© North Star Military Figures Click here to order Click here to order Previous Page Next Page Home Latest North Star Great War Artizan Crusader Frostgrave Oathmark Stargrave Africa Silver Bayonet Click here to order The “Oathmark”Snake-man Infantry unit, ready for battle. North Star Magazine home page SPEED PAINTING

FELT-TIP

As a long-time fan of Speedpaints, I was curious to  see how The Army Painter’s new Speedpaint  Markers stacked up. At first glance, they look like felt- tip pens and in essence, that’s exactly what they are,  but instead of ink they deliver Speedpaint. I wasn’t  sure what to expect, but I gave them a proper test  across a number of miniatures, and they turned out to  be surprisingly capable. This is my experience using  the Starter Set, from first impressions to final touches,  with a few detours into hybrid techniques and  improvisation along the way.

IROQUOIS

I’d originally planned to paint some Iroquois, to go  with the ones I’d already finished in Speedpaints, but  the Starter Set didn’t include a suitable flesh tone. So  I turned to Snake-men, as the set included Orc Skin  which made a great green colour for their flesh. The  Snake-men are from North Star’s Frostgrave:  Ghost Archipelago.  

PRIMED

I’d prepped the figures for standard Speedpaints  using the excellent TT Combat aerosol sprays.  Starting with an all-over coat of Black V2 Spray  Primer, applied normally, followed by a zenithal coat  of White V2 Spray Primer. For the zenithal  undercoat, I sprayed white from directly above, at a  90-degree angle to the top of the model’s head. If you  search YouTube for “zenithal undercoat,” you’ll find  plenty of examples. The goal isn’t to completely cover  the darker primer, but to leave some of it visible  underneath, creating natural shadows and built-in  shading, so a light touch is essential. Don’t flood the  paint. One of the great things about TT Combat  
sprays is how controllable they are; if you go carefully, you’ll get excellent results. Another bonus: they leave  a consistently matt finish, which is the ideal surface  for Speedpaints.

ADVICE

I usually follow the sound advice about painting lighter  colours first, but this time I ignored the official  guidance, as I could see there were some awkward,  hard-to-reach areas that needed the green flesh tones early on. The marker nibs aren’t as fine as I’d have  liked, though you can easily trim them down with a  sharp blade to make a more precise tool. I decided to  limit myself to just the colours in the Starter Set, at  least to begin with. Once the flesh was done, I tried to  follow the recommended light-to-dark approach. I was  sceptical at first; I couldn’t imagine the markers  delivering the kind of flow Speedpaints need, but they  do. In fact, they provide a very consistent flow, which  is great for covering larger areas. Just make sure to  prime the markers properly (as the guidance  suggests) at the start, and re-prime them periodically  to keep the flow going.

TEXTURES

I tested them on all sorts of textures across the  Snake-men, and they handled most surfaces  surprisingly well, even larger areas like cloaks and  kilts. They were most effective on textured flesh, much  like conventional Speedpaints. The only real limitation  is the nib size, but with ten replacement nibs included,  don’t be afraid to trim them to suit your needs. Like  actual Speedpaints, I applied them carefully to avoid  overrunning areas not intended for a particular colour. It’s a bit more time-consuming at the application  stage, but it saves time later on.
Above. The “Oathmark”Snake-man Infantry unit, ready for battle.
Above. Orc Skin. Snakeman flesh. Top row; Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist, bottom row; Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Orc Skin. Snakeman flesh.   Magic Blue. Snakeman kilts. Zealot Yellow. Other clothing and details, hoods,  snake etc. Pallid Bone. Cloaks and bags, quivers, club, bones  etc. Fire Giant Orange. Sword hilts, quiver and other  details like eyes. Hardened Leather. Wood, some belts, bottles and  armour. Blood Red. Stripes on the snake, some bottles,  chest roundel and so on.
SPEED PAINTING SNAKE-MEN WITH SPEEDPAINT MARKERS North Star Military Figures OATHMARK: BATTLES OF A LOST AGE. Fantasy Mass Battle Game from Osprey Games. Miniatures by North Star and Osprey.
Grim Black. Some armour and other contrast details.   Polished Silver. Some more armour and the  weapons blades and hilts. Gravelord Grey Over the Polished Silver.

SECOND

Some colours needed a second coat to really pop —  Pallid Bone in particular could use a bit more oomph.  Just make sure the first coat is fully dry before  applying another, or the marker nib might lift the initial  layer and spoil the finish. The nibs are obviously stiffer than a paintbrush, so take care not to scrub too hard  and risk damaging your undercoat.
Hunter. The bow and sword hilt are in Hardened Leather, the quiver is Zealot Yellow, kilt is Magic Blue and the armour all Grim Black. Hunter. The bow and sword hilt are in Hardened Leather, the quiver is Zealot Yellow, kilt is Magic Blue and the armour all Grim Black.
Hunter. The bow and sword hilt are in Hardened  Leather, the quiver is Zealot Yellow, kilt is Magic  Blue and the armour all Grim Black. 
Heritor I. The hood is Zealot Yellow, the cloak  Pallid Bone (two coats), quiver is Fire Giant  Orange, fletchings in Gravelord Grey.
Hunter. I used Blue Tone wash to fix, where pooled.  
SNAKE-MEN WITH MARKERS OATHMARK: BATTLES OF A LOST AGE. Fantasy Mass Battle Game from Osprey Games. Miniatures by North Star and Osprey. Orc Skin. Snakeman flesh. Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist Orc Skin. Snakeman flesh. Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Above. Magic Blue. Snakeman kilts. Top row; Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist, bottom row; Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Magic Blue. Snakeman kilts. Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist Magic Blue. Snakeman kilts. Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Above. Zealot Yellow. Other clothing and details, hoods, snake etc. Top row; Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist, bottom row; Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Zealot Yellow. Other clothing and details, hoods, snake etc. Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist. Zealot Yellow. Other clothing and details, hoods, snake etc. Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Above. Pallid Bone. Cloaks and bags, quivers, club, bones, etc. Top row; Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist, bottom row; Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Pallid Bone. Cloaks and bags, quivers, club, bones, etc. Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist. Pallid Bone. Cloaks and bags, quivers, club, bones, etc. Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
Above. The rest of the colours detailed below. Top row; Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist, bottom row; Guide, Warden II & Heritor II.
The rest of the colours detailed below. Scout, Heritor I & Herbalist. The rest of the colours detailed below. Guide, Warden II & Heritor II. Heritor I. The hood is Zealot Yellow, the cloak Pallid Bone (two coats), quiver is Fire Giant Orange, fletchings in Gravelord Grey. Heritor I. The hood is Zealot Yellow, the cloak Pallid Bone (two coats), quiver is Fire Giant Orange, fletchings in Gravelord Grey. Herbalist. The panel on the front of the kilt is Zealot Yellow, on the back is Fire Giant Orange, the bag and bandoleer are Pallid Bone, the bunch of flowers and bottles in Blood Red. Herbalist. The panel on the front of the kilt is Zealot Yellow, on the back is Fire Giant Orange, the bag and bandoleer are Pallid Bone, the bunch of flowers and bottles in Blood Red. Heritor II. The chest roundel is in Blood Red, armour all Grim Black, mace haft Pallid Bone, mace head Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey, Zealot Yellow and Fire Giant Orange on the loincloth. Heritor II. The chest roundel is in Blood Red, armour all Grim Black, mace haft Pallid Bone, mace head Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey, Zealot Yellow and Fire Giant Orange on the loincloth.
Herbalist. The panel on the front of the kilt is Zealot  Yellow, on the back is Fire Giant Orange, the bag  and bandoleer are Pallid Bone, the bunch of flowers  and bottles in Blood Red.
Heritor II. The chest roundel is in Blood Red,  armour all Grim Black, mace haft Pallid Bone, mace  head Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey, Zealot  Yellow and Fire Giant Orange on the loincloth.
Warden II. The snake is Zealot Yellow overlaid with Blood Red stripes, Hardened Leather armour and details in Pallid Bone. Warden II. The snake is Zealot Yellow overlaid with Blood Red stripes, Hardened Leather armour and details in Pallid Bone. Guide. Spear shaft, bow and all the armour in Hardened Leather with details in Pallid Bone, kilt is Magic Blue, and the eyes are Fire Giant Orange. Guide. Spear shaft, bow and all the armour in Hardened Leather with details in Pallid Bone, kilt is Magic Blue, and the eyes are Fire Giant Orange.
Warden II. The snake is Zealot Yellow overlaid with  Blood Red stripes, Hardened Leather armour and  details in Pallid Bone.  
Guide. Spear shaft, bow and all the armour in  Hardened Leather with details in Pallid Bone, kilt is  Magic Blue, and the eyes are Fire Giant Orange.
Scout. Grim Black armour, Hardened Leather belt, straps and bow, Pallid Bone quiver with Hardened Leather stripe, Zealot Yellow tunic detail at the back. Scout. Grim Black armour, Hardened Leather belt, straps and bow, Pallid Bone quiver with Hardened Leather stripe, Zealot Yellow tunic detail at the back. Savage. Zealot Yellow snakeskin loincloth overlaid with Grim Black stripe, Pallid Bone bones, Hardened Leather mace haft, mace head Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey on top. Savage. Zealot Yellow snakeskin loincloth overlaid with Grim Black stripe, Pallid Bone bones, Hardened Leather mace haft, mace head Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey on top.
Scout. Grim Black armour, Hardened Leather belt,  straps and bow, Pallid Bone quiver with Hardened  Leather stripe, Zealot Yellow tunic detail at the  back.
Savage. Zealot Yellow snakeskin loincloth overlaid  with Grim Black stripe, Pallid Bone bones,  Hardened Leather mace haft, mace head Polished  Silver then Gravelord Grey on top.
Crackshot. Club in Pallid Bone, armour Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey, kilt Magic Blue and Fire Giant Orange, with a Zealot Yellow panel down the front. Crackshot. Club in Pallid Bone, armour Polished Silver then Gravelord Grey, kilt Magic Blue and Fire Giant Orange, with a Zealot Yellow panel down the front. Tomb Robber. Hardened Leather belt, straps and shoulder armour, the rest of the armour Polished Silver and Gravelord Grey over it, Blood Red weapons hafts and stripes of his Zealot Yellow trousers. Tomb Robber. Hardened Leather belt, straps and shoulder armour, the rest of the armour Polished Silver and Gravelord Grey over it, Blood Red weapons hafts and stripes of his Zealot Yellow trousers.
Crackshot. Club in Pallid Bone, armour Polished  Silver then Gravelord Grey, kilt Magic Blue and  Fire Giant Orange, with a Zealot Yellow panel  down the front.
Tomb Robber. Hardened Leather belt, straps and  shoulder armour, the rest of the armour Polished  Silver and Gravelord Grey over it, Blood Red  weapons hafts and stripes of his Yellow trousers.

STANDOUT

The standout colour was Hardened Leather. It gives  a reliable, versatile finish, perfect for leather  (obviously), but also great for hair, teeth, and  woodwork. The only oddball was Polished Silver: a  lovely, bright metallic, but it doesn’t behave like a  Speedpaint, it goes on as solid silver. That said,  layering Gravelord Grey over it added the depth and shading it needed.

DETAILING

Once I’d finished with the markers, I went back in with  a brush for some detailing to match them with existing  
models — but honestly, that was optional. The  Speedpaint Markers produce a perfectly decent  tabletop finish on their own. I used Warpaints Washes: Green Tone to  accentuate the scale details on the snake-men, and  Warpaints Fanatic Wash: Blue Tone to correct  some of the shading on the blue kilts where I wasn’t  happy with the finish. The key detail was painting a  black stripe in the eye, followed by a dot of white for  reflection to really make them stand out. I like this hybrid approach to painting, getting the bulk  done with a fast system, and then finishing off with  some careful detail that really sells them.
Hunter. I used Blue Tone wash to fix, where pooled Speedpaint had dried with a craquelure effect in the recesses. Hunter. I used Blue Tone wash to fix, where pooled Speedpaint had dried with a craquelure effect in the recesses. Heritor I. Here I added a bit more detail to the bow and trim to the quiver. Heritor I. Here I added a bit more detail to the bow and trim to the quiver.
Heritor I. I added a bit more detail to the bow.
Herbalist. The handle of his peculiar knife Pallid Bone, even though it looks like metal. Herbalist. The handle of his peculiar knife Pallid Bone, even though it looks like metal. Heritor II. I hit his chest roundel with some Warpaints Fanatic Wash: Red Tone. Heritor II. I hit his chest roundel with some Warpaints Fanatic Wash: Red Tone.
Herbalist. The handle of his knife Pallid Bone.
Heritor II. I used Red Tone wash on the roundle. 
Warden II. His teeth are Pallid Bone and the snakes eyes Blood Red. Warden II. His teeth are Pallid Bone and the snakes eyes Blood Red. Guide. Initially I painted his quiver Pallid Bone, and then decided he had too much of the same colour so gave it a coat of Gravelord Grey. Guide. Initially I painted his quiver Pallid Bone, and then decided he had too much of the same colour so gave it a coat of Gravelord Grey.
Warden II. His teeth are Pallid Bone.  
Guide. The quiver Pallid Bone & Gravelord Grey.
Scout. Here you can see what a difference the eye details make. Scout. Here you can see what a difference the eye details make. Savage. When I applied the Gravelord Grey over the Polished Silver I wiped off some of it with my painters thumb to achieve a better look. Savage. When I applied the Gravelord Grey over the Polished Silver I wiped off some of it with my painters thumb to achieve a better look.
Scout. You can see difference the eye details make. 
Savage. I wiped off some of Gravelord Grey.
Crackshot. I added Gravelord Grey to the pattern on the front of the loincloth to make it standout. Crackshot. I added Gravelord Grey to the pattern on the front of the loincloth to make it standout. Tomb Robber. I did multiple reflection points on the eyes of the skull, with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Tomb Robber. I did multiple reflection points on the eyes of the skull, with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White.
Crackshot. Gravelord Grey added to the loincloth.
Tomb Robber. Multiple reflections on the skull eyes.

VARNISHED

Then I varnished them with Army Painter spray can mat varnish, glossed the eyes, and based them up to in  a similar vein to my other Oathmark models.  
Hunter. Hunter. Heritor I. Heritor I. Herbalist. Herbalist. Heritor II. Heritor II. Warden II. Warden II. Guide. Guide. Scout. Scout. Savage. Savage. Crackshot. Crackshot. Tomb Robber. Tomb Robber.

OATHMARK

Then I painted a few more to finish off the unit. Now  hold on a minute, you’re saying, aren’t the Snake-men for Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago? Well yes, but I  wanted them to be able to fight in Oathmark too.  Hence the 25mm square bases and the need for  more troops!
Hunter.
Heritor I.
Herbalist.
Heritor II.
Warden II.
Guide.
Scout.  
Savage.
Crackshot.  
Tomb Robber.
The rest of the unit is made up of Freebooters and  Mercenaries, forming an armoured front rank  alongside the other Warden. I added plastic shields  to some of the Mercenaries and used Speedpaint:  Aztec Gold from the Speedpaint Complete Set, for  the armour on both types, as well as the metalwork on  the Warden.
Freebooter. Freebooter. Mercenary. Mercenary.
Freebooter.
Mercenary.

HANDY

All in all, Speedpaint Markers turned out to be a  surprisingly handy addition to my painting toolkit.  They’re not a replacement for brushes, but they offer  a fast, clean way to get colour on miniatures —  especially useful for batch painting. I’ll be  experimenting further, and I suspect they’ll find their  way into more of my projects before long. I reckon  they’d work well on horses, those broad areas of flesh  would benefit from the consistent flow. That’s next on  the list, and I’ll report back.

IMPRESSIONS

To be fair, I’m probably not their target audience, even as a Speedpaint fan, but I can see them being a great  
Warden. Warden.
Warden.
introduction to Speedpaints, or even to painting in general. They’re clean, fuss-free, and travel-friendly. No  brush cleaning, no mess — ideal for painting on holiday, or even en plein air, like the true impressionist I’d like  to be.
The “Oathmark”Snake-man Infantry unit with its armoured front rank. The “Oathmark”Snake-man Infantry unit with its armoured front rank. The “Oathmark”Snake-man Infantry unit, ready for battle.