Speedpaint 2.0 is renowned for its versatility and ease of use, making it a favourite among hobbyists and painting enthusiasts.
Even though Speedpaints make for perfect tabletop-ready miniatures with just one coat, there are a ton of tricks you can do with them! Whether you’re a seasoned painter or just starting out, these five essential tips will help you elevate your Speedpaint 2.0 creations to new heights.
This guide will show you 5 cool tips and tricks to take your one-coated miniatures to the next level.
To help show you the five tips and tricks, let’s start by introducing our model for today: “Caverns of the Frost Giant” from Steam Forged Games.
Tip 1: Glazing with Speedpaint
The first tip is how to master using Speedpaint for glazing.
Glazing is a technique used to apply thin, translucent layers of paint over an already-painted surface. This method is particularly effective for adding depth, shading, tinting colours, or creating a smooth transition between different colours.
Begin by applying a normal coat of your base colour to your miniature. We’re using “Speedpaint Aged Higed” on the miniature’s body. Speedpaint is already semi-transparent, but mixing the Speedpaint with Speedpaint Medium helps to dilute the paint’s pigmentation. Mix 1 part Speedpaint with 4 parts Speedpaint Medium to create a simple glaze. The glaze for the miniature’s body was created by adding 1 part “Speedpaint Dusk Red” to 4 parts Speedpaint Medium. You can always add either more Medium or Paint to adjust the ratio for the desired transparency, depending on how controlled you would like to be with your layering. On the axe, the basecoat is a “Speedpaint Ashen Stone”, and the glaze is made with “Speedpaint Tyrian Navy” and Speedpaint Medium.
Clean the bristles and use the clean brush to feather and glaze it into the basecoat for a seamless transition. It’s important that you don’t have too much paint on your brush when you feather, or else you won’t get the desired effect. You can also use a bit of Speedpaint Medium on a clean brush to help smooth out those blends.
Tip 2: Drybrush over Speedpaint
The next tip we’re looking closer at is how to drybrush over Speedpaint.
Speedpaint is designed to offer a smooth base coat, deep shadow, and easy highlight in one coat. But by adding a drybrush highlight, you can dramatically push the contrast on your miniature.
Using a drybrush technique over Speedpaint 2.0, you enhance the contrast between the shaded areas and the raised details, bringing out the textures and features of the miniature even more, giving it a more realistic and dynamic look.
Start by applying a base coat of your chosen colour. The base coat for our Frost Giant model’s fur cloak is “Speedpaint Dark Wood”. Once it’s dried, grab your acrylic highlight colour. On the pictured miniature, we’ve chosen the “Banshee Brown” because it’s a great complement to the base tone. For the giant’s beard, we’ve used the “Speedpaint Tyrian Navy” and dry brush of “Wolf Grey” to highlight the hair. To do a drybrush highlight, apply a simple dry brush across the raised edges of the miniature with a Large Drybrush.
It is important to use as little paint on your brush as possible to achieve the desired effect.
Tip 3: Using Speedpaint for Texturing
The third tip is how you can use Speedpaint to add a textured appearance to a miniature.
Start by applying the base coat. We’ve used the “Speedpaint Satchel Brown” on the chosen leather bits and pieces of the miniature. Once the basecoat has dried, use a sponge to stipple on the chosen colour. In this case, we’re using the “Banshee Brown”. To achieve the best possible result, focus on the worn edges of the leather.
To harmonise the result, apply a Speedpaint glaze over it.
Tip 4: Speedpaint Copper Verdigris and Rust Effect
The fourth tip is using Speedpaint to create a copper Verdigris and rust effect on your miniature to add to its realism.
Verdigris refers to a specific green or bluish-green pigment that resembles the patina formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces due to oxidation over time. It is typically applied to areas that would naturally oxidise on real metal objects. This can add a touch of realism to the miniature, making it look more lifelike and aged. Speedpaint Metallics are the industry’s first one-coat metallic paint. Unique to their non-metallic counterparts, these metallics are less transparent but achieve strong coverage while adding a bit of depth to the recesses of the model.
To make a simple Verdigris and rust effect using Speedpaint Metallics, begin by applying a basecoat. On our miniature, we’ve used the “Speedpaint 2.0 Brazen Copper” on the helmet and “Speedpaint 2.0 Broadsword Silver” on the wrist cuffs and parts of the axe. Once dried, we’ve applied a “Speedpaint 2.0 Plasmatic Bolt” wash over the helmet’s copper for a simple Verdigris effect. For the rust, use some “Warpaints Effect Dry Rust” thinned down with a bit of water or Speedpaint Medium, and apply this like a focused wash over focal points on the metallics of your miniature for an authentic rust appearance.
Tip 5: Realistic Gore Effects with Speedpaint 2.0
For the fifth and final tip, we’ll show you how to use Speedpaint to create vivid, gory details and effects such as blood splatter. You can create cool blood splatter effects by using a mixture of “Speedpaint 2.0 Slaughter Red” and “Speedpaint 2.0 Murder Scene” to get a realistic blend of deep, dark reds and more vibrant reds.
To apply the blood splatter effects, use an old or used brush with the bristles cut back. Load it with paint and use your fingers to flick the paint from the bristles to the area of choice, the weapon in this case.
You can then use the brush to stipple and dab more blood into the concentrated areas. It’s better to start with a more conservative application because you can always add more of your effect later, but it’s much harder to remove excess once it’s been applied to your miniature.
Use the base colours in cooperation to add deeper and brighter tones alternatively to give the illusion of dried, coagulated blood and fresh blood splatter existing on the surface at the same time.
Are you ready to master the 5 Speedpaint 2.0 tips and tricks?
Here’s the final result of the Frost Giant painted using a host of techniques and applications with Speedpaint.
Whether you are a beginner looking for an easy paint option, a gamer looking to get that new model or unit to the table quickly, or just trying to expand your range of techniques, Speedpaints are a fast, fun, and versatile tool in any hobbyist’s collection.
The five tips and tricks we’ve explored in this guide provide a roadmap to enhance your miniature painting journey. From the delicate art of glazing to the impactful technique of drybrushing, each tip opens new doors to creative possibilities, allowing you to bring the finest details of your miniatures to life.
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Happy painting!
