I Tried ChatGPT for Painting Miniatures
Okay, I know some of you know me personally and would probably call me an old Grognard—stuck in his ways and with a funny way of walking. (Yes, John, I mean you!)
As a miniature painter, I have always favored washes over carefully building up solid colors and highlights. The main reason is simple: I consider myself a fair painter at best.
Over the last few years, I have adopted a quasi-Slapchop approach to painting, using mostly Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0. I have found that 2.0 works pretty much perfectly. 1.0 had a tendency to reactivate and really mess up your paint layers. If you aren’t familiar with Slapchop painting, I have included the YouTube link above.
And just to be clear: these are not affiliate links, and I am not trying to sell you anything!
Now, back to the story.
When I finish painting a unit, I usually give the figures a very light black wash—and I do mean light. Since I like my Horse & Musket miniatures to have the bright appearance of old-fashioned toy soldiers, I finish them with a coat of Testors gloss lacquer.
That method has worked well for me.
Until now.
I am currently finishing a 24-figure unit of 40mm Saxon Seven Years’ War infantry for my new Light Bobs Anniversary Edition. They are dressed in white coats with yellow facings.
And, frankly, after painting so much red and blue over the years, I am rather enjoying the change!
But the white coats and yellow facings presented me with a problem. I began to think that my usual black wash might not be such a good idea. Black could easily make the white look dirty and dull the yellow.
So what should I use instead?
I have been using ChatGPT for quite a while now as an aid in writing and developing my wargame rules—thanks originally to my brother David for pointing me in that direction. This time I thought:
Why not ask it about miniature painting?
So I asked:
“What color should I use as a wash for painting miniatures in white and yellow?”
Less than 30 seconds later, this was essentially the advice I received:
Use a Warm Wash
Straight black is usually not the best choice for white and yellow because it can make the white appear dirty and the yellow look muddy.
For miniatures painted primarily in white and yellow, a warm, controlled wash should work better.
Best all-around choice: Sepia or light brown
A light brown or sepia wash settles into the recesses, adds definition, and keeps both the white and yellow looking warm.
For an even cleaner appearance: Tan or sandy wash
A very thin tan wash can provide subtle shading without darkening the miniature too much.
For stronger yellow shading: Yellow-orange
A yellow-orange wash can deepen the yellow areas without dulling them and can produce a warmer, brighter appearance.
What Should I Avoid?
-
- Heavy black washes—they may be too harsh.
- Cool blue or gray washes—they can make yellow look unpleasant unless used very carefully.
- Applying too much wash over white at one time.
The final bit of advice was probably the most important:
Thin the wash more than you think you need to.
You can always add another light coat, but once a white uniform becomes dark and blotchy, fixing it is another matter entirely.
So there you have it.
After years of using essentially the same painting method, ChatGPT has talked this old Grognard into trying something different.
I am going to give the warmer wash a try on my Saxons and see what happens.
You can decide from the finished figures whether ChatGPT knew what it was talking about!
I will report back when the unit is finished.
Chris
I especially like ending it as a small experiment rather than presenting the AI advice as gospel. That gives you a natural Part Two post when the Saxons are finished: photos, what wash you actually used, and whether the advice worked.