Have you ever had the problem of not finding yourself the correct highlight color to highlight the base color you just applied to your models? This is a problem I have never had of course, since I’m the best painter in the world. Just not this world…
As you might have guessed, I was being really sarcastic. It’s what I’m better at than painting. One of the things that really get me every time, and to some extent even demotivated me from painting more, is the fact I could never ever get the correct highlight. I had found a method in the past, but that was not really solid when batch painting.
The reason, as it seemed, had everything to do with the fact that I had no consistency in my paint collection. If you don’t have a certain set of paints built for each other, in a triad of minimum 3 paints, you will never have the desired result. I had triads before and gotten good results, but still, you don’t have them for every color. This means that for most of the colors, you still had that certain problem.
The Fanatic range was announced…
Everybody that knows me, knows I own a wargames/ roleplaying store, but also am a part-time skeptic for new goodies. In short, for myself, I don’t believe in all the flashy goodies. I still don’t own a wet pallet (are you reading Army Painter) I’m just not convinced it actually adds to my skills.
When one of the customers and a close friend of mine told me that the paint actually adds something to your skill, I got less skeptic, even more when I saw results he was booking. I took the plunge and while they still were available, ordered the complete paint range set. A setback of 700 Euro. When customers tell me I have to take something, I do sometimes listen and thus ended up with the box.
The Fanatic Triad system
So the box has 216 paints… 18 skin tones, 18 washes, 18 technical paints and 180 colors. These 180 colors are built up of 30 primary colors, with each 5 more color variations from light to dark. When you take a red color for instance, you have a red wash, a deep red wash, and 5 highlighting colors. The special thing about this is, you don’t have to mix your highlights anymore.
Next to that, you are always consistent in what and how you highlight. Mixing in lighter colors to have the light touch the model as some points instantaneously became an easy task. Because the paint dries slower, you can take your time blending and with consistent colors, you can slow down as well, making your mini look way better than you could have hoped for!
Eh… this sounds like a commercial to sell more Warpaints Fanatic, Mr. CCGwinkel?
Well… no. I’m basing this on a completely personal opinion. Yes we do sell it in store, but I have been looking for a good paint range for ages. I’m just glad I found it and want to share my excitement. Next to that I have learned a couple of things from this new Fanatic paint range.
- It’s sometimes good to trust new things;
- Your old methods aren’t always the best;
- Stay open to new methods to hobby
Especially the last two are important to me at least. I am one 45-year-old “grumpy scale modeler” that sticks to the things he knows best. Throwing away all my old paints to start anew, is like divorcing my wife and going for the next woman that enters my life. I am happy with my wife and don’t want to let go of her, just like my old paints. But I still divorced from my old paints. This makes this statement completely useless, but you get where I’m going. It’s good to try something new, except when you are talking about your wife.
Would this also mean I am going for a wet pallet? Depends… I’m still on the fence with that. Convince me.
In the end…
…this blog is as much as the paint I’m really excited about as it’s a trip to personal hobby discovery. Would you try new things because some people say it’s a good product? Would you let go of your wife paints or other hobby stuff you have to start over anew?
Let me know in the comments below and let’s share some valuable hobby inspiration on new things. Feeling inspired? Check out the other blogs in the hobby section too!
And for the wives that read this blog… here’s a tip for you all… Buy the partner some paint 😉
