Why Smoothness DOESN'T MATTER

[@hewlett-packardlovecraft2297]

I love that you are consistently able to condense a lifetime's worth of experience in to these 5-10 minute videos. Don't get me wrong- I actually prefer the longer format stuff, but to be able to get this much information across in such a little time is the hallmark of a good teacher. Appreciate the uploads as always, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

[@Zumikito]

Thank you!

[@hewlett-packardlovecraft2297]

@@Zumikito Absolutely, and thanks for the reply. Have a good one.

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

Most minis Looks a little better gritty 😍

[@NothingIsKnown00]

Unless you’re painting a baby space marine that hasn’t been in battle yet, so its armor is still pristine.

[@UnyieldingRylanor]

@@NothingIsKnown00 Yeah, but brand new and shiny is boring

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

@@UnyieldingRylanor unless you tell a story with it, when i make prestine figure i add spice to the background like a shattered chainsword on the groundn the figure's base being roughed up, and the best way i have found works is to add a piece that says "a fellow marine died here" like a helmet or hand barely noticable

[@crashingatom6755]

So unbelievably pretty looking on that model. Thanks for the help!

[@derekcutsinger3511]

Man, all of your videos are gold! Thank you

[@helmetofmeat]

Funny you mentioned Flameon Miniatures! He's an insanely good painter (especially NMM) and makes absolutely fantastic tutorials on Patreon. He is a super kind person who even helped me out online on Zoom once to answer questions on how to improve my painting skills. He didn´t want any money for it but I insisted to. Awesome guy. And so are you Zumikito :). Keep it up.

[@SilentMorbus2]

can't imagine a better paint teacher,thank you

[@Zumikito]

Check out Kickstarter from Artel W - Magnetic Heroes! bit.ly/3qWbxom

[@IanDrewAPicture]

Super helpful as always! I was wondering why "fabrics" I've painted looked so indistinct from other surfaces and I'm excited to start incorporating your tips into my painting.

[@mattvucu6706]

I’m so glad KZbin showed me your channel. I see myself as an experienced painter and yet I have learned a lot from every single one of your videos. Great job dude!

[@HaydnPollardStudios]

Have you got a tutorial on how to paint wood like in the shield? Really digging the way you have that looking.

[@barrylucas8679]

I admire your talent, excellent camera work and your dry sense of humor, thankyou

[@rickyl3136]

Thank you, I love your style and I have been trying hard to copy it. Not well but every video gets me closer. Great video thank you.

[@robsonribeiro7552]

Love that video man, always a pleasure and fun to watch them. Have a great week, cheers!

[@AviTheFire]

I want a video of you just saying "no" in an intimidating way for 17 minutes and 36 seconds specifically for some reason

[@G_Threepwood]

Thanks very much - nice and clear, your previous videos have really helped me have a go at nmm and textures. The results were far from perfect, but I'll keep at it!

[@JuniperTheSloth]

This was super helpful! I know I always get in my own head about things not being smooth enough, so the realisation that I can use that lack of smoothness as a tool is really useful! Thanks!

[@deltabairsoft]

I really liked the video. And the mini is masterly painted.

[@kevinhayes517]

I always learn a lot from each of your videos…..thank you for all of the tips and techniques you provide each time. They always give me new insights and things to try on future projects. Thanks again!

[@vidi5086]

Nice tutorial! And great to see ArtelW,s minis 👍

[@DrMossie]

Love these short videos you make 🤩🤩 thank you for doing this

[@wannaride738]

Thanks for the video!

[@DonSuratos]

Totally agree! And great stuff as usual bro. 💙🎨🎨🎨

[@TheMiniJunkie]

Great video! I'm going to try harder to create contrast with textures.

[@Himle_]

Short, enjoyable and informative as always!

[@poterha5958]

Thank you ,You are the best painting teacher i have ever had

[@SinOfAugust]

It’s one of the cornerstones of general painting and good visual design - contrast bring interest, appeal, and vitality to your work. Contrast of colour, but also contrast of texture, etc.

[@coalitionofrob436]

That’s a great sponsor. I got some Orcs and they are great, shipping to Australia is also affordable, which is nice since that’s not always the case.

[@yohanyi9048]

I recently came to a point in my mini painting where I was questioning myself and my ability to advance and learn how to paint smooth gradients. Shortly after that bout of self-doubt, I found that stippling was getting me the results I was looking for, in combination with finding the right paint consistency that worked for me. Seeing this video definitely validated the stippling technique that I ended up using and reminded me that not everyone's painting journey is the same, and definitely helped remind me that a lot of this hobby is subjective in nature. Love the video and I look forward to seeing more! Also would it be possible to get the links for the minis at 0:55 and 8:00?

[@ml6158]

that sword is mesmerizing.

[@bartekkusokrywek7567]

Great video! Also could you tell where did you aquire mini from 2:15 min?

[@Dmitry_Solid]

This is an amazing video. Very informative and cool)))An interesting approach. Thanks for the content!!!

[@Smilomaniac]

Zumikito, how do you create a style? I ask because I see increasing amounts of people using the same contrast and blending style repeated everywhere as a new standard of high quality and yet none of them are anywhere remotely as interesting as an old Blanchitsu model. Duncan Rhodes painted an old school terminator the other day, in bold and bright colors ala early to mid 90's and it's gorgeous. It has nowhere near the amount of time put into it and it evokes emotions and looks good despite the almost childish color choices - Not just rooted in nostalgia, but in something that speaks of the setting. You are a great painter, your work looks great, but I think the most interested I've been in something you've painted is that shield because it's not as smooth as some of the models you often bring up. I don't necessarily expect an answer, there's a reason that every single painting youtuber I've asked have ignored the question, because it's not a simple one. I painted up a Krieg artillery squad for a friend recently and I was dismayed at how roughly I'd painted them, since I'd been following a tutorial. I almost felt ashamed handing them over but my friend was impressed and really liked them. I decided to look at the pictures I'd taken again and I realized that I'd painted them in my own style. I hadn't painted highlights meticulously, but the rough strokes gives the coats and gasmasks play. I've certainly not painted anything great by high standards, but it made my friend happy and I managed to overcome my own disappointment and see it in a new light. Blending is beautiful, but for me it can become too smooth and bland. uninteresting. This video touches on what I want and the shield you painted here is much more interesting to me than the rest of that model - The wood moreso than the NMM.

[@Zumikito]

Thank for the great insights! The truth is that you don't create a style - you simply remix every other style that you learned from others. Majority of my models are painted that way. For example faces are very much inspired by Sergio Calvo, NMM is inspired by NRM painting, wood is inspired by Angel Giraldez etc. You can purposefully paint in a certain style, but if you paint without focusing on this matter, you will naturally lean towards things that you found cool and re-apply them. Hope that helps!

[@SheepWaveMeByeBye]

How to develop a style? Be lazy, take shortcuts, be sloppy, notice happy accidents, see what works and build on that. All new styles were developed by people who knew what they were supposed to do and just didn't care.

[@PredQueen]

You paint like à f****ing god ! I wish I have your talent ! Awesome work bro

[@Jamie-bj8gk]

Does anyone know if the new warhammer battleforce boxs will sell out quickly on the warhammer website? Thanks

[@robsonribeiro7552]

I kind of prefer this way of doing it (on this video). I'm a 3D artist when I see a super creamy smooth painting remembers me a bit CGI from years ago where things looks a bit too perfect computer generated type of thing. It's totally personal tho. Thanks Z!!!

[@danteinferno6513]

So interesting and funny , as always, thanks master Zumikito;-)

[@antongunther3977]

I like the idea of those minis. I adopt the same idea when I 3d print minis myself. I only print one body and multiple heads and weapons after cutting up the stl file. With a hand drill, super glue, and mini magnets you can have any number of customized minis for your DnD game. Though a word to the wise, keep the color scheme at least some what compatible. Bright green hat on a blue robed wizard looks weird. Also skin tones, but you can avoid that issue by painting several hands, feet, and faces with various tones (I have done several ranging from darker tones (including red/blue skin) all the way up to pale corpse tones). This way you spend more time on the minis but you get unparalleled customization!!

[@RyanEdwardsVA]

This video is just brilliant. Thank you for providing the much-needed information to this community so succinctly. We often get so obsessed with smoothness that we forget entirely about texture and how important it is to making good-looking miniatures that draw our focus appropriately. Don't get me wrong, Flameon's stuff is *insanely* impressive on a technical level. But stylistically I... kind of hate it? Like you said, it looks like CG, the sort from the 90s, all completely smooth orbs. I find my eyes just glancing right off of it, not able to focus on anything; it all feels like the same nondescript shiny smooth plastic/metal material. On that Nurgle model, all my eyes want to look at is the belly armor and the wood of the shaft, probably because they're the only parts whose texture feels "right" to my brain. I don't mean to dig the fellow too hard, but I feel like it's the perfect example of how and why miniatures need a variety of textures on them to look good. Anyhow, this is all to say that this PSA you've done is one that was sorely needed by the wargame painting community, and I thank you profusely for it.

[@chris-creativeguypl]

Your lessons are amazing. Thanks a lot for sharing Your skills ! You`re the most valuable bearded man in YT :)

[@jendi2952]

Great video as always. Personally I am too lazy for black lining I just throw black oil wash and then fix with some white spirit. Easy profit, easy life.

[@imperialinquisitormordecai9688]

Stupid question but the lamp that you're using, what plug does it have?

[@Frothuss2]

артель W на кикстартере! ура!

[@theezekarion164]

Such a good painter

[@erikwilhelmi3426]

Hey Zumikito thank you for that video it made me realize i dont have to glaze every layer for a good result! one question could you tell me all the colors you used for the red armor on your Sororitas in your "THIS will change your Miniature Painting" Video i loove the color scheme and would love to replicate it.

[@Zumikito]

Sure, black, meohiston red, vermilion and ivory (also mixed those for midtones)

[@erikwilhelmi3426]

@@Zumikito thanks alot what kind of brand is vermillion from and could I substitute it with evil suns scarlet ?

[@SvartElric9]

This video was super useful

[@siebensunden]

Looks like your beard is becoming highlighted with Corax White. :) Jokes aside, Artel and Zumikito is a great combo.

[@echtervogel]

That first Mini you were painting at the beginning, is that still available to buy as stl?

[@Zumikito]

Sure is, Loot are selling their old bundles all the time

[@BTTFF]

Thank you! :D

[@alexcross5916]

If you and Marco ever got in a room together then I think mini painting as a general thing would just melt, it wouldn't have a chance against your combined knowledge.

[@chocapix999]

You know i was thinking that on some mangas or comics and all, you sometimes see hard shadows and no smoothness whatsovever, ever tried that on Minis?

[@AIN1981]

Very interesting. Makes me feel much less unsecure with my poor blending skills. 👍

[@grimmriffer]

I quite like your stippled space marine armour. Some artists choose to draw/paint space marine armour's texture as almost slightly stone like, or like beaten metal. Looks more ancient and relic-esque, less space opera - which I like.

[@Lil-monkeyo]

How do you keep your brushes stiff?

[@perjohanaxell9862]

Very good point. Personally I don't like the cgi/market spray paint lock that you showed, it's to clean and a little soulless. Your barbarian is exelent clean and more "real" but also not super grimy and grim dark. Thanks for the tips on how to do it. I would like to add that it's never wrong to show a pintstyle or do something that "looks painted".

[@kingjpeg]

As always, a fantastic informative & thoroughly enjoyable video. Your channel is my go to to improve my painting. Keep up the awesome work 👌👌👌

[@janjankovsky8608]

Moc se mi líbí jak maluješ a jak jsi ty videa pojal. Omlouvám se za tykání. Rozumim anglicky, ale ne, že bych to stíhal. Tak si to občas dám víckrát. Ale já, jakožto hlavně hráč deskovek, nepracuju s tak detailníma figurkama jako Ty, tak by mě zajímalo, jak daleko se dokážeš dostat s miniaturama z běžnejch deskovejch her, jako je Panství hrůzy, kde ta kvalita figurky je jinde, než s čím pracuješ. Díky.

[@kurzyorze7586]

What mini is this "girl with sword" i love it 🥰

[@Zumikito]

can you give me timestamp?

[@kurzyorze7586]

@@Zumikito 0:51

[@akoszsoltudvardi8028]

Im on the same page with Flameons nurgle painting it doesnt really make sense to make it that smooth and shiny. I found Flameon about a year ago with that chrome adeptus custodes, which was crazy good, I dont know if you saw that. Anyway he is kind of a guy that you need to see his work so then you can know it can be done. If that makes sense :D

[@chucklamb3496]

Thanks

[@marcellocolombarini1653]

Superb👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥂

[@Ryuondo]

Not gonna lie, I was really obsessed with getting that creamy blend for a while. I still need to learn wet blending because I suck ass at it. But then I realized, that I can just use a glaze consistency and sketch in textures and transitions and paint like 1000x faster than I used to and keep a similar quality and add more visual information. Even on skin tones it works. I find it works especially well on really muscular models.

[@janbiela8596]

Watched your video, learned a lot and have been well entertained. What more could I ask for? :D

[@komma8203]

The best pizza chef in the world has a pinapple pizza in his special menu in his resturant in Napels

[@cicciopiu]

Now you have to give a source to this cause as Italian I can say than a Pizzeria in Naples who gonna sell pizza with pineapple would close in less than a week (probably cause it would be burned down by the locals).

[@komma8203]

@@cicciopiu check out Alex the food guy, on KZbin. His latest video he is at that place

[@cicciopiu]

@@komma8203 now I get it, that's not what you call a real Pizza; it's a "pizza fritta" (is a different dough, fried): he mixed it with raw ham and it lacks bot mozzarella and tomate; the problem of the pineapple on pizza is that both tomate and pineapple are acidic and they not mix well. This is a way to bypass the problem and sell an "impossible" dish in Italy (at least to our taste). +1 to you to find this out 😁

[@komma8203]

@@cicciopiu thanks. I dont like pineapple on pizza my self but i did find it intresting that it exists in a high end pizza place in Naples. So i did think i should mention it as the topic was up in this video

[@LeDracodon]

And here am, painting an anime style figuring with the most striking and sharp constrast possible with my wife scrutinizing my piece and complaining it is not smooth...

[@Xaltotun]

So correctly placed contrast > smoothness. Got it. Too bad I'm bad at placing the super highlights and super dark spots correctly.

[@will_of_europa]

6:00 are you saying blick line? Black line? Slow down a bit.

[@Zumikito]

There are always subtitles if you don't understand anything

[@cuteandspookycritters8691]

When you want to watch a peaceful video about blending and get attacked for having superior taste buds.

[@WolfTau]

Great video with examples. Starting to get back into the hobby. And you have one very manly beard , bro. 😀

[@USALibertarian]

Everything is a line or a gradient? What do you mean by a line on a 3D painting?

[@Zumikito]

Blacklining, edge highlights and scratches for the most part (lines and curves)

[@luisdanielmirandagomez7582]

i want that magnetics heros so bad... but i live in mexico :(

[@hallstuart6604]

Dude your channel is criminally under subscribed!

[@SheepWaveMeByeBye]

I'm sick of the Gradient Police. Finishing a mini in four hours is just more fun than mucking about with colored water for 40 hours. This culture of insta-perfection creates perfectionism that kills the fun.

[@SpiritLinkFilms]

I was seriously eating an pizza with pineapple 🍍 when you said that statement 😆 But yeah, I am a heretic then 🙈 Dark angels secret is out

[@Count_Isouard]

Finally!

[@1nfty-]

I've always enjoyed more the Grimdark and Dark Fantasy look. The rugged, gritty and brutal aesthetic in every art form is more appealing than the cartoonish, "clean" and polished look. Specially if you're actually playing games with the minis: something about a Ork in a Kill Team match running in mud dodgin bullets and brutally assassinating enemies while looking "beautiful" doesn't really makes sense lol

[@ThomasGallinari]

Also the models are so small, for table top quality you don't need smoothness. Plus, I like this impressionism style.

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

I do deathguard and tyranids. If things looked too smooth they would look unnatural.

[@opsimathics]

*don't obsess over smooth blending *we're slaves to photoshopped instagram accounts with silksmooth painting *suffer AND obsess

[@AustinLindstrom]

That sword tho.

[@El-Rico]

Yes!!! Pinapple does not belong on a pizza!!!!!!!

[@FlameonMiniatures]

You are right with the textures, but there is one thing I would add. Making different textures on small miniatures and keeping nice contrast at the same time is much harder then on big miniatures :)

[@SherlockSpiner]

Pineapple always goes on pizza. Fight me.

[@marcmurphy8205]

Great video....but just so you know.....pineapple does go on pizza 😏😎

[@joshbernal4864]

As soon as someone orders pineapple on their pizza, I know it's clearly time to get an Inquisitor involved.

[@arnaud3299]

👍👍

[@Chrisofthemount]

You should do a video on your beard...

[@ex-bahamutgamer8381]

You know I love about people moan about pineapple on pizza. You know most of your veg and meat product contains pineapples enzyme because it tenders and sweeten foods. Especially cheeses has pineapple enzyme including vegan. You're welcome ;3. If don't like pineapple on pizza that is fine but remember it all one ya food has the traces amount of pineapple 😈😈😈😈. Also don't make it as bad thing to pizza topping heavy process BBQ chicken is the worst to put on pizza and I don't mind others to eat it.

[@charleyedwards2121]

lol ... in Canada pineapple on pizza is totally normal lol

[@dustaone8521]

Thanks for your vids, but you started talking about how people shouldn't worry about smoothness, then you threw that out the window and started talking about NMM, and displayed some skills the vast majority of us don't have. Suggestion: Show us some of the pieces you've done when you have thought "that's good enough", then we can get more of an idea. Show some mistakes or things that you would allow. Show a 10hour model, a 5 hour model, and a model painted as quick as possible? Just suggestions and things I'd like to see, hope you and your beard are ok. much love

[@craftycub]

I wouldn't even be watching if you didn't have the beard 😉

[@shanewalker3427]

Downvote for pineapple pizza hate!!!

[@Zumikito]

Good, good! Let the hate flow through you

[@Ruined_Artist]

I'm going to strongly disagree with you. Pineapple on pizza is awesome.

[@Zumikito]

All I am gonna say is:

[@cicciopiu]

🤢🤮