What a fantastic way to use a make up brush! I pretty much only use them for drybrushing but that circular build-up of layers is really phenomenal. I've got to give it a spin on my monsters. Excellent guide!
Amazing work! I was blown away by this…and the Balrog you painted. My cave troll has been tucked away and now will be dusted off and completed. Thanks for the inspiration man! Seriously.
Glad I could help! :) I love painting up these trolls, i ordered another so it will be on the way soon. I hop that you will enjoy painting yours up! :)
Thank you kindly, i try different methods to see what works, and if it looks good from a foot or two away and it doesn't take all the time in the world then i'm a happy bunny :):)
Thank you very much, I’m always in awe with what they do in that studio - it’a simply magic. And I would LOVE to go there one day :) That’s very nice to hear, I will make sure to create a fair amount! Anything that you would like me to cover and I can pop it on my list :)
Great tip with the makeup brushes! I use the larger makeup brushes on my Epic ACW Armies to apply highlights after I zenithal prime; a few quick swipes and they lay down some highlights that really pop under the contrast paint
Love make up brushes, even the biggest ones in a set are useful to dust miniatures with! I am a fan of the Epic ACW minis :) one day i will actually open my box and get some paint on them haha
You asked about weapon choice; I like the spear because I think it balances things nicely coming forward of the model where as the hammer is primarily behind and changes the composition a bit. Love your paint jobs and the way you present them in your videos.
Yeh i am fond of the spear myself, I just have that vision of Frodo getting impaled y the troll. But i do love painting them, i would love to have about 10 of these in my collection! Glad to hear that you like the video format, it's really good fun putting them together and hopefully my passion for painting minis seeps through into the video! :)
It is soo cool that there is now finally a high quality middle earth tabletop channel. Great tutorial mate i hope this channel blows up soon regarding followers etc. Tabletop-fans really need to see this great stuff 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Thank you very much for the kind words! Im very merry that I can share on youtube what I love to do. AND i love the Middle Earth minis range, there's so much variety so it will keep me busy for a very long time indeed! It would be lovely to have a nice following, then I can share more and hope to be of service to people that would like my content :):)
oh wow thank you so much for the kind words! I will try to do my best for you :) Well, I will be painting a lot of Evil this year so I could certainly pick up some Warg Riders at some point! :):)
Funnily enough I am painting 3 Gandalf's at the moment - one of which is the cart version which looks ace! Im excited to paint the Fellowship up though!
Really enjoying your videos. Particularly as many don’t actually go through the techniques used in as much detail as you do. As someone getting back into mesbg after a 15 year gap not only do I find these videos fun to watch but also really helpful as painting has expanded a fair amount in that time
Thank you very much Michael, i really appreciate that :) Have you got a favourite so far? Congratulations on getting back into some Middle Earth action after being away for a while. What are your 2022 plans for the hobby? Yes i just hope to serve and provide some nice content which is informative but then has a bit of my personality in there too. Middle Earth is a huge topic with so many cultures and visually appealing scenery - so i have A LOT to cover! :):)
@@SwordsandBrushes well I currently am working on my Angmar army and found this video really helpful as I was struggling with the skin tone on my cave troll so perfect timing really. Also hoping to find some more people to battle as the main guy I played with sadly moved away
Sorry i missed this comment back, oh thats a shame i hope that you find someone new close to you - are you a member of some LOTR facebook groups? perhaps there will e someone on there that isn't too far away from you :) Well i'm very glad that i could help, the monsters can certainly be daunting, but i hope that your army is coming along nicely?
I love this! I may have to try painting one of these miniatures. It's been a little over thirty years since I've painted one, and my eyes aren't quite what they used to be, but seeing the depth of layers you use, it gets me inspired.
Oh wow thank you so much for coming over and watching one of my videos, it’s a pleasure! What did you used to paint? You should absolutely give it a go and bring your style to it, I just find painting very therapeutic and when you find a subject that you love doing them it’s an absolute treat :)
Excellent! I'm going to try this out. Tip for me is to use a fineliner for pupils instead of a brush. A very fine micron pen does the trick. Love the detail of painting cracked skin on the more plain sections of the sculpt.
Awesome thank you! Please do let me know how you get on :) Yes it was a trial on the first troll (one with the hammer) and I liked how it turned out - and it didn't take a great deal of time which Is a bonus! Thats a good tip for doing pupils, I may have to try that out one day! :):)
Dude, this is amazing! And the painting level is damn good too! Keep those coming! Started painting Mirkwood Rangers and Hunter Orcs a few days back my self. So glad people are painting those awesome miniatures, still.
Fantastic! How are you finding painting up the hunter orcs? And thank you for the kind words, im glad that you liked the video! - Dont worry i have sooo much planned and hope to provide some nice content for the fine hobbyists out there such as yourself :)
@@SwordsandBrushes Cant wait for more tutorials. As i said, your painting skills are actually real good. Just dont rush and make a good quality videos. They will be there to help thousands of newcomers and hardened veterans many years ahead. It is a long time investment that will always pay off. Like to dislike ratio says it all. I absolutely love Hunter Orcs. They are plastic and have so much variety to them, in terms of heads, arms and attachments. I try to paint to Eavy Metal, so i have so far finished only one warg that the Orcs are mounted on. It was a lot of fun to paint fur, but i have to improve on my recipe for that one. So far i havent figured out the skin tone Eavy metal team use to paint hunter orcs. So i wold have to think about that one. That is why i have painted one gundabad orc yesterday. Way worse in terms of quality (resin cast and a messy sculpt), but they are easy to paint. The "Rise of the Necromancer" campaign book features a master class on how to paint Dol Guldur and The Necromancer model. Dont have the Necromancer model, but i do have Dol Guldur set, so that would be a future project.
I will try not too! Ive got a few playlist ideas as well to help other hobbyists/painters so i can be of service - just like Balin! It's just really nice to see all the views and especially the comments, it puts a smile on my face that my little corner on youtube is helping people :) Yeh the hunter orcs were interesting, especially the skin tones and the variation you can have for them. If you are on facebook then do come and find me, i'd love to see what you have done with them! The Dol Guldur scenery looks so good! I'd love to get my hands on that at some point and get it painted up!
Another wonderful tutorial! Using makeup brushes is something I do for a long time now, the ones I use are perfect for drybrushing, in my opinion even more so than the ones from "official" brands.
Thank you very much! Im glad that you liked it, when my other half saw it she was like - 'Thats not a blusher brush - that's an Eye shadow brush' haha she told me! Is there any specific brand that you like or tend to go for?
@@SwordsandBrushes I don't think the brushes makeup brushes I use have a brand, they were the cheapest I could find in a discount store. It was a pack ranging from a smaller one to an abserdly large one. I use the smallest of them for drybrushing capes, and other bigger pieces of armour, the larger ones are mainly used for terrain, since they're bigger than a Rohan horse ;)
Awesome, i think when you find a cracking purchase like that then you feel all the better for it! I sometimes wonder what it would be like with expensive brushes - but if it aint broke, then dont fix it haha I like it, sounds like you have the perfect use for the whole set! The softer larger ones i use are purely for dusting miniatures too as they are very soft and perfect for that :):)
Thank you very much! I just wanted to make videos that are a bit thematic but also informative at the same time :):) I could quite possible do balin in the future. I’d have to buy another one though :)
Thank you very much! oh yes I've seen some of his Star Wars Legion videos last year and they turned out lovely. He has a great talent! I hope that i can bring some good value to the Middle Earth fans out there such as myself :):)
Thank you! At the moment I'm averaging a video every 2 weeks as they take a while to make in between what I normally do. Maybe one day I could go full-time and do more - that would be the perfect dream right there!
Thank you so much! This chap alongside the goblins from the Balins Board game is going to be the starting point for one of the armies that I shall be working on this year! :):)
I hear you! some minis just have a large gap just like the cave troll. My favourite product to sort this out is Vallejo Plastic putty. Easy to use, easy to smooth and you can paint right over it! :):) amzn.to/3VKc0Wn
**QUESTION** - What member of the Fellowship would YOU like to see painted first, when we continue with this series?
Gunna have to say Gandalf, always struggle with his 50shades of grey of his cloak
I will have good practice for Gandalf at that point, I have just finished 3 (including the one on cart) yesterday!
@@SwordsandBrushes yeah I saw you post on Facebook. Looked awesome dude
Sam!
@@prietob81 The bravest of all Hobbits! :):)
You're quickly becoming my favourite channel to watch for mesbg! Bravo sir! Keep up the good work 😀
Wow thank you so much! Im just doing what I love, but now I can share my passion with the world through video :):) Here's to a busy 2022! :):)
What a fantastic way to use a make up brush! I pretty much only use them for drybrushing but that circular build-up of layers is really phenomenal. I've got to give it a spin on my monsters. Excellent guide!
ah totally, i just like the super soft bristles on them and the variety of brushes you can get in a set - for a pretty inexpensive price really!
Amazing work! I was blown away by this…and the Balrog you painted. My cave troll has been tucked away and now will be dusted off and completed. Thanks for the inspiration man! Seriously.
Glad I could help! :) I love painting up these trolls, i ordered another so it will be on the way soon.
I hop that you will enjoy painting yours up! :)
Using dry dry brush this way is awesome! Never saw it 🎉 great work ❤
Thanks so much! 😊
very quick and good method. better and easyer than wetblending. thank you
Thank you kindly, i try different methods to see what works, and if it looks good from a foot or two away and it doesn't take all the time in the world then i'm a happy bunny :):)
So glad you’ve started this. I’ve just got back into this. Got the fellowship and the balrog for Xmas 😊
Oh fantastic! Thats a nice Christmas present to have! I would love to get a Balrog at some point :)
What are you going to paint first?
@@SwordsandBrushes I’d like to do the fellowship first I think. I need to do some tidying on the balrog as there is some annoying gaps aha.
Thanks for showing how-to. I can't wait to paint mine. I'm going with green tones though. Great video, clear and concise.
That would be excellent to see, please do let me know how you get on once you have finished your troll! :):)
You've done an excellent job of matching the Weta Sculpt and I'll be making use of your guide in the coming months!
Thank you very much, I’m always in awe with what they do in that studio - it’a simply magic. And I would LOVE to go there one day :)
That’s very nice to hear, I will make sure to create a fair amount! Anything that you would like me to cover and I can pop it on my list :)
Great tip with the makeup brushes! I use the larger makeup brushes on my Epic ACW Armies to apply highlights after I zenithal prime; a few quick swipes and they lay down some highlights that really pop under the contrast paint
Love make up brushes, even the biggest ones in a set are useful to dust miniatures with!
I am a fan of the Epic ACW minis :) one day i will actually open my box and get some paint on them haha
You asked about weapon choice; I like the spear because I think it balances things nicely coming forward of the model where as the hammer is primarily behind and changes the composition a bit. Love your paint jobs and the way you present them in your videos.
Yeh i am fond of the spear myself, I just have that vision of Frodo getting impaled y the troll. But i do love painting them, i would love to have about 10 of these in my collection!
Glad to hear that you like the video format, it's really good fun putting them together and hopefully my passion for painting minis seeps through into the video! :)
It is soo cool that there is now finally a high quality middle earth tabletop channel. Great tutorial mate i hope this channel blows up soon regarding followers etc. Tabletop-fans really need to see this great stuff 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Thank you very much for the kind words! Im very merry that I can share on youtube what I love to do. AND i love the Middle Earth minis range, there's so much variety so it will keep me busy for a very long time indeed!
It would be lovely to have a nice following, then I can share more and hope to be of service to people that would like my content :):)
This comes at the perfect time. I just got my cave troll glued and ready to paint! Fantastic videos so far
It's like I have a Palantir and just know these things haha, have fun painting up the troll!
And thank you for the kind words :):)
Love it!
oh wow thank you so much for the kind words! I will try to do my best for you :)
Well, I will be painting a lot of Evil this year so I could certainly pick up some Warg Riders at some point! :):)
This is awesome 👍🏻
Thank you kindly! These trolls have certainly been some of my favourite miniatures to paint this year! :):)
You're my Hero Mr Bilewicz!
lol only heros wear capes, sadly i have lost mine.
Another Fantastic tutorial!! Go for Gandalf 😁
Funnily enough I am painting 3 Gandalf's at the moment - one of which is the cart version which looks ace!
Im excited to paint the Fellowship up though!
Really enjoying your videos. Particularly as many don’t actually go through the techniques used in as much detail as you do. As someone getting back into mesbg after a 15 year gap not only do I find these videos fun to watch but also really helpful as painting has expanded a fair amount in that time
Thank you very much Michael, i really appreciate that :) Have you got a favourite so far?
Congratulations on getting back into some Middle Earth action after being away for a while. What are your 2022 plans for the hobby?
Yes i just hope to serve and provide some nice content which is informative but then has a bit of my personality in there too. Middle Earth is a huge topic with so many cultures and visually appealing scenery - so i have A LOT to cover! :):)
@@SwordsandBrushes well I currently am working on my Angmar army and found this video really helpful as I was struggling with the skin tone on my cave troll so perfect timing really. Also hoping to find some more people to battle as the main guy I played with sadly moved away
Sorry i missed this comment back, oh thats a shame i hope that you find someone new close to you - are you a member of some LOTR facebook groups? perhaps there will e someone on there that isn't too far away from you :)
Well i'm very glad that i could help, the monsters can certainly be daunting, but i hope that your army is coming along nicely?
I love this! I may have to try painting one of these miniatures. It's been a little over thirty years since I've painted one, and my eyes aren't quite what they used to be, but seeing the depth of layers you use, it gets me inspired.
Oh wow thank you so much for coming over and watching one of my videos, it’s a pleasure! What did you used to paint?
You should absolutely give it a go and bring your style to it, I just find painting very therapeutic and when you find a subject that you love doing them it’s an absolute treat :)
Excellent! I'm going to try this out. Tip for me is to use a fineliner for pupils instead of a brush. A very fine micron pen does the trick. Love the detail of painting cracked skin on the more plain sections of the sculpt.
Awesome thank you! Please do let me know how you get on :)
Yes it was a trial on the first troll (one with the hammer) and I liked how it turned out - and it didn't take a great deal of time which Is a bonus!
Thats a good tip for doing pupils, I may have to try that out one day! :):)
I’m painting my troll in this moment with your tutorial !!!
Thats lovely to hear, thank you! I hope that he turns out wonderfully for you! :) Do let me know how you get on :):)
@@SwordsandBrushes it’s done ! Thx so much for your help !
@@manuelmassola6924 oh wow that's awesome, I have seen your Facebook message on my page so I will take a look now :)
Excellent video!
Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it :) Is there anything specific that you like about it? Then I know to do more of the same for the future!
@@SwordsandBrushes I appreciate the clear and concise instructions and high quality video editing. Thanks
awesome thank you for letting me know, I shall do more of the same! :):)
Dude, this is amazing! And the painting level is damn good too! Keep those coming!
Started painting Mirkwood Rangers and Hunter Orcs a few days back my self. So glad people are painting those awesome miniatures, still.
Fantastic! How are you finding painting up the hunter orcs?
And thank you for the kind words, im glad that you liked the video! - Dont worry i have sooo much planned and hope to provide some nice content for the fine hobbyists out there such as yourself :)
@@SwordsandBrushes Cant wait for more tutorials. As i said, your painting skills are actually real good. Just dont rush and make a good quality videos. They will be there to help thousands of newcomers and hardened veterans many years ahead. It is a long time investment that will always pay off.
Like to dislike ratio says it all.
I absolutely love Hunter Orcs. They are plastic and have so much variety to them, in terms of heads, arms and attachments. I try to paint to Eavy Metal, so i have so far finished only one warg that the Orcs are mounted on. It was a lot of fun to paint fur, but i have to improve on my recipe for that one.
So far i havent figured out the skin tone Eavy metal team use to paint hunter orcs. So i wold have to think about that one.
That is why i have painted one gundabad orc yesterday. Way worse in terms of quality (resin cast and a messy sculpt), but they are easy to paint.
The "Rise of the Necromancer" campaign book features a master class on how to paint Dol Guldur and The Necromancer model. Dont have the Necromancer model, but i do have Dol Guldur set, so that would be a future project.
I will try not too! Ive got a few playlist ideas as well to help other hobbyists/painters so i can be of service - just like Balin!
It's just really nice to see all the views and especially the comments, it puts a smile on my face that my little corner on youtube is helping people :)
Yeh the hunter orcs were interesting, especially the skin tones and the variation you can have for them. If you are on facebook then do come and find me, i'd love to see what you have done with them!
The Dol Guldur scenery looks so good! I'd love to get my hands on that at some point and get it painted up!
Another wonderful tutorial! Using makeup brushes is something I do for a long time now, the ones I use are perfect for drybrushing, in my opinion even more so than the ones from "official" brands.
Thank you very much! Im glad that you liked it, when my other half saw it she was like - 'Thats not a blusher brush - that's an Eye shadow brush' haha she told me!
Is there any specific brand that you like or tend to go for?
@@SwordsandBrushes I don't think the brushes makeup brushes I use have a brand, they were the cheapest I could find in a discount store. It was a pack ranging from a smaller one to an abserdly large one. I use the smallest of them for drybrushing capes, and other bigger pieces of armour, the larger ones are mainly used for terrain, since they're bigger than a Rohan horse ;)
Awesome, i think when you find a cracking purchase like that then you feel all the better for it!
I sometimes wonder what it would be like with expensive brushes - but if it aint broke, then dont fix it haha
I like it, sounds like you have the perfect use for the whole set!
The softer larger ones i use are purely for dusting miniatures too as they are very soft and perfect for that :):)
awesome, instant sub, there's not much quality MESBG content. Are you gonna make a video painting Balin?
Thank you very much! I just wanted to make videos that are a bit thematic but also informative at the same time :):)
I could quite possible do balin in the future. I’d have to buy another one though :)
breath taking!
Thank you kindly! :)
Very nice job! I seein your videos some influence from Sorastro videos ;)
Keep it going, great videos ;)
Thank you very much! oh yes I've seen some of his Star Wars Legion videos last year and they turned out lovely. He has a great talent!
I hope that i can bring some good value to the Middle Earth fans out there such as myself :):)
@@SwordsandBrushes looking foward for yours next video's ;)
@@Seereeq I have about 20 on my list currently planned, so its like a celebrations box at Christmas - pop your hand in and see what's next haha
@@SwordsandBrushes damn it, cant wait to see them ;)
So i already subscribed your channel. Now i'm awaiting for ringbell notification ;)
Thank you! At the moment I'm averaging a video every 2 weeks as they take a while to make in between what I normally do. Maybe one day I could go full-time and do more - that would be the perfect dream right there!
Belting video dude.
Thank you so much! This chap alongside the goblins from the Balins Board game is going to be the starting point for one of the armies that I shall be working on this year! :):)
My cave troll is assembled but as of yet unprimed. The kit has some major gaps in it despite my careful assembly. Any tips on gap filling?
I hear you! some minis just have a large gap just like the cave troll.
My favourite product to sort this out is Vallejo Plastic putty.
Easy to use, easy to smooth and you can paint right over it! :):)
amzn.to/3VKc0Wn