Technique Tuesday!

Maybe that will become a thing, maybe not. We'll see. But it is pleasingly alliterative^.

At the very least, "Technique" will become a searchable tag, or label, so that finding any painting techniques that I share should be a reasonably easy affair.

The first installment may not be all that edifying; but I realize that the way I will be sharing paint recipes might require some explanation.

First, Paint Brands!

I will frequently abbreviate them, so this will serve as the "Master Key" to deciphering the acronyms:

• GW - Games Workshop* Citadel Colour
• P3 - Privateer Press Formula P3 Paints
• RMS - Reaper Masters Series
• RPP - Reaper Pro Paints**
• VGC - Vallejo Game Colour
• VMC - Vallejo Model Colour

*These will most likely be the old colors that lasted some 20-30 years before somebody with a "great idea" changed the whole line. And that dude is a douchebag.

** It could happen...

Those are what I use most commonly. I use bits and pieces from other brands as well, but I'll let you know. But I do use those abbreviations quite a bit.

Use whatever will get the job done! From left to right:

Liquitex Ink, Tamiya Acrylic, Citadel Colour Ink (circa I'm old), Citadel Colour Paint, Privateer Press Formula P3 Paint, Reaper Masters Series Liner, Vallejo Game Colour, Vallejo Model Colour, Golden Artist Fluid Acrylic, Badger Minitaire Ghost Tint

Another "abbreviation" that I will use frequently is this double arrow thingy: <>

When I put that down, it essentially means to mix those two paints in increasing increments to build up highlights or shadow, until you've reached the second color in its pure, unmixed form.

So, for example, if it said "P3 Exile Blue <> P3 Frostbite," that would mean to add Frostbite to the Exile bit by bit until you've reached pure Frostbite.

How much depends on each individual person, and what they are comfortable with.  The smaller the change in value between one tone and the next, the easier it is to blend.  So for some people, they may find it easiest using 12 steps between Exile and Frostbite to get a smooth blend, while others may manage with just 3 steps.  Since it varies from painter to painter, I use the <>.

The Paint Desk, after a weekend project, so kinda all over the place.

So perhaps not much "Technique" this Tuesday, but a foundation anyway for how I will be presenting it. 

^(Other alliterative days I'm mulling include Miscellaneous Monday, Warmachine Wednesday, Recipe Thursday (just go with it), and Infinity Friday (kinda).  We'll see.  Probably not.)