Anything to Avoid Painting That Fiat
Painting shortcuts, marker experiments, and a very honest hobby chat
Sometimes a hobby session starts with a serious painting question, and sometimes it starts with a joke about using a 3D puzzle as a proxy just to avoid painting something else.
That was very much the mood here. Michał immediately called it out: we will apparently do anything just to avoid painting that Fiat. Fair.
But the real topic of the day quickly became a painting experiment from Pegie: paint markers.
Markers on armor? Actually… pretty cool
Pegie tested markers on a model and the first impression was surprisingly positive: they were comfortable to use and gave a nice, quick way to get color onto the armor.
The catch, of course, is precision. On larger armor panels they seem to work just fine, but in tighter areas the color started creeping onto the raised trim and decorative details. A classic “this was fast until it wasn’t” situation.
Still, this is exactly the kind of shortcut we love testing. Not every tool has to replace a brush entirely to be useful. If something speeds up the boring parts and leaves only the cleanup for later, that can still be a win.
Drybrush, or maybe… just brush
Another nice surprise: the drybrush effect landed well enough to get an approving comment from Michał.
Pegie, however, gave the most relatable hobby answer possible: at some points it was more brush than drybrush. But importantly, without any major disasters.
Honestly, that is a huge part of painting. So many techniques sound clean and controlled in tutorials, and then in real life they become a slightly chaotic version that still looks good on the miniature. If it works, it works.
The trim problem
The next question was the really practical one: what to do with the raised decorations that the marker couldn’t avoid?
Michał’s recommendation was straightforward: go with Retributor for the trim.
The reasoning made perfect sense:
- a speedpaint/contrast-style metallic could show through unevenly,
- Retributor should cover properly,
- and then it can be shaded nicely with Agrax Earthshade,
- or Nuln Oil if that’s what is available.
Pegie’s concern was also very real: using a speedpaint there might push the result too far toward red, which is exactly the kind of thing that can throw off the whole armor scheme.
Also: Berserker Bloodshade remains extremely tempting
Before the trim discussion, Pegie mentioned being tempted to hit the whole armor with Berserker Bloodshade, because, in the universal language of hobbying, it just looks awesome.
And honestly? We get it.
A lot of painting decisions live somewhere between careful planning and “this paint is cool, let’s see what happens.” Sometimes those are the best projects.
Our takeaway
This little exchange was a perfect snapshot of how we actually paint:
- test weird tools,
- accept that “drybrush” is sometimes only spiritually a drybrush,
- fix messy bits with metallics,
- ask for advice before committing,
- and absolutely procrastinate on unrelated projects whenever possible.
Markers seem like a genuinely interesting option for broad armor areas, as long as we treat them like a speed tool, not a precision instrument. For the fiddly raised trim, going back in with a solid metallic like Retributor still sounds like the safest move.
And yes, we are still laughing at the idea that a 3D puzzle proxy might be easier than painting that one cursed model we keep avoiding.
That is the hobby experience in a nutshell.