Both of the Astrogranite paints are OK and I'll have fun using what's left in the pots. However, frankly, you can use free sand for the same effect. The Citadel washes produce low-contrast shading that typically requires reapplying the basecoat. This is a tremendous amount of work and precision for a new painter; I'd much rather start them with the Army Painter (identical to old GW) washes which produce a higher-contrast effect. Off again to the internet and I found a video on Warhammer TV suggesting to put down ‘Ardcoat on top of the paint rather than PVA. Same principle I suppose and a good place to start. And should the PVA be above or below the paint? I broke down a number of test scenarios and set about to see what would look best. All of these bases were primed with Wraithbone first, all references to “paint” are a splotched mix of Mephiston Red, Vallejo Light Orange, and Vallejo Flat Yellow. Here’s what I inflicted on each one: For me, I like many of the metallics for sure, though I've invested in mixing balls for a few. Contrast paints are fantastic, and I'd say the newer off-white paints are "essential" for painting white (admittedly, I don't know of other opaque off-white colors from other brands). I actually like the washes, though I plan on what effect I want before applying them. Recess shades are almost always targeted washes, my recent forays into actual TMM mean a more broad(ish) application, and worn clothing gets and all over wash, drybrush, all over wash, drybrush.

One "Battlefield Mud" Texture Paint (I use Astrogranite, but I prime over my texture paint, so color doesn't matter to me) Note that, with most techniques and methods, urban bases are going to look gray. This can be a real positive, because it means that urban bases can go well with pretty much any color scheme, and work best when the model itself has bright colors, so that it can pop against the gray base. It also means that most of the time we’ll need another way to visually communicate “urban” beyond just “gray grit,” particularly on larger bases where the effect may look boring. In these cases, we’ll see how things like rubble, debris, roads, and other destroyed structures can help pull the model together and complete the effect. This is also pretty easy to do for flying bases too. On those what I do is I cut a hole for the flying stand beforehand — just place the stand on the cork sheet and trace out the cross shape with a pencil, then cut it out with a hobby knife. Then I paint the thing as normal and glue the stand into the hole. The Astrogranite Debris is the same colour and contains apparently the same „sand” but is much denser to the point you definitely need a thin spatula to put it on any surface. It has the consistency of crystallised honey and produces interesting, large lumps. In addition, I thought the surface of the dried Mordant Earth was just too smooth and shiny for what I had in mind. It was far more pāhoehoe than ʻaʻā. It looked frankly like a hard chocolate coating which just made me need to get some ice cream while I pondered what I was going to do next. What Went Wrong, and How to Do It BetterNote here, that the brand alternative are from the Vallejo Texture Gel range which also offers an array of textured mediums to add context and thematic interest to your miniatures and models. Take a closer look at Vallejo, if you’re looking to expand beyond Games Workshop offerings. Are Citadel Technical Paints Expensive? I base the whole thing in Mechanicus Standard Grey, then wash it unevenly with Agrax Earthshade. From there i heavily drybrush on Dawnstone and then lightly with Terminatus Stone. I recently got it in my head to make some lava bases for a new army – cooled bits of stone over hot molten magma. While poking around the internet on how to make them look good I noted a recent(ish) Citadel Technical paint – Mordant Earth. But a test base had some strange results so I thought I’d document my experimentation with it and other methods for the benefit of you, gentle reader. Vallejo, Army Painter, GW, Reaper, Scale75, and others all do different things. There's no one company to rule them all.

On the Eradicators, I wanted to do something a little different with their melta rifles. The barrels are painted Brass Scorpion, then Sycorax Bronze, washed Seraphim Sepia, and then some Brass Scorpion re-layered at the business end of the barrel. This is a lazy way to simulate the heat-staining effect you can see on the studio models. I did a similar thing on the engines for the Outrider’s bikes. It was at this point that I was discussing the bases with my brother, and he obnoxiously asked if I’d used straight PVA or watered down. Another variable to consider, another round of samples!In my opinion, Citadel Technical Paints are worth it if you’re looking for a way to add unique effects to your models without having to use complicated techniques or materials. They are fast to use. Like I said before, each brand does different things. Where GW really shines I think are the Contrast and Technical paints, but those are really contextual to what you're planning to paint so hard to frame as 'essential'. Like Typhus Corrosion is great, but might not see much use if you're painting Ultramarines. Premixed sanded tile grout comes in many colors. If you don’t want to paint your bases, you can simply buy the color you like. For example, you can buy an ivory colored grout for sand bases, or a white colored grout for snow bases. Other than that, the way I painted them is the same as all my other Crimson Fists, as per one of our very earliest HTPEs and extracted below for convenience: Why do I think these are the best alternatives to citadel texture paint? In general, these are easy to find at any arts and crafts store or online.

Because I wanted my flagstones to look old and weathered, I gave them a little extra texture by taking a very small (3mm) and roughly textured stone, and rolling it gently around on the green stuff to create subtle, irregular indentations. The more pressure you apply, the rougher the flagstones will look.The bases are stamped SuperSculpey, painted in a basic stone scheme with Stirland Mud and bits of aquarium flowers or Citadel Creeping Vines washed with Druchii Violet and Carronburg Crimson to tone down the color. The Quetzales Jades live on a deep yet alien jungle world, amidst the ruins of a still-active civilization. Not unlike modern day Guatemala. There are some custom transfers coming for a chapter logo and squad markings, and I plan to expand on their story in a later article. Space Marines – The Space Marines are humanity’s finest soldiers, and Astrogranite Debris can be used to add a touch of realism to their otherwise pristine armor and machinery.