In the last few days I’m come across an abnormal number of excellently painted Space Marines on various blogs, with one large looming flaw: no chapter markings. I’ve seen scouts that are “Raven Guard”. Marines that are, uh…black. And Red. I understand from the painters’ notes that they are this chapter or that, but I guess I just need to take their word for it because color alone does not make the chapter!
I think people tend to underestimate how important chapter markings are to the look of a model. I also know why people ignore this final crucial step. Transfers are, without proper know-how, a total nightmare. And painting chapter markings free-hand on even a single tactical squad is a task beyond most of us (myself included).
So let’s revisit the transfers option again. Done wrong, they look wrinkled, glossy, and frankly terrible. Done right, they will make your miniatures look 100% better. And the good news is that they are in reality not very difficult to get terrific results with; you just need the right tools to get the job done.
You need: Microset, Microsol, GW Lahmian medium, and a q-tip. The microSET can be replaced with white vinegar. In fact, I have never even bought Microset, the vinegar is so effective.
Step 1. Soak the transfer in microset/vinegar. It’s best to use a very small dish for this step, like dipping sauce tray or something, so you don’t need to fish for the transfer. Let it soak until you can easily dislodge the transfer from its paper backing with the use of a paint brush.
Step 2. Use the paintbrush to coat the surface you will be apply the transfer to with vinegar. Then slide the transfer onto the surface, and position it as accurately as possible. If there are bumps or it doesn’t lie flat, it doesn’t matter, just make sure there are no folds. Let the transfer dry, which shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes.
Step 3. Use some Microsol applied to a q-tip to fully cover the transfer. Don’t use so a ton, but don’t be stingy with it either. Ok, now take a deep breath, because the next part is scary if you’re not used to it: the Microsol will start to make the transfer look wrinkly, bubbly, and generally terrible. This is normal. It is the first step in the transfer softening and shrinking to hug the surface it is applied to.
Step 4. After 15-20 minutes, the wrinkles and bumps should start to magically dissipate. This is the point at which you can use a dry q-tip to gently push out any excess bumps and bubbles on the transfer. Because it is soft, these bumps are just sort of smushed out.
Optional step. This is also the best time to take an exacto-blade and do a little battle damage to the transfer. Once it is fully dry, you will have a harder time making realistic looking scratches on it. Once you’ve applied a few artistic scratch marks to the soft-but-drying transfer, make sure that you haven’t missed any bumps or bubbles, and then just let it dry fully, for like another hour.
Step 5. Apply Lahmian medium to the transfer. This is crucial because transfers have a very glossy appearance that will need to be dulled to blend into the armor. Once you’ve done this, it will look painted on. I also sometimes follow the Lahmian medium with another wash like Agrax or Athonian to add a bit of battle-worn look, especially if I made the decal look especially scratched up.
This process takes minimal practice, and has radically improved countless miniatures of mine. If you are the proud owner of meticulously painted marines of the famous “Black” Chapter, or the equally lauded “Red” chapter, or even the fearsome “Blue” chapter, you will be thrilled with how simple and how transformative transfers can be to your hobby.