"How do you paint?" Topic

I have recently looked at how I paint and the colours, paints and manufacurers that I use to paint my miniatures.

The results and my personal comments are available on my ever increasing Blog.

I realise that I am not a 'Golden Demon' winner, but the lessons I have learnt from this project are available for all to read – if they so want to.

Tony
dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com

I paint SLOW.

Brian

Even SLOWER!

Ralph

Infrequently.

The troops on my paint station have been there since March. The were primed in September.

With a paint brush.

With the greatest of aspirations and the poorest of results.

Quality, quantity, whatever etc.

"The troops on my paint station have been there since March. The were primed in September."

When they've aged properly, they'll be ready to paint. They obviously aren't ready yet.

I've been trying to go fairly directly through the buy-prime-paint cycle recently. It isn't helping with the mountain of older metal and plastic, but something is getting done at least.

As for specific techniques, I vary techniques with the subject.

I've got 15-year-old figures that haven't seen primer yet. Somewhere…

I paint very Fasttttttttttttttttttttttttt.

When the unpainted pile is larger than the painted pile, then I realize I need to paint more, and faster.

In spurts, batches, etc. Then nothing for a month or two. Then I put on a game for the club, and I paint as if possessed for a week, then nothing for a month. And so on.

I paint in a crazy system that to look at the full design would make a person tear out their own eyes in blissful agony.

Do not read farther if you wish to keep your sanity.

I undercoat half the figures with spraypaint, then I touch up about half of them with paint to get the undercuts and missed areas.

Then I take and completely paint a test model with all the highlights and shading and everything. Then I base paint a couple of figures, each figure in the line gets less base paint finished from the one before.

I line up my figures for days at a time, organizing and shuffling their positions around. I take all the rest of the undercoated figures that have not been paint undercoated and attempt to paint all the metal or flesh depending in what makes less sense.

Emboldened by my freshly painted weapons I will go back and finish painting the first group, except the bases.

With a few troops completed I ignore my undercoated ones and get irritated that I didn't undercoat the 2nd half and to make some progress I then spray paint them.

I then separate the competed from the undercoated groups for a few days. I tend to take the weapon painted ones and move them from the "painted" group to the "unpainted" group as I don't feel comfortable organizing them in either.

I ignore all of the weapon painted ones and proceed to the last of the undercoated ones.

I do not group undercoat them at this point… each one gets finished undercoated as I get to them. I paint all the weapons to get them compatible with the other group and do it in a sloppy matter as I get to the end of them.

I leave them now in 2 groups for a few more days as I organize into squads or ion mock combat scenes against the other things on my paint table. At times I will make them fall in and form up into squads to "organize" them better. Painted goes up front of course.

I go back and fix up the sloppy painted bits even though I am going to paint over bits of it as I paint the inner torso.

I block paint the group one bit at a time, clothing, shoes/boots headgear, armour, flesh. It is important that I do this in spurts of 2-3 at a time. So 3 figures get their boots painted and then on to doing all the clothing or flesh on the others. I organize them by % of painting then.

I completely paint one more figure to the level of the first character.

I ignore them all for a few days.

I sit down and finally finish painting all the rest of the figures except the bases.

Weeks later I will finally finish the bases at that point I will go back and touch up a few of the figures mistakes that I see.

That is the typical system that I have in place. I pray for your soul of those that attempt to follow my madness.

I used to be very quick with the brush, but eyes aging and muscular dystrophy have been keeping me from the long hours I used to enjoy at the work table.

I always fully paint a "pilot" model before his brothers in arms. That way, he can stare distainfully at his white-primered bretheren for weeks or months or years, while I console myself that I at am at least good on "the look" I want. Also, this gives me plenty of time to forget exactly which color combinations/mix ratios I used to begin with.

I do the same thing, Rabban, placin particular emphasis on the part about forgetting the paint mix/ratios I used . . . Argh.

Slowly. :(

I don't paint
I dip

Rarely.

Dropzonetoe: I had to laugh, because that sounded soooo much like how I paint. Oh, I start out organised enough: flash and mould line prep and even the primer. After that, it all seems to fall apart.

I especially liked the bit about shuffling the figs around on the desk – like the new formation is supposed to inspire or something!

I do try to do it systematically, but sometimes I find I have too much of one colour mixed and rather then waste it, I start painting trousers or something on another primed and ready unit.

Too funny. Sad, but funny :)

I set up a production line of at least 2 lots of figures, sometimes up to 4.

I then paint a colour on each of them, so I actually maange to paint mor ethan 1 project at a time.

Despite my efforts the lead pile continues to grow

MH
:-)

I paint badly!!! that is why I am always looking for people to paint for me. I wish I could paint but beyond my skill I am affraid!

Jo:)

Wow, I'm not the only slow painter. My problem is I procrastinate way too much (usually by spending too much time on the PC). When I finally do sit down and paint for an hour or two I don't seem to make much progress. Then I get discouraged because of my lack of progress, so I procrastinate some more. Gotta quit TMP and online poker!

Very Very Slowly, and not very well either :-(

Oh, and also, not very often. I get disheartened with my attempts very easily.

I start with a black undercoat, dry brush the whole mini white, then paint thin layers of color, this brings out the detail that the artist made into the mini with a very small amount of work for the painter. Also I started dipping them this year because it brings out even more of the minis detail and acts as the clear coat all in one step.

and if you cant tell from my way of painting I dont like the carton look of that people call a "golden Demon" style of painting. It looks forced and fake.

example of some of my painting:
link

and A friend just sent be this link from my past
link
that I totally forgot about, and am amazed is still out on the net.

I always write down the colors used, so I can pick up exactly where I left off with no difficulty.

Of course I always misplace those notes when they are needed again.

I NEVER mix colors. I know I'll forget the mix. So, I own about 700 jars of paint. I own 4 of the spinner racks that hold 160 jars each. Of course, some are duplicates because I don't always remeber WHICH shades I have already purchased. :-)

I do paint pretty quickly. However, painters block will hit me at times. This seems to be closely tied to how excited I am by the stuff I am working on AND how clean my table is. This si why I quit taking almost all painting commissions. Soem were sheer agony to complete. Made painting (something I absolutely LOVE doing) a misery. Now I paint up figures I enjoy working on for sale and paint a few things for certain clients that I am interested in.

When I'm serious and in the groove I can pump out several 100 figures in a week or two. I'm getting back into the groove. :-)

Thanks,

John

To echo a number of reponses infrequently and badly.

I paint in fits and starts depending on the other demands in my life. I'm primarily a small scale painter (6mm/10mm or 1/6000&1/2400) but if the detail is on the figure or can be painted on the ship, I'm putting it there. I'll wash, drybrush, shade and highlight as I think is needed but generally, my 6 and 10mm don't get much highlighting beyond a wash and a touchup.