The need for hobby efficiency bred the miniature dip method.Īfter a base coat of color, a miniature’s details still required more definition. To get armies painted, techniques were developed to speed up the process. Historical military war gamers and scale miniature battle reenactments required huge numbers of models. The “dipping miniature” technique is a classic. One of the easiest methods for enhancing contrast in your miniature paint jobs is using the shade dipping method. The good news is that once you understand how contrast works as a principle for miniature painting, then you have a host of techniques you can explore. In short, contrast is what gives your model life on the tabletop or wherever you display your miniatures. Miniature dipping techniques help you quickly shade recesses, define texture, and makes highlights show up better. This photo example shows the appearance of high or low contrast. As others have said, “contrast does all the work–but, color takes all the credit.” Contrast is what makes a painted model “pop”. When you paint miniatures, your challenge will always be to maintain contrast while adding color. In photography terms, contrast helps you to distinguish objects from each other through the appearance of shadows and light. It is also known as the “dynamic range” of a paint job. Contrast is defined as the difference in brightness value between the darkest dark, and the brightest bright on a miniature. When someone talks about the 3D pop of a miniature paint job, they are referring to contrast. Why “Contrast” is Really Important for Painting MiniaturesĬontrast is what makes a painted miniatures standout from the tabletop. There are several great ways to use Quickshade. Protecting models for gameplay and handling (Quickshade acts as a varnish)Īrmy Painter Quickshade is great for enhancing contrast and adding definition to a lot of miniatures, quickly.Dipping miniatures (small/medium sized).

Board game and tabletop RPG miniature painting.Speed painting a large number of miniatures.Summary: Best Uses for Army Painter Quickshade

Quickshade go hybrid