The idea is to use a paint brush with long bristles that you can drag and twist along the surface to pull paint in a serpentine line. Just a quick note on the process and fixing things you dont like. Another nice thing about making your own stencils for texture effects is that you can experiment. Something like a 2:1 ratio. For reference. In this case, my reference image suggests I use an ivory color. You can of course use any brush you have, but ideally it will be a smaller brush youd use for detail work. You can apply multiple layers of the paint if you want more color. With time, these key geological ingredients change the chemical makeup and mineral structure of the rock, creating a melange of organic forms, structures, and patterns within the stone. This isnt the most amazing marble effect youll find, but I think for a technique that only uses a few simple steps, that the results arent half-bad. Prototypical marble isnt a natural product. Marvel at the pattern youve created. The next few steps continue this process. This step also defined some of the texture within the lighter areas by tracing along edges of tonal differences. Im using a kolinsky sable brush with a very nice point, which allows for painting fine lines with paint of the right consistency. The marble effect is done at this point, so its time to highlight. Credit: Joelle Icard, Getty Images. How to Paint Flames on Miniatures the Quick & Easy Way, Steelhearts Champions are Painted (Warhammer Underworlds), Creative Twilights Future and My Thoughts (Feedback Welcomed! To do this, I chose a green paint. This was used to blur some of the darker areas and veins. If the marble is inside, maybe as part of the festoons of a well-kept temple or sanctuary (e.g., a fancy bathroom), then maybe a pristine glossy marble will serve you better. The example Im using here is the top of the original Vampire Counts black coach. The main idea with DIY stencils for painting marble is to use something that has a thickness to it that will keep its shape when wet. How do you paint marble effects on your miniatures? Anyone who has visited Florence to see the aforementioned statue of David may recall that the statue on display outdoors in the Piazza della Signora is not the original statue the original was moved indoors to the Accademia Gallery in 1873 to prevent damage from the weather and uneven ground beneath the statue. So, this tutorial will use Obryn, who unfortunately has the worst base for showing off the marble effect. As always, if you have any questions of feedback, feel free to drop us a comment in the comments section below. Remember to keep the strokes tapered if you can. All we need is to know that marble is a cake with layers. This created little pockets of white that is a common feature of marble. Learn how your comment data is processed. In this example, I use baby wipes that I stretch thin by hand. In ourHow to Paint Everything series, we take a look at how to paint different models, armies, and materials, and different approaches to painting them. Here are the 3 key steps to painting marble effects: Note: There are more involved ways to paint fake marble on miniatures using a combination of freehand techniques, a good eye, and a steady hand. Again, Steelheart (center), has the best one in my opinion. As you can see, it doesnt leave much behind, but thats the goal, translucent paint. To do that, the easiest way I found was to simply freehand them in. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. Check out this post if youre interested in getting an airbrush. Maybe, its a bit of moss tinting the surface? You can apply the varnish over the dried painted marble surface with an airbrush or a regular brush. Dont worry about getting stuff perfect the first time. That means marble is usually filled with all these other bits scattered across its surface. Its hard to pick up the whiteish marble and marbling on camera very well. To sell the effect, you dont need much glaze at all. The camera hates whiteish colors. I stay inside the middle of the pattern Ive created to add a more solid-looking line. You want to create organic-looking cracks on the marble. The commission earned helps maintain this site. Here are some cool stencils you can use for other airbrushing and painting effects on your miniatures. I washed in a few of the smaller open spaces with this thinned paint before reloading the brush. In this article, I show you how to paint the marble effect on any surface using simple techniques. Youre almost there. This creates a darker version of the basecoat. Marble has a wide variety of textures and hues, Im building up a densely textured surface, however for a lighter, smoother marble you could do the final step over a light grey base coat and selectively apply other steps as you see fit. In my case, a quick glance at the reference image suggests other bit of veining happening across the surface. The next step is to paint the main marble color. Of course, there are a multitude of ways to paint the marble effect. Keep your veins traveling in the same overall direction as the original stenciled veins underneath (in this case the veins are dark). Make sure to allow each layer to dry completely before applying the next. I took to Twitter, asked fellow painters for tutorials and resources, and I was not disappointed. The highlight color does two things that help sell the marble effect. Youll be painting over your stencils. The other models have smaller paving stones, so the effect isnt as capturing. For DIY stencils for marble painting, you can use steel wool marble effects or use generic baby wipes. Sometimes the pattern you paint isnt exactly what you want. It wont win you any awards, but it looks the part and is quick to do. After a few failed attempts, I finally stumbled into something I liked the look of. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Although my reference image doesnt have more than a few warm colors in the main palette, I felt I could add a bit of coolness to the surface (e.g., playing with color temperature). This is mostly by feel at this point, and to match the tone of the rest of the coach. I figured if Im rusting up their armor then it makes sense he doesnt get to shave every day ;). To finish the marble texture a mix of 3:1 stonewall to black + a bit of medium was used to redefined parts of the vein structure and tie some of them together. I didnt need any here because I was able to pull the baby wipe around the back of the model and twist the ends to keep it from moving. You dont want paint to pool on the surface of your miniature. Again, it was super difficult trying to shoot this. That being said this method is also rather simple, and easy to learn with a bit of practice. Please take a second to rate this. I also make sure to avoid crisscrossing veins, which make them appear artificial. The veins threading through marble are the result of time and immense pressure. Because most marble is semi-glossy (at least in my mind), I like using a satin varnish. You dont need to evenly coat the second highlight color. I think this is because I see the veins as cracks inside the marble and dark, shadowy colors play to that impression. I have been in the miniature hobby since 2006 when some friends introduced me to Warhammer 40K. I use a Google search for images to find pictures of things I want to try and recreate. I was given a ton of great stuff to look at. One final step would be to use a gloss spray to give the marble a nice polished look to it. Step 6: Apply glaze lines of 50/50 Administratum Grey and Lahmian Medium moving in roughly the same direction across the surface of the base. I hope you found this article helpful and gave you some ideas to try. Michaelangelos famous statue of David in Florence was constructed from white marble mined in Tuscany. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. After you finish priming the surface, paint the first base coat color of the marble surface. This first basecoat color will be the color of the veins and cracks in the marble. This is perhaps the most important step as this will really bring out the details on a scenic base, or allow the rough surface on a GW base to actually pop out and be noticed. The key to using any stencil is to make sure the pattern you choose fits the effect you want to paint. The crystals in the rock are what give marble its characteristic appearance. Vary your line thickness. These once again need to be a thin glaze, but also thin in the sense that they fit within the previous Administratum grey lines. You dont need opaque paint for this step. Cant even do it. Im all for improving my painting, I love it, but I prefer taking steps I can accomplish instead of getting disappointed trying something way beyond me. Apply the main marble color and varnish, Glazing other colors for style and realism, Freehand veins to add more contrast and breakup the stencil pattern, Heres a short summary video showing how to paint the marble effect, BEST RECOMMENDED VARNISHES FOR PAINTING MINIATURES FOR TABLETOP GAMING AND DISPLAY, Use reference images of marble to ensure your vein patterns appear organic and natural, Marble veins are essentially cracks in the stone, or layered-in color like a cake when you look at a slice from the side, Real marble is often processed to have a smooth or polished surface, so try using a varnish with a, Glazing other colors over a marble surface can add interest and realism (, Freehanding isnt necessary, but can further add convincing elements to a marbleized surface, Prime and then base coat your surface with the vein color, Glaze other colors over your marble surface to add additional interest and realism, Freehand more vein patterns over the surface to break up the stenciled effect. Lighter areas were hit again and also reduced some of the black lines some more and made some of the light areas bigger. However, what can you do? Credit: Spencer Platt. Steelheart himself has big stones on his base, perfect to experimenting with. This is especially true if the stencil is still damp with paint, which makes stencils more fragile and prone to ripping or tearing (unless youre using steel wool, in which case, who cares). When youre done, simply remove your stencil, carefully. Id be curious myself to know if this works! In this step stonewall grey was mixed with white and matt medium 1:1:1. The basecoat on the stones is Pallid Wych Flesh (GW). For fun and styling your mable, you can use this idea as justification to add other colors to your marble surface. Of course, there are a few key elements you need to know for creating compelling, realistic looking marble. Cant just go to the top in one leap. Marble statue of George Washington. In my case here, I see the lines as brightly colored. So, if you prefer video format, heres the tutorial I shot of painting the marble effect. The marble I looked at tended to have a variation in vein sizes, definition, and density. The marble is raw unfinished, honed. !function(c,h,i,m,p){m=c.createElement(h),p=c.getElementsByTagName(h)[0],m.async=1,m.src=i,p.parentNode.insertBefore(m,p)}(document,"script","https://chimpstatic.com/mcjs-connected/js/users/bd9e1f7f277c72b0eaf05880f/7fa152b585a7a9f82a4458936.js"); Affiliate Disclosure: We are a participant in the affiliate advertising programs for Amazon Services LLC Associates, KEH Camera, Etsy, Fun.com, and Blick Art Materials. Yeah the kind of marble you want to create certainly affects what you can do with paint . Thematically I wanted the materials to be wrought iron and marble to give it a victorian cemetery vibe. If youre stuck, you can go back to your reference images for color scheme ideas. A tip with this second highlight color is to spray it in a random pattern over the surface. Unpolished marble. I tended to focus more of the paint towards the top right corner of the shapes. Is the marble old, sitting out in the open under the weather? Or email us at contact@goonhammer.com. Its hard to pick up the white over the Pallid Wych Flesh, but its there. However, the big thing that video shows is the technique thats hard to explain. An important use of the reference image is to make sure you stick to a single motif as you paint. Experiment with other ways to add interest and style to your marble. Its encouraging to see that theres an easy way to get tabletop quality marble results for my Custodes army. When youre done with the varnish step, take a step back and admire your handy work! Marble could have dark veins in a bright surface, or vice versa. I personally use a glaze brush instead of a standard wash brush to ensure my shade doesnt spill over outside of the recesses on to the flat areas. Marble that has been cut into blocks and polished will typically have the trademark veined texture that people associate with marble, though marble can come in many colors and variations. Painting the marble effect on a miniature doesnt require a lot of fancy techniques or freehand drawing skill (though it helps!). Next I mixed a tone lighter than the base coat, the exact mix isnt too important at this point. Avoid pooling varnish on the models surface as that will break the illusion of the marbleized surface. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Nobody likes boring looking marble. Impurities in the rock, such as quartz, graphite, pyrite, and other materials, cause the marble to take on other colors (thats how you get pink marble, for example). So, I decided I wanted to paint marble effect on the bases of my Steelhearts Champions warband for Shadespire. I personally use an army painter grey, but honestly anything will do. I apologize a lot in the video, and Ill do it again here, the setup wasnt ideal for shooting. There are many types of marble, and each has a different look (also known as a motif). Hopefully these approaches have inspired you to conduct your own research and work out your own method for painting marble, or theyve given you what you need to achieve the visual effects you were going for. In this article, were exploring how to paint marble surfaces. Step 8: Apply glaze lines of 50/50 Mechanicus Standard Grey and Lahmian Medium. Dont work from memory unless youve had a lot of practice painting marble or freehanding marble-like designs. This created a thinned, transparent film of paint that I could apply over the surface of the painted marble. Although stone, marble is a relatively soft material that can be scratched, scraped, and chipped rather easily. So, I take my main marble color and paint it directly as veins over the top of the original marble painted surface. Black would be too dark to start, unless you were doing black marble, in which case you could just inverse the process I have here. Brown dirt, green lichen, perhaps, could help the viewer see the marble as part of an outdoor, weathered object. Thanks for the tutorial I plan to watch the video when time permits. The thicker veins can be made thinner now, and in some spots I just added a small dot or streak of lighter grey to break up the thicker dark grey parts. Honestly, this whole tutorial process didnt go as planned. Keep the nozzle a fair distance away and lightly coat the model with the paint. Now the veins are painted in with a mix of grey and black, about a 1:2 ratio. These programs are designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to these affiliated sites. Its a nice big flat piece begging for some added interest. Keeping your paint thing will also help you avoid the splotchy effect that would make your marble look fake. For example, observe how the veins travel across the surface. Step 7: Apply glaze lines of 50/50 Dawnstone and Lahmian Medium. I ordered hexagon marble for a small bathroom floor and it came in white rather than the breathe of gray color that was displayed in the showroom. But, the steps below is the easiest and fastest way to paint a compelling marble effect that strikes a balance between difficulty and overall impact. These should only be at the center of the thickest lines you have created so far. I show this in the video above as well. Slowly rotate the bristles as you pull your strokes across the surface. Play. However, I had three models to paint, and while I wanted something nice, I didnt need showpieces either. If youre trying to paint a standard GW base with no further details then you can simply skip this step. A mix of grey and black leaning towards black. The most common ways that marble will be affected by weather and outdoor conditions are cracking and erosion from acid rain. For the most part, use whatever household products you have nearby. These other elements have colors that may accent the main tones and hues. It breaks up the monotony of the main color tone. The reason being that I forgot to cut from the video and take shots of the model at each stage. When deciding what color glazes to use, or whether to use a glaze at all, it helps to think about where the marble exists in the imaginary space. As you can see the effect is very subtle and I am by no means a master at it, but it is something you can perform quickly on a large number of bases. Also, if youre a newer painter then be sure to check out my list of supplies every painter needs. Again, you want a nice even coat of the varnish to avoid any streaks or brush strokes. To push the effect further, I do suggest adding a secondary color as a highlight over the first marble color. If you recall above, marble is a metamorphic rock. So, even if you prefer written format for painting tutorials, do check that video out briefly to catch the technique. I took some advice and tips, but many of the tutorials were very lengthy. As a building material, marble has been in use for thousands of years. READ MORE: BEST RECOMMENDED VARNISHES FOR PAINTING MINIATURES FOR TABLETOP GAMING AND DISPLAY. Learn how your comment data is processed. Use a low airbrush pressure to avoid blowing your stencil off the surface. You may want to use a bit of painters tape to hold your stencil in place. And, similarly, all you need for painting marble (or any miniature) is also time and pressure. You can fix anything. I didnt want to get too intricate because the Shattered Dominion bases already have some level of non-stone detail. Just make sure to avoid streaks. Blood Bowl OgreEnergy/Magical SwordFlames (Freehand)Gold in 7 StepsHive Fleet KrakenKonrad CurzeLava (Beginner & Advanced), Lightning (All Levels)Nighthaunts (Hexwraith Flame)Power Sword (40K)Marble in 4 StepsRealistic RustSkulls & Bones (4 Styles)Worn Leather. It was used to open up and lighten some of the white areas. I wanted to show the group together so you can see the marble effect across a few models. Youll be starting with two general colors: a dark and bright tone. If youre unsure of how to go about freehanding the design, go back to your reference image. You can use any color you like. You can of course paint your stones any color you want, but I figured Id tell you how I did mine in case you liked them. Heres one you can try. For more about airbrushing, check out this complete guide for details about how airbrushes can help you paint miniatures. Because of the way marble forms, it occurs commonly and there are large deposits of the material worldwide, making it relatively cheap and easy to mine. There are many types of marbles in the world. Check out these other tutorials covering specific techniques. If you want to reuse your stencil, dont pull too hard or stretch the stencil as you remove it. If I was painting one showpiece model then Id gladly follow along with a tutorial that took 2 hours. Different colors makeup the appearance of marble. If you dont have one check out this guide to easily build a wet palette. You can either make your own stencil, or buy them. If they have a particular pattern, stick with it throughout your painting. Step 2: Apply a base coat of Celestra Grey. The resulting product is a raw form that a stonemason may process into the beautiful and elegant marble objects we think about everyday. New Edition of Warmachine Announcement: Goonhammer Reacts! There are many ways to paint marble on small surfaces, but this has been the quickest way for to achieve a realistic looking stone marble effect on models. Things can get mixed up in your minds eye, and to create compelling marble, you need to paint the marble effect as closely as possible to real marble. At first I was a bit disappointed with my marble. As the lines were being painted the paint would get thinner, making some of the lines lighter. Ultimately though, for painting the marble effect, I didnt follow a tutorial. Marble is a porous material (moreso than granite) and is particularly susceptible to acid rain. Yeah, I think thats part of whats put me off trying it in the past: All the examples and tutorials Id seen were by people who had mastered it, and were way beyond what Im capable of right now. Or, at the very least, you can use your original paint colors to hid any bits you dont like. And yeah, shaving with a rusty razor probably isnt the best idea ;). Of course, there are ways to push your marble effects further to give it a unique look and style. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Just a tiny bit of color will go a long way. A Blog for Miniature Painters and Hobbyists. Competitive Innovations in 9th: From Warp and Tomb, SRMs Ongoing Imperium Review: Week 15.5: Premium Issue 1, Necromunday How to Paint Everything: Ambull, Announcing the Goonhammer Open Maryland 2022, Goonhammer, 40kstats, and the ITC Battles App. The ratios of paint I use here are rough estimates, and my process is largely done by feel. Step 3: Apply a coat of Ulthuan Grey. Surprisingly Easy Way to Paint Marble for Miniatures (How To), Miniature Marble Effect Painting Tutorial, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), The Easy Way to Paint Rust on Miniatures (How To), Learn How to Paint Lightning Bolts on Your Miniatures (Tutorial). Cracks look more natural when they dont look like flat brush strokes. I just got the new set of AoS Objective markers, and a couple of them would look great in a marble effect. Thanks tangibleday, it was a nice article. I have a simpler but related project. So, if I painted a pattern too wide then Id take my Pallid Wych Flesh, and using the zig-zag stroke, come in from the sides to thin the line out and blend it together. Marble is processed from raw stone, shaped, and finished by people. For this step I came back with a shade slightly darker than the base layer and lighter than the veins. I looked at so many tutorials and examples and they were all amazing. Marble is particularly susceptible to acid rain and weathering, and wears down over time.