"Paint a Test Figure" Topic

Do you fully paint a test figure to check out your color scheme, before painting up the entire unit of figures?

Some times but not usually. I have also been known to use Photoshop shop for colour scheme ideas.
Example of photoshop

x42

@The Editor

I would say I normally do so. Being a skirmish gamer at hart I collect small units so a test run is not a problem for me.

@x42

Wow – that is some neat photoshop work!

Yes, but not only to determine if the color scheme looks good, but also to determine the best order for applying the different colors, inks, and dry brushing.

yes, whenever starting a new army,

the time saved when you realise a scheme doesn't work far outweighs the time taken to paint one test figure
regards

jim

Yes. Pretty much like Chris, to see what works best.

I usually put 3-4 figures on an old CD and give them a wash to reveal hidden detail and assess the best order for painting, as per Chris above.

I then try out different camo patterns and adjust the 'scale' of the camo to suit the figure.

Cheers
Mark

Yep, but I just call it "Starting to paint the new army".

Not exactly. I start painting every figure in the first basic steps and work them through. But I take five figures and work them through the full paint job to check the colors, the order of the steps, etc. Do 20-30 figures in the army, do another step or two on the test guys. By the time the rest of the army is at step 3 those five figs are basically done. So they are test figures in a sense, but they are going concurrently with the full army.

Yes, i do it to fix the paint application process in my mind. Useful for armies with similar uniform patterns i.e.. historicals pre-1910.

Yes.

Always.

DM

No.

I have always work with one figure until I get it to a standard I like. Than I go at the others.
VR
James Mattes

Nope. I might do a test unit but, unless they are characters, I never paint single figs anymore.

Nope.

Yes, but then the time between painted test and first unit lengthens to the point I've forgotten how I did the figure. I probably didn't make any notes; I then start over.
Mike D

Never.

Yes, also whenever starting a new army. Same reason as fairoaks024 and Dropship Horizon.

Invariably. Usually a test stand since I always multi-base, based and flocked. I also usually make a note of what colours I've used if I need subsequent figures to be uniform. I've forgotten that too many times.

Rarely

Almost never;-).

No.

Not in smaller scales (15mm and below) as I paint in whole units. For ancients, I tend to do a color scheme for the entire unit if I can with variations in equipment and figure poses.

For periods with true uniforms, a test isn't needed at all as I am going by some uniform guide to begin with.

If I am trying a new technique, then I suppose I am doing a test figure but they again, I usually will do a whole unit with the new technique….

Sometimes depends how I feel, I must admit if its historical I normally do abit of research before hand so I've kinda got the colour scheme already planned.

some times.

Always.

Wast doing this very thing earlier this week. Trying to get an agreeably nice color pattern on my Rafm Vargr.

If it is something brand new and very different to what I've done before, then yes. Sometimes I even paint up a series of whole test units (this is more for smaller scale stuff).

More commonly I'll try things out on a figure or two (mainly colour contrasts) but not paint the whole thing.

Adapt as I go if necessary

Yes

Yes.

Only if I'm trying a new technique, otherwise I like to paint whole units to achieve an individual unit "look".

I test new techniques. Since I only do historicals, I usually have plates to guide me. The only time I run into problems with color selections is if I'm doing non-unifored figures such as ECW where some color combinations just don't look atractive or right, but I just repaint those.