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Hello all, I was hoping I could share with you some painting tips I have discovered over the years that have allowed my painting skills to flourish and improve. Producing for me at least, better looking 'Mechs that can really put the fear of God (or Blake/Kerensky) into your opponent. The techniques are very simple and the learning curve not only shallow, but it can accept any number of personal improvements. But first, some tools are required:

Brushes:

I am not one to spend a huge amount on brushes, and for the most part, it isn't necessary. You will need some size 0 and smaller brushes for detailing and that sort of thing, but for the most part, it's really a matter of cheap nylon brushes one can get at any drugstore or the like. I got mine at a supermarket and they have stood me in very good stead. Whatever your choice, make sure that you are comfortable with your brushes, believe it or not, it does take time to "break in" a new brush, and so, you want to make that period as painless as possible.

Tools:

I can't stress this enough, you’ll need a nail clipper to clip large pieces of flash, as this is both better and safer than using an X-Acto. Another thing you'll need, files. I use a big file for the bases if they need filing or leveling and I use a set of Armory files for the detail work. Emery boards are nice, but they can wear out quick, and I've gone through an entire pack with one figure. Next, with many multi-part Battlemech and vehicle kits, one needs reliable glue. I can recommend two types:
One is called LocTite and is sold in drug stores, or Home Depot and while you don't get much in a bottle, it does bond awfully fast. It also has an anti-clog device in the cap, a definite plus in my book. Either the quick drying red bottle or the blue gel formula work well for what we do. Another type is Zap-A-Gap, which, overall, dries slower, but it is a very strong bond, and it fills crevices quite well. A hint: mix the super glue with Elmers White Glue, you'll be happy to notice that it fills cracks nicely, and the bond is super strong. Finally, you’ll need some napkins. Preferably ones with patterns on them. Why? You ask, well, this will become important for our dry brushing class.

Paints:

Well, there's quite a few out there, there are of course, the excellent put out by Iron Wind specifically for Battletech. But they aren't the only product I swear by. I also like the Vallejo paints (I also recommend the Army Painter line for beginners) as they come eye dropper containers, and you get a lot for the price. Also good are the various brands of acrylic craft store paints, they are economical (my quart size Black paint bottle) and of good quality. They are a bit thick, so you'll have to thin with water a bit. Basically, I stick to Acrylics because they are easy to clean up and a good bargain for what you pay. They also don't go through brushes half as fast as oils. And they are easier to thin. Oil doesn’t have this advantage.

Onto the task at hand...:

Now that we have our tools, we can begin. First, we clean the miniature and prepare it for spraying. You should assemble the miniature BEFORE painting. In spraying, we can use ordinary black or grey car primer, and it gives the 'Mech shadows and shading that will be apparent later. Another option is artist’s gesso, again, either black or grey. Allow this coat to dry overnight, and when it is dry, paint over the bare metal of the spots you missed with black or grey paint from one of your cheap brushes. (Remember to match your primer color). Next, you want to consider what the base coat of your 'mech’ might be. It should be a solid color, and it should be the darkest shade of the color you use. Why? Simple, because the fact is, the technique Intend to demonstrate is known as dry brushing.

It is a means of giving a miniature shading and depth with a minimum of effort. It’s a simple effort that yields great results. The first and inviolate rule of dry brushing, and in fact, any painting method is this,

ALWAYS PROCEED FROM DARK TO LIGHT!

Otherwise, your 'mech will look sub-par. OK, so we take our cheap brush, and we splay the bristles out in a fan-like shape, then we dip it into our base color, and we take our napkin and brush our brush across the napkin until almost all the paint is gone from the brush, then we brush the brush in wide strokes all over the 'Mech.

One problem you might find is that you aren't covering up enough of the 'Mech’, in that case, simply build up the coat with more dry brushing sessions. Just take care not to obscure the details, because that's exactly what dry brushing. It's OK if there are some black or grey shows, remember, you are attempting to show shadows and bring out raised details. Now, take your medium shade of your color, and this time, lightly drybrush the mech, this will create areas where light is more noticeable on the mech, and will further highlight raised details. After that, repeat the process very lightly with your lightest shade. This will add a worn, weather-beaten effect to the paint job, and will further highlight the raised details.

If your paintjob is a single color, simply detail the mech (paint cockpits Blue, weapons ports red. Etc.) and seal the mechwith a sealer, either the Ral Partha brand or some other brand of your choice.

ALWAYS USE A MATTESEALER!

I can't stress this enough. Battlemechs are weapons of war and should be painted as such, unless you're painting a Solaris stable, don't paint 'em gaudy or glossy (Although I did do a Whitworth in FedCom Corps parade colors and there was this Lance I did for a friend in an Alashain Avengers scheme). So, when sealing, think Matte...It'll look better anyhow.

Camo Patterns: Where does one find ideas?

The beauty of Camo patterns for Battlemechs is that there are simply so many ideas out there and so many places to look for ideas:

FASA: They have published quite a bit of data for aspiring painters for Battletech, from the field manuals to Camo Specs, to even the novels and elsewhere. Osprey= Their Vanguard Series is wonderful and the color plates are neat, and worth a look, also, their other titles, from World War-II on have plenty of ideas, I mean, a Denison Smock pattern might look quite smashing on a 'Mech.

The Web: Look at other patterns out there...people put their mechs up for display on the web all the time, visit their sites and get some ideas. Remember: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Other sources= One great source, if you can find it, are back issues of Battletechnology Magazine: The early issues were replete with discussion of paint schemes and used specific worlds as examples of adaptations of local patterns. Some of their ideas were downright inspired.

So, now how do we do the pattern you picked out. Well, space precludes me from describing EVERY pattern, but I will discuss the how-to for two of my faves. One is the German 3-tone World War II "Ambush" Pattern. Another pattern is a pattern I like to call "Star League Winter Pattern #5". The color names I will describe are either Ral Partha (RP) or Vallejo (VJ)