PROCESS
Camouflage Speedpainting
How to quickly paint decent-looking camouflage (bad brush and shaky hands REQUIRED)
This simple process would do the job for almost any classic camouflage pattern (green, blue, white, etc).
It removes the need of actually drawing the shapes with freehand. Instead, we will use stippling and washes to achieve a convincing camouflage effect at really high speed.
A bad brush and a shaky hand would do fine. Actually, that even helps.
It removes the need of actually drawing the shapes with freehand. Instead, we will use stippling and washes to achieve a convincing camouflage effect at really high speed.
A bad brush and a shaky hand would do fine. Actually, that even helps.
The process is dumb and simple: basecoat, stippling, stippling, wash.
I'll use some models from PanOceania starter pack as an example. Back in 2014, when I bought the box, I opted for a classic blue scheme. But with a slight twist of changing khaki pants to blue camo.
I'll use some models from PanOceania starter pack as an example. Back in 2014, when I bought the box, I opted for a classic blue scheme. But with a slight twist of changing khaki pants to blue camo.
Stippling Technique
A few words on stippling, in case you never encountered the technique before.
Stippling means irregular smudges and blots with an old brush, using dry-ish paint (not as dry as for drybrush, but not as wet as for basecoat). Synthetic brush with hard bristles is preferable for this.
The result is usually very rough and wouldn't do as a final stage. But, combined with washes, it gives very nice patterns and effects.
Stippling can be used to create camo, all sorts of leathers, and some other uneven textures.
My stippling brush looks like this:
Stippling means irregular smudges and blots with an old brush, using dry-ish paint (not as dry as for drybrush, but not as wet as for basecoat). Synthetic brush with hard bristles is preferable for this.
The result is usually very rough and wouldn't do as a final stage. But, combined with washes, it gives very nice patterns and effects.
Stippling can be used to create camo, all sorts of leathers, and some other uneven textures.
My stippling brush looks like this:
Camouflage step by step
Now to actual painting process:
1) Basecoat — Grey
I cover all areas with basecoat of Citadel Celestra Grey (any light grey would do fine):
1) Basecoat — Grey
I cover all areas with basecoat of Citadel Celestra Grey (any light grey would do fine):
2) Stippling — Dark grey
Next I stipple all area with Citadel Mechanicus Stardard Grey (or any dark grey color):
Next I stipple all area with Citadel Mechanicus Stardard Grey (or any dark grey color):
The joy of this step is that you don't need to be accurate. Just put some irregular blobs on the surface, leaving some of the basecoat visible.
Additional points if you could leave surrounding areas intact. If that is tough for you — try doing stippling before everything else.
3) Stippling — Offwhite
Next I do another layer of stippling, this time with VMC Ivory. Again, this should be chaotic, leaving both previous layers visible somewhere:
Additional points if you could leave surrounding areas intact. If that is tough for you — try doing stippling before everything else.
3) Stippling — Offwhite
Next I do another layer of stippling, this time with VMC Ivory. Again, this should be chaotic, leaving both previous layers visible somewhere:
4) Wash — Blue
And then I wash the whole surface with Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade + Citadel Lahmian Medium:
And then I wash the whole surface with Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade + Citadel Lahmian Medium:
This is a multi-purpose step. This wash gives us some contrast and definition in recesses, blends previous messy steps, and also tone whole surface blue. Giving us exactly what we want: stylish blue camo.
Result
Some photos of completed camouflage:
And completed models in this scheme:
Final thoughts
Doing this camouflage costs something around 15 minutes per model on average.
Meaning this wouldn't work for army-level speedpainting (aiming for under an hour per model), but would be fine if you're willing to spend 1-2 hours on every miniature.
You just need to get familiar with stippling (that's easy, just try it) and washes (and that's the best painting technique out there, so you should). Both techniques are very novice-friendly and doesn't require much accuracy on your part.
If you find this tutorial useful, please share with your hobby buddies who need to decrease their pile of shame:
Meaning this wouldn't work for army-level speedpainting (aiming for under an hour per model), but would be fine if you're willing to spend 1-2 hours on every miniature.
You just need to get familiar with stippling (that's easy, just try it) and washes (and that's the best painting technique out there, so you should). Both techniques are very novice-friendly and doesn't require much accuracy on your part.
If you find this tutorial useful, please share with your hobby buddies who need to decrease their pile of shame:
This is literally the first miniature painting tutorial I've wrote back in 2014. Somebody asked "Hey, how did you painted that camouflage?", and that's how it all started.
Now, when I'm translating it to English, it feels a bit messy with old smartphone photos.
Still, this is very useful advice, and I wanted to share this oldie but goodie "as is". I wrote this article immediately after developing this process. So, while old, it is still saturated with excitement of a new discovery.
Let me know what you think of it.
Now, when I'm translating it to English, it feels a bit messy with old smartphone photos.
Still, this is very useful advice, and I wanted to share this oldie but goodie "as is". I wrote this article immediately after developing this process. So, while old, it is still saturated with excitement of a new discovery.
Let me know what you think of it.
What's next
