color. Then an oil wash to shade.

[@Creecher98]

Do you put the speed paints on a wet pallet?

[@blackbart4646]

Wonderful way to help ppl. If you could drop some colour names for us with partial colourblindness too pls. :)

[@tothtamas4074]

Is that a Cainhurst armor? Sorry, i see it now, and the others too. Love Bloodborne, cool vid thanks4

[@magnusmillerwilson]

Great video! You tried a lot of the things I wanted to, so thanks! Saves me the work. Also very interesting the comparisons of the three different paint types.

[@JigolOwO]

where'd you find the bloodborne minis?

[@benrichardson5662]

TFW you realize the contrast paint in the thumbnail is Blood Angels Red but with a Plaguebearer Flesh color.

[@LylaMev]

YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOOK THAT CLOSE

[@soulsword34]

You're so dreamy!

[@AnHourOfWolves]

Is it wrong to have tried the translucent paints and to prefer to start with the shade and highlight up with paints and glazes the old fashioned way? Should I embrace the new hotness and abandon the tried and true?!? I feel like it's easier to get decent looking models the highlighting way, but is it just that I'm too old to learn something new?!? This was a helpful video, thanks!

[@hendrikg6003]

It could be interesting to have an undercoat of color (blue, purpel, green) instead of using black. Also to use a color (bright yellow) instead of white for underpainting. This could lead into much more interesting color variance because black/white does just makes color flat and uninteresting to look at.