OK, Before you guys crucify me! I realized that Tamiya ENAMEL paint and thinner are NOW listed on amazon! They were not there when I started to plan for this video, so please excuse that remark I made, looks like you can get *some* paint colors but it's very limited in variety, still I've posted links to what you can get. 😅 Hope this tutorial is useful, please no hate with the remarks in the end, those are just my thoughts, you can agree to disagree if you like, everybody is entitled to their opinion, even me so please remain respectful or the banhammer will come down.
The strange thing is Tamiya enamel is available in Canadian hobby stores, even the thinner and has been for a couple of years. I had not gotten into it myself due to it's toxic nature ie proper ventilation and disposal.
I'm not a modeler or painter at all and not a part of the community - I happened to find your channel and was hooked from the first Princess video (Mars). I couldn't, and still can't, understand why people give you crap for using acrylics. You do some amazing magic with shading - as a person who can barely draw a stick figure - and it fascinates me every time. I'd always say 'Oooh, it's magic dust time!' when you'd start shading with the acrylics! I'm endlessly impressed with your eye work! Keep using your magic dust!
I have shaky hands (way too much coffee daily) so this technique always catched my eyes. Ordered tamiya enamels last week to finally try it, but had to study the technique just watching and with auto generated subs on JP videos, so this came just in time. Both halves of the video were very good, it was an entertaining rant on the second half, thaks a lot!
👀 It wasn't until I heard you say it that I realized that not being able to have access to things that 'real artists' use like airbrushes and good paint was keeping me from trying to move forward with any of my kits. I have so many but I've been self-sabotaging to the point where I couldn't make a single thing. It's a little embarrassing, but I'm over 30 and still growing in my confidence. XD I'm gonna start my first kit this October! No more hesitating!
👀👀 I actually really appreciate your candidness and honesty when it comes to your craft. Not just Japanese modellers but anyone who's been engaging in a craft for a long time can sometimes forget that they were a beginner too, that no one ever saw the mistakes and awkward growth periods before they were confident sharing. But I love that you share your mistakes and talk about the hard parts of the art and guide through everything. Wishing you lots of love!
I really enjoyed your discussion about the beauty of individual styles, and art being a form of personal expression, not a mandate to follow One True Style, it's such an important concept for so many creative fields!
leona you're the GOAT!! I was so fascinated by the japanese painters using this technique but I had no idea how they were doing it. I even saw one guy practicing on white plastic spoons 😂 I found a local hobby shop that imports some tamiya products in utah, I guess a shopping trip is in order!
Hello! I came across your videos and tutorials by chance, because I decided to try myself in modeling. I really like to paint and draw, but I was always worried about my hands shaking. And in general, my friends who are obsessed with anime figures are perfectionists who like the Japanese "ideal" result. Just the other day I cried because I thought this hobby was not for me. Although I really enjoy it. I want to say thank you. At the end of the video, your speech touched me and gave me strength. I am new to this, but I want to achieve a good result. And to understand that the fact that I change and add some details (glazing, shading) does not make my works bad. Thank you very much ❤
I've used Testor's enamel paints for this, it worked successfully. Had a problem where too much re-doing the enamel lines and smearing may stain on the overcoat, though can't say if it's a particular issue with testors or enamel in general.
@@starsiegeplayer I don't know if testor's has the transluscent kind shown in this video. I was satisfied with my result but maybe those were more desirable.
I honestly took something out of this video I’ve watched you for years and I really think you did a great justice to all artists that are in there head 😂 I am not a gk painter though I’d love to get into it but I am a watercolor “anime” artist and I constantly compare myself to others and get into long art blocks bc of it and mostly I’m comparing myself to official artists and people who have spent years doing it when I’ve only been doing it for 1/4 of the time
there should be like an artist support group where the mantra is "I need to stop comparing myself to other artists" at the end of each session 😂 "Hello, I'm Leona and I'm here because I constantly compare myself to other artists and think my work is shit" 🤣
👀👀👀 Your rant at the end was the pep talk I really needed even though I'm not a GK artist. There's defiantly the same mindset when it comes to the digital art/traditional art/fan art communities of "well why don't you do x" or "why isn't your style like y". It's so easy to just throw your own soul/style into the trash and just not develop it at all. I know my art suffers from trying to be like everyone else that doing personal work is frustrating which is why I started learning 3D art to get away from it for a while lol. Thank you as always Leona for your words and your art! 💜
👀 As a fine artist I also think your rant at the end needs to be heard by other artists, crafters, and markers. I like my art to be unique. I like unique art. I also like recognizing artists by their work. I really like being creative and trying new things even if I fail; I also encourage my art students to do the same. Keep being you!
Oh! I find this really interesting, because I used a bit similar method while repainting dolls (yes, I know you have rocky past with doll community) - before I had sealant! I used acrylic paints that I know would not stain the vinyl and then with small sponge with acetone correct mistakes and "shape" for example eyes or brows until they were symmetrical! I still used it sometimes as the first "layer" before using sealant, pastels and colored pencils.
I really agree with lots of your points with your "rant". I didn't think it was a rant at all. 👀 I do a lot of different kinds of art and find myself often "outside" of the social circles of any given group because I'm not a specialist to any of them. I really love your videos because you also take things from multiple spaces and put them to good use. Thanks again for your videos. You deserve better from the internet community.
👀 agreed with pretty much everything you said. Japanese culture does hammer on doing things a certain way that has been tried and tested trough the ages, although this is not unique to their culture. I think a lot of inexperienced painters will be like this too (i.e. not daring to deviate from the "norm"). The cool thing is that maybe the non-japanese GK community will come up with new styles, which in turn might influence the Japanese community. This is also something we see with art and music and so on :) cross cultural pollination as it were And of course, amazing video as always! :)
👀 Although I'm not a GK artist, I love watching you work. There's something so satisfying about watching these figures come together, bit by bit. The technique creates a really beautiful result, but it also seems to be quite time-consuming and part of me wonders, if adding so many layers doesnt add unnecessary bulk, since the models are so delicate. Your rant at the end of the video was very refreshing! Art is an expression of the self, not a metric used to compare people with each other.
Your best rant so far! That's very insightful. Really got me thinking. It's true, (I paint tabletop minis), I can usually tell which (famous) artist painted which minis, but the Japanese style tends to look the same. Impeccably painted, but the same. This is probably going to keep me up all night
Woah, the countdown intro messed with my head a little, but it was neat. Lol Thanks so much Leona for the information!!! We always love new techniques to try and test out! I struggle with hand steady issues because of having blood sugar swings. This could really help me out, especially by being forgiving for "sketching" out the eye design!❤❤❤ Love your work so much!
My dear Leona, what you say is so deep and broad, the technique and the tricks, the method and the soul, the perfection and the authenticity, the philosophy of art... What would become of Picasso if he changed or corrected just one of his strokes? It wouldn't be Picasso. Art is evolutionary, and you are a great artist, your seal and your style is unmistakable in your work, which makes you a Master. What you teach can be applied to other areas of art (even life and oneself) and the best thing is that with your videos we can try to do something creative as a beginner or neophyte. Thank you very much and greetings from CDMX.👀
👀 Thank you for giving your opinion and life lessons. This is what I’m learning on my part in art. Putting your soul into art is SO important! I always love to watch your art and process, remind me of what art is all about. It sucks that you get so much Flack for just doing your own thing.Glad that you got the chance to try it out. Gonna show my friend some more or your videos since he is currently enjoying the, as he puts it “Gundam GK brain rot” haha 😂
Great video Leona. I have some good news though! Testors used to be what we mecha modelers used for our version of this technique in America. They're getting harder and harder to find though. Thankfully, there's a RUclipsr named BarbatosRex who recently started making his own enamel model paint. Right now it's a little tough to get sometimes because it's only available on GundamPros, but from what I hear, it works perfectly for enamel washes and details. The colors are kinda mecha oriented but I bet plenty would look great on figures!
I always wondered how Japanese modelers do this. Didn’t see it explained anywhere especially not in English so thank you for making this video! Thought I feel like I will have a really hard time obtaining these items where I live. But it’s gonna be on my shoppinglist for my next Japan trip!
Thanks Leona for share your work and thoughts but also your personal history. You inspire me and give me strength to push tru my skills but also my body.
👀Super helpful video as always. Not knowing Lacquer/Enamel layer technique, I've been imitating Japanese style to a degree with just acrylic and taking many hints from yours and other videos on figure eye painting. Very insightful rant too. I'm not a perfectionist and I was realistic about my current skills in my gk journey, and I think I've been content with my own work by using a mix of techniques made available by you and the Japanese artists to make something I'm satisfied with.
OOOOOOOH, you finally demystified this for me. I see Japanese painters always use this in their videos and while I have an idea what they were doing, I never knew the exact products and details. Edit: I would also like to add, I've seen some of the Japanese painters take advantage of the glossiness and mask out the eyes and mouth to keep the glossiness of the figurine. I think it looked really nice.
👀 totally agree!! I'm sure that some would be horrified that my first several kits were painted in whatever colours I thought would look great instead of replicating the originals 😮 just to try things out and see what works is important to every artist. Thank you for giving us your voice ❤
Thank you for the tutorial and time to teach this technique.. Agree with what you say no technique is the best method. Just like 5+5 =10 and 12-2=10 as well. Result is still the same . "All hail the resin queen" again thank you for sharing your no filter & honest opinion.
I really don't want to initiate another "watercolor pencil for eyes" debacle but I have seen miniature painters using oil paints and oil paint thinner to do layering. Vould it work for GK? Or the waiting dry time/material is incompatible?
👀 I have been making models/figures literally for decades (for longer than you've been alive I'm sure). I'm still not afraid to try new techniques/paints/tools whatever, in the search of a better (a.k.a. more satisfying) result. I've watched your videos for a few years now and enjoy your perspective on kit making as well as you talent in doing so (yes I said talent, sue me) and I agree that there are as many different ways to make a GK as there are people who make them. Some are better than others, but that's the way of anything and in the end, it all comes down to one thing: Do you enjoy doing it? No matter the technique or multiple techniques that is all that counts. I love this hobby and always will. You've helped me along the way and I look forward to learning more. Thanks.
I've tried doing this, but with leeched and heavily thinned oil paints. Had some decent success but will need to experiment more. AK interactive has a similar "cleaning stick" that seems to work along with mineral spirits for the oils. One thing to be careful when using oil paints is to use a "non staining" pigment. Dry time is longer, but leeching the oils help alot.
I know this is a year old and others have mentioned Testors enamels, but... they should still be readily available in the US (last time I was there was 10 years ago). Also, a common technique in the auto / war kit world is using zippo fuel ( or any brand lighter fluid) as the thinner/ remover for enamels. It dries faster, much cheaper and doesn't leave any visible residue, not quite sure about coating over though as I only use washes as a final coat, ie: panel lining or weathering. I live in Asia where tamiya stuff is easily bought... but I still prefer zippo oil. Off note though, gundam panel line markers are alchohol based, so imcompatible with the zippo fuel. Fully agree with your 'rant', I've been making models for nearly 30 years, there's new techniques coming out all the time, from all aspects of the world (some of my tools/techniques are from the medical/ scientific industry.)... I'm always open to new stuff and don't mind touching up on old stuff either. 👀
👀I've been following your work since the Princess Serenity video and, while I've had difficulties in acquiring a couple of pieces of safety equipment delay my working on the handful of kits I've gotten, this video has articulated something I've noticed in the difference between the way I approach some projects compared to the way a lot of people whose finished projects I've seen and whose tutorials I've watched. More or less everything I've seen in said hobbies is more "Soul focus" and I get it, for some things it's what I'd do as well, but there are also a lot where I don't and am more "Technical focus"; often I'm trying to recreate a manufactured product, either to restore something, recreate a thing that would be expensive to buy, or match to a set that is missing the character I wanted. I can appreciate the artistry of the people who do their own versions, and the end results look amazing, but at the same time I often end up thinking "This is lovely, but doesn't fit to what I'm trying to do". Even though your sensibilities are the opposite, your description made it click exactly what I had been aiming for....or maybe with some of these hobbies, my creative voice is being one of the few people who favours matching the factory (^.^') Going back to your point on techniques being developed to solve problems is interesting too since things I've learnt on your channel have actually helped me find solutions for issues in the hobbies I have had the chance to do. One in particular has a issue where there are more people who try to do factory style designs, and the ones replicating the original series look good, but the more recent incarnations are difficult to replicate with the usual materials, so a lot of people have trouble replicating the small details or getting the finish just right. But seeing your tutorials has helped me figure out ways I can get the results I want (^.^-)
It works with revell enamels too, they’re a lot easier to come by in europe BUT they’re mainly used for military models so colors for anime figure eyes are not that easy to find.
👁️ Oh Leona. I have been watching you paint for many a moon and I have always enjoyed the fact that you are so genuine. If anybody's panties get bunched they can just head on out of here 😂
So you can find a lot of Tamiya paints and other goodies at RC Hobby stores. I know a it doesn't occur to many to look there considering they are painting miniatures or garage kits, but there you go. The RC hobby store will have a paint section that is like 4x the size of the paint section at a hobby store like Hobby Lobby, or the local Gaming store.
👀👀 yoooo technique is just another tool in the arsenal ;) I’m happy you know more than one way to paint eyes. I for one have terrible steadiness, so the more forgiving the better 😅
Thank you for posting this, had seen JP modelers using this technique for a while and was under the assumption that they were using opaque colors and not clear. Another possible alternative to the Tamiya enamels are Humbrol enamels and are easier to find here in the US at least. As for the Mucosal clear, seeing as it does seem like the only way of getting it is to go to Japan, what would you say the color exactly is? From the video it looks like a clear red with some what almost looks like some clear orange added. Would like to know as it seems like something that could be reversed engineered, or at least some kind of formulation that is close using available paints.
Lo del rant: Lo he visto mucho también en los artistas/dibujantes. Antes de que Pixiv tuviera una opción para poner la pagina en Ingles, la única manera de acceder era si tenias un buen dominio del Japonés (y aún lo necesitas para ciertas cosas, como yo que casi siempre uso materiales tradicionales y no están traducidas). Así que mucha gente no podía poner sus dibujos ahí porque pensaban que la pagina era para dibujantes "profesionales", pero cuando uno tenía una cuenta, veía que era nada más ni meno que un DeviantArt pero en Japonés, o sea, podías encontrar dibujos muy elaborados y dibujos... eh. Mi punto es que es cierto en tu punto que a los Japoneses se los idolatran demasiado en todo y mucha gente se olvidan que ellos tienden a buscar el perfeccionismo que llega a ser enfermizo. Se pueden aprender una u dos cosas, tanto de artistas Japoneses como de artistas locales o extranjeros, pero al final lo que importa es como te acomode y ver si ciertos tutoriales te ayudan o no. Pero al final lo que importa es más la practica.
This would work wonderful for gems, or, like, mech eyes and stuff. EDIT: Also, after listening to you, I refuse to believe you became as skilled and talented as you are without trying new things, experimenting and actively seeking improvement from a wide variety of sources. Any comments saying the opposite about you speaks more to the people making such claims than it does anyone else.
👀 love the message at the end. and i agree. i will say the way you your kits is great, like i'm always impressed. and for the people that say this way of painting is overrated. Take your Sass and put it in your pocket. if this helps people get the look they wanted to always make but for some reason never could pull it off, just let them try it. making art is a process of finding stuff that works for you and of course experimentation.
I've tried to watch other artists' GK videos, & I can't, they're so boring! I'm not part of the GK world, just a fan of yours! 😁💜 I hope someday I'll be able to afford to commission a GK by you!!! Or a few 😂 That's one of my goals in life!
👀 it was actually very interesting to see the process and hear it explained in more detail. speaking personally, that method would probably be easier however, I just don't like it as much as your usual style. so jury's still out on this one for me.
I hear that comment about talent often when it comes to sewing even though I see myself as handyman. People often are just envious but don’t want to go through the hassle of leaning and telling me they don’t have that talent. At least in this craft people who don’t follow patterns to detail aren’t looked down upon. More the opposite. And even after 15 years I still see myself as average. It is part of craft to always learn something new and let be inventions be part of that life. 👀
This was a wonderful video, very informative. One question however. Where does one get garage kits? Especially those that you have to sand and fix snd stuff
👀 Woaaaaaa me gustan mucho sus videos por las diferentes técnicas que usa, pues para mí se pueden usar esos métodos en otros tipos de trabajo, gracias por mostrar que hay muchas más cosas que experimentar fuera de cualquier "caja" 🥰🥰🥰
Excellent video, I'm still more comfortable with my current paints, but one day when I have the supplies I would love to try this technique, so it's very helpful to see it in english ^^ Loved what you said at the end, too Leona, thank you for this video 👀
i am curious if testers paint can be used to a similar effect? since that is an enamel hobby paint brand available in america but sadly they have no clear colors to my knowledge.
👀 heck yeah this true 1000% and thank you for talking about this because this also applies to all forms of art and I am so happy you addressed this. Keep up the amazing awesome work you do y no les hagas caso a esos haters 🙂🙃
👀 So, on the side of 'these products can be hard to get and costly' You may be able to mimic the transparent look of this technique with watercolors that haven't been thinned much, and MSC (or other sealants after testing compatability). Maybe even gouache. Something to try if you're interested.
plenty of 'wash' paints have this look from miniature painting kits, vallejo is a more affordable brand, though games workshop is well known for it. that mucosal enamel would be a 'flesh' wash. you can do the same layered sealing, wipe away is possible before the paint dries, and melamine sponge if it's dried already.
Also, No sé si será la misma pintura, pero esta pintura enamel es parecidísima a la pintura/laca vitral, pero no tengo manera de comprobar si es lo mismo
I wouldn't know, the only thing I do know is that the reason they use lacquers is because enamel is non reactive to it, hence why you can wipe and scrub away without damaging the lacquer below.
@@leonasworkshop So this seems to work with mecha varnishes. The thinning medium I'm using is zippo lighter fluid. I'll post some images in the resinkit reddit at some point.
👀 Considering what you said about how there’s a bit more openness to the kind of experimentation that isn’t for the sake of achieving perfection in the West, do you think there are any parts of this enamel-over-lacquer process that you may consider integrating into your workflow, rather than the process as a whole? Coming from a non-garage kit painter, the capability of being able to “refine” a thin sketch layer with the paint thinner sounds like something that could be really nice on its own, not necessarily to compensate for shaky hands, but just for the potential benefits of being able to work over top of a sketch you can finesse without dealing with some of the drawbacks of acrylics like dry time and buildup. Just curious; the whole process sounds like an interesting group of “ingredients” that painters could add to their workflow maybe in piecemeal rather than the whole thing :D
I'm honestly thinking of making a hybrid method with this, as you said, mainly for sketching the outline with enamel like the eyelashes and brows but still use acrylics for the actual pupil part 😁
This!! I think discrediting the enamel method entirely is foolish, you simply cannot achieve such precise lines/details with handpainting alone. It’s also great when it comes to painting areas difficult to mask, like Yoko’s boots and the red lines of her scarf. Spray red enamel, and wipe away to create perfect lines. Personally, I do love when you can see brushstrokes in eyes/pupils. I think using enamels for the lashes and then handpainting the pupil would create beautiful results. (necessary disclaimer: you can paint kits literally however you damn please it fully does not matter as long as you enjoy the process & results)
Hola Leona! Tengo tres preguntas y todas están atadas a lo mismo, amazon no envía los productos a mi país o la aduana de mi país no permite su entrada: Se puede reemplazar los Gaianotes Finish Master con cualquier pincel de silicona? Has probado la marca de enamel Revell o Humbrol? (Son las únicas disponible en mi país) Sirve la masilla de poliéster que se utiliza para autos? (también la única opción disponible en mi país) Por su puesto desde ya te agradezco con todo mi corazón por toda el conocimiento que nos regalas y te mando un abrazo fuerte desde Argentina 🫂💕👀
Mmm el finisher de gaianotes no es cualquier silicon, es poroso y absorbe liquido así que no cualquiera te serviría. No he probado esas marcas de esmalte pero no pasa de que las pruebes a ver que tal. Y la masilla de polyester pues si podrías usar el bondo para carros, es casi lo mismo
Muchas gracias por tu respuesta!! ❤ Estaba viendo el estreno de Black Lady y se me ocurrió revisar (gracias RUclips por notificarme nada 😒) Estuve buscando alternativas a amazon para el gaianotes y los encontre en HobbyLink Japan, asi que creo que estoy salvada. Para lo demas, toca apañarse con lo que hay 😂. Nuevamente muchas gracias por todo lo que compartes con nosotros 🫶🏻
👀 Loved the video and the rant is SO ON POINT!! I’ve dealt with more than my fair share of gatekeepers in creative things, and it’s crazy how far some people shove their heads up their own asses!
👀Techniques are means to end, not the purpose. Of course I think it's good to study different techniques, but keep open mind and figure the idea behind them, properties of the tools and such. For example the eye painting technique can teach you how enamels work with lacquer paints, and this allows various other "cheats" like cleaning up lacquer paint job masking lines with enamels, without worrying about paint messing up wrong areas, or so called reverse wash technique where you use different enamel color on lacquer base color, allowing you to easily remove the enamel color from raised details and so on.
👀 fun video, and don't worry, people will find the silliest things in any creative hobby to fixate on as the golden standard. For us artists, it was anything copic for ages, which is insane because the price and bar to entry is ridiculous for beginners.
OK, Before you guys crucify me! I realized that Tamiya ENAMEL paint and thinner are NOW listed on amazon! They were not there when I started to plan for this video, so please excuse that remark I made, looks like you can get *some* paint colors but it's very limited in variety, still I've posted links to what you can get. 😅
Hope this tutorial is useful, please no hate with the remarks in the end, those are just my thoughts, you can agree to disagree if you like, everybody is entitled to their opinion, even me so please remain respectful or the banhammer will come down.
The strange thing is Tamiya enamel is available in Canadian hobby stores, even the thinner and has been for a couple of years. I had not gotten into it myself due to it's toxic nature ie proper ventilation and disposal.
I'm not a modeler or painter at all and not a part of the community - I happened to find your channel and was hooked from the first Princess video (Mars). I couldn't, and still can't, understand why people give you crap for using acrylics. You do some amazing magic with shading - as a person who can barely draw a stick figure - and it fascinates me every time. I'd always say 'Oooh, it's magic dust time!' when you'd start shading with the acrylics! I'm endlessly impressed with your eye work! Keep using your magic dust!
You can get an animal at any local paint store like Sherwin-Williams or PPG
I love this channel sm. Acrylic paints is def more budget friendly for sb like me lol
I don't want to downplay the amount of practice and hard work you've put in, but you have a gift. I love watching you create.
I have shaky hands (way too much coffee daily) so this technique always catched my eyes. Ordered tamiya enamels last week to finally try it, but had to study the technique just watching and with auto generated subs on JP videos, so this came just in time. Both halves of the video were very good, it was an entertaining rant on the second half, thaks a lot!
👀 It wasn't until I heard you say it that I realized that not being able to have access to things that 'real artists' use like airbrushes and good paint was keeping me from trying to move forward with any of my kits. I have so many but I've been self-sabotaging to the point where I couldn't make a single thing. It's a little embarrassing, but I'm over 30 and still growing in my confidence. XD I'm gonna start my first kit this October! No more hesitating!
You inspire me!!!
I hope you started painting your resin kits!
@@nebbylala I did! I have two Vtuber resin kits done now!
👀👀
I actually really appreciate your candidness and honesty when it comes to your craft. Not just Japanese modellers but anyone who's been engaging in a craft for a long time can sometimes forget that they were a beginner too, that no one ever saw the mistakes and awkward growth periods before they were confident sharing. But I love that you share your mistakes and talk about the hard parts of the art and guide through everything.
Wishing you lots of love!
I really enjoyed your discussion about the beauty of individual styles, and art being a form of personal expression, not a mandate to follow One True Style, it's such an important concept for so many creative fields!
leona you're the GOAT!! I was so fascinated by the japanese painters using this technique but I had no idea how they were doing it. I even saw one guy practicing on white plastic spoons 😂 I found a local hobby shop that imports some tamiya products in utah, I guess a shopping trip is in order!
Hello! I came across your videos and tutorials by chance, because I decided to try myself in modeling. I really like to paint and draw, but I was always worried about my hands shaking. And in general, my friends who are obsessed with anime figures are perfectionists who like the Japanese "ideal" result. Just the other day I cried because I thought this hobby was not for me. Although I really enjoy it. I want to say thank you. At the end of the video, your speech touched me and gave me strength. I am new to this, but I want to achieve a good result. And to understand that the fact that I change and add some details (glazing, shading) does not make my works bad. Thank you very much ❤
👀 We support gatekeeper door smashers here!!
I've used Testor's enamel paints for this, it worked successfully. Had a problem where too much re-doing the enamel lines and smearing may stain on the overcoat, though can't say if it's a particular issue with testors or enamel in general.
Thanks for that. I was thinking Testors would work. Probably Tamiya used by the Japanese painters because it's easily available.
@@starsiegeplayer I don't know if testor's has the transluscent kind shown in this video. I was satisfied with my result but maybe those were more desirable.
I honestly took something out of this video I’ve watched you for years and I really think you did a great justice to all artists that are in there head 😂 I am not a gk painter though I’d love to get into it but I am a watercolor “anime” artist and I constantly compare myself to others and get into long art blocks bc of it and mostly I’m comparing myself to official artists and people who have spent years doing it when I’ve only been doing it for 1/4 of the time
there should be like an artist support group where the mantra is "I need to stop comparing myself to other artists" at the end of each session 😂
"Hello, I'm Leona and I'm here because I constantly compare myself to other artists and think my work is shit" 🤣
@@leonasworkshop yes 😂 we need to start a discord therapy session for everyone
👀👀👀
Your rant at the end was the pep talk I really needed even though I'm not a GK artist. There's defiantly the same mindset when it comes to the digital art/traditional art/fan art communities of "well why don't you do x" or "why isn't your style like y". It's so easy to just throw your own soul/style into the trash and just not develop it at all. I know my art suffers from trying to be like everyone else that doing personal work is frustrating which is why I started learning 3D art to get away from it for a while lol.
Thank you as always Leona for your words and your art! 💜
👀 As a fine artist I also think your rant at the end needs to be heard by other artists, crafters, and markers.
I like my art to be unique. I like unique art. I also like recognizing artists by their work. I really like being creative and trying new things even if I fail; I also encourage my art students to do the same.
Keep being you!
Oh! I find this really interesting, because I used a bit similar method while repainting dolls (yes, I know you have rocky past with doll community) - before I had sealant! I used acrylic paints that I know would not stain the vinyl and then with small sponge with acetone correct mistakes and "shape" for example eyes or brows until they were symmetrical! I still used it sometimes as the first "layer" before using sealant, pastels and colored pencils.
I really agree with lots of your points with your "rant". I didn't think it was a rant at all. 👀
I do a lot of different kinds of art and find myself often "outside" of the social circles of any given group because I'm not a specialist to any of them. I really love your videos because you also take things from multiple spaces and put them to good use. Thanks again for your videos. You deserve better from the internet community.
👀 long live THE Resin Queen!
👀 agreed with pretty much everything you said. Japanese culture does hammer on doing things a certain way that has been tried and tested trough the ages, although this is not unique to their culture. I think a lot of inexperienced painters will be like this too (i.e. not daring to deviate from the "norm"). The cool thing is that maybe the non-japanese GK community will come up with new styles, which in turn might influence the Japanese community. This is also something we see with art and music and so on :) cross cultural pollination as it were
And of course, amazing video as always! :)
👀 Although I'm not a GK artist, I love watching you work. There's something so satisfying about watching these figures come together, bit by bit. The technique creates a really beautiful result, but it also seems to be quite time-consuming and part of me wonders, if adding so many layers doesnt add unnecessary bulk, since the models are so delicate.
Your rant at the end of the video was very refreshing! Art is an expression of the self, not a metric used to compare people with each other.
Thank you so so much! I've seen this in time laps videos for years but never someone explaining!
Your best rant so far!
That's very insightful. Really got me thinking. It's true, (I paint tabletop minis), I can usually tell which (famous) artist painted which minis, but the Japanese style tends to look the same. Impeccably painted, but the same. This is probably going to keep me up all night
Woah, the countdown intro messed with my head a little, but it was neat. Lol
Thanks so much Leona for the information!!! We always love new techniques to try and test out! I struggle with hand steady issues because of having blood sugar swings. This could really help me out, especially by being forgiving for "sketching" out the eye design!❤❤❤ Love your work so much!
My dear Leona, what you say is so deep and broad, the technique and the tricks, the method and the soul, the perfection and the authenticity, the philosophy of art... What would become of Picasso if he changed or corrected just one of his strokes? It wouldn't be Picasso. Art is evolutionary, and you are a great artist, your seal and your style is unmistakable in your work, which makes you a Master. What you teach can be applied to other areas of art (even life and oneself) and the best thing is that with your videos we can try to do something creative as a beginner or neophyte. Thank you very much and greetings from CDMX.👀
👀 Thank you for giving your opinion and life lessons. This is what I’m learning on my part in art. Putting your soul into art is SO important! I always love to watch your art and process, remind me of what art is all about. It sucks that you get so much Flack for just doing your own thing.Glad that you got the chance to try it out.
Gonna show my friend some more or your videos since he is currently enjoying the, as he puts it “Gundam GK brain rot” haha 😂
Great video Leona. I have some good news though! Testors used to be what we mecha modelers used for our version of this technique in America. They're getting harder and harder to find though. Thankfully, there's a RUclipsr named BarbatosRex who recently started making his own enamel model paint. Right now it's a little tough to get sometimes because it's only available on GundamPros, but from what I hear, it works perfectly for enamel washes and details. The colors are kinda mecha oriented but I bet plenty would look great on figures!
I always wondered how Japanese modelers do this. Didn’t see it explained anywhere especially not in English so thank you for making this video!
Thought I feel like I will have a really hard time obtaining these items where I live. But it’s gonna be on my shoppinglist for my next Japan trip!
So lucky found your channel. So much easy understanding tips. Your works is so beautiful.
As someone that just use decals for eyes, totally agree with your rant!
Thanks Leona for share your work and thoughts but also your personal history. You inspire me and give me strength to push tru my skills but also my body.
👀Super helpful video as always. Not knowing Lacquer/Enamel layer technique, I've been imitating Japanese style to a degree with just acrylic and taking many hints from yours and other videos on figure eye painting.
Very insightful rant too. I'm not a perfectionist and I was realistic about my current skills in my gk journey, and I think I've been content with my own work by using a mix of techniques made available by you and the Japanese artists to make something I'm satisfied with.
OOOOOOOH, you finally demystified this for me. I see Japanese painters always use this in their videos and while I have an idea what they were doing, I never knew the exact products and details.
Edit: I would also like to add, I've seen some of the Japanese painters take advantage of the glossiness and mask out the eyes and mouth to keep the glossiness of the figurine. I think it looked really nice.
Thank you for putting all the pieces together.
you're the 👸
👀 totally agree!! I'm sure that some would be horrified that my first several kits were painted in whatever colours I thought would look great instead of replicating the originals 😮 just to try things out and see what works is important to every artist. Thank you for giving us your voice ❤
👀!
Don't have anything super valuable to add but always enjoy your videos, and rants, learning from your perspective
Thank you for the tutorial and time to teach this technique..
Agree with what you say no technique is the best method.
Just like 5+5 =10 and 12-2=10 as well. Result is still the same . "All hail the resin queen" again thank you for sharing your no filter & honest opinion.
I really don't want to initiate another "watercolor pencil for eyes" debacle but I have seen miniature painters using oil paints and oil paint thinner to do layering. Vould it work for GK? Or the waiting dry time/material is incompatible?
👀 I really like your videos and all the hard work you put into each and every figure! All the tutorials are so informative and useful!
👀 I have been making models/figures literally for decades (for longer than you've been alive I'm sure). I'm still not afraid to try new techniques/paints/tools whatever, in the search of a better (a.k.a. more satisfying) result. I've watched your videos for a few years now and enjoy your perspective on kit making as well as you talent in doing so (yes I said talent, sue me) and I agree that there are as many different ways to make a GK as there are people who make them. Some are better than others, but that's the way of anything and in the end, it all comes down to one thing: Do you enjoy doing it? No matter the technique or multiple techniques that is all that counts. I love this hobby and always will. You've helped me along the way and I look forward to learning more. Thanks.
👀And I agree with you totally! Art is what you make of it, not what others tell you it is.
I've tried doing this, but with leeched and heavily thinned oil paints. Had some decent success but will need to experiment more. AK interactive has a similar "cleaning stick" that seems to work along with mineral spirits for the oils. One thing to be careful when using oil paints is to use a "non staining" pigment.
Dry time is longer, but leeching the oils help alot.
😊 excellent video, I’ll have to give this a try.
I have been revisiting figure painting after doing mini painting for a many years. These eyes look way easier than a tiny miniature. 😅
I know this is a year old and others have mentioned Testors enamels, but... they should still be readily available in the US (last time I was there was 10 years ago). Also, a common technique in the auto / war kit world is using zippo fuel ( or any brand lighter fluid) as the thinner/ remover for enamels. It dries faster, much cheaper and doesn't leave any visible residue, not quite sure about coating over though as I only use washes as a final coat, ie: panel lining or weathering. I live in Asia where tamiya stuff is easily bought... but I still prefer zippo oil. Off note though, gundam panel line markers are alchohol based, so imcompatible with the zippo fuel.
Fully agree with your 'rant', I've been making models for nearly 30 years, there's new techniques coming out all the time, from all aspects of the world (some of my tools/techniques are from the medical/ scientific industry.)... I'm always open to new stuff and don't mind touching up on old stuff either. 👀
👀I've been following your work since the Princess Serenity video and, while I've had difficulties in acquiring a couple of pieces of safety equipment delay my working on the handful of kits I've gotten, this video has articulated something I've noticed in the difference between the way I approach some projects compared to the way a lot of people whose finished projects I've seen and whose tutorials I've watched.
More or less everything I've seen in said hobbies is more "Soul focus" and I get it, for some things it's what I'd do as well, but there are also a lot where I don't and am more "Technical focus"; often I'm trying to recreate a manufactured product, either to restore something, recreate a thing that would be expensive to buy, or match to a set that is missing the character I wanted. I can appreciate the artistry of the people who do their own versions, and the end results look amazing, but at the same time I often end up thinking "This is lovely, but doesn't fit to what I'm trying to do". Even though your sensibilities are the opposite, your description made it click exactly what I had been aiming for....or maybe with some of these hobbies, my creative voice is being one of the few people who favours matching the factory (^.^')
Going back to your point on techniques being developed to solve problems is interesting too since things I've learnt on your channel have actually helped me find solutions for issues in the hobbies I have had the chance to do. One in particular has a issue where there are more people who try to do factory style designs, and the ones replicating the original series look good, but the more recent incarnations are difficult to replicate with the usual materials, so a lot of people have trouble replicating the small details or getting the finish just right. But seeing your tutorials has helped me figure out ways I can get the results I want (^.^-)
👀 here learning how to paint miniatures and enjoying the process ans what I can currently achieve with my current skill level 🎉
It works with revell enamels too, they’re a lot easier to come by in europe BUT they’re mainly used for military models so colors for anime figure eyes are not that easy to find.
👁️ Oh Leona. I have been watching you paint for many a moon and I have always enjoyed the fact that you are so genuine. If anybody's panties get bunched they can just head on out of here 😂
So you can find a lot of Tamiya paints and other goodies at RC Hobby stores. I know a it doesn't occur to many to look there considering they are painting miniatures or garage kits, but there you go. The RC hobby store will have a paint section that is like 4x the size of the paint section at a hobby store like Hobby Lobby, or the local Gaming store.
👀👀 yoooo technique is just another tool in the arsenal ;) I’m happy you know more than one way to paint eyes. I for one have terrible steadiness, so the more forgiving the better 😅
👁👁 I love your message about artists and techniques, thank you for saying it so eloquently!
Thank you for posting this, had seen JP modelers using this technique for a while and was under the assumption that they were using opaque colors and not clear. Another possible alternative to the Tamiya enamels are Humbrol enamels and are easier to find here in the US at least. As for the Mucosal clear, seeing as it does seem like the only way of getting it is to go to Japan, what would you say the color exactly is? From the video it looks like a clear red with some what almost looks like some clear orange added. Would like to know as it seems like something that could be reversed engineered, or at least some kind of formulation that is close using available paints.
If I had to guess, I'd say a mix of clear red and orange, yes, but it would be like 70 red to 30 orange, so not exactly 50/50
@@leonasworkshop Will have to play around then with it when I have a chance. Thank you again.
Lo del rant: Lo he visto mucho también en los artistas/dibujantes. Antes de que Pixiv tuviera una opción para poner la pagina en Ingles, la única manera de acceder era si tenias un buen dominio del Japonés (y aún lo necesitas para ciertas cosas, como yo que casi siempre uso materiales tradicionales y no están traducidas). Así que mucha gente no podía poner sus dibujos ahí porque pensaban que la pagina era para dibujantes "profesionales", pero cuando uno tenía una cuenta, veía que era nada más ni meno que un DeviantArt pero en Japonés, o sea, podías encontrar dibujos muy elaborados y dibujos... eh.
Mi punto es que es cierto en tu punto que a los Japoneses se los idolatran demasiado en todo y mucha gente se olvidan que ellos tienden a buscar el perfeccionismo que llega a ser enfermizo. Se pueden aprender una u dos cosas, tanto de artistas Japoneses como de artistas locales o extranjeros, pero al final lo que importa es como te acomode y ver si ciertos tutoriales te ayudan o no. Pero al final lo que importa es más la practica.
This would work wonderful for gems, or, like, mech eyes and stuff.
EDIT: Also, after listening to you, I refuse to believe you became as skilled and talented as you are without trying new things, experimenting and actively seeking improvement from a wide variety of sources.
Any comments saying the opposite about you speaks more to the people making such claims than it does anyone else.
👀
love the message at the end. and i agree. i will say the way you your kits is great, like i'm always impressed.
and for the people that say this way of painting is overrated. Take your Sass and put it in your pocket.
if this helps people get the look they wanted to always make but for some reason never could pull it off, just let them try it. making art is a process of finding stuff that works for you and of course experimentation.
👀 thank you so much for everything you do and for share all your knowledge and opinion! ❤
👀 I don’t know one way or another. I’m just dabbling with clay sculpting. But I always watch your entire videos❤
I've tried to watch other artists' GK videos, & I can't, they're so boring! I'm not part of the GK world, just a fan of yours! 😁💜 I hope someday I'll be able to afford to commission a GK by you!!! Or a few 😂 That's one of my goals in life!
👀 it was actually very interesting to see the process and hear it explained in more detail. speaking personally, that method would probably be easier however, I just don't like it as much as your usual style. so jury's still out on this one for me.
I hear that comment about talent often when it comes to sewing even though I see myself as handyman. People often are just envious but don’t want to go through the hassle of leaning and telling me they don’t have that talent. At least in this craft people who don’t follow patterns to detail aren’t looked down upon. More the opposite. And even after 15 years I still see myself as average. It is part of craft to always learn something new and let be inventions be part of that life.
👀
👀 👀 👀
Art is such an expression of oneself, thank you!!
This was a wonderful video, very informative.
One question however.
Where does one get garage kits? Especially those that you have to sand and fix snd stuff
it is possible to get enamel paints in the states. they are usually sold as model car paint. normal paint thinner can work.
👀 now that is next lvl
👀 Woaaaaaa me gustan mucho sus videos por las diferentes técnicas que usa, pues para mí se pueden usar esos métodos en otros tipos de trabajo, gracias por mostrar que hay muchas más cosas que experimentar fuera de cualquier "caja" 🥰🥰🥰
Excellent video, I'm still more comfortable with my current paints, but one day when I have the supplies I would love to try this technique, so it's very helpful to see it in english ^^
Loved what you said at the end, too Leona, thank you for this video
👀
People bothered by what medium an artist uses for _their own_ pleasure are gonna die if they discover experimental art
👀 Gatekeeping art techniques is a new one 😂😂 Leona, just remember that a hate watch is still a view and a hate comment is still engagement.
👀 great video as always señorita leona
🌹 rant away Resin Queen ! And fyi your work is amazing
i am curious if testers paint can be used to a similar effect? since that is an enamel hobby paint brand available in america but sadly they have no clear colors to my knowledge.
👀 heck yeah this true 1000% and thank you for talking about this because this also applies to all forms of art and I am so happy you addressed this. Keep up the amazing awesome work you do y no les hagas caso a esos haters 🙂🙃
I still have a lot to learn from you.
@Leonasworkshop
It is always an entertaining chilling time with your videos. Keep doing you
👀 i was waiting for this vid!! thanks!
Will Revell enamels work for this technique? They are quite a bit easier to obtain in the US than the Tamiya.
👀 So, on the side of 'these products can be hard to get and costly' You may be able to mimic the transparent look of this technique with watercolors that haven't been thinned much, and MSC (or other sealants after testing compatability). Maybe even gouache. Something to try if you're interested.
plenty of 'wash' paints have this look from miniature painting kits, vallejo is a more affordable brand, though games workshop is well known for it.
that mucosal enamel would be a 'flesh' wash. you can do the same layered sealing, wipe away is possible before the paint dries, and melamine sponge if it's dried already.
👀 Love your videos.
👀 Preach Leona!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙌🏾
👀 Many truths have been spoken, applies to garage kits and many other creative hobbies as well, no one is less than!
Also, No sé si será la misma pintura, pero esta pintura enamel es parecidísima a la pintura/laca vitral, pero no tengo manera de comprobar si es lo mismo
👀 Leona bashing the japanese modelers!! /jk
Appriciate you showing this method and expressing your thoughts ^^
which matte sealer did u use to make it less glossy when ur done painting?
Uv cut flat
@@leonasworkshop thanks for the reply💖 So I have to basically coat the GX113 until theres no gloss left, is that correct?
@MasonSintateeyakorn correct 😄 I do 2 coats or 3 sometimes
@@leonasworkshop i see thanksss, you're super helpful💖💖
👀 great advice!
Dumb question can you do this by using Vallejo paint over the mr color clear gloss?
Would this not work over Vallejo mecha gloss varnish? That stuff can easily take enamels easily and i use it for panel line washes.
I wouldn't know, the only thing I do know is that the reason they use lacquers is because enamel is non reactive to it, hence why you can wipe and scrub away without damaging the lacquer below.
@@leonasworkshop sounds like something I should test since I already have most of supplies handy
I would totally love an update when you do!
@@leonasworkshop So this seems to work with mecha varnishes. The thinning medium I'm using is zippo lighter fluid. I'll post some images in the resinkit reddit at some point.
I posted it. And everyone acted like this was common knowledge and not useful. Probably should have stayed in these comments...
👀 Considering what you said about how there’s a bit more openness to the kind of experimentation that isn’t for the sake of achieving perfection in the West, do you think there are any parts of this enamel-over-lacquer process that you may consider integrating into your workflow, rather than the process as a whole? Coming from a non-garage kit painter, the capability of being able to “refine” a thin sketch layer with the paint thinner sounds like something that could be really nice on its own, not necessarily to compensate for shaky hands, but just for the potential benefits of being able to work over top of a sketch you can finesse without dealing with some of the drawbacks of acrylics like dry time and buildup. Just curious; the whole process sounds like an interesting group of “ingredients” that painters could add to their workflow maybe in piecemeal rather than the whole thing :D
I'm honestly thinking of making a hybrid method with this, as you said, mainly for sketching the outline with enamel like the eyelashes and brows but still use acrylics for the actual pupil part 😁
@@leonasworkshop How cool! It sounds like it has some cool potential for initial ground-laying. Fun possibilities!
This!! I think discrediting the enamel method entirely is foolish, you simply cannot achieve such precise lines/details with handpainting alone. It’s also great when it comes to painting areas difficult to mask, like Yoko’s boots and the red lines of her scarf. Spray red enamel, and wipe away to create perfect lines.
Personally, I do love when you can see brushstrokes in eyes/pupils. I think using enamels for the lashes and then handpainting the pupil would create beautiful results.
(necessary disclaimer: you can paint kits literally however you damn please it fully does not matter as long as you enjoy the process & results)
👀 you go queen
👁👁👁Love your video girl! You inspire me so much to pursue my art. So thank you!
👀 I’m curious about your friend’s ska band! I have similar feelings to him about oreskaband. So good, but missing that soul that ska needs.
Para la gente en México se puede conseguir la pintura enamel de Tamiya en Aliexpress relativamente fácil.
👀. 🙏🏾 I appreciate the message 😊
Hola Leona! Tengo tres preguntas y todas están atadas a lo mismo, amazon no envía los productos a mi país o la aduana de mi país no permite su entrada:
Se puede reemplazar los Gaianotes Finish Master con cualquier pincel de silicona?
Has probado la marca de enamel Revell o Humbrol? (Son las únicas disponible en mi país)
Sirve la masilla de poliéster que se utiliza para autos? (también la única opción disponible en mi país)
Por su puesto desde ya te agradezco con todo mi corazón por toda el conocimiento que nos regalas y te mando un abrazo fuerte desde Argentina 🫂💕👀
Mmm el finisher de gaianotes no es cualquier silicon, es poroso y absorbe liquido así que no cualquiera te serviría.
No he probado esas marcas de esmalte pero no pasa de que las pruebes a ver que tal.
Y la masilla de polyester pues si podrías usar el bondo para carros, es casi lo mismo
Muchas gracias por tu respuesta!! ❤ Estaba viendo el estreno de Black Lady y se me ocurrió revisar (gracias RUclips por notificarme nada 😒) Estuve buscando alternativas a amazon para el gaianotes y los encontre en HobbyLink Japan, asi que creo que estoy salvada. Para lo demas, toca apañarse con lo que hay 😂. Nuevamente muchas gracias por todo lo que compartes con nosotros 🫶🏻
👀 as a digital artist, I agree
👀 Loved the video and the rant is SO ON POINT!! I’ve dealt with more than my fair share of gatekeepers in creative things, and it’s crazy how far some people shove their heads up their own asses!
Eye decals are available... 😮😊
Testors enamel paint with thinner mix
👀 I love your work! :)
Random but I like your Diablo 4 shirt 👍
👀Techniques are means to end, not the purpose. Of course I think it's good to study different techniques, but keep open mind and figure the idea behind them, properties of the tools and such.
For example the eye painting technique can teach you how enamels work with lacquer paints, and this allows various other "cheats" like cleaning up lacquer paint job masking lines with enamels, without worrying about paint messing up wrong areas, or so called reverse wash technique where you use different enamel color on lacquer base color, allowing you to easily remove the enamel color from raised details and so on.
👀Great video!
👀 fun video, and don't worry, people will find the silliest things in any creative hobby to fixate on as the golden standard. For us artists, it was anything copic for ages, which is insane because the price and bar to entry is ridiculous for beginners.