Special Effects Archives

JoyToy Warhammer 40k Action Figure Toy Photography (Gregory Culley)

Leave a Comment / Lessons & Tips, Photography, Special Effects, Warhammer

Dive into the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40k with the precision of a skilled Inquisitor as we explore the exhilarating world of miniature photography featuring the stellar line of JoyToy action figures. This guide will expose you to the basic techniques (and inspiration) needed to capture stunning toy photography images. Deploy your camera and rally …

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My Favorite Citadel Technical Paint and How to Use Astrogranite Debris (Review)

1 Comment / Hobby Articles, Lessons & Tips, Reviews, Special Effects, Step by Step

The US Moon landing in 1969 first gave us a real view of what Warhammer 40k xenomorphs may have seen as they prepared for the invasion of Terra. Whether by human eye or bio-electrical organs, the visible otherworldly landscape is often where battles wage for many tabletop wargames. How do you create this “look” in …

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How to Paint Necrons Fast and Easy (Photo Tutorials)

Leave a Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Special Effects, Step by Step, Warhammer

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How do you paint Necrons? Necrons are a science fictional race of aliens that you can play in the tabletop miniatures game in the Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 Universe. The Necron line of miniatures are unique and highly-detailed sculpts that come in plastic kits. As with all Games Workshop models, Necron kits come with easy …

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Gregory Culley: Grimdark Photography Methods and Madness

Leave a Comment / Hobby Articles, Lessons & Tips, Photography, Special Effects

Are you a miniature painter in need of some creativity? Then look no further than photography, an art form that uses light as the primary medium. Taking photos is about more than just the technical components; it’s about expressing yourself and conveying your own unique story. Gregory Culley is a master of grimdark photography and …

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How to Paint Model Tanks (8 Basic Steps)

1 Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Techniques, Scale Modeling, Special Effects, Step by Step

Are you trying to paint models for a diorama, a tabletop wargame? Military tank miniatures from wargames like Bolt Action, Flames of War, or even Warhammer 40K can be fun but challenging to paint well. For the scale modelers who aren’t sure where to start with the process, tanks are one of the best places …

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Zenithal Priming and Painting Miniatures – A Tutorial

Leave a Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Techniques, Scale Modeling, Special Effects, Step by Step

If you’re a miniature painter, odds are you’ve heard of zenithal priming. This unique method of priming minis provides a great foundation for painting, and can really help bring out the details in your figure. In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps of zenithal priming and show you how to get the most …

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How to Paint Stone Ruin Bases for Miniatures (Tutorial)

2 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects, Step by Step

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Are you looking for a fast and easy way to paint a stone base? The base of a miniature adds a huge amount of atmosphere to a model. Stone or cracked rocky terrain is a common motif in a lot of fantasy miniatures, e.g., Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and other tabletop hobby games. A base …

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How to Paint a Cracked Base in 5 Minutes (Tutorial)

Leave a Comment / Hobby Articles, Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects, Step by Step

The cracked earth effect is a great way to add some depth to your miniatures. It can be used for all sorts of ideas, from lava effects, ice and dried desert scenes. The base of a model adds key scenery and context for your painted models, which completes the overall look of a great paint …

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Layering and Glazing for Non-Metallic Metal (NMM) Blending

1 Comment / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects

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Are you looking for a way to smooth out your paint layers on miniatures? Miniature painting often requires that a painter blend multiple colors together to create transitions on a model’s surface. Although there are many color blending techniques, a tried and true approach is to combine paint “layering” with “glazing” to create smooth blends …

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Basing Miniatures with Sand (Quick Method)

Leave a Comment / Hobby Articles, Lessons & Tips, Special Effects, Step by Step, Warhammer

Are you looking to base your model with realistic looking dirt, desert, or earth? The easiest way to base your models is to use sand and glue. With a bit of ink, an eye for color and contrast, you can finish a lot of models with great looking bases. Basing your miniatures with sand is …

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How to Paint Marble Effects on Miniatures (3 Easy Steps)

4 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects, Step by Step

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How do you paint marble effects on your miniatures? You can use the marbleizing technique to paint miniature bases, stylize stone effects, and even create elaborate terrain pieces. Using marble effects can add significant interest to a model. Of course, there are a few key elements you need to know for creating compelling, realistic looking …

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Comic Style Miniatures: How This Color Blind Artist Paints!

2 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects

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How do you paint comic style or cel shaded miniatures? In this article, Neil Amswych shares his experience as a colorblind miniature painter, and his whimsical comic book style of painting. Read on to learn tips and insights into painting with a comic book style (e.g., cel shading) that you can use for boardgame miniatures, …

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Painting Miniatures with Oil Paints: Guide and Tips!

26 Comments / Lessons & Tips, Painting Articles, Painting Techniques, Special Effects

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Acrylic paint is the favored medium for painting miniatures and models. But, did you know you can paint your models with oil paints, too? Oil wash filters and weathering with oil paints create amazing effects that can add realism to your miniatures. If you’re painting wargaming models, e.g., Warhammer 40k or Age of Sigmar, then …

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Smoothing PLA 3D Prints: How to Smooth 3D Printed Miniatures

1 Comment / 3D Printing, Lessons & Tips, Scale Modeling, Special Effects

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What is the best way to smooth 3D printed miniatures made of PLA? PLA or Polylactic Acid is a very common 3D printing material for fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers. It is inexpensive, reliable, and biodegradable. There are so many positives with PLA FDM printing that it’s my recommended approach for those starting in the …

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11 Awesome Airbrush Stencils for Miniatures (Tips, Tricks)

3 Comments / Airbrushes, Lessons & Tips, Reviews, Special Effects, Warhammer

Awesome airbrush stencils for painting miniatures and tabletop wargame models - airbrush RC cars, warhammer 40k vehicles, tanks and historical models - freehand logos and add custom decals with an airbrush easy - Check out some of the mini stencils! - stencil banner airbrush

What other things are airbrushes good for when painting miniatures? We already know that airbrushes are great for applying primer and speeding up base coat painting. But, airbrushes are so much more useful than that! You can use your airbrushes to apply freehand textures and design using stencils on your miniatures and models. In this …

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