"How important is the quality of your paint job?" Topic

I am sure we've done this saw before but what the heck some opinions may have changed over time or new perspectives might have developed.

I used to be extremely particular about my miniature painting trying perhaps to not go for so called Golden Demon quality but I wanted a good looking army. Of course that was way back in the days when I only played 40K or Warhammer Fantasy and competed in tourneys where well painted figures earned you points. During that time we had an active group and each of us wanted to collect and paint our own forces. Then we moved on into historicals and it became more about having to collect both sides of the particular conflict and now there were hundreds of figures to get painted and a convention game looming you had promised to run. That was when I found painting short cuts making more use of washes and dry brushing instead of careful blending of dark to light. It was also when I stopped always painting the eyes and just allowed the wash to do the job. I am still a stickler for cleaning all the mold lines, and doing some blending and shading but for the most part if the figures looks good enough I am happy with the result. I also enjoy the satisfaction that I get lots of figures painted as opposed to going years before a particular force is done.

So what is your take on painting figures? And if you do not paint but use a painting service what level of quality do you want?

It depends. I usually dont spend much time on the rank and file types. I like to spend more time of character models. This is due to my penchant for horde type armies. I have orcs/orks, and Tyranids for 40k. I also have a large Mahdist army for the sudan. If I lavished attention on every figure Id never get them on the table.

There was a time when they simply had to be perfect! That was 40 years ago.

Now, if it wasn't for the washes, LBMS shield transfers and the hours I spend on the bases… people would just drop them on the floor after looking closely at them. Hehe!

They are only for me, and I have more than I can put on the table (I think) so I'm trying to do a better job than the last.

I have been painting for 30 years, modeling for 40. I am probably more of a modeler than a gamer, and it is a HUGE part of the hobby for me. I try to learn new techniques all the time, and stay abreast of the newest products. Paint jobs are vital to me, which is probably what keeps me steered towards skirmish gaming. I would probably kill myself if I had to field a 28mm Napoleonic army. =)

I try my best, but I know, as do others who have seen my figures, that I am no Rembrandt. So for me the main thing is to get the colors right, but donīt sweat the details.

It's usually just as easy to do a good job as a crappy one.

I take pride on what I put on the table.

As I have got older and my eyesight poorer it is far less important, looking down at 28mm figures I do wonder why I bother at all! It would be easier to do an overall colour, a backpack and some flesh blobs.

Winston, you paint like a man with painting skills!

Really important if I'm painting myself…I've spent quite a bit on commissions recently too. I'm too impatient to paint the blasted things at times. If I see something on ebay that I "need" then I'll compromise on the quality a bit. I usually try to give them a few touch ups myself afterwards.

Painting wargame figures is a joy and a privilege. I take pride on what I put on the table. !

Phil

As I have gotten older and started a family very late in life I find my time is very tight. I paint a neat tidy figure with shading and highlights but I do not bother with painting eyes or small details on the core units. Mounted officers or character figures I tend to spend more time with.

Lately I have been keeping character type figures to help offset the assembly line boredom. All of my ACW units were 16 figures. All of my AWI units are 24 figures. I have know idea what I was thinking and I might be rethinking them back down to 16 just to speed up the completion of units for playing.

I completed some WW2 British figures in 20mm and was surprised at how nice they went. No skills like Mr. Brand does in 20mm but nice enough for a game.

I guess the short answer would have been that I don't slop on the paint, but I no longer pick out the tiny fine details anymore.

I have and do use painting services. This is mainly when I am feeling overwhelmed by a project. It helps to get the ball rolling and then I finish up the unique units and command stands.

I have enjoyed painting terrain lately. That I take time with. It is always a centerpiece on the table so folks tend to focus in on the terrain.

Matthew

Dotto chuck05.
I spend a lot of time on character figures and individual pieces, so far as stripping them down and starting over after getting a great deal done.
Painting large forces in an assembly line fashion I tend to let some things slide, go back and touch up some messy spots but I always find more I should have done or could have done better once I declare them finished.

I paint more than I get to play . I do the best I can on every figure . Rank guys to generals .

I have found ways to speed up my painting – assembly line, block colors neatly, then dip – and it works for me. Would they win any contests? No, but they look good at table distance and they're done.

Al | ravenfeastsmeadhall.blogspot.com

Basically block paint and wash or highlight. Nothing special. I like the painting done on the old Britains and Mignot toy soldiers. While detailed sculpts don't lend themselves well to this they do not need the painting that so many do. Not saying those are not beautiful but they are beyond the time and energy I have. I want to play the game.

I have to admit, I am a paint snob – I spend way too much time painting my minis – then again, I really like to paint

The ready availability of washes in a wide range of colours has been a Godsend

If I manage to sit down to paint for an hour or two, I want to be happy with my progress by the time I'm done. It doesn't help my completion rate any.

Am I painting photorealistic irises on every model? Certainly not. But between proven color selection, airbrush tricks, and glazes, I still get the occasional hard-fished-for compliment from the wife or my few gaming friends.

I can't say I strive for perfection. Good enough is OK by me but I try not to have too many glaring errors. I paint a more basic figure now than I did when I was younger and accept the arms length approch.

I paint around 3000 figures a year and try to take pride in them, but I never judge another' paint job. Only rule is no naked lead on my table. Traditionally I do better with figures for others than my own.

I like them to be good but good enough is fine. I go with the 3 foot rule, and then add details as awards for high performing units.

Still my paint jobs have gotten better then when I was younger though I have to use "cheaters" to see some smaller details.

For my own figures I try to do the best I can which is maybe a 6 or 7.

When I commission figures I always go for the best level they offer because if I could paint that well that is what I would be trying to achieve.

It depends on what I'm painting. I'm currently concentrating on 15mm WW2 and 28mm Napoleonics*. But I have totally different attitudes about each.

My damned older brother once told me that (regarding Napoleonics) "If you have the best-looking figures on the table, you've already won." And, stupid me, I believed him. So I am obsessive about my Napoleonics. It's really just block painting with a wash, but I make sure all the lines are perfectly straight, including the piping, I paint the buttons, etc. And people seem to like it. Maybe it's because I white-prime whilst everyone else black-primes (and so mine seem to "glow"), but I've had people tell me they can't look at anything else when my stuff is on the table, so I feel like I've achieved my brother's definition of "winning".

My WW2 I paint to look good, but I try not to obsess about it. This is largely in response to my insanity about Napoleonics. Painting WW2 is like taking a vacation after a bunch of Naps. I make them neat and tidy, but I don't highlight or do anything fancy (except maybe decals, thanks to that swine Dom). I specialize in hordes of Soviets, and that's what they look like – a horde. Nothing fancy, but I like the mass effect of lots of guys and tanks that look pretty much all alike.

Of course none of the last paragraph applies to 1/2400 WW2 ships, where I revert to obsessive mode (US Measure 12 mod is a royal pain to paint, but looks awesome when done). But a lot of them are in basic grey/deck schemes, so I don't drive myself nuts on all of them.

* Yes, the two most cost-intensive periods possible.

Due to the influence of skirmish gaming, fantasy gaming, painting for display, and such like, plus the higher quality of castings available these days compared to yesteryear, I find I spend more time adding details and extra touches now than I used to. But conversely, I need to spend less time per individual figure than I used to to provide an acceptable standard. I paint more, but better and faster than I once did. So it's a wash (ahem).

I think my course has been almost exactly that of whitemanticore's. I'm now mostly about painting up both/all sides of a conflict to get them on the table, supplemented with individual minis for the various RPG campaigns I run. Those can get a little more attention.

I'm much more of a painter than a gamer so my satisfaction and happiness is directly correlated with the highest quality I can achieve on a given project.

I don't paint much above 10mm and do the majority of my painting for others so the quality there has to be balanced against cost to the customer. As a general rule you have to think of what level of detail/quality you can produce to a cost that people will pay. I don't do different standards so all is roughly to the same standard as that is what I have developed the best techniques for. Seems to work for me as I'm rarely short of orders.

For my own stuff I have to force myself to pull back on the quality sometimes to get armies done. The drive isn't there to get them done in the same way as it is for a customer's job and I'm not as bothered about a few missing details or lack of highlights – I find good basing often makes up for that anyway, particularly at 6mm.

I recently finished the first 20mm figures I have painted since my early 20's (which was 40 years ago). I wasn't at all impressed with the figure sculpting or the casting quality – most 10mm are better IMHO. I did not find them easy to paint, even though I wasn't trying to paint them beyond a 'basic' standard. I don't think my painting mindset works the same on 20mm as it does on 10mm.

When I put my figures on the table I like to feel I've done a decent job and that my 6mm Swiss pike blocks mincing my opponent's battle-line do actually look like what they are supposed to be. Beyond that I will go on odd occasions but not too often.

I've been painting for a very long time now. I'm a self-admitted perfectionist. That says it all.

Fantastic comments everyone, it is interesting to see where you each stand on the topic. I have to agree with Piper909 comments about how the continued quality in minis and the dominance of skirmish games tends to raise the bar on painting.

Too damned important for my own good, unfortunately. Doesn't mean it is great, just too time consuming…

Cheers,