Gunfreak | 15 Nov 2015 8:05 a.m. PST |
I see alot of people fix their figures to all kinds of stuff, from pop sticks to washers, to pinchers. I know it's a good idea as as the paint rubs of with skin contact. But honestly I can't I feel I don't has as much control to hold the figure. I need the figure in my hand. Yes it does mean I have to to some tuch up after done(mostly repainting the top of the figure(hat,Helmet ect) So do you hold the figure in your hand when painting or do you fix them to something? |
Chris Palmer | 15 Nov 2015 8:09 a.m. PST |
I use tongue depressors. I find my hand cramps up after a while from holding a figure tightly by just its base/washer. |
McKinstry | 15 Nov 2015 8:12 a.m. PST |
Craft sticks or small nails (riders). |
Texas Jack | 15 Nov 2015 8:17 a.m. PST |
I am firmly in the tongue depressor camp as well. |
MajorB | 15 Nov 2015 8:24 a.m. PST |
I know it's a good idea as as the paint rubs of with skin contact. I do not fix my figures to anything and I have never had a problem with the paint rubbing off with skin contact. The paint rubbing off with skin contact might have been a problem with oil paints in days of yore, but I have used enamels and acrylics for years with no problem at all. |
abelp01 | 15 Nov 2015 8:26 a.m. PST |
If it's a 20mm or larger, I'll white glue them to a plastic soda cap. It gives me almost as much control as if I were holding them without the adverse effects. |
myxemail | 15 Nov 2015 8:56 a.m. PST |
I tend to do hands on, and finish the hat or helmet last. Recently I have been attempting to go the craft stick method, but I am finding some parts of some figures unpainted… |
jeffreyw3 | 15 Nov 2015 8:59 a.m. PST |
I attach mine to long nails while painting, and I find that it gives me better access and angles on the figure. I can also grasp the figure much more firmly, giving me better control overall. To each his own… |
Doug MSC | 15 Nov 2015 9:01 a.m. PST |
I mount my figures on washers first, since I mount them all individually, then prime them. Usually. when painting, I hold them by the washer base for most of the paint job. |
Martin Rapier | 15 Nov 2015 9:21 a.m. PST |
I either stick them to temporary painting strips (just bits of cardboard) or prebase them. The only things I handle while painting are vehicles, guns, aircraft etc and I even then I only touch the extremities. For most figures I'm only giving them a heavy drybrush then picking out the details, so isn't like I need Michealangelo levels of control. |
Cosmic Reset | 15 Nov 2015 9:30 a.m. PST |
I mount them to their bases (usually plastic), then paint. Bases are finished after the fig is painted and clear-coated. With vehicles I usually paint front/top/rear, then go to sides after the first step is dry. Camo can be slow and involve many steps. Weathering and details is just a matter of not touching the part that I just put paint on, one step per color. I have only ever experienced acrylics rubbing off during handling. A combination of Howard's Hues and department store craft paint that a friend used to paint his stuff. |
MajorB | 15 Nov 2015 9:47 a.m. PST |
I have only ever experienced acrylics rubbing off during handling. A combination of Howard's Hues and department store craft paint that a friend used to paint his stuff. Cheap craft acrylics such as you mention are thinner and thus are more likely to rub off than good paint. That is why I exclusively use Coat d'Arms paints and have no problrms at all. This business about "paint rubbing off with handling" is a myth. Try it without fixing a figure to anything and see… |
Roderick Robertson | 15 Nov 2015 10:02 a.m. PST |
By hand, usually the bottom of the base and the highest part of the figure (top of hat/head/helmet of weapon). |
tberry7403 | 15 Nov 2015 10:23 a.m. PST |
Mount the figures on their base then white glue the base to a square of scrap cardboard (usually cereal box) that is large enough to allow @ 1/4-inch clearance around the base. Like some others I paint the highest point on the model last. Gives me sometimes to "hold" when I need to keep the model steady. |
MajorB | 15 Nov 2015 11:16 a.m. PST |
Mount the figures on their base then white glue the base to a square of scrap cardboard (usually cereal box) that is large enough to allow @ 1/4-inch clearance around the base. I can't see how that would work. It might be OK for infantry mounted in a single rank of figures, but for cavalry or infantry in more than one rank it makes the side and inner surfaces almost unreachable. And how do you remove the scrap cardboard from the base without damaging it when you have finished? |
Norman D Landings | 15 Nov 2015 11:30 a.m. PST |
28mm: blu-tack them to plastic bottle-tops. 15mm: blu-tack them in rows to wooden coffee stirrers. |
IronDuke596 | 15 Nov 2015 12:16 p.m. PST |
I white glue figures onto a wine bottle cork. It makes it much easier to handle and negates oils from ones fingers from contaminating the figure. I then drill holes (same circumference as the corks) into a flat box and or styro foam blocks. The unit of figures onto corks stand upright in the box/block while I paint them one at at time. |
Gunfreak | 15 Nov 2015 12:46 p.m. PST |
Major B I've found valljeo paint to come of super easy. Its one of the reasons i use that paint sparingly. Coat d arms and citadel paints are much tougher. But still i need to repaint oart of the hator helmet when done. |
GurKhan | 15 Nov 2015 1:09 p.m. PST |
Some lovely cunning ideas here, but like Gunfreak I usually don't anything other than hold the figure in my hand, and have rarely if ever had any trouble with paint rubbing off. Occasionally, with 15mm figures on DBx style bases, I've been known to base before painting; this is OK for psiloi or light horse, two 15mm figures glued to a 20x40 or 30x40 card base, but more than that can get a bit cramped and awkward. |
Cyrus the Great | 15 Nov 2015 1:44 p.m. PST |
I attach mine to roofing nails with a glue gun and stick it into a piece of styrofoam. |
MajorB | 15 Nov 2015 3:13 p.m. PST |
I've found Vallejo paint to come off super easy. It's one of the reasons i use that paint sparingly. Hmmm … that's interesting. Sounds like a good reason not to use Vallejo paints at all. |
ZULUPAUL | 15 Nov 2015 3:19 p.m. PST |
Multi figure stands I use tongue depressors, if single based, I just glue to the base. |
Khusrau | 15 Nov 2015 4:02 p.m. PST |
white glue to strips of card, or already based (depending on whether I am going for accuracy (like complex heraldry) or speed – (undercoat black.. paint what I can reach/see) |
Tgerritsen | 15 Nov 2015 4:44 p.m. PST |
I'm hands on, definitely, and my fingers get all covered in paint as a result. Thankfully I use water based paints. |
tberry7403 | 15 Nov 2015 5:09 p.m. PST |
I can't see how that would work. I just do individually mounted, skirmish gaming so it's not a problem. |
Old Contemptibles | 15 Nov 2015 6:40 p.m. PST |
I mount them on small metal bases. When I began painting back in the late 70s I held the figures. Dumb! |
Rich Bliss | 15 Nov 2015 8:09 p.m. PST |
If they're going to based individually, then I'll just paint holding the washer base. If they are going on multi-figure bases, then I'll mount 2-5 figures on scrap foam core stops before priming. |
Martin Rapier | 16 Nov 2015 8:20 a.m. PST |
I don't mount them to avoid paint 'rubbing off', it is just much faster to paint them in batches if they are mounted in strips. It is even faster if they are mounted on their final bases, but that doesn't work for close order multi-rank figures. |
jeffreyw3 | 17 Nov 2015 3:44 a.m. PST |
This just popped up…now here's a system: (1 min in) YouTube link |
etotheipi | 17 Nov 2015 8:00 a.m. PST |
As several above, I haze the minis first and hold it by the base while painting. |