Adventures in Dipping
So, for those who read my background, you know I got into Orks a while ago, and I got a lot of Orks at once. I was looking for a way to paint them and make them look good, easily. I found the answer in a process called Dipping. For those that don’t know, Dipping is a painting process that takes the hard work out of shading. Dipping has three steps:
1. Basecoat the model with no depth or highlights. This is a simple paint job, do not paint details like eyes. Use colors brighter than what you would ideally want on the finished model.
2. Dip the entire model in Wood Varnish (or brush it on for larger models). Shake or brush off excess. Be sure to hold the model upside down for a few minutes so that the varnish seeps into the cracks. Let the varnish dry.
3. Now that the varnish is dry, the paint color should have darkened and automatically gained depth, as the varnish dried thinly on raised areas and pooled in deeper areas. Finish by painting small details and using clear matte varnish spray. You can also choose to reinforce bright colors such as reds and yellows.
That’s it. The simple paint jobs make painting fast, and the dipping is easy. It just takes time for the varnish to dry, and warm dry weather to varnish outside in. After much experimentation, I used Minwax Bombay Mahogany varnish.
Here are the before, after, and final varnished pics for a twelve boy squad of Orks.
The matte varnish makes a world of difference. My Blood Bowl team is dipped, and they turned out spectacularly. I’m going to do the same thing to all of my Skaven infantry.