How can painting be fun & easy?
Patrick Carroll
many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
Once upon a time, I bought a bunch of Hinchliffe 25mm AWI figures, along with
some paint, brushes, and a painting guide; and I tried my hand at painting up a
regiment of Continental soldiers. Got as far as the coats and hats, and was
then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
other details. The thought of eventually getting to the piping, mustaches, and
plaid Highlander kilts seemed like an utterly impossible dream. In
exasperation, I briefly considered just spray-painting all the Continentals
blue, the French white, the British red, and Hessians green--and being done
with it. Then I said to myself, "Nah--what kind of miniature army would that
be?"--and gave up.
Ever since then I've been trying hard to shrug off miniatures as "not my
thing." I've worked out an elaborate sour-grapes rationale ("I wouldn't have
time to play anyway"; "It's a vestige of childhood I should just leave behind";
etc.)--but I still have those partly painted AWI figures in a box, along with
some ACW samples and a whole rack of rules & catalogs. And now DBA (and its
variants) cries out to me with its siren call: "Think how easy it'd be to
create just 12 elements for each side . . . that's all you'd need to be
started."
Those of you who've been around awhile may remember me; I cycle back around
every year or so, tentatively wondering whether the hobby is for me. So, what
about it? Short of just spray-painting the figures, is there any reasonably
fun & easy approach for an unskilled newbie to take when it comes to painting
up a small (DBA-like) army?
In a couple more years, when our finances are in better shape, I may resort to
just buying prepainted armies; I don't know. Meanwhile, I'd kinda like to dip
my brush into some paint and give the thing another go. But besides an
optimistic, self-forgiving attitude, I could use a few basic techniques--or
directions to a painting-guide site, maybe. Any suggestions?
MRTINJ
a better word, on this NG. In which I detailed my means and methods on how I
manage to make a living painting miniature figures.
Everything I wrote has been collected into a text document I send to anyone who
asks nicely. :)
Martin J.
JGriffit40
ways to perfect it quickly. The old principle of practice, practice, practice
is quite true.
You really have to just play around and try to keep paintint until you find a
style that's your uncomfortable with.
My quick suggestions would include:
* No coffee before you paint. A shaky hand will be a disadvantage.
* Work with some cheap guys first. Some throwaway units that you'll be
fielding alot of (a bag job would go unnoticed) and if you have to strip it a
few times, the lack of detail won't kill the model.
* Stick with "easy" guys first. Stay away from Highlander kilts and celtic
plaids. Try you hands with 18thCentury English. Something the uses bright,
easy colors in big blocks. Patterns are tricky.
* Undercoat with Black paint. The color is more forgiving, easier to drybrush
over for detail, and leaves easy black lines for more definition on your
figures.
* Paint the model from the inside out. Stary with faces, hands, etc. Then
paint the clothes from the body outward.
* When just starting, focus on the big blocks of color and shapes. Paint a
face flesh colored, a coat red, etc. Don't worry about small details at first.
Eyes can be painted later, little details on models add character up close but
are irrelevant at a distance. If you get the base areas done well, you can go
back and do the details after you've got some practice.
* Practice, practice, practice. If you screw some stuff up, oh well, strip
it, and practice some more.
* Remember, almost no one is a great painter to start with. It's all
practice. Once you get some practice in, the learning curve narrows, you'll
get more confident, and then you'll spend more time painting, and you'll keep
getting better.
>Subject: How can painting be fun & easy?
>From: domi...@aol.com (Patrick Carroll)
>Date: Sat, 24 July 1999 11:15 AM EDT
>Message-id: <19990724111549...@ng-ce1.aol.com>
SMHuckaby
>then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
>other details. >>
Shaky hands are a problem that takes practice. If you have ever held an new
object before you will have experienced this. Say the first time you draw a bow
to fire. The key is to learn bracing. When its time for a straight line, try
planting your elbows on the table a then painting. Or rest your wrist on a book
and then bring the figure to your hand and paint. Unlike firing a rifle or
playing the piano, you can develop your own brush handling techniques just as
you do a painting style. Good luck.
COWW (Stan Olson)
>
> Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
> many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
>
> Once upon a time, I bought a bunch of Hinchliffe 25mm AWI figures, along with
> some paint, brushes, and a painting guide; and I tried my hand at painting up a
> then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
> plaid Highlander kilts seemed like an utterly impossible dream. In
> exasperation, I briefly considered just spray-painting all the Continentals
> blue, the French white, the British red, and Hessians green--and being done
> with it. Then I said to myself, "Nah--what kind of miniature army would that
> be?"--and gave up.
But besides an
> optimistic, self-forgiving attitude, I could use a few basic techniques--or
> directions to a painting-guide site, maybe. Any suggestions?
Stan: Preparation is the key to painting figures for wargames.
- Obtain all figures required for an army or skirmish force
- Clean by filing figures
- use foam picture "2way" picture mounting tape to
mount 3 - 4 infantry or 3 horses or a cannon ...
temporarily (but securely) on to a single re-usable piece of
wood eg. large craft store popcicle sticks
- after entire units are mounted on painting bases,
Prime them whith automotive spray primer recc. flat white
- the painting bases will allow you to hang the figures upside down
so you can spray underneath them, Then to their sides, finaly
their heads form over the figures .
Step 2
- apply the base colours with acrylic paints from
any craft or art / hobby store .
- touch up mistakes involving a dark colur getting
on a light colour, by painting the boo-boo with
flat white paint first, then repainting the light colour.
= Your painting position should be as follows:
- sit Upright in a comfortable chair
- do not (never) rest your elbows on a table or desk
- have enough light sources positioned so you do
not have to bend over or across-towards the light
while holding a painting base (sit upright)
- Hold the brush between your thumb and first 2 fingers
just like a pen-pencil, keep your shoulder-arm-fingers
loose (painting is not about strength, tension causes
fatigue and muscle exhaustion or cramping )
- rest both your elbows beside-touching your upper ribcage
- do not push the elbows together, this is uncomfortable
and restricts your breathing .
- holding the base in your left hand, place your wrists
together, This is the main technique for steadying
your painting hand (and thereby the brush tip).
ie. your breathing, and arms-hands-figures move as
one unit
- the figures need not be held any highers than level
with your throat
( If you must hold them closer to your face, look into
glasses and or bi-focals Note: Magnifiers should not
neccessary for painting 25mm figures unless extrodinary
details are being applied)
- magnifiers reduce your depth of field (ability to focus)
and so are tiring because you must hold the figures
Exactly the right distance away, and should be used rarely.
( an optical aid that exhausts your body is not
encouraging dilligent diciplined productive painting results)
- remember to have enough lighting available
squinting is exhausting to your eyes-mind
- Use good quality brushes, that are soft and hold
enough paint a 1 or 1"O" brush will be most usefull
larger ones for washes and inks or drybrushing
(even walmart sells craft brushes suitable)
- Take your brush that has its bristles half covered in
paint, and put it down in the center of an area
on the figure that is to be painted that colour.
- Do not lift the brush off the surface, just move
draw and push the paint around (do not go stroke stroke
stroke)
- Warning: every brush "stroke", is an opportunity to land
the paint where it should Not be ....
- the method I am describing is like Hand Writing-Caligraphy
- the stroke stroke stroke method is like printing letters
Rather than smoothly Writing them in a continous fashion ...
- ie. I fill the brush and set it down once-twice to paint an
area with that pool of paint.
- dont Forget to Turn (Re-0orient) the figure on its base
in any way you want-need to see an area directly and
apply your brush safely .
These are Basic techniques I use to paint fast and well,
washes drybrushing and acrylic inks are optional semi-advanced
techniques. Note: these are not always required in painting
large amounts of wargame miniatures for a battle.
===As for making Painting Fun & Easy===
Try: holding informal figure painting get togethers
with background mood music and snacks.
Make painting an army/force a group activity
like a quilting bee ....
Also check out any local Model Soldier or IPMS
organizations in your vicinity, and books from
Games Workshop (GW) available/or orderable from
game stores or through their magazine White Dwarf
These deal in outlandish Fantasy or SF armies
but all the semi-advanced techniques and the GW
paints Inks and brushes are good ...
and well depicted in colour photos .
Paint Your Historicals 25% as well as GW pros. paint those
orcs and such, and you will be very happy with your armies.
Stan Olson: Painting Pundit, The Conference Of Wargamers (Winnipeg)
COWW (Home of the Pan-Am Games, Land of the Beaver)
Thomas R. Tolliver
into painting as well. Information like Stan's is valuable, but there's a
whole psychology behind painting to be considered. Like anything else,
painting is 99% confidence.
First, start with a project realistic for the skills of a beginner and
expect the results of a beginner. Look to other hobbies you may already be
firmly entrenched in, and think of the advice you'd give a friend starting
out. You wouldn't take a novice golfer out on a difficult course nor would
you do anything but encourage them and loan them balls after they lose every
one in their bag. Allow yourself to be a beginner.
I recommend starting with 15mm figures. The size can be daunting, but 15mm
figures require fewer painting skills than 25mm. The larger surface areas
and better surface detail of a 25mm figure require techniques like dry
brushing and washes to look right. 15mm figures, on the other hand, are so
small that the areas you typically paint aren't big enough to need a lot of
variation along the surface to look okay. Now, that doesn't mean you can't
use advanced techniques on 15mm figures, or that they won't look better if
you do...just that they don't suffer too much without them.
At first glance the details on a 15mm figure may appear to be too small to
tackle, but they really aren't. For instance, 15mm figures may have small
faces but the smallest feature you typically have to deal with on the face
is darkening the eye sockets to create some shadow and, as you develop an
eye for shading you might put a touch of lighter color on the cheekbones,
nose and chin. A 25mm figure, however, will sometimes go as far as having
eyebrows and you always have to do the eyes, shadow the eye sockets and
highlight a bit. Anyway, regardless of the scale of the figure, the
smallest element you have to deal with is about the same size so there's
really no more difficulty at all.
Don't start out trying to paint something with complex equipment like a
Napoleonic figure. They might be gorgeous, but all those belts and
equipment will send you into shock for another year or so. Start out with
some nice basic figures like ancients. These figures typically have much
less complex equipment and are a nice way to ease into painting. If
ancients aren't your bag find something else simpler that is, like
microarmor. Then, as your confidence increases, move to more complex
figures and/or more advanced painting techniques.
Don't prime up a billion figures all at once and then become daunted by the
size of the project. Assemby line technique is definitely the way to go to
produce whole armies, but right now we want to avoid anything that might be
a discouragement. I suggest painting figures in groups of 4 to 8.
Don't fret about how long it takes you to paint the figures either. My
first try at a group of 6 Napoleonic Prussians averaged about 2.5 or 3 hours
a figure. Even now, with a few years of painting under my belt, I paint
Napoelonics at the rate of maybe one an hour (typically taking 12 hours to
paint a unit of 12 figures). Some people just aren't speedy painters.
Also, avoid the grass is greener syndrome. Look very, very closely at other
peoples figures. They look beautiful on the gaming table, but that's
because you're observing the general effect. While some of the figures out
there are absolute masterpieces, the reality is that most of them really
aren't that spectacular. They have paint 'over the lines', flocking glued
to boots, etc. just like ours sometimes do. In fact, a key to speedy
painting is recognizing the minimum level of quality you need for the
'general effect' and relaxing your standards to that point.
Hmmm, I can't think of anything else.
Good luck!
Patrick Carroll wrote in message
<19990724111549...@ng-ce1.aol.com>...
>Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
>many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
>
>Once upon a time, I bought a bunch of Hinchliffe 25mm AWI figures, along
with
>some paint, brushes, and a painting guide; and I tried my hand at painting
up a
>regiment of Continental soldiers. Got as far as the coats and hats, and
was
>then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
>other details. The thought of eventually getting to the piping, mustaches,
and
>plaid Highlander kilts seemed like an utterly impossible dream. In
>exasperation, I briefly considered just spray-painting all the Continentals
>blue, the French white, the British red, and Hessians green--and being done
>with it. Then I said to myself, "Nah--what kind of miniature army would
that
>be?"--and gave up.
>
>Ever since then I've been trying hard to shrug off miniatures as "not my
>thing." I've worked out an elaborate sour-grapes rationale ("I wouldn't
have
>time to play anyway"; "It's a vestige of childhood I should just leave
behind";
>etc.)--but I still have those partly painted AWI figures in a box, along
with
>some ACW samples and a whole rack of rules & catalogs. And now DBA (and
its
>variants) cries out to me with its siren call: "Think how easy it'd be to
>create just 12 elements for each side . . . that's all you'd need to be
>started."
>
>Those of you who've been around awhile may remember me; I cycle back around
>every year or so, tentatively wondering whether the hobby is for me. So,
what
>about it? Short of just spray-painting the figures, is there any
reasonably
>fun & easy approach for an unskilled newbie to take when it comes to
painting
>up a small (DBA-like) army?
>
>In a couple more years, when our finances are in better shape, I may resort
to
>just buying prepainted armies; I don't know. Meanwhile, I'd kinda like to
dip
>my brush into some paint and give the thing another go. But besides an
Nick Wesson
Please MRTINJ, send me your words of painting wisdom!
Thanks
Nick Wesson
Raymond Rangel
> > Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off
for
> > many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
> >
There are as many ways to paint efficent;y and comfortably as there are
stars in the sky. For instance:
> Stan: Preparation is the key to painting figures for wargames.
> - Obtain all figures required for an army or skirmish force
> - Clean by filing figures
Agreed.
> - use foam picture "2way" picture mounting tape to
> mount 3 - 4 infantry or 3 horses or a cannon ...
> temporarily (but securely) on to a single re-usable piece of
> wood eg. large craft store popcicle sticks
Popsicle sticks are way too thin and figures will constantly fall over. Use
Tounge Depressors. I use good old rubber cement to afix the figures to the
stick. If I want to pop them off to do a detail or something it's easy to do
and then re-glue. Alot of people I know use white glue which provides
assurance the figure isn't leaving the stick unitl you're done. When they
are done, soaking the stick in H2O will soften the white glue and the figure
can be be removed with ease.
> - after entire units are mounted on painting bases,
> Prime them whith automotive spray primer recc. flat white
I tried white. I tried black Now I *always* use gray! Automotive guys use
gray because it doesn't change the tonal value of the color applied over it.
White will brighten colors and black can be almost impossible to cover with
yellows and reds. Gray is neutral. I started using gray after I went to a
DBM tournament in Houston a few years ago and saw a beautifully painted
Samurai army and talked paint and painting at length with the
owner...thanks, Spike.
> - the painting bases will allow you to hang the figures upside down
> so you can spray underneath them, Then to their sides, finaly
> their heads form over the figures .
Priming *is* important. However, don't worry if you miss a few bits here and
there. The purpose of the primer is to assure good adherance of the paint to
figure. Chances are that if you miss a bit here and there, they will be in
areas that are not going to be handled anyhow. What's more, once you're done
painting you will apply clear coats (gloss or flat or both) to protect the
paint. It's much more important that you don't *over* prime trying to get
every little bit covered. You will end up filling in detail.
> Step 2
> - apply the base colours with acrylic paints from
> any craft or art / hobby store .
> - touch up mistakes involving a dark colur getting
> on a light colour, by painting the boo-boo with
> flat white paint first, then repainting the light colour.
>
Agree completely.
> = Your painting position should be as follows:
> - sit Upright in a comfortable chair
> - do not (never) rest your elbows on a table or desk
Always, always, always, rest your elbows on the table!
> - have enough light sources positioned so you do
> not have to bend over or across-towards the light
> while holding a painting base (sit upright)
The most important thing is to have enough light. If you are right handed,
the light should be of the left and if left handed, vise versa. This
prevents the brush from casting a show on the area you want to paint.
> - Hold the brush between your thumb and first 2 fingers
> just like a pen-pencil, keep your shoulder-arm-fingers
> loose (painting is not about strength, tension causes
> fatigue and muscle exhaustion or cramping )
Hold the brush between your toes if that's comfortable. The idea is to have
a relaxed grip.
> - rest both your elbows beside-touching your upper ribcage
> - do not push the elbows together, this is uncomfortable
> and restricts your breathing .
I cover the elbows already. Your arms are *heavy* and no matter how you
position them, if you're not using some kind of artifical support (table,
chair arms, etc.) you will fatigue quickly.
> - holding the base in your left hand, place your wrists
> together, This is the main technique for steadying
> your painting hand (and thereby the brush tip).
I use my little finger on my brush hand extended and resting against the
stick on which the figures are attached.
> ie. your breathing, and arms-hands-figures move as
> one unit
> - the figures need not be held any highers than level
> with your throat
I look down while I paint. The figures are often only inches above the work
surface. Some people find this tiring and want a more erect posture. Anyhow,
I often change posture to prevent fatigue.
> ( If you must hold them closer to your face, look into
> glasses and or bi-focals Note: Magnifiers should not
> neccessary for painting 25mm figures unless extrodinary
> details are being applied)
I *always* use reading glasses. Even if you don't need glasses, use low
powered reading glasses! I can't stress this enough because your eyesight is
too valuable to damage.
> - magnifiers reduce your depth of field (ability to focus)
Depth of field has nothing to do with ability to focus.
> and so are tiring because you must hold the figures
> Exactly the right distance away, and should be used rarely.
> ( an optical aid that exhausts your body is not
> encouraging dilligent diciplined productive painting results)
Agree with the above statement, but always use reading glasses. Having to
wear glasses the rest of your life because you paint miniatures is no fun.
This become even more important as we get older and our abilty to adjust
focus and recover from eye strain naturally begins to decline. One thing not
metioned so far is to take *lots* of stretch breaks. It's good for your
body, clears your mind, and rests your eyes. I often paint with the TV going
in the background. I stand and stretch, etc., during commercials (and refill
my Diet Coke glass, etc.).
> - remember to have enough lighting available
> squinting is exhausting to your eyes-mind
> - Use good quality brushes, that are soft and hold
> enough paint a 1 or 1"O" brush will be most usefull
Since I do 15mm, my main brush is a 3/0. For detailing and black lining I
use a 10-15/0.
> larger ones for washes and inks or drybrushing
> (even walmart sells craft brushes suitable)
> - Take your brush that has its bristles half covered in
> paint, and put it down in the center of an area
> on the figure that is to be painted that colour.
> - Do not lift the brush off the surface, just move
> draw and push the paint around (do not go stroke stroke
> stroke)
I go stoke, stoke, stroke.
> - Warning: every brush "stroke", is an opportunity to land
> the paint where it should Not be ....
> - the method I am describing is like Hand Writing-Caligraphy
> - the stroke stroke stroke method is like printing letters
> Rather than smoothly Writing them in a continous fashion ...
> - ie. I fill the brush and set it down once-twice to paint an
> area with that pool of paint.
> - dont Forget to Turn (Re-0orient) the figure on its base
> in any way you want-need to see an area directly and
> apply your brush safely .
I mount figures on the painting sticks at a 45 degree angle. The human
figure is, basically, planar so mounting at an angle provides easy access to
front, back and sides without interferrance from adjacent figures on the
stick.
>
> These are Basic techniques I use to paint fast and well,
> washes drybrushing and acrylic inks are optional semi-advanced
> techniques. Note: these are not always required in painting
> large amounts of wargame miniatures for a battle.
>
Try different ways of painting. Stan offers good, sound, advice. But, as
should be apparent by now, it's not the only way to do things. As you paint
you will find the most comforable method for yourself. You should be able to
pick out the common things that Stan and I do, i.e., relaxed grip on the
brush and bracing (albeit we do it differently, the principle is the same).
In any case, don't be afraid to experiment and paint, paint, paint.
MickHartPa
painting wisdom MARTINJ?
Thank you,
Mike
(MickH...@aol.com)
COWW (Stan Olson)
<snip>.
> I recommend starting with 15mm figures. The size can be daunting, but 15mm
> figures require fewer painting skills than 25mm. The larger surface areas
> and better surface detail of a 25mm figure require techniques like dry
> brushing and washes to look right. 15mm figures, on the other hand, are so
> small that the areas you typically paint aren't big enough to need a lot of
> variation along the surface to look okay. Now, that doesn't mean you can't
> use advanced techniques on 15mm figures, or that they won't look better if
> you do...just that they don't suffer too much without them.
>
Stan: yes, some people do get carried away with the
detail on 15mm figures, but I dont support that
attitude.
I do like using 15mm figures for DBA and HoTTs
The expense, ease of storage-transport and painting time
or required playing areas is more limited in 15mm .
I dont miss the detail of larger figures.
I do paint some GW figures for clients though.
Locally we also use 25-28mm figures for skirmish
games eg. Colonial, Western Gunfight, WW1 trenchfoot ....
For games like Crossfire we use 20mm and 25mm ...
Motivation to finish messy semi-painted miniatures
is always a problem. But the fun part comes in the final
stages of painted details and repaired-corrected boo-boos .
The early stages can be tedious, but the last stages
are the fun part. I cant tell a student that is
not how the psychology works .... but my advice can make
the early stages less stressfull more efficient.
And the quality of the prep work effects the
quality and ease of finishing the figures .
Both stages should be done when feeling relaxed
and positive, thats why the music can help ...
Stan
COWW (Stan Olson)
>
> << regiment of Continental soldiers. Got as far as the coats and hats, and was
> >then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
> >other details. >>
>
> object before you will have experienced this. Say the first time you draw a bow
> to fire. The key is to learn bracing. When its time for a straight line, try
> planting your elbows on the table a then painting. Or rest your wrist on a book
> and then bring the figure to your hand and paint. Unlike firing a rifle or
> playing the piano, you can develop your own brush handling techniques just as
> you do a painting style. Good luck.
Stan: it is about Spatial Awareness ....
Straight lines are difficult because anatomicaly
the limbs move naturaly in arcs, not straight lines.
So the Brush which is an extension of your body
is also hard to make go, straight.
Luckily very little of a figure has to do with
straight lines, its mostly filling areas with
colour.
BTW Belts and straps are not straight, they are
3 Dimensional arcs ...
Painting/martial arts/the natural world is
more about arcs than straight lines.
Stan: oh yeah, drink lots of Pepsi, it enhances the painting
experience ....
Think young, paint figures, drink Pepsi ! [:P
PS: hey Pepsi, wheres my endorsement check ?
and GW ...
Scott Mathews
techniques and galleries for inspiration. Then find a technique that works
for you. I empathize with your complaint of the "shakes", but there are
paint and brush tricks to help doing the small details.
.
http://users.vei.net/DrFaust/home.htm
http://ralpartha.com/cgi-bin/RalPartha/pafaq.html
http://www.histofig.com/empire/uniformes/
http://members.aol.com/drdresch/start.htm
http://thepaintpot.gamingoutpost.com/
http://home.c2i.net/taukner/mainpage.html
Here are some ideas that work for me and may help:
For a first project start with 15MM figs. These are more acceptable for
speed painting. Several of the Links describe DryBrush and Washes, I use
these techniques to speed paint my figs. These techniques are based on
Acrylic paints.
Attach your figs to temp painting bases so you can hold them comfortably
and access all the figure's surfaces. I use cheap cardboard scraps (from
the side of a Pepsi 12pack carton) to make painting bases, cut about 1/2" x
6" and superglue 3 figs on a stand.
Work in groups of figures that make a complete unit. For Shako Nappies, a
group of 9 figs represents a Battalian, so I paint 9 at a time for 1
complete Batt when that group is done
Spray prime the figures Black. Thin coats, don't flood the detail.
Now "drybrush" them Titanium White. I use a #2 Filbert Brush for this.You
are creating the highlights and shadowing on your figure. I start from the
top of the figure and pull straight down when the brush has just been
refilled with paint and blotted . After the brush looses some of the
paint, gently scrub it across your figure. When you are done the figure
will be mostly White, with Black still left in the creases, and folds. You
will also notice lots of small detail has become visible. This typically
takes me 2 - 3 minutes per figure, so it goes pretty fast.
Now I use "Washes" to color my figure, these are semi-tranparent and act as
a color tint to the undercoat and its detail. Use a "0" or "00" round brush
here, it is going to look big but you want a brush that can hold some
moisture. I typically use 3-5 drops of water to a drop of paint at this
stage. With washes you don't use individual paint strokes, but rather
"float" paint into the nooks and crannies. When the brush is newly loaded,
find a larger area to set the brush point down and then gently slide it
around without lifting. Let the raised areas of the figures casting act as
dams for the wash. If the wash consistency is right, one coat will be
enough. Try for the consistency of milk for these "tinting" washes.
Start with the faces, it seems to make the figures come alive so you want
to finish. Paint assembly line style. Do all the faces and hands, then
all the pants, all the jackets, all the boots, all the packs, etc. Work
inside to outside just like you were dressing the figure.
For finishing all the details like belts, rifles, etc; switch back to the
drybrush technique and pick out the detail. Use a smaller brush this time
to allow more fine control. Here you will find using the side of the brush
is much easier than a razor sharp detail brush point, and less condusive to
the "shakes".
With these two techniques, "washing and drybrushing" you can paint very
credible battle worthy figures. And with practice these two techniques will
lead into more advanced painting
Finish the figures by basing them for battle and flocking the bases, then
when completely dry, seal them with a good matte coating. In fact, I coat
with glss first and then matte to double protect my figures.
Good luck,
Scott
Patrick Carroll <domi...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19990724111549...@ng-ce1.aol.com>...
> Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off
for
> many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
>
------> SNIP <----------
Minadmiral
>painting wisdom MARTINJ?
Please include me too.
Chuck Duggie
Minad...@aol.com
WoodenWalls Listmeister
Minadmiral
> experience ...
Diet Pepsi or Pepsi One is suggested.
Chuck the calorically challenged
Minadmiral
I hold my figures in clothes pins, the type with the metal spring. I cut
notches in the sides of the jaws to hold the figure base. Works great for
10-15mm, never tried 20 or larger. Clothes pin is large enough to hold firmly,
and holds figure firmly. Easy to rotate figure to get sides and back. Besides ,
you can get a high sided box and put the long v of the clothes pin over the box
to hold things you are not painting. I do 12-24 figures at a time , assembly
line .By the time I finish the last figure the first figure is dry enough to go
on to the next step.
Chuck Duggie
DLCRCF
important thing. I would suggest you start with militia units as they have less
details than others. Also don't worry about small mistakes sometimes your the
only one who will ever notice. Painting may not ever be easy but it is always
FUN!
Dan
David LaGraffe
I had a lot of the same hesitation when moving after 25 years of boardgaming to
miniatures! I still can't paint nearly as well as a lot of people after 2 years.
In fact, I'm pretty bad! My attitude when I put my figures on the tabletop is hey,
they're MY figures! I've bought a couple of painted units and even though the the
paint job is better, I don't like them as much. Besides anybody that complains
about your paint job with other than a friendly joke or a helpful bit of advice is
a jerk
I strongly recommend black primer to start with. It is a lot easier on
mistakes and "bare" spots than white (haven't tried gray). Good luck.
Dave LaGraffe
Patrick Carroll wrote:
> Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
> many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
>
> Once upon a time, I bought a bunch of Hinchliffe 25mm AWI figures, along with
> some paint, brushes, and a painting guide; and I tried my hand at painting up a
> regiment of Continental soldiers. Got as far as the coats and hats, and was
> then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
> other details. The thought of eventually getting to the piping, mustaches, and
> plaid Highlander kilts seemed like an utterly impossible dream. In
> exasperation, I briefly considered just spray-painting all the Continentals
> blue, the French white, the British red, and Hessians green--and being done
> with it. Then I said to myself, "Nah--what kind of miniature army would that
> be?"--and gave up.
>
> Ever since then I've been trying hard to shrug off miniatures as "not my
> thing." I've worked out an elaborate sour-grapes rationale ("I wouldn't have
> time to play anyway"; "It's a vestige of childhood I should just leave behind";
> etc.)--but I still have those partly painted AWI figures in a box, along with
> some ACW samples and a whole rack of rules & catalogs. And now DBA (and its
> variants) cries out to me with its siren call: "Think how easy it'd be to
> create just 12 elements for each side . . . that's all you'd need to be
> started."
>
> Those of you who've been around awhile may remember me; I cycle back around
> every year or so, tentatively wondering whether the hobby is for me. So, what
> about it? Short of just spray-painting the figures, is there any reasonably
> fun & easy approach for an unskilled newbie to take when it comes to painting
> up a small (DBA-like) army?
>
> In a couple more years, when our finances are in better shape, I may resort to
> just buying prepainted armies; I don't know. Meanwhile, I'd kinda like to dip
Brian Hodson
obviously NOT drinking enough vitamin-j to get their daily allowance (and
build tolerance).
As a zealous convert to the ways of the American North-Wet, I NEVER paint my
figures without a grande double skinny leaded mocha with whip at close hand.
Just be certain to keep your drink of choice and your brush cleaner WIDELY
separated on the table...
Brian Hodson
Brian Hodson
enjoyment comes after a long teen-age apprenticeship making plastic 1/35
scale models. At the young end, the mistakes were just part of the learning
curve, so I sort of skipped the anxiety phase of adult expectations and
public display. Though I never got as good as my super-detailing brother, I
became "proficient" with the basic tools of the hobby. When I started
painting miniatures a couple of years ago, the old skills sprang back --
like riding a bicycle.
What I can offer is some encouragement that your painting will improve with
practice. Setting aside specific "techniques" of painting figures, what you
are essentially working on are your fine-motor skills and a bit of eye-hand
coordination at the near end of your vision. These WILL improve with
training -- regardless of what kind. I don't know if you have played or do
play boardgames (please, don't start throwing things at me!), but you will
get similar training from handling large stacks of small cardboard counters,
picking them up and setting them down in neat piles. Because moving the
counters is secondary to the game itself (while painting a figure is a
primary activity), your frustration will be partially absorbed by attention
to the larger task.
Just hang in there, and take pride in your improvement. Set the early
disappointments aside for a few months, then come back and compare them with
your later work. Along the way, you'll paint a figure that you think is
tremendous, only to find later that you've outdone yourself again.
Good luck, and good gaming,
Brian Hodson
COWW (Stan Olson)
>
> >
> > > Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off
> for
> > > many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
> > >
>
> There are as many ways to paint efficent;y and comfortably as there are
> stars in the sky. For instance:
>
> > Stan: Preparation is the key to painting figures for wargames.
> > - Obtain all figures required for an army or skirmish force
> > - Clean by filing figures
>
> Agreed.
>
> > - use foam picture "2way" picture mounting tape to
> > mount 3 - 4 infantry or 3 horses or a cannon ...
> > temporarily (but securely) on to a single re-usable piece of
> > wood eg. large craft store popcicle sticks
>
> Popsicle sticks are way too thin and figures will constantly fall over. Use
> Tounge Depressors. I use good old rubber cement to afix the figures to the
> stick. If I want to pop them off to do a detail or something it's easy to do
> and then re-glue. Alot of people I know use white glue which provides
> assurance the figure isn't leaving the stick unitl you're done. When they
> are done, soaking the stick in H2O will soften the white glue and the figure
> can be be removed with ease.
Stan: I only wanted to describe easy to find and obtain
things to use as temp. painting bases (craft sticks)
Tongue depressors and white glue is an alternative.
I actually use 6" long 1" deep 3/4" tall pieces
of hardwood floor slats and the foam mounting tape.
I suppose this all depends on the painters hand size.
>
> > - after entire units are mounted on painting bases,
> > Prime them whith automotive spray primer recc. flat white
>
> I tried white. I tried black Now I *always* use gray! Automotive guys use
> gray because it doesn't change the tonal value of the color applied over it.
> White will brighten colors and black can be almost impossible to cover with
> yellows and reds. Gray is neutral. I started using gray after I went to a
> DBM tournament in Houston a few years ago and saw a beautifully painted
> Samurai army and talked paint and painting at length with the
> owner...thanks, Spike.
Stan: yes the Primer colour effects the final painted colours
look, I obviously prefer a slightly brighter effect
but I tone that down by using inks in the washes
or base colours, and off white in the highlights
that are drybrushed .... I of course hope that
the effect is neutral/natural .... although some
paints dont cover well, and using a black or grey primer
will require the application of too thick a coat of paint
to retain the surface detail essential for drybrushing.
Which is why I use White primer (variable paint coverage)
>
> > - the painting bases will allow you to hang the figures upside down
> > so you can spray underneath them, Then to their sides, finaly
> > their heads form over the figures .
>
> Priming *is* important. However, don't worry if you miss a few bits here and
> there. The purpose of the primer is to assure good adherance of the paint to
> figure. Chances are that if you miss a bit here and there, they will be in
> areas that are not going to be handled anyhow. What's more, once you're done
> painting you will apply clear coats (gloss or flat or both) to protect the
> paint. It's much more important that you don't *over* prime trying to get
> every little bit covered. You will end up filling in detail.
Stan: a real primer does settle down, and not cover surface details.
But spray anything(any product) ,is not a fool proof method.
Technique in spraying is always in the same Order.
- spray underneath
- spray the sides and from above at a 45 degree angle
- then spray from directly above
- turning the figures as required
( wear a disposable glove on the hand that holds the
figure base )
Clear/Dullcoating when painting is complete is important
but wont provide a consistant predictable prepared
painting surface, that the primer is supposed to.
Brush on Primer, I would reccomend avoiding
primers that are applied by brush.
MR Surfacer and GWs Smelly primer are the best
of the lot. MR Surfacer is a Japanese hobby product
that I will describe how to use, if anyone is interested.
(Unless you read Japanese)
Stan:
> > = Your painting position should be as follows:
> > - sit Upright in a comfortable chair
> > - do not (never) rest your elbows on a table or desk
>
> Always, always, always, rest your elbows on the table!
Stan: I dont walk leaning on a cane or touching
a wall. I dont have muscular arms, but do
avoid fatigue by not, extending them away from
my body while painting.
If you rest your elbows as I have described
your figures & brush and body will move as one unit
when you breath, even as it pulses due to your
blood circulation. Leaning against a thing can
take stress off of your lower back (thats holding
your torso upright) and reduce the effort required
to hold your hands higher than your waist.
I am not a fitness expert, but everyone needs
to maintain some lower back strength and some
back/shoulder/arm strength. Leaning on furniture
is not a substitute for this modest level of fitness.
Stan:
> > - Hold the brush between your thumb and first 2 fingers
> > just like a pen-pencil, keep your shoulder-arm-fingers
> > loose (painting is not about strength, tension causes
> > fatigue and muscle exhaustion or cramping )
>
> Hold the brush between your toes if that's comfortable. The idea is to have
> a relaxed grip.
Stan: I know of one fellow that writes with his right hand
but holds the pen like a left hander must.
ie. at a downward 45 degree angle, pointing towards
himself (hand above the written line).
That is fine to write on a page, but not to paint
where, you should be looking, on a figure.
ie. Directly at the area with the brush towards
the figure, not yourself. Unless you really want to
paint the figures behind, with out looking at it. :P
Turning the figures so you can inspect and paint them
is very important. Many new people do not have the
discipline to turn and inspect the figure and so
do not even paint it Completely as a 3D object.
Too much 2D TV, Comics and Movies I suppose.
>
> > - rest both your elbows beside-touching your upper ribcage
> > - do not push the elbows together, this is uncomfortable
> > and restricts your breathing .
>
> I cover the elbows already. Your arms are *heavy* and no matter how you
> position them, if you're not using some kind of artifical support (table,
> chair arms, etc.) you will fatigue quickly.
Stan: raising your hands above your waist takes effort.
Everybody shifts their bodies around when seated
to enable circulation. I would not steady my arms
on a seat that might be doing the unconsious buttocks fidget
or that would require me to arch my back or hunch my
shoulders. I am no expert on erganomics but we should
not contort our weak/couch-potato bodies, to adapt them
to our inanimate surroundings. That only makes us weaker.
I teach people to be strong manly painters heh heh ...
(see also weak dozy monks in the shaolin temple
before physical exercise was introduced)
>
> > - holding the base in your left hand, place your wrists
> > together, This is the main technique for steadying
> > your painting hand (and thereby the brush tip).
>
> I use my little finger on my brush hand extended and resting against the
> stick on which the figures are attached.
>
Stan: yes, the wrist to wrist thing is probably secondary
to using your 4th or pinkie finger of your Brush
hand to sit/steady upon the painting base.
This way your 2 hands are linked and lightly press against
each other, through the painting base.
You can also have your painting hand's pinkie sit
on top of, the painting-base hand's, pinkie.
The point is to have your hands + figure move as
one unit. This is makes the figure much easier to focus
on, because your head is a global part of the same movement
of your
arms body and so moves-shakes-breathes in synch with it.
> > ie. your breathing, and arms-hands-figures move as
> > one unit
> > - the figures need not be held any highers than level
> > with your throat
>
> I look down while I paint. The figures are often only inches above the work
> surface. Some people find this tiring and want a more erect posture. Anyhow,
> I often change posture to prevent fatigue.
Stan: yep, take a break and a stroll is fine.
Avoid an environment where you must be turning
your torso-head constantly due to distraction.
eg. watching TV, carrying on a heated discussion,
describing things through unconcious hand motions
(often part of conversing), watching children
while painting, commanding pets ....
Also, if you work all day sitting in an office
it would be hard to sit for the 2-3 hours
of a painting session ....
>
> > ( If you must hold them closer to your face, look into
> > glasses and or bi-focals Note: Magnifiers should not
> > neccessary for painting 25mm figures unless extrodinary
> > details are being applied)
>
> I *always* use reading glasses. Even if you don't need glasses, use low
> powered reading glasses! I can't stress this enough because your eyesight is
> too valuable to damage.
>
> > - magnifiers reduce your depth of field (ability to focus)
>
> Depth of field has nothing to do with ability to focus.
>
Stan: a shallow depth of field, restricts where
the figures must be held, and thereby how .
I havent studied this, but I speculate that
a person starts a painting session holding the
figure farther away, then brings it closer
(or their body-head closer to it) as they tire.
A limited depth of field caused by a visor
magnifier, makes no allowance for that variation.
Again we would be adapting to artificial criteria
imposed by inanimate tools, rather than recognizing
the natural qualities-limitations of our bodies
when at work.
> > and so are tiring because you must hold the figures
> > Exactly the right distance away, and should be used rarely.
> > ( an optical aid that exhausts your body is not
> > encouraging dilligent diciplined productive painting results)
>
> Agree with the above statement, but always use reading glasses. Having to
> wear glasses the rest of your life because you paint miniatures is no fun.
> This become even more important as we get older and our abilty to adjust
> focus and recover from eye strain naturally begins to decline. One thing not
> metioned so far is to take *lots* of stretch breaks. It's good for your
> body, clears your mind, and rests your eyes. I often paint with the TV going
> in the background. I stand and stretch, etc., during commercials (and refill
> my Diet Coke glass, etc.).
>
Stan: yep, I know I must sound like some flakey yoga martial arts
know it all, but a little stretching and periodic
distractions do help, they let our bodies re-charge,
so we can get our second wind, as it were.
> > - remember to have enough lighting available
> > squinting is exhausting to your eyes-mind
> > - Use good quality brushes, that are soft and hold
> > enough paint a 1 or 1"O" brush will be most usefull
>
> Since I do 15mm, my main brush is a 3/0. For detailing and black lining I
> use a 10-15/0.
>
Stan: I reccomend a person use the largest brush they can.
This is partialy because Acrylic paints dry so
fast when in small quantities, upon smaller brushes.
The shape I prefer is a thin-flat chisel shape so
a 1 or 1"0" brush can get in to paint recessed areas.
And can have the corners of the chisel for detail
that requires a pointed brush.
Round brushes are too thick and messy.
I will trim a brush to the chisel shape if necc.
The GW fine detail brush is an example of what I am
describing.
I dont do much deliberate lining, some that do
use permanent coloured or black Felt Drafting Pens avail.
from stationary stores.
> > larger ones for washes and inks or drybrushing
> > (even walmart sells craft brushes suitable)
> > - Take your brush that has its bristles half covered in
> > paint, and put it down in the center of an area
> > on the figure that is to be painted that colour.
> > - Do not lift the brush off the surface, just move
> > draw and push the paint around (do not go stroke stroke
> > stroke)
>
> I go stoke, stoke, stroke.
Stan: sorry, if your still reading my reply, I should
graciously admit that there are many ways to
paint, I should not rule any of them out, to be fair.
>
> > - Warning: every brush "stroke", is an opportunity to land
> > the paint where it should Not be ....
> > - the method I am describing is like Hand Writing-Caligraphy
> > - the stroke stroke stroke method is like printing letters
> > Rather than smoothly Writing them in a continous fashion ...
> > - ie. I fill the brush and set it down once-twice to paint an
> > area with that pool of paint.
> > - dont Forget to Turn (Re-0orient) the figure on its base
> > in any way you want-need to see an area directly and
> > apply your brush safely .
>
> I mount figures on the painting sticks at a 45 degree angle. The human
> figure is, basically, planar so mounting at an angle provides easy access to
> front, back and sides without interferrance from adjacent figures on the
> stick.
>
Stan: yep, space and orient the figures on the temp.
painting base, so you can see and get a paintbrush
on to them (and prime them completely).
Get lots of bases, dont cram to many of them on to
each base, as they may then be too heavy to hold
comfortably while painting .
> >
> > These are Basic techniques I use to paint fast and well,
> > washes drybrushing and acrylic inks are optional semi-advanced
> > techniques. Note: these are not always required in painting
> > large amounts of wargame miniatures for a battle.
> >
>
> Try different ways of painting. Stan offers good, sound, advice. But, as
> should be apparent by now, it's not the only way to do things. As you paint
> you will find the most comforable method for yourself. You should be able to
> pick out the common things that Stan and I do, i.e., relaxed grip on the
> brush and bracing (albeit we do it differently, the principle is the same).
> In any case, don't be afraid to experiment and paint, paint, paint.
Stan: yes, and remember that personal experience can be trial
and error, we are trying to have you avoid errors.
That would discourage the new painter.
And finaly, minor mistakes can be touched up so
dont think that a figure is ruined or must be
started from scratch, to be repaired and blend
in with the rest of your unit or army.
Everybody fixes and conceals mistakes, even semi-pros.
Raymond Rangel
> experience ....
> Think young, paint figures, drink Pepsi ! [:P
>
This guy, obviously, doesn't know a thing about painting figures...Diet Coke
is the beverage of choice.
Avoid coffee, though, after the 43rd cup the shakes get worse...and espresso
is right out...
Andy O'Neill
Carroll <domi...@aol.com> writes
>Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
>many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
<<>>
line.
Painting lines is a little harder, but if they stick out then you can
use that to make it easy.
Painting plaid is done by layering thin lines over one another, filling
in intersections etc etc....
Not what you want for a first project.
The painting guide on my web page describes a simple technique mnay be
useful.
> Got as far as the coats and hats, and was
>then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
>other details.
Luckily, figures are available with exaggerated relief.
The effort put in by the sculptor means it's easier to paint, so you
want that sort of figure by preference.
Better posture can get around shaking. Well, average kinda shakes
anyhow.
I have a case I put on a fairly high table. Anything solid would do.
On this I have a strip of thick foam similar to a computer wrist rest.
I rest my wrists on this, and the height means they're comfortably close
to my eyes without hunching over.
Beyond the strip I have an orange box with batch of figures I'm working
in.
Plenty of light is a must, and I have an angle poise with sunlight
(blue) bulb in it as well as good background lighting.
In the UK, if you go into a GW shop, then the staff'll show you
techniques. I should think any hobby store in the US likely to have
someone there who could be persuaded to at least talk about techniques.
You'll need opponents, so maybe you should find a club first.
At our club, members put on games and you could theoretically wargame
without ever buying or painting figures.
For 10mm or 6mm, I PVA glue my figures to strips of corrugated
cardboard, with the cirrugations running across them. That way they're
easy to kinda peel off once finished.
PVA to card is also a good way to carry figures for display etc BTW.
For 25mm + and often 15mm figures I mag base them individually.
UK Pennies are now made of an alloy which is attracted to magnets.
I have an old poster paint can which comfortably fits my hand, and Blu
Tacked to this I have a magnet (off a fridge magnet).
This is really useful for production-line painting.
Mix colour on palette.
Pick up on brush.
Whack first figure on the can, paint and stick to far end of tray.
Pick up next... repeat until batch done.
Wash brush and choose next colour.
Put your work into what people will see from a distance.
Concentrate on just being neat at first, other stuff you can try when
the flesh just goes on the fleshy bits, and the blue doesn't.
Obtain some Winsor Newton 'Peat' and 'nut brown'.
Thin slightly, mix with just a bit of acrylic mid brown and or acrylic
ink and these are very useful for shading techniques.
(Paint into the folds.)
I can't say I often find the actual painting process exactly fun.
Rewarding, interesting, calming.... sometimes infuriating...
but fun is not a word springs to mind.
Andy O'Neill
www.l-25.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Liverpool Wargames Association
www.l-25.demon.co.uk/LWA.htm
MickHartPa
That Grande double whip frou-frou might just make a hell of a wash... or maybe
them armies wil really stand up and slug it out - no morale roll required....
Mike
RobertScho
again. It makes it too hard to get at everything and is in itself tiring.
For 25mm foot I hot glue them(no wait for the glue to dry) to some 3/4"
square glass colored tiles I bought dirt cheap on clearance at MJD. Gives a
substantial handle for each fig and a low cg base to keep them from falling
over. I considered the old friction type clothespins as handles until I found
the tiles.
For 15mm and smaller I hot glue each to a nail. You can stick the nail in
foam, cardboard box or whatever.
Robert
Raymond Rangel
> the effect is neutral/natural .... although some
> paints dont cover well, and using a black or grey primer
> will require the application of too thick a coat of paint
> to retain the surface detail essential for drybrushing.
> Which is why I use White primer (variable paint coverage)
I have never had this problem with gray primer. The whole point is to have
a neutral base color over which to paint. White is way to bright causing
reds and yellows to glow requiring more paint to make them opaque. This
becomes apparent when a color with thin pigment (like red or yellow) is next
to a more dense pigment (like blues or grays).
> Clear/Dullcoating when painting is complete is important
> but wont provide a consistant predictable prepared
> painting surface, that the primer is supposed to.
My point is that a small part that gets missed or too lightly coated is not
important. The primer provides a surface to which the paint will stick.
Paint *will* stick to bare metal but not well and will not stand up to
handling. Typically little bits that are missed during spraying are nooks
and crannies that aren't going to get handled anyhow. It is *much* more
important that the primer not be applied too thick.
> Brush on Primer, I would reccomend avoiding
> primers that are applied by brush.
Again, I differ. Floquil brush on primer is the best primer there is...bar
none. I spray because it is an easy way to do a lot of figures at one time.
I don't use Floquil spray primer anymore and recommend that it not be used.
I assume that Floquil has cahnged the formulation of the spray carrier
because it dries almost as soon as it leaves the spray nozzle. This is why,
there have been so many complaints about "orange peel" when sray priming.
The primer itself hasn't changed as evidenced by the same quality and
characteristics of the brush on version that it has always been. If one is
priming only a few figures, Floquil brush on primer can't be beat!
> MR Surfacer and GWs Smelly primer are the best
> of the lot. MR Surfacer is a Japanese hobby product
> that I will describe how to use, if anyone is interested.
> (Unless you read Japanese)
I have a lot of experience with Mr Surfacer also. I used it for a long time
on plastic models. Floquil is a much better product, but it is not used in
plastic modeling becasue it attackes Styrene.
> Stan:
> > > = Your painting position should be as follows:
> > > - sit Upright in a comfortable chair
> > > - do not (never) rest your elbows on a table or desk
> >
> > Always, always, always, rest your elbows on the table!
>
> Stan: I dont walk leaning on a cane or touching
> a wall. I dont have muscular arms, but do
> avoid fatigue by not, extending them away from
> my body while painting.
> If you rest your elbows as I have described
> your figures & brush and body will move as one unit
> when you breath, even as it pulses due to your
> blood circulation. Leaning against a thing can
> take stress off of your lower back (thats holding
> your torso upright) and reduce the effort required
> to hold your hands higher than your waist.
> I am not a fitness expert, but everyone needs
> to maintain some lower back strength and some
> back/shoulder/arm strength. Leaning on furniture
> is not a substitute for this modest level of fitness.
Painting is not an aerobic workout. I don't remember seeing any Jane Fonda
painting workout tapes at the video rental parlor.
There is a reason that shooters have better aim while prone (both elbows
resing on the ground) and that graphic artists will lay their entire foearms
on the drawing table. It's called "stability". Resting against a solid
object isolates the work from your squirmy, heaving, pulsating, shaking
body. Any one who's takne photos knows tha value of having a solid object
against which you can rest while snapping away. The other thing that this
provides is isolation of joints. To do colse, accurate work it is imprtant
to move as few muscles and bend as few joints as possible. By resting elbows
on the table, or better yet resting your wrists on a pad (like a keyboard
wrist pad) and bracing one hand against the other, you are eliminating
joints from the painting equation. Ideally, the only joints that should move
while actually applying paint are the joints in the fore finger and thumb
holding the brush. *Not* bending joints takes effort. This effort can be
effectively eliminated by used artifical supports...like the table.
> Stan: raising your hands above your waist takes effort.
> Everybody shifts their bodies around when seated
> to enable circulation. I would not steady my arms
> on a seat that might be doing the unconsious buttocks fidget
> or that would require me to arch my back or hunch my
> shoulders. I am no expert on erganomics but we should
> not contort our weak/couch-potato bodies, to adapt them
> to our inanimate surroundings. That only makes us weaker.
> I teach people to be strong manly painters heh heh ...
> (see also weak dozy monks in the shaolin temple
> before physical exercise was introduced)
>
All together now...one, two, three, four...dip, tuck, apply, spread...dip,
tuck, apply spread...
What is this, the Richard Simmons "Painting to the Oldies" tape? Come on
girls, get off those couches and paint! Paint! Paint!
> > > - magnifiers reduce your depth of field (ability to focus)
> >
> > Depth of field has nothing to do with ability to focus.
> >
>
> Stan: a shallow depth of field, restricts where
> the figures must be held, and thereby how .
> I havent studied this, but I speculate that
> a person starts a painting session holding the
> figure farther away, then brings it closer
> (or their body-head closer to it) as they tire.
> A limited depth of field caused by a visor
> magnifier, makes no allowance for that variation.
The reason the figure gets closer to the eyes is because of eyestrain which
reading glasses will help to prevent. I too don't like strong maginfication.
But the reason is that strong magnification forces one to concentrate too
much on insiginificant details rather that the effect of the whole figure.
Who cares if the strap buckle is shaded just right...ain't nobody gonna see
it!
> Again we would be adapting to artificial criteria
> imposed by inanimate tools, rather than recognizing
> the natural qualities-limitations of our bodies
> when at work.
I advocate using the tools! I advocate using the experience of many
disciplines when doing close work (you won't find a watch maker or a jewler
trying to work in mid-air!) Always brace, isolate movement of joints, rest
often (especially your eyes).
>
>
> > > and so are tiring because you must hold the figures
> > > Exactly the right distance away, and should be used rarely.
> > > ( an optical aid that exhausts your body is not
> > > encouraging dilligent diciplined productive painting results)
Neither is ruining eyesight! Use vision aids! Reading glasses can be had at
any grocery store on the cheap. Save your eyes!
> Stan: I reccomend a person use the largest brush they can.
>
> This is partialy because Acrylic paints dry so
> fast when in small quantities, upon smaller brushes.
Are you painting under a fan or someting. Sure they dry fast, but not that
fast.
> I dont do much deliberate lining, some that do
> use permanent coloured or black Felt Drafting Pens avail.
> from stationary stores.
I use a very, very fine lining brush and India ink.
> Stan: yep, space and orient the figures on the temp.
> painting base, so you can see and get a paintbrush
> on to them (and prime them completely).
> Get lots of bases, dont cram to many of them on to
> each base, as they may then be too heavy to hold
> comfortably while painting .
>
> Stan: yes, and remember that personal experience can be trial
> and error, we are trying to have you avoid errors.
> That would discourage the new painter.
> And finaly, minor mistakes can be touched up so
> dont think that a figure is ruined or must be
> started from scratch, to be repaired and blend
> in with the rest of your unit or army.
> Everybody fixes and conceals mistakes, even semi-pros.
This is for sure. I make a lot of goofs while painting. This is especially
true when doing production line painting. I once did 300 Zulus at one time!
This was true production line. One color for 300 figures, then the next, the
next, etc. I was amazed that I would miss painting large areas completely
and not notice until I came around to apply the next color! I have been
painting the collars and cuffs of a regiment and realized half way through
that I was in the middle of the wrong regiment!. The best advice I can give
you is that when you think you are finished, inspect the figures carefully
and then put them aside. The next day or the day after, go back and inspect
again.
Steve Burt
>Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
>many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
The following technique works well, particularly for ancients. It is very fast if you use acrylics.
1. Undercoat figures in sandy brown
2. Wash with burnt umber (Deep, slightly reddish brown)
3. For horses, apply another wash of burnt umber for bays, use Payne's grey for black, leave as they are for paler horses.
4. Paint flesh
5. Paint bright coloured bits (like shields and cloaks)
The figures can now be based and played with. You can finish off the fancy bits later
(Actually, the figures can be played with after step 2 - they look pretty good as this picks out all the details n the casting).
--
Steve Burt
The moral is to the physical as three is to one
Napoleon
>
>Once upon a time, I bought a bunch of Hinchliffe 25mm AWI figures, along with
>some paint, brushes, and a painting guide; and I tried my hand at painting up a
>regiment of Continental soldiers. Got as far as the coats and hats, and was
>then amazed at how shaky my hand was when it came to the belts, faces, and
Ian Mackridge
> Shaky hands are a problem that takes practice. If you have ever held
> an new
> object before you will have experienced this. Say the first time you
> draw a bow
> to fire. The key is to learn bracing. When its time for a straight
> line, try
> planting your elbows on the table a then painting. Or rest your wrist
> on a book
> and then bring the figure to your hand and paint. Unlike firing a
> rifle or
> playing the piano, you can develop your own brush handling techniques
> just as
> you do a painting style. Good luck.
>
controlled breathing in overcoming the shakes. It certainly helps me when
I'm painting. I'm not really sure of the physiological reason for this. I
know many relaxation techniques make you focus on your breathing and it
may be as simple as this. I know if I hold my breath when doing some
intricate parts it's a disaster.
Ian
Martin Rapier
<379AEF93...@worldnet.att.net>...
> I had a lot of the same hesitation when moving after 25 years of
boardgaming to
> miniatures! I still can't paint nearly as well as a lot of people after
2 years.
> In fact, I'm pretty bad! My attitude when I put my figures on the
tabletop is hey,
> they're MY figures! I've bought a couple of painted units and even
though the the
> paint job is better, I don't like them as much. Besides anybody that
complains
> about your paint job with other than a friendly joke or a helpful bit of
advice is
> a jerk
Yes, I had a long (15 year?) break from miniatures and was a bit daunted
when I came back to it a few years ago, as modern paint jobs just seem so
good compared the the daubings I did in the 1970s. However I found any
number of very helpful painting guides on the web and after some trial and
error, I can finally paint stuff up to a standard I'm happy with anyway. It
isn't going to win any prizes, but at gaming distances it looks OK, and I
think that is the key. As long as the basic colours are in place, hands and
faces are flesh coloured, and the hats/helmets are the right sort of
colours, then they look fine from a couple of feet away. The main thing I
have found which makes a _big_ difference is basing. Even sticking your
figs onto a square of (thick) cardboard, painting the base with glue and
dipping it in flock can make the worst painted figures in the world look
good - I recently rebased a bunch of 6mm Napoleonics I had had since 1978.
I couldn't be bothered to repaint them, but sticking them on new bases just
made them look so much better. With 6mm I often spend more time doing the
bases than painting the figs.
> I strongly recommend black primer to start with. It is a lot easier
on
> mistakes and "bare" spots than white (haven't tried gray). Good luck.
Yes definitely, a good undercoat of black paint covers a multitude of
errors as you don't get those bits of metal showing through the bits you
missed, and it works very well for shading. My lazy painting technique for
modern-ish drab figures is just undercoat black, heavy drybrush of 'uniform
colour', pick out the flesh and weapons, paint the helmet, then light
drybrush the whole thing with white to pick out the highlights, then base
and a good spray of varnish. Looks awful close up, but on the table it
looks fine. The drybrushing is what makes a difference as it emphasises the
detail the figure designer has put in already, without trying to paint the
stuff on.....
As other people have advised, starting on a small project helps a lot,
maybe the figs for some sort of skirmish rule set so you don't need to
paint hundreds before you can get going.
Cheers
Martin.
MarkS
(for brush cleaning) sitting next to my (cup of coffee or glass of
beer.) When you take a sip aand it suddenly tastes funny, you don;t
have to look at it to know why.
Mark Schweitzer
In article <7nfegq$brj$1...@nntp3.atl.mindspring.net>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
KKJMVT
Hope this is nice enough. I would love to get a copy of the document you
mentioned in the news group detailing your painting techniques.
Thanks Ken Turner
DSSOUTHWEL
game. Your units start to develop personality. That cossack unit that makes a
charge and drives that French unit in square away or that guard unit you spent
a month of finely detailing and it never wins a melee, even against Spanish
militia.
Every time I have put one of my painted units on a game table, someone has
said something nice about them. Even though I know not one of my units would
ever place in a painting contest. People just like the fact that you took the
time to paint up those little folks and that you are sharing your creation with
them.
Last year at Historicon I played several games of Armati against a Galation
army that won a silver in painting. I remember that army well, but I remember
the person who painted it even better. Dan was just a first rate opponent to
have across from you at the table.
So remember its not the units but the people behind them that make this hobby
so great. So paint those units and have fun doing it.
Doug Southwell
Steve Johnson
>
> As far as temporary basing - I've tried the tongue depressors and will not do
> again. It makes it too hard to get at everything and is in itself tiring.
>
> For 25mm foot I hot glue them(no wait for the glue to dry) to some 3/4"
> square glass colored tiles I bought dirt cheap on clearance at MJD.
Those glass squares (called Mosaic or some such) are now sold at
Michael's, the successor to MJ Designs -- and are on sale for 99 cents
for 25 bases right now!
I mean, uh, tiles. Tiles. Not bases.
--
Steve Johnson
Managing Editor
AnotherUniverse.com's Mania Magazine
http://www.anotheruniverse.com/mania
T 'oma
> Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
> many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
No technical suggestions from me; just environmental ones ;-P
1) Buy yourself a Lighted Magnifying lamp (about $15- at any larger retail
chain, hardware store, or hobby store: the kind that has a clamp to hold onto the
table. A good Halogen version is $74-100$US, but the $15- cheap one is fine.)
Painting becomes a _lot_ easier at 15-25x power magnification.
2) Find someone to paint _with_, preferably an experienced gamer or Club. Most
Historicals groups I've been a part of have monthly "bring yer own" painting
sessions. (This can be a great way to save on Paint and Brushes, as the
equyipment is generally borrow-able. Also a great way to experiment with new
paints for the same reason...)
3) If 2) above isn't feasible (no one around, too far, whatever) Here's an
alternative (If you watch television) Paint during your TV time with the tube on,
or withnthe radio/cd/record player going.. The mind-numbing part of both
activities (tv and learning to paint) is really mitigated by doing them in
tandem. (You know you've become a _real_ painter when, after a lazy rainy
Saturday afternoon spent painting in front of the Tube, you have _no_ idea what
you were watching ;-P )
Good Luck! Hope to play DBA with you sometime!!
Tim
find one of those magnifying glasses - between tearing down and
rebuilding a chimney, building a deck and rewiring the house we've just
bought, my wife won't notice the 15 or so bucks! 8)
But I have to take you to task on your third suggestion when it comes to
TV...I tried painting last year while watching Babylon 5 (the only TV I
watch) and the odd X-files episode - FORGET IT! My paint quite
frequently dried on my darn brush while I watched the great FX of Star
furies ripping into big space destroyers...8)
Raymond Rangel
> magnifer. Not primarily for the magnification, though that's a nice
> bonus, but because it reduces the strain on your eyes. The point is that
> without it, you are going to be working at or near your eyes' nearpoint
> for long periods; with it, and with the figure held near to its focal
> point, your eyes can instead focus 'at infinity', which is much less
> tiring. I find that without a magnifier, my eyes become tired after less
> than a hour's painting; with it I can paint for several hours at a stretch
> with no noticable eye fatigue. If holding the figures 'exactly the right
> distance away' is an issue, try a lower power magnifier -- as I said, the
> magnification is not the main point.
>
Low power (low diopter value) reading glasses are ideal for me. I buy them a
the grocery store for about ten bucks. I get the half lens type. That is to
say that they only have to lower half of the lens which allows me to look
over the top of them easily. Another great advantage of reading glasses
(which are simply magnifying lenses) is that they binocular so you retain
your depth perception. In addition, you can then use the money you would
have spent on an expensive magnifying light on a couple of articulated arm
lamps (these have jointed arms which allow positioning of the lamp at any
angle) that clamp to the table edge. These lamps are also inexpensive at
about ten to fifteen bucks each at the local office supply store. They take
standard light bulbs and have long arms. You will find them in the drafting
supply section most likely.
You *must* have enough light and take steps to avoid eyestrain. As a kid I
never worried about it. As an adult, as every optometrist I have seen has
said, we lose the ability to recover from eyestrain quickly...sometimes
straining repeatedly will permanently affect vision...and the older we get,
the easier it is to damage our vision.
Matthew Collett
>- magnifiers reduce your depth of field (ability to focus)
> and so are tiring because you must hold the figures
> Exactly the right distance away, and should be used rarely.
> ( an optical aid that exhausts your body is not
> encouraging dilligent diciplined productive painting results)
[snip]
>Stan Olson: Painting Pundit, The Conference Of Wargamers (Winnipeg)
> COWW (Home of the Pan-Am Games, Land of the Beaver)
I'll advocate the opposite POV on this: _do_ use a large, low power
magnifer. Not primarily for the magnification, though that's a nice
bonus, but because it reduces the strain on your eyes. The point is that
without it, you are going to be working at or near your eyes' nearpoint
for long periods; with it, and with the figure held near to its focal
point, your eyes can instead focus 'at infinity', which is much less
tiring. I find that without a magnifier, my eyes become tired after less
than a hour's painting; with it I can paint for several hours at a stretch
with no noticable eye fatigue. If holding the figures 'exactly the right
distance away' is an issue, try a lower power magnifier -- as I said, the
magnification is not the main point.
Best wishes,
Matthew Collett
--
The word "reality" is generally used with the intention
of evoking sentiment. -- Arthur Eddington
COWW (Stan Olson)
Stan: When I had my flouresent lamp-magnifier working,
I used it Primarily to provide Complete illumination
of a figure, not to magnify anything except areas of
fine detail .... Illuminiation is almost more important
than magnification in my general opinion ...
(And bi-focals might be better than magnifiers.)
Now, I use various desk lamps to provide local
and personal illumination while I work .
Unless there is lots of natural light available .
There is nothing wrong with using magnification
but dont hunch or freeze your body to hold
the figure so it is in focus of the magnifying lense.
Wear a visor with lenses and sit upright instead.
Stan:we adapt tools to our purpose, we should not
contort our bodies to focus a magnified image ....
Yale F. Edeiken
Patrick Carroll wrote in message
<19990724111549...@ng-ce1.aol.com>...
>Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been
put off for
>many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
I recently started painting again after an 18 month lay-off
due to a virus in one of my eyes. I found a few procedures
helpful in starting again.
1. Don't try to paint for long periods of time. Set a
regular time for painting and stick to it. When I started I
painted for 1/2 hour every night starting at 10:00. The amount
of time you will be able to concentrate will improve with time.
2. Don't try to pain too many figures at once. Nothing
discouraged me more than looking at a half-painted regiment or
DBA army. Start with just painting a few figures at a time (6 at
most) increase the number as you become more proficient.
3. Don't try to be too complex. Highland plaids are a bitch
even for more experienced painters. Simple dress -- like
ancients -- is easier to paint for a beginner. Another benefit
of this is that colors are more varied and allows you to
experiment with effects. An ancient army with three different
shades of blue looks good, one of Napoleon's battalions would
not.
4. Remember that the target is not what you paint but how
what you paint looks. People look at most wargame figures in a
mass from a distance of 3-4 feet. You paint at a much closer
range and one figure at a time. What seems like major
imperfections when you paint are not noticable when someone looks
at a regiment.
5. Stick to it. With good advice and some thought you will
be producing acceptable figures in a month or two.
--YFE
The Holocaust History Project is at
http://www.holocaust-history.org/
The Einsatzgruppen page is at
http://www.pgonline.com/electriczen/
Demian Rose
> 2. Don't try to pain too many figures at once. Nothing
> discouraged me more than looking at a half-painted regiment or
> DBA army. Start with just painting a few figures at a time (6 at
> most) increase the number as you become more proficient.
I'd say that, this is probably the most important with regards to
maintaining your motivation to paint. I'm an experienced painter, going
on 5 years and hundreds of finsihed figs, and I still get daunted when I
try to paint more than a dozen or so figs at a time. Yes, it's faster to
paint assembly line style, but for me, I'd rather ENJOY my painting time
and finish my army a few weeks later...
Demian
Phil Dutre
How to make painting less boring and more fun:
- I paint 'assembly line' style, but my lines are not big,
at most 5 or 6 figures. I have several lines on my table
at the same time, usually different periods or scales.
So when I paint some of my 25mm colonials, I switch to
my 1/300 tanks, to my 20mm Vietnam and back again. Makes
for more varied painting.
- I keep a permanent set-up, so i don't need to unpack all my
painting stuff and pack it away after I'm done. This also
allows for very short painting sessions (sometimes as short
as 10 minutes). Sometimes I even have sat down at my painting
table, right after I woke up. Just apply a few washes or
drybrushes before showering, breakfast and off to work. Also,
right before I go to sleep, I sometimes spent just 15 minutes
painting. All these short little sessions really don't cost
you an whole afternoon, but you get the job done ...
- As for level of detail: I use my figures for gaming, not
for display. My reality-check is to hold to figure at
arm's length. If it looks good, it's finished. This means
I often don't do the eyes on 25mm, apart from some brown shading.
Phil
--
=======================================================================
Philip Dutre Program of Computer Graphics Cornell University
ph...@graphics.cornell.edu http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~phil/
=======================================================================
Carl Parlagreco
>All together now...one, two, three, four...dip, tuck, apply, spread...dip,
>tuck, apply spread...
>
>What is this, the Richard Simmons "Painting to the Oldies" tape? Come on
>girls, get off those couches and paint! Paint! Paint!
>
Come on girly-man! Get your brushes! I'm going to paint <clap> you up.
Matthew Collett
>> _Do_ use a large, low power
>> magnifer. Not primarily for the magnification, though that's a nice
>> bonus, but because it reduces the strain on your eyes.
>Stan: When I had my flouresent lamp-magnifier working,
> I used it Primarily to provide Complete illumination
> of a figure, not to magnify anything except areas of
> fine detail .... Illuminiation is almost more important
> than magnification in my general opinion ...
Agreed. Good lighting is more important than anything else. I have a
fluorescent lamp in my current magnifier, and also an incandescent
desk-lamp for colour matching.
> (And bi-focals might be better than magnifiers.)
I'm short-sighted, so I take my glasses _off_ to paint :-).
> There is nothing wrong with using magnification
> but dont hunch or freeze your body to hold
> the figure so it is in focus of the magnifying lense.
No need to. I hold the figure at a comfortable position and move the
_magnifier_ back or forwards until the figure is focussed, ...
> Wear a visor with lenses
[snip]
>Stan
... which is impossible with a visor, since the lens position is fixed. I
find a visor uncomfortable to wear and also that it constrains my working
position in a way that a magnifier does not.
Best wishes,
Matthew
Erik Jan de Jong
All following advice is based on mine experience and may be of no use to
you!
1) Do not set your aim to high to start with.
2) You are painting 25mm figure which you will play on a table with your
eyes being more than 50cm away.
3) I do not know what kind of paint you had, but as a beginner make sure you
use waterbased paint. These dry much faster and nowadays they are just as
good as oil based.
Now for the real work.
1) wash the miniatures in soapy water to remove all grease from the molding
and hanging around.
2) bascoat the miniatures in the collors you pointed out as being the base
collors.
3) paint the faces and hands in a nice pink.
4) look at pictures of the miniatures from a distance and determine which
collors stand out the most (Most likely the white, red and yellow.
5) paint the area's with those collors, do no worry to much about how well
you do it as long as you have the right collor at about the right place.
(For most red and yellow to work you first have to paint those parts with
white)
6) base the miniatures and paint the bases a nice green.
7) place the minaiture on the table and take a step back
8) There you have your first painted miniature.
Ik know the look from up close is not that good, but the look is good enough
to start playing and remember experience is the only way. From this point on
you will start improving your self until you reached the top.
I started painting tin soldiers when i was 10 years old and it took me over
500 miniatures (Each taking between 1 and 4 hours) to become the painter I
am now (I am 27 now). At this moment I can paint the quality you see all
around you, and most times even better. It is all in the experience and
patience. But remember try alway to be better than your last miniature and
not the miniature of that other guy who has more experience. and above all
Have fun,
Erik Jan de Jong
P.S. The other guy offered some text on technics. Get it wait until you have
painted your first couple of miniautres and then read it and try each
technic one by one on a expandible miniature.
Paul Vogel
hobby and came up with the following approach to minimize their painting
frustration: use 54 mm army men! After the kids pick up some painting savy
they might try 15mm, but framkly most of 'em don't have the patience. We're
using Volley and Bayonet and are focusing on ACW. This period is one they
can relate to and is simple to paint. I recognize that you might want to go
to greater lengths than the kids, but our basic approach is:
1. get a sack of BMC civil war figures
2. use an Xato knife to clean the flashing
3. throw the figures into a coffee can with a bunch of sand and shake until
bored (the scratches help the paint adhere).
4. Clean the figures and paste all except the cannons to bases using hot
glue. I cut up 1/4 ply for the kids into 3"x3" infantry brigades, 1.5x1.5
leader stands and 1.5x3 cavalry. About 3-4 figures look OK on an infantry
stand, all others are individually mounted
5. Play - hey the kids can't wait.
6. Spray prime the figures with acrylic primer.
7. Paint the figures as time permits. Again, this lets people play without
waiting forever. As folks get to it we just paint the base coat, block in
the major features, add paint on the belts, guns, etc according to their
preference. I also wash and highlight mine, but none of the kids have
followed suit. No problem, it's better to have them playing than give it
all up as an impossible job. Ahyway there are a LOT of folks out there with
more painting savy than me, but I've found the larger figures are great for
trying new techniques. Although I don't spend a lot of time on painting
since the kids tend to step on the figures and I don't want to be overly
concerned with protecting my toys.
8. Finally, seal the figure and flock the base whenever you're happy with
the product.
The kids can play almost from the beginning, I can let them play without
worrying about my figures, and everybody has fun. While we can all recognize
the satisfaction that comes from beautifully painted armies, the result of
going this way is actually pretty attractive
COWW (Stan Olson)
Now then.
I would just like to add, a person can experience
a rapid visible Improvement in their painting results .
They can still touch up and repair their original
figures (that comparitively may not now look acceptable).
WITHOUT stripping all the paint off.
There are paint on primers (to cover bear metal spots)
and acrylic paints can be applied very thinly while
washing or drybrushing when experienced.
This can disguise or cover - correct Improve earlier
paint jobs .... spray coat with a clear-coat spray
when refurbishing touch ups are complete ...
Stan
Patrick Carroll
query. Let me just take a moment here to say THANK YOU!!! to all who've posted
& sent E-mail. You've managed to make painting miniatures fun before I've even
gotten started. :-)
Thanks again.
Richard
the metal bit at the end. Also rest your wrists on the table edge. This
gives me lots of stability, but take regular breaks and don't paint for
too long each day otherwise your neck really starts to ache.
To make it more fun listen to something. I listen to tapes of radio
comedies or sci-fi/fantasy/historical audio books rented from my local
library (the key is variety). When I can't get hold of these I listen to
the radio although rarely music as it takes my mind off the painting. I
don't listen to the radio - I just work better with some background
noise. Also don't force yourself to paint at a time or paint a
particular model if you don't want to. If you don't feel like painting
don't, you won't enjoy it. If you want to paint figure A even though
figure B is more important then paint A.
Also, accept that your first attempts will look crap. I don't think
anyone here will claim that their first models looked good, and I used
to use unpainted models in preference to painted ones because they were
so awful. I've been painting for 5 years and I'm now pretty good but I'm
still improving - I don't think I'll ever stop as my style and skill
always seems to be changing and developing. So don't aim for
masterpieces - go for something semi-presentable. Forget highlighting,
maybe even shading. Just concentrate on getting a good, neat base coat.
Go for mass effect rather than individual detail. Shade using washes
(you may need to drybrush again to return the base colour back). Look at
an Internet site (anyone know any good ones?). Someone mentioned using
GW painting guides. I would say don't - the onlines ones are just as
good and they're free. However I do recommend GW paints and brushes.
They are expensive but they are quality, although the paints aren't as
good as they were.
In article <19990724111549...@ng-ce1.aol.com>, Patrick
Carroll <domi...@aol.com> writes
>Any suggestions for a longtime wannabe miniaturist who has been put off for
>many years due to a bad first experience with painting?
>
see ya,
Richard Lloyd
Tactical Strike is a free Science Fiction wargame.
You can find a download as well as see the Enigma website at:
http://www.zoomnet.net/~alice/enigma/index.html
Blaze
I'd say that you're getting some help. I've been painting
for a number of years and I think that the most important
thing or rather one, is not to be afraid to try.
Brush sizes affect the way you paint. Some people
prefer big brushes to do detail work and some prefer 10/0
or smaller. It really depends on what you prefer. Try some
different things.
I prefer water based paints. Mainly because they are
easier to work with and I don't have to put up with chemial
cleaners.
The bigger the fig,and the better the detail the easier
it's
going to be to paint.
As far as the shaking hands go, I know someone that has a
problem similar to this and he still does decent work.
Don't let it control you. Try different things. Put the fig
on something else to hold or the table and just concentrate
on keeping one hand still rather than trying to keep both.
Hang in there. It does take practice.By the time you finish
an army you should be a pro at it(G).
blaze
Blaze
are willing to help out if poeple get stuck. In my case
I've not been around for a few weeks, but do try to help
with what I know when I can.
blaze
KZHobbies
Richard
Demian Rose <dd-...@students.uiuc.edu> writes
Agreed. I can't paint more than 4 28mm models at a time - and even then
I start to get board. Production line techniques don't work for me - I
find it dull. I paint most of my models individually and lavish lots of
time on them so they all look great but don't get done very quickly.
Still, it doesn't matter. I have loads of free time and already painted
models so I can afford to take my time. Others can't so one technique is
to mix groups- so have 3 infantry, 2 cavalry, 1 command in each group
for example. The advantage is you can now paint production line style
with less dullness but you don't get any regiments done that quickly.