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FREEHAND DETAIL



So your cloak is nicely shaded and highlighted. You got a nice transition on those armor plates, and even the skin turned out smoothly. Still, the model needs…something. The answer? Freehand detail! This guide will show some ways I like to add interest to large blank areas on miniatures.

Materials

There are two prerequisites for all the techniques shown here: a good detail brush and flow improver.

So what makes a good detail brush? Not just any small brush will work. It needs to be made of a springy, resilient hair, which will snap back to a good point. Synthetic brushes will not respond in the same way. Don’t waste your time or money with anything but a good quality Kolinsky sable, and try it out before buying, if possible (see here for more brush information). It needs to be big enough in the belly (the fattest part of the tip) to hold a suitable amount of paint. Yes, I know that guy in the gaming group who is devoted to his three-haired brush. He'd have better results with a brush that allows him to get the paint on the model without its drying first.

Flow improver is the other necessity. It breaks up the surface tension of paint and helps it ‘release’ from the brush. It also helps keep pigment in suspension—helpful when you are using dilute paint. The amount you’ll need varies from maker to maker, and also depends on its use. I add more for very fine script, less (or even none) for blocking out large areas of a design.

Magnification is often helpful—if you think it might aid you, try it out. I use an Optivisor (binocular headband magnifier) when necessary. Even drugstore reading glasses can do the trick.