New terrain environments often spawn new hobbyist techniques. Your RPG-churning mind becomes much more open to experimentation which often leads to an adrenaline-style knowledge gain. That’s where this week’s post comes in – Ben learned a great new taping technique that makes straight paint lines a snap. Let’s see how he did it.

Our Egyptian game board requires a dizzying array of detail work and straight lines. Sadly, the contrasting colors make physical gaffes quite apparent. Sure – it’s not very noticeable following the arm’s length rule but your goal should always be to improve from piece to piece (just don’t fret the past).

Enlisting the services of an ordinary roll of blue painters tape makes a noticeable improvement. And yes – it does take more time to add and cut the sticky stuff but painting that very piece indeed goes quicker.

The decorative flower stone offered a perfect training scenario as it’s encased in a solid square. Those lines called for a slick gold trim. Easy enough…just tear off small pieces of tape and place them on the very edges of the square. Now all you have to do is paint right to the line for a perfect edge effect.

This same technique works for trickier pieces, like the obelisk, but requires a little more tape maneuvering to get it in place. Remember Ben’s door from last week? That black outline looks like it was painted during an earthquake. Now look at it when he uses re-tries it (this time with Boltgun Metal coat for a rare silver metal look).

Let’s take a closer look at all three new pieces for this week:

Pouring Statue
The original called for a wild baby blue tone for the water color but Ben disagrees.

• Paint the Egyptian statue in the previous flesh color scheme
• Leave the outside of the pot in its natural sand state
• Use Chaos Black to show an empty container
• Try Regal Blue if you want to show water within it

The results are a couple of fine statue options either as room décor or maybe even to used with a before and after a trap has been triggered.

Iron Bar Door
Ben wanted to keep metal to a minimum (which is probably why you don’t even see them in the original Hirst Arts build). This is especially true if you plan on using this terrain in Dark Sun. There’s a type of compromise paint scheme here to try though.

• Try going for more shadows and sand build up.
• Use thicker bristles for a heavier dry brush of Chaos Black
• Apply a much lighter dry brush of Quick Silver
• Go back with a special thin brush for a dry brush of black between the bars
• Create an alternate door frame to house it in

Certainly, this type of door would be used sparingly and would probably be placed to seal off a more guarded part of your pyramid or dungeon.

Floor Flower Symbol
Several fun paint schemes to try here.

• Apply Warlock Purple for the “w” and flower nubs
• Dab on Dark Angel Green for the willows
• Use Liche Purple for the flower buds
• Paint on Burnished Gold for the outline
• Pretty cool, right

• Or, use Liche Purple the “w” and flower nubs
• Stick with Dark Angel Green for the willows
• Try Enchanted Blue for the flower buds
• Finish with Burnished Gold for the outline
• Not bad, ey?

• Or, go the original route model route
• Apply Liche Purple for the top buds and willows
• Use Dark Angel Green for the “w”
• Paint on Blood Red for the bottom buds
• Leave off the Burnished Gold Outline

In the end, Ben liked option 2 the best actually felt they were all keepers. Variety in your game board is always a good thing so Ben encourages alternate paint schemes when it makes sense.

Once again a tip of the helm to Enygma for guiding him in on landing…these are the kind of experiences a hobbyist learns to relish: good results with a new technique for one’s terrain toolbox. Life is good.

Questions to Ponder: Did you have a favorite floor décor paint scheme? Is the painter’s tape old news to you? If so, how else have you used it to improve your terrain building?