Plus one for the music! You've put so much thought into these videos. I've enjoyed watching your ideas come to life, and have taken on board your ideas (in all videos) regarding finishing touches. This will bring my painting to another level.
These tutorials have gotten me really excited about painting up my IA minis! As someone who has been out of painting for over 5 years now I can't express how helpful these guides are.
Just picked up a copy of Imperial Assault on sale and can't wait to start painting. Your tutorials are a joy to watch and you have a great voice for the narration. Keep up the awesome work!
I’m FINALLY getting to painting this game and have been revisiting your videos and I just found myself painting these probe droids and humming your music!
I missed this one earlier, and am so glad I found it, as someone I paint for has commissioned me to paint a whole table full of droids like this, all needing a simple paint job, and this is just what I needed to see to inspire me once again. This so simple paint job is spectacular :-) People often forget that the simplest paint jobs can provide some of the best effects on a model. Thanks again Mr S, for once more showing us how to do it right with minimal fuss, and minimal highlighting/shading effects. These droids look the business, as if they've really seen some things and been through more. The tiny chipping/scratching effects are amazing, and really make a big difference when seen from either close up or from a distance. All the very best Paul :-D
Thank you for these tutorials. 3 stormtroopers left to highlight and then I'll move on to the probes. First time painting miniatures and they are coming out great.
Wow! These are the droids you are looking for! Fantastic paint. I painted my droids and used several of the techniques you mentioned, but I think I would like to revisit them and make them pop a little bit more. Thank you and can't wait for your next video!
Very good video! The steps are very easy to follow, you are very good a explaining what to do and the camera work is the best I have yet seen on a painting video!
I didn't intend on painting these (after failing to complete the descent figures I have). But your videos have made me spend money on paints and brushes. Money after Christmas!!! Really though, a great example of how simple ideas can bring the game to life. Thank you. I look forward to following your future videos.
Great tutorial! Nice to see a quality painting tutorial (they are hard to find). Good camera work. Good editing. Clear, concise instructions. Other tutorialists, please take note! Keep up the great work!
This is SO helpful! easily the best tutorial video set I've watched. You've inspired me to pick up my brushes after far too many years, and the storm troopers are coming along very well! Thanks again!!
Just wanted to say thank you for this great series. I didn't even know I wanted to paint my mini's until I ran across this. Did the probe droids as my first, and they look great! Thanks again!
You're very welcome Ed! I appreciate the feedback and am happy to hear you're enjoying the hobby (and I'm sure whoever gets to play with you will also be happy to have painted minis to play with)!
Very inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, that I've been out to purchase everything I need to start painting my Imperial Assault miniatures, having never picked up a paintbrush before. I'm Looking forward to starting my troopers this weekend and just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to do this.
these videos are amazing! I've been watching since I picked up my own imperial assault but wasn't quite ready to start painting the miniatures. I've since gotten into X-Wing TMG and I'm now really excited to use these same methods on some of my ships before moving onto Imperial Assault. These are truly the best tutorials I've seen for painting generally
Many thanks for a great series I can't wait to see more episodes of! Being a beginner mini painter, you can't imagine how helpful your very detailed tutorials and tips are to me. Choosing the color palette for a particular figure always seems hardest to me, so your instructions come in very handy. Please do keep up the excellent work.
Sorastro; your helpful video series here just got me into painting. I am rather severely colorblind but with your step by step guide at my side I feel confident enough I can fumble my way through it. A big thanks to you! You rock buddy!
great use of technique on those miniatures. also, I really admire the production value of your videos, which are very professional. well done and I will keep watching.
Great video - Now completed droids, clear instructions and these painted up well and quickly. I have seeen other examples with a lot more colour and highlights but I think this is more true to the source and really like the results
I've never bought any Board games that involved miniatures because I've always thought they look pretty bad unpainted and I've never been artistic or even knew how to paint. These tutorials are ridiculously helpful, and it makes me want to buy the game just for the sake of painting them! Thank you so much for these videos, I will soon buy Imperial Assault and will be watching and re watching these videos for painting them.
Love the videos, they have been a huge help as I haven't painted a figure in a good nine years. Looking forward to the Royals guards whenever you get around to 'em!
Alright! Very excited to see more of these released! I love the effect of the scratches. Looking forward to the AT-ST. Also, pretty awesome music. Great job.
These are amazing. Great production value, and is getting me interested in a hobby I otherwise wouldn't have been (due to lack of confidence in painting skills). Thank you! Question: Are you considering doing a series on painting the figures from Star Wars: Rebellion? The game has some awesome figures that could really come to life with painting. Although some of the figures are quite small, at least the bigger ones (death star, star destroyers, rebellion cruisers etc) could be awesome.
Hi Dom. If you prime it white then just give it a grey base coat with something like Mechanicus Standard Grey (a couple of thin layers may be needed) before you add the silver dry brush :)
You sir get my very first youtube comment ever! Your tutorials are so well done, I wish I would of seen them prior to painting my storm troopers. I might make you cry if you saw them. I too have very little time and so I greatly appreciate your talent in both painting and instruction. So what imperial minis are you thinking on painting next?
Thank you very much! All I'll say about the next video is that in the interests of being thorough I'm covering the more basic troop types first in a way that will introduce and reinforce some key techniques before moving onto the more exotic units...
Is it possible to use white primer? or is that not advisable with darker miniatures such as the probe droid, I'm quite new to painting and just trying to cut down the costs of buying 2 different primers which are around $25ea where I am. Thanks for the help and good work.
Hi, I have applied a black primer on the probes (no grey primer). For the first dry brush I also miss the necron compound but I have boltgun metal, chainmail or mithril silver for silver effects. Which one would you recommend for the first dry brush? Thanks in advance for your advises.
Amazing! You have totally inspired this n00b to trying painting minis for the first time. Thank you! question... you mentioned in this tutorial that you refrained from mounting this particular models due to how fragile they were (or something to that effect). Can you explain why so? i would have figured the opposite so you wouldn't handle the delicate parts. Thanks!
+Napoleon Benito Thanks Napoleon! The problem with the probe droids is that the connection where the "feet" meet the base is quite weak and I didn't want to risk breaking them off the base when dry brushing :)
Hey i was wondering how long you let the varnish dry for. Do you let it dry for the full 24 hours as it is recommended on the label before you put on the ardcoat?
Great videos! Helped me a lot to get into the painting hobby. And so far I think I'm doing good with my troopers, and I only have a few left before I start with the droids, but I have a question is there any homemade method of making the 'ardcoat or something similar? Since I don't seem to be able to get my hands on it, maybe a really thin white mix or thinning white glue with water, I dunno. Thanks!
Excellent videos!! Got me hooked. I came into this wanting to paint the miniatures solely to get my friends to play the game and add to the look of the game, but now I would consider it a hobby I've enjoyed it so much. all thanks to these videos! one question: if I wanted to do my elite droid with a gold drybrush instead of silver, would you recommend altering the agrax/nuln oil wash to a different combo or still use it with the gold? thanks in advance if you have time to reply.
Thank you! Hmm for more of a gold look I might try pure Agrax Earthshade, or even Agrax mixed with a little yellow (Casandora Yellow I think is the yellow shade?).
Thanks for all the great videos! just got into painting because of you! quick question for the black camera lenses...are there only the front three or is there more around the head of the droid. i cannot tell. thank you
I used testors dullcote on some minis with metallic paints the other day and they lost all their metallic shine. Basically just looked like grey paint. I noticed you used dullcote on these droids. Did you find that the metallic shine was lost at all?
Hi Nick! Testors Dullocote is very matt indeed but I don't mind the finished look of my probe droids (you can see how mine look in the finished images in the video intro etc.) If it's too matte for you though there are other matt varnishes out there you might try :)
exellent tutorial. I have decided to base them each differently , 1 of which on a tattoine base I used agrellan earth then shaded with agraxearthshade mixed with casandora yellow just as you did for the Bantha but mine seems to be darker than yours is there anything you recomend to lighten it to make it more sandy in colour?
Thanks again Matt! Hmm well there's a whole range of tones you could explore.. you could start with something like Zandri Dust and build up to lighter tones (adding Screaming Skull perhaps) from there until you have a look you're happy with; I'd be tempted to suggest dry brushing the lighter colours on so as to preserve the depth in the cracks but then I'd worry about some of the pieces of cracked earth breaking off... perhaps test out whatever you're planning on a spare base or surface to be safe! :)
Sorastro's Painting thanks I decided to dry brush zandri dust then did a lighter dry brush of tyrant skull an that did ok. So I pretty much what you suggested so thanks again for all your help
Sorastro, I just sprayed my probe droids with the Testors spray lacquer like you show in the video (7:13), and it gave my figures a very shiny finish. Then I read the comments and it says Testors dullcoat matte varnish, which I assuming will not have the same shiny appearance. My question is, if I get a matte varnish sealant, can I go back over the figures even though I have already sprayed them with lacquer? Will this help to take away the shiny appearance?
love it dude. about to pull the trigger on this game and cant wait! i hate hobbies..im going from 1/35 WWII german models to Star Wars and I just cant stop acquiring and spending lmao cheers.
Love the videos your do. Just wondering, if i use a a black primer should i go straight to dry brushing the silver paint over the black or should i apply first a grey base layer over the whole figure. Thanks for the great work you do.
+chamber25 Thank you! You could perhaps give a heavy grey dry brush - without having to get grey into all the recesses - followed by the silver dry brush :)
fair enough, I have repainted a lot if the X Wing stuff and it was your videos that gave me the motivation to do it. just out of interest which figures do you get on the starter box itself
For Imperial Assault? You get the storm troopers, imperial officers, Royal guards, nexu, transoshan hunters, probe droids, AT-ST, the six base-set heroes, plus you get Vader and Luke :)
I have never painted before seeing these videos and they have been a big help! I only have four troopers left so I hope to have those done soon. I would love to know what music you use
Fantastic work. After watching both of your videos so far I feel confident I can get great results with my Boxed game. I was wondering if you going to be going beyond the Core box to some of the villain and allies pack?
Hey thanks so much for these videos. I just got imperial assault and will be painting them thanks to you! Will you be doing the hero's also eventually?
Really enjoying all of your tutorials, many of which I've viewed several times. Production of the videos is outstanding, and you make everything look so easy. What were your impressions of the Winsor & Newton series 7 brushes?
Thanks Locrum! The size 0 has become a favourite of mine, but a couple of the other larger ones lost their point pretty quickly, although that may have been through my being a little careless with them. Overall I think I'll be sticking with Rosemary and Co. as they're around half the cost but still excellent :) (I haven't tried Raphael brushes yet but may do out if curiosity...)
Dear Sorastro, thank you so much for your awesome work! :) After having done Storm Troopers, E-Web's and Royal Guards, I now jump 'back' an episode to start doing the the mini's you recommend using a grey primer for (Probes, Officers, AT-ST). My question is: Do you still recommend the Army Painter: Uniform Grey Spray Primer or is there another you would rather recommend by now?
Have you ever thought about painting the bandai 1/72 tie fighter or rebel craft, just thought you might be quite good at it after watching your at st video
I don't think it will make a huge difference either way to be honest; Without the grey coat you might just have a slightly higher-contrast finish, but as we're using a dark wash anyway I don't think it will make much of a difference.
I'm a beginner. Never painted a miniature before. Would the droids be the best starting point or is there another figure that you made a video for that is easier?
Thanks! Once I hit my next Patreon milestone I'll be buying some proper music mastering software and creating some longer arrangements of all the music for people to game with :)
Hello, I have a question : You used the Army Painter grey spray, but in the description of the Stormtroppers' video, you wrote about the white one "I actually found this primer to be a little granular, so have since switched to Citadel's white primer instead". I'm asking if only the white one is a little granular, or if you switched to Citadel's primer for all colors ? And thank you for your video, very inspirating !
You are awesome! I like your videos so much. Even unexperenced painters like me are now able to create fantastic miniatures. Unforturnately, I dont have "Imperial Assault" but I do have "Zombicide" and I really enjoyed your Zombicide-videos... maybe there will be more?! Thanks and (please) keep on painting!!
Thanks for the comment! There will be more Zombicide painting videos - especially when I receive my Season 3 (I've already bought some fresh glazes to try for the skinner zombies:) )
First of all I am a HUGE fan of this series and I thank you a million times for posting. I primed my probes white and as a learning experience I tried to strip the primer using Simple Green with "ok" results. A lot of the primer remains in fine detail and deep recesses of the mini. I have a question, what would you recommend as the best way to strip paint and primer for a mini?
Thank you for the kind comments Joe! Someone else asked me this a while ago and I'm afraid I have zero experience with stripping paint from minis so I'm really not able to advise. Perhaps someone helpful reading this might be able to offer some suggestions?
Joe Campbell First off, Sorastro, I just found your videos for the first time today and I am totally hooked! Don't have the game yet but I'll be getting it soon and I'm ready to dive in following your tutorials. Joe, I also use Simple Green and find that once I've pulled the minis out, I need to take an old toothbrush, hold it under some warm running water and start brushing gently. Most of the time the bristles on the brush will help get the bits out of the recesses. At the very least it get enough of a layer off to thin it down and then you can prime them again afterwards, just take care not to cake on the primer. Hope this help!
Very clear video's. Will be a massive help, so well done! One question about the Dullcote, how long do you let it dry before applying the gloss varnish?
Was waiting for this, very nice video and tutorial, explained very simply, yet with a very professional look. Just one comment/question: even though they are very similar to the original of the movie, and are very well done, i personally think that are a bit plain if painted just in shades of black and silver. Have you thought of painting the lights/lenses in red or blue to give it a more interesting appeareance? if so, which paints would you recommend? Thanks
Hi Leo - Thanks for the kind comments and interesting question! Yes I sure did think about painting the lenses a different color; In the end I chose the simple black approach to keep things easy for the beginner painter, to stay faithful to the look of the movie versions, and also to keep the necessary number of paints needed to a minimum (again, with new painters in mind). However, I can imagine a dark red might look cool (Mephiston red followed by a Nuln Oil wash + gloss varnish perhaps?) or even a green? I haven't tried it myself so can't offer any more specific a guide, but if you're going to make the color up just try what ever you like :) (You can always paint over it if you don't like the effect!) It would be super cool to see some alternative color schemes if you (or anyone else) has a go... :)
Great painting! I started with your Zombicide videos and got interest in your other videos. These Imperial Assault are fantastic as well...no, they are better! Although I don't have Imperial Assault, but I still learnt a lot. In this video, I think I learnt how to handle metallic miniature, I may apply this on guns or something. BTW, great music and sound effect!
I love your tutorials. I watch them over and over to inspire and prep. Question: for the prob droids, would it be too terrible to use either white or black army painter primer (I have both)? Would it effect the outcome much for either? I cannot seem to find Uniform Grey in my local shops. Closest I found was a gun metal.
Your videos are top notch Sorastro! Thanks for making all these videos! Just one question, can i use the white primer instead of a grey one as the base coat??
Thanks Yan Wei! Yes a white primer would be fine, but I would then give the droid a dark grey or black base coat before applying the silver dry brush. Happy painting!
These videos are awesome. Subscribed and I can't wait for the next one. Even if I never paint my IA minis, watching you do it is quite interesting and inspiring. Where does the music in this one and the last one come from?
Testor's Dullcoat has been my go to forever. I love that stuff. They also happen to make a nice 3 pack of brushes sizes 0, 2, 3 in their premium brush line. I prefer some other brands for detail painting, but these are great for gloss coats and drybrushing. $7.99 is a bargain to me.
So I cleaned my minis with dish soap and warm water before priming, but once they were primed there's a kind of weird residue on the models. Is there any way to prevent this? The models have a weird stipple like effect
Sorastro's Painting no worries, they look perfectly fine after being fully painted up anyway. Thanks for these videos, they're extremely well put together and a lot of fun to watch
MisunderstoodHero You could try, but for a more effective rust effect I would use Typhus Corrosion followed by some Ryza Rust (take a look at Episode 6 to see how the effect looks on the AT-ST) :)
MisunderstoodHero I would apply the rust effect last. But I might use a little dark shade to tone down any areas I might have gone too far with the rust :)
Just a bit of advice, if you prime with a black paint it allows the metallic colors to shine a bit more. My Convergence of Cyriss is done this way and most people think the are full metal models that aren't painted until the lift them and are surprised by how light the plastic models are. I say this not to be a dick but to share knowledge I have learned in hopes to allow you to hone your craft even further. A plateau of skill or knowledge is only a human not realizing he has so much more to learn :)
Also a further note, P3 paints are amazing they are the ones I use, and if you find yourself needing to wash a model twice its better to just start with a darker silver. Wash is usually a dollar more then a paint pot and comes in a smaller pot.
You are very welcome, I have been looking over all of you videos today slowly but surely. I am about to watch Ep4, and commented on 1 as well. As for 3 what I said here and on Ep 1 is all I can say about 3 lol. But keep up the good work if you are not done yet with the model line.
Sorastro, Do you share your music anywhere? would be awesome to stream Star Citizen with some of this as background music.I usually use The Vibe - Charon or Eta Carinae kind of trance stuff from 8tracks.com
Hi Radix! I'm actually having my Imperial Assault music professionally mastered later this month in preparation for a digital release - so watch this space! :)
Lol - Thanks Greg! I guess I do have a slightly unusual skill set but yes I compose all my own music for these videos. I've even been thinking about composing a set of music for some kind of soundboard-style app for playing board games too, but that's a project for another day :)
Plus one for the music! You've put so much thought into these videos. I've enjoyed watching your ideas come to life, and have taken on board your ideas (in all videos) regarding finishing touches. This will bring my painting to another level.
Thank you Matthew! Im glad you like the music :)
These tutorials have gotten me really excited about painting up my IA minis! As someone who has been out of painting for over 5 years now I can't express how helpful these guides are.
Thank you Cameron! I'm happy you've found the guides helpful :)
Just picked up a copy of Imperial Assault on sale and can't wait to start painting. Your tutorials are a joy to watch and you have a great voice for the narration. Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks so much Edward! I'll keep 'em coming :)
Watching your videos makes me feel maybe I can actually do this with some level of success! Thanks for the great series.
+Mario Adrian Thank you Mario! You can do it :)
I’m FINALLY getting to painting this game and have been revisiting your videos and I just found myself painting these probe droids and humming your music!
Ha ha - excellent! Thanks Rich :)
These videos are just amazing. I finished my troopers last night and was wondering what to do next a massive well done!!!
Nice one Matthew! I'm going to have to work hard to keep up with you :)
I missed this one earlier, and am so glad I found it, as someone I paint for has commissioned me to paint a whole table full of droids like this, all needing a simple paint job, and this is just what I needed to see to inspire me once again.
This so simple paint job is spectacular :-)
People often forget that the simplest paint jobs can provide some of the best effects on a model.
Thanks again Mr S, for once more showing us how to do it right with minimal fuss, and minimal highlighting/shading effects.
These droids look the business, as if they've really seen some things and been through more.
The tiny chipping/scratching effects are amazing, and really make a big difference when seen from either close up or from a distance.
All the very best
Paul :-D
+Paul Todd Thanks again Paul! :)
Thank you for these tutorials. 3 stormtroopers left to highlight and then I'll move on to the probes.
First time painting miniatures and they are coming out great.
That's fantastic! I love to hear of first-time success like this :)
Wow! These are the droids you are looking for!
Fantastic paint. I painted my droids and used several of the techniques you mentioned, but I think I would like to revisit them and make them pop a little bit more.
Thank you and can't wait for your next video!
Thanks Robert :)
Very good video! The steps are very easy to follow, you are very good a explaining what to do and the camera work is the best I have yet seen on a painting video!
Thank you for the kind comments Jeppe!
I didn't intend on painting these (after failing to complete the descent figures I have). But your videos have made me spend money on paints and brushes. Money after Christmas!!!
Really though, a great example of how simple ideas can bring the game to life. Thank you.
I look forward to following your future videos.
Thank you! Sorry for forcing you to go out and buy paints :)
painting 10 wows! but music, 11 wows! outrageous production!
Thanks Brent! Glad you like the music :)
Great tutorial! Nice to see a quality painting tutorial (they are hard to find). Good camera work. Good editing. Clear, concise instructions. Other tutorialists, please take note! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for all the feedback Matt :)
This is SO helpful! easily the best tutorial video set I've watched. You've inspired me to pick up my brushes after far too many years, and the storm troopers are coming along very well! Thanks again!!
***** Thanks Mason! I'm glad to hear you've picked up your brushes again and your troopers are looking good :)
Just wanted to say thank you for this great series. I didn't even know I wanted to paint my mini's until I ran across this. Did the probe droids as my first, and they look great! Thanks again!
You're very welcome Ed! I appreciate the feedback and am happy to hear you're enjoying the hobby (and I'm sure whoever gets to play with you will also be happy to have painted minis to play with)!
+Sorastro's Painting Definitely, I think they're afraid to touch them now :)
Very inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, that I've been out to purchase everything I need to start painting my Imperial Assault miniatures, having never picked up a paintbrush before. I'm Looking forward to starting my troopers this weekend and just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to do this.
You're very welcome Mark. Enjoy painting those troopers :)
these videos are amazing! I've been watching since I picked up my own imperial assault but wasn't quite ready to start painting the miniatures. I've since gotten into X-Wing TMG and I'm now really excited to use these same methods on some of my ships before moving onto Imperial Assault. These are truly the best tutorials I've seen for painting generally
chasertalk Thank you very much for the comment!
Many thanks for a great series I can't wait to see more episodes of! Being a beginner mini painter, you can't imagine how helpful your very detailed tutorials and tips are to me. Choosing the color palette for a particular figure always seems hardest to me, so your instructions come in very handy. Please do keep up the excellent work.
Thank you Chris! Every nice comment helps motivate me so I'll keep 'em coming :)
These guides are amazing. I'm keen to pick up Imperial Assault and paint the models so I'll be referring to these for sure.
Thanks Onionkid - good luck with your minis when you get them :)
Your tutorials are great! love how you explain it all clearly and take your time to explain all the stuff.
Thanks! I do try not to ramble :)
Great video. Music, editing, and instruction are top notch.
Thanks again Ian!
Very impressed with your videos, they are very helpful for a beginner like me. Having a lot of fun doing it!
Awesome! Glad you're having fun :)
Sorastro; your helpful video series here just got me into painting. I am rather severely colorblind but with your step by step guide at my side I feel confident enough I can fumble my way through it. A big thanks to you! You rock buddy!
Dusty Erker Thanks Dusty - I really appreciate the comment :)
great use of technique on those miniatures. also, I really admire the production value of your videos, which are very professional. well done and I will keep watching.
Thank you Consigliere - glad you like the video :)
more than welcome. we will give you cookies if you make more.
Mmm cookies!
Great video - Now completed droids, clear instructions and these painted up well and quickly. I have seeen other examples with a lot more colour and highlights but I think this is more true to the source and really like the results
Thanks Richard! I'm glad you're happy with your droid results :)
I've never bought any Board games that involved miniatures because I've always thought they look pretty bad unpainted and I've never been artistic or even knew how to paint. These tutorials are ridiculously helpful, and it makes me want to buy the game just for the sake of painting them! Thank you so much for these videos, I will soon buy Imperial Assault and will be watching and re watching these videos for painting them.
Thank you sir! I'm happy to hear you find the videos helpful :)
Love the videos, they have been a huge help as I haven't painted a figure in a good nine years. Looking forward to the Royals guards whenever you get around to 'em!
Thanks Brian! I'm looking forward to tackling the Royal Guards too ;)
Alright! Very excited to see more of these released! I love the effect of the scratches. Looking forward to the AT-ST. Also, pretty awesome music. Great job.
Thanks! I'm glad you like the music :)
Thanks a lot, i’m a beginner and your tutorials are most valuable.
Thanks Bruce! I'm glad you're finding the videos useful 😀
These are amazing. Great production value, and is getting me interested in a hobby I otherwise wouldn't have been (due to lack of confidence in painting skills). Thank you!
Question: Are you considering doing a series on painting the figures from Star Wars: Rebellion? The game has some awesome figures that could really come to life with painting. Although some of the figures are quite small, at least the bigger ones (death star, star destroyers, rebellion cruisers etc) could be awesome.
Thanks a lot droidean! I'd love to paint my SW Rebellion minis actually. I'll see if I can find time to squeeze them in this year some time :)
You did again! Thanks to your videos, i start to paint my zombidice,after years to not paint nothing...i really like your job...
Thanks Carles - It's good to hear you've picked up your paint brushes again :)
So much awesome in this one video.. I like how you make it a point to keep it simple for the beginners.. Well done!
Thank you! "Simplify, simplify, simplify" to quote Thoreau :)
Hello again,
If I just had a white primer, how would the results differ, or should I apply more grey dry brush?
many thanks for all your help!
Hi Dom. If you prime it white then just give it a grey base coat with something like Mechanicus Standard Grey (a couple of thin layers may be needed) before you add the silver dry brush :)
Very helpful videos, thank you for uploading and sharing this with us. I look forward to more.
Thanks a lot Christopher :)
They look great man - well produced tutorial!
Cheers Andrew!
You sir get my very first youtube comment ever! Your tutorials are so well done, I wish I would of seen them prior to painting my storm troopers. I might make you cry if you saw them. I too have very little time and so I greatly appreciate your talent in both painting and instruction. So what imperial minis are you thinking on painting next?
Thank you very much! All I'll say about the next video is that in the interests of being thorough I'm covering the more basic troop types first in a way that will introduce and reinforce some key techniques before moving onto the more exotic units...
Is it possible to use white primer? or is that not advisable with darker miniatures such as the probe droid, I'm quite new to painting and just trying to cut down the costs of buying 2 different primers which are around $25ea where I am. Thanks for the help and good work.
Hi! You sure can use a white primer, you would just have to give it a dark-grey base coat after :)
Hi,
I have applied a black primer on the probes (no grey primer).
For the first dry brush I also miss the necron compound but I have boltgun metal, chainmail or mithril silver for silver effects. Which one would you recommend for the first dry brush?
Thanks in advance for your advises.
+Christophe Porcel Hi Christophe! You could give a heavy dry brush with Boltgun Metal followed with a lighter Mithril Silver dry brush perhaps?
Thanks. I will give it a try.
what colors u suggest for painting set of star war rebelion board game ships ?
Amazing! You have totally inspired this n00b to trying painting minis for the first time. Thank you!
question... you mentioned in this tutorial that you refrained from mounting this particular models due to how fragile they were (or something to that effect). Can you explain why so? i would have figured the opposite so you wouldn't handle the delicate parts. Thanks!
+Napoleon Benito Thanks Napoleon! The problem with the probe droids is that the connection where the "feet" meet the base is quite weak and I didn't want to risk breaking them off the base when dry brushing :)
Hey i was wondering how long you let the varnish dry for. Do you let it dry for the full 24 hours as it is recommended on the label before you put on the ardcoat?
Great videos! Helped me a lot to get into the painting hobby. And so far I think I'm doing good with my troopers, and I only have a few left before I start with the droids, but I have a question is there any homemade method of making the 'ardcoat or something similar? Since I don't seem to be able to get my hands on it, maybe a really thin white mix or thinning white glue with water, I dunno.
Thanks!
Excellent videos!! Got me hooked. I came into this wanting to paint the miniatures solely to get my friends to play the game and add to the look of the game, but now I would consider it a hobby I've enjoyed it so much. all thanks to these videos! one question: if I wanted to do my elite droid with a gold drybrush instead of silver, would you recommend altering the agrax/nuln oil wash to a different combo or still use it with the gold? thanks in advance if you have time to reply.
Thank you! Hmm for more of a gold look I might try pure Agrax Earthshade, or even Agrax mixed with a little yellow (Casandora Yellow I think is the yellow shade?).
Brilliant yet again!! Keep em coming!
I want to ask what you normally use to clean your brushes in between colors or do you have separate ones for each type?
Hi LinkDJ! I just use water to clean my brushes between colours :)
These are great keep them coming!
Lynnise Falk Thanks Lynnise - I'm on it!
Thanks for all the great videos! just got into painting because of you!
quick question for the black camera lenses...are there only the front three or is there more around the head of the droid. i cannot tell.
thank you
One thing i wasn't sure about, do you paint all the eyes/lenses black or just the 2?
I used testors dullcote on some minis with metallic paints the other day and they lost all their metallic shine. Basically just looked like grey paint. I noticed you used dullcote on these droids. Did you find that the metallic shine was lost at all?
Hi Nick! Testors Dullocote is very matt indeed but I don't mind the finished look of my probe droids (you can see how mine look in the finished images in the video intro etc.) If it's too matte for you though there are other matt varnishes out there you might try :)
exellent tutorial. I have decided to base them each differently , 1 of which on a tattoine base I used agrellan earth then shaded with agraxearthshade mixed with casandora yellow just as you did for the Bantha but mine seems to be darker than yours is there anything you recomend to lighten it to make it more sandy in colour?
Thanks again Matt! Hmm well there's a whole range of tones you could explore.. you could start with something like Zandri Dust and build up to lighter tones (adding Screaming Skull perhaps) from there until you have a look you're happy with; I'd be tempted to suggest dry brushing the lighter colours on so as to preserve the depth in the cracks but then I'd worry about some of the pieces of cracked earth breaking off... perhaps test out whatever you're planning on a spare base or surface to be safe! :)
Sorastro's Painting thanks I decided to dry brush zandri dust then did a lighter dry brush of tyrant skull an that did ok. So I pretty much what you suggested so thanks again for all your help
No problem! I'm glad it turned out well :)
Sorastro, I just sprayed my probe droids with the Testors spray lacquer like you show in the video (7:13), and it gave my figures a very shiny finish. Then I read the comments and it says Testors dullcoat matte varnish, which I assuming will not have the same shiny appearance.
My question is, if I get a matte varnish sealant, can I go back over the figures even though I have already sprayed them with lacquer? Will this help to take away the shiny appearance?
+dlrbrian Hi dlrbrian! Yes - you can spray the matte varnish on top and it will remove the shine no problem :)
love it dude.
about to pull the trigger on this game and cant wait!
i hate hobbies..im going from 1/35 WWII german models to Star Wars and I just cant stop acquiring and spending lmao
cheers.
Lol thank you Sir!
Love the videos your do. Just wondering, if i use a a black primer should i go straight to dry brushing the silver paint over the black or should i apply first a grey base layer over the whole figure. Thanks for the great work you do.
+chamber25 Thank you! You could perhaps give a heavy grey dry brush - without having to get grey into all the recesses - followed by the silver dry brush :)
Thanks for the advice
fair enough, I have repainted a lot if the X Wing stuff and it was your videos that gave me the motivation to do it.
just out of interest which figures do you get on the starter box itself
For Imperial Assault? You get the storm troopers, imperial officers, Royal guards, nexu, transoshan hunters, probe droids, AT-ST, the six base-set heroes, plus you get Vader and Luke :)
I have never painted before seeing these videos and they have been a big help! I only have four troopers left so I hope to have those done soon.
I would love to know what music you use
Thanks Evan - I'm glad you found the videos so helpful! (I actually composed all of the music myself.)
for the bases if I put special glue + sand like artificials would it stick ? If so what glue should I use
Fantastic work. After watching both of your videos so far I feel confident I can get great results with my Boxed game. I was wondering if you going to be going beyond the Core box to some of the villain and allies pack?
Thanks! Yes, it's my plan to cover every miniature in the game, including the core set and any expansions. (Can't wait to tackle Vader!)
Sorastro's Painting excellent. Subscribed!
Hey thanks so much for these videos. I just got imperial assault and will be painting them thanks to you! Will you be doing the hero's also eventually?
Thanks Juno! Yes I will be doing the heroes too :)
Really enjoying all of your tutorials, many of which I've viewed several times. Production of the videos is outstanding, and you make everything look so easy. What were your impressions of the Winsor & Newton series 7 brushes?
Thanks Locrum! The size 0 has become a favourite of mine, but a couple of the other larger ones lost their point pretty quickly, although that may have been through my being a little careless with them. Overall I think I'll be sticking with Rosemary and Co. as they're around half the cost but still excellent :) (I haven't tried Raphael brushes yet but may do out if curiosity...)
Dear Sorastro, thank you so much for your awesome work! :) After having done Storm Troopers, E-Web's and Royal Guards, I now jump 'back' an episode to start doing the the mini's you recommend using a grey primer for (Probes, Officers, AT-ST). My question is: Do you still recommend the Army Painter: Uniform Grey Spray Primer or is there another you would rather recommend by now?
Hi Valdemar! Thanks for the comment! I haven't actually tried any other grey primers to be honest; the Army Painter one was fine though :)
Have you ever thought about painting the bandai 1/72 tie fighter or rebel craft, just thought you might be quite good at it after watching your at st video
I hadn't really thought about it tbh. I would like to do some X-Wing and/or Star Wars Armada though.. :)
with a black primer, would you add a grey coat after, or silver dry bush then add wash?
I don't think it will make a huge difference either way to be honest; Without the grey coat you might just have a slightly higher-contrast finish, but as we're using a dark wash anyway I don't think it will make much of a difference.
Sorastro's Painting thanks will try it out today.
I have army painters plate mail metal primer.. do you think this would give me a similar effect?
Hi - I'm pretty sure that will be fine; An extra layer or two of wash might be needed to tone down the metallic look perhaps?
PS I will be covering the expansion figures :)
I'm a beginner. Never painted a miniature before. Would the droids be the best starting point or is there another figure that you made a video for that is easier?
Hi MuRRec! The droids are the easiest and a fine place to start :)
Is there a way to get your soundtrack somehow? Would love to paint/play with it.
Thanks! Once I hit my next Patreon milestone I'll be buying some proper music mastering software and creating some longer arrangements of all the music for people to game with :)
Hello,
I have a question : You used the Army Painter grey spray, but in the description of the Stormtroppers' video, you wrote about the white one "I actually found this primer to be a little granular, so have since switched to Citadel's white primer instead". I'm asking if only the white one is a little granular, or if you switched to Citadel's primer for all colors ?
And thank you for your video, very inspirating !
+Zombixel Hi Zomb! I've found the other primers from AP to give a much smoother finish; it's just the white I found a bit grainy :)
Sorastro's Painting Ok thanks! Have a nice day
Sorastro what do you think about using Runefang Steel as drybrush instead of Necron Compound? Will the effect be the same? Great tutorial btw :)
+osdyba Thank you! Yes Runefang Steel would be fine - just don't thin it at all :)
You are awesome! I like your videos so much. Even unexperenced painters like me are now able to create fantastic miniatures. Unforturnately, I dont have "Imperial Assault" but I do have "Zombicide" and I really enjoyed your Zombicide-videos... maybe there will be more?!
Thanks and (please) keep on painting!!
Thanks for the comment! There will be more Zombicide painting videos - especially when I receive my Season 3 (I've already bought some fresh glazes to try for the skinner zombies:) )
First of all I am a HUGE fan of this series and I thank you a million times for posting. I primed my probes white and as a learning experience I tried to strip the primer using Simple Green with "ok" results. A lot of the primer remains in fine detail and deep recesses of the mini. I have a question, what would you recommend as the best way to strip paint and primer for a mini?
Thank you for the kind comments Joe! Someone else asked me this a while ago and I'm afraid I have zero experience with stripping paint from minis so I'm really not able to advise. Perhaps someone helpful reading this might be able to offer some suggestions?
Joe Campbell First off, Sorastro, I just found your videos for the first time today and I am totally hooked! Don't have the game yet but I'll be getting it soon and I'm ready to dive in following your tutorials.
Joe, I also use Simple Green and find that once I've pulled the minis out, I need to take an old toothbrush, hold it under some warm running water and start brushing gently. Most of the time the bristles on the brush will help get the bits out of the recesses. At the very least it get enough of a layer off to thin it down and then you can prime them again afterwards, just take care not to cake on the primer. Hope this help!
Very clear video's. Will be a massive help, so well done! One question about the Dullcote, how long do you let it dry before applying the gloss varnish?
+rebelmage Thank you! I find it dries pretty quickly - especially if you place the mini in front of a fan. So just five minutes or so :)
Thanks for the reply. I've waited about 8 hours just to be sure. :P Look very nice. Happy with the result. Thanks again for this awesome series.
+rebelmage No problem! :)
Was waiting for this, very nice video and tutorial, explained very simply, yet with a very professional look.
Just one comment/question: even though they are very similar to the original of the movie, and are very well done, i personally think that are a bit plain if painted just in shades of black and silver. Have you thought of painting the lights/lenses in red or blue to give it a more interesting appeareance? if so, which paints would you recommend? Thanks
Hi Leo - Thanks for the kind comments and interesting question! Yes I sure did think about painting the lenses a different color; In the end I chose the simple black approach to keep things easy for the beginner painter, to stay faithful to the look of the movie versions, and also to keep the necessary number of paints needed to a minimum (again, with new painters in mind). However, I can imagine a dark red might look cool (Mephiston red followed by a Nuln Oil wash + gloss varnish perhaps?) or even a green? I haven't tried it myself so can't offer any more specific a guide, but if you're going to make the color up just try what ever you like :) (You can always paint over it if you don't like the effect!) It would be super cool to see some alternative color schemes if you (or anyone else) has a go... :)
Your droids are fantastic.
Chris Thom Thanks Chris!
Great painting! I started with your Zombicide videos and got interest in your other videos. These Imperial Assault are fantastic as well...no, they are better! Although I don't have Imperial Assault, but I still learnt a lot. In this video, I think I learnt how to handle metallic miniature, I may apply this on guns or something.
BTW, great music and sound effect!
Summer Xia Thanks again for the comments Summer! I'm glad you like the music too :)
I love your tutorials. I watch them over and over to inspire and prep. Question: for the prob droids, would it be too terrible to use either white or black army painter primer (I have both)? Would it effect the outcome much for either? I cannot seem to find Uniform Grey in my local shops. Closest I found was a gun metal.
+George Torres Hi George! Thank you for the comment! A black primer would be fine :)
+Sorastro's Painting Thank you for confirming. ^_^
+George Torres No problem :)
Your videos are top notch Sorastro! Thanks for making all these videos! Just one question, can i use the white primer instead of a grey one as the base coat??
Thanks Yan Wei! Yes a white primer would be fine, but I would then give the droid a dark grey or black base coat before applying the silver dry brush. Happy painting!
Sorastro's Painting Thanks! can't wait for the new ep. to be out! Cheers!
incredible work
Thank you Sir!
These videos are awesome. Subscribed and I can't wait for the next one. Even if I never paint my IA minis, watching you do it is quite interesting and inspiring. Where does the music in this one and the last one come from?
Thank you! I compose and produce all of my own music using a MIDI keyboard, Cubase, and the amazing EastWest Quantum Leap VST instruments :)
The music definitely enhances the videos. Very well done!
NaptownMVP Thank you very much! My childhood piano lessons must have paid off :)
Where did you get your paint at this so cool am paint my as well well Done
Thanks Charlie! I buy my paints from a local Games Workshop store.
Amazing tutorial mate ! Simple yet effective. Keep up the good work :-)
Thank you Cabilis!
Testor's Dullcoat has been my go to forever. I love that stuff. They also happen to make a nice 3 pack of brushes sizes 0, 2, 3 in their premium brush line. I prefer some other brands for detail painting, but these are great for gloss coats and drybrushing. $7.99 is a bargain to me.
You and me both :) I didn't know they also made brushes - thanks.
Excellent stuff!
Thanks :)
An oldie but a goodie.
Thanks, dude 😁
I was thinking of using your Darth Vader progressive red glaze effect to give the Probe droids a HAL 9000-like eye. What do you think?
+Remi Maloney I think that's a great idea Remi :)
You are a good Master, Sorastro-Sensei! ^_^
What's your accent?
+Remi Maloney lol thank you! I'm from the UK :)
Best Tutorials ever!!!!!!!!!
+Andrew Ruggiero Thanks Andrew!
So I cleaned my minis with dish soap and warm water before priming, but once they were primed there's a kind of weird residue on the models. Is there any way to prevent this? The models have a weird stipple like effect
Hi there! Hmm I've not come across that issue so I'm afraid I'm not sure what to suggest. Sorry! :)
Sorastro's Painting no worries, they look perfectly fine after being fully painted up anyway. Thanks for these videos, they're extremely well put together and a lot of fun to watch
Amazing Tutorial love your videos!
Thanks a lot Hayden :)
Testor's Dullcote is the stuff. You sir, know what you are doing.
Lol.. There's no turning back after using Testor's Dullcote is there (despite the smell!) :)
Hello Sorastro. How much time does it take to wash and wash?
Hi Alberto! It doesn't take long to wash a miniature, and I usually find it takes up to around 10 minutes to dry :)
Sorastro's Painting thanks!!
Sorastro's Painting One thing. The BSO of the videos are your, isn't it? could I download it?
The music? It's not currently available for download but I'm working on that.. :)
when you dry brush ?? can you use a bronze color to make it more rusty looking ???
MisunderstoodHero You could try, but for a more effective rust effect I would use Typhus Corrosion followed by some Ryza Rust (take a look at Episode 6 to see how the effect looks on the AT-ST) :)
Sorastro's Painting okay i saw it but do i need to shade after making the rust or before
MisunderstoodHero I would apply the rust effect last. But I might use a little dark shade to tone down any areas I might have gone too far with the rust :)
MisunderstoodHero after =p THX for the help
MisunderstoodHero You're welcome!
Just a bit of advice, if you prime with a black paint it allows the metallic colors to shine a bit more. My Convergence of Cyriss is done this way and most people think the are full metal models that aren't painted until the lift them and are surprised by how light the plastic models are. I say this not to be a dick but to share knowledge I have learned in hopes to allow you to hone your craft even further. A plateau of skill or knowledge is only a human not realizing he has so much more to learn :)
Also a further note, P3 paints are amazing they are the ones I use, and if you find yourself needing to wash a model twice its better to just start with a darker silver. Wash is usually a dollar more then a paint pot and comes in a smaller pot.
+Chris D Hi Chris! Thanks a lot! Tips are always welcome :)
You are very welcome, I have been looking over all of you videos today slowly but surely. I am about to watch Ep4, and commented on 1 as well. As for 3 what I said here and on Ep 1 is all I can say about 3 lol. But keep up the good work if you are not done yet with the model line.
I have one trooper fully painted and two ready for wash and following. Just need the time... Great video.
Nice one! There's no more precious commodity than time :)
Sorastro, Do you share your music anywhere? would be awesome to stream Star Citizen with some of this as background music.I usually use The Vibe - Charon or Eta Carinae kind of trance stuff from 8tracks.com
Hi Radix! I'm actually having my Imperial Assault music professionally mastered later this month in preparation for a digital release - so watch this space! :)
Thanks! Great tutorial.
Thank you!
your painting is great obviously, but holy John Williams balls, that music! You composed it?
Lol - Thanks Greg! I guess I do have a slightly unusual skill set but yes I compose all my own music for these videos. I've even been thinking about composing a set of music for some kind of soundboard-style app for playing board games too, but that's a project for another day :)
Sorastro's Painting that music is wonderful!
Do you know anyone who I can order these from painted? I'm in love but would make a mess of it myself :)
Hi! Josh at Giff's Minis does a fair bit of IA commissions: facebook.com/Giffsminis/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf :)
awesome, great work ^^
Thanks a lot! 😀
Hey there, another cheat for you, if you basespray with citidel leadbelcher, you can agrax or nuln right over the top and then you are done! quick as
great video
Thanks Zwara!
great video, could you please add drying times to your videos.
Thanks for the suggestion Mike; I'll add some drying times to the video descriptions.
Sorastro's Painting thanks man, keep doing great work
Also, have you considered doing any voice-over work? I feel like you'd be good for some sort of narration.
Thank you! I've been told that before; I guess if my eyesight starts to fail me then I have a possible alternative avenue of work... :)