In my last post I mused about painting miniatures and how you too can do it, even if you think you suck.

So in this post I'll share a somewhat step-by-step paint job I did, but to make it interesting I decided to paint something different, a 3d printed model.

Now, I know there are places where you can order 3d printed models, like Shapeways, which is a good way to get something you want printed with superb quality. There's also HeroForge, where you can create your own character (like any modern RPG game, choosing features etc.) and have it 3d printed and sent to you.

These are all great services but I wanted to see how well a home 3d printer could do on a free model I found online, and document the experience of painting it with you fellow steemians ;)

Unfortunately I don't know the exact settings the model was printed at, since a buddy of mine printed it for me on his machine (I can hear the 3d printer enthusiasts closing the window right now). I know the printer is very similar to an ANET A8, and it was printed on PLA with a 0.2mm layer height. The mini stands at about 4cm from the table to the top of the head, a bit bigger than other minis but hey, he's a vampire Lord.

I got the 3d model from Miguel Zavala at Shapeways, he was kind enough to make the model available for free to everybody so check his page out! The model is definitely more detailed than the printer could handle and I messed up some of the support material removal, aw well.

Starting Out - Priming

The first step was to prime the model, which was easy enough not many surprises there, the PLA seems to take spray paint really well.

You can see the layered effect a 3d print has. Check the pic at full res here

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First Layers of Paint - Skin, Vest and Pants

Working from inside to outside, I panted the skin, vest, pants all on plain colors, just to see how well the color scheme I had in my head was working together nicely.

I also got the hang on how the paint behaves on a primed 3d print, which is not very well at all, it tends to pool between layers and leave some lines showing. To counter that I just used the old mini painter tip: More passes with a thinner paint, but you have to be careful not to get it too thin or it'll run all around the model in between layers.

It does look flat and a bit childish but that's not important, it gets (somewhat fixed) in the next steps. Full res here

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Another Pass - Armor

I gave everything another pass and added in the armor, I also covered some mistakes and added some yellow banding to the vest, now this is really starting to come together.

I love this silver paint, it just looks so noble. Full res here

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Finishing Touches - Details!

From the last pass to here I mixed some red and black, got it very wet and used it as a shade on the vest, I also added golden details to the edges or the armor, looks good and hides errors.

I did change this image's color balance on GIMP, it was getting late and dark... Full res here

With a fine brush I painted a faint orange center line, to make the vest look buttoned up.
Near the left hand, I painted what it seemed like an excess of support material that I couldn't get off, I just painted the side white and explored the layers to make it look like his diary , it's an important item so I attached a chain to it, which gives it movement and also balances out the lack of detail at the bottom.

The cherry on this cake was the little faux-crystal near the neck (I drilled a hole and secured it with superglue).

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Closing Thoughts

I approached this as a way of following my own advice and just doing it, and I really enjoyed both the experience and the result!
I think my piece looks detailed enough to give the Vampire Lord the gravitas it deserves on the table.

The key takeaways:

• PLA 3d printed minis are a very viable way of getting that special piece on your table
• Washes do work, but it's tricky
• Drybrushing works, but it might highlight the layer separation (which is not a really big deal)

Let me know what you guys think!