"Vibrant or Grungy?" Topic

Do you prefer your minis with bold colours or with muted and more neutral hues?

For me this varies by genre.

For most historicals and fantasy, I prefer muted. Often with dirt and grime.

For some fantasy and scifi, I prefer bolder colours, especially for anime/comics themed forces.

There is a hybrid which I use for some scifi and a lot of horror themed minis … dark with subtle shade differences and a single vibrant highlight colour.

I play fantasy, primarily. I prefer muddy/grungy. I apply The Dip to nearly all of my figures, so they are primarily dirty, and muddy looking. Cheers!

I have muted colors though not grungy on my figures but am considering going to a toy soldier style for new paints.

I usually go with the stereotype of whatever I'm painting so I guess it depends on the subject.

I use mostly a more muted pallet. Mostly dark ages and colonial Afghanistan tribesmen. My colonial British are more vibrant however.

My stuff is grungy and dirty. They have that lived in look. :)

"Stage Makeup"-- the smaller the scale, the brighter and higher the contrast in colors.

Khanscom: +1

I agree it varies by genre, but for me, grungy. I want my figures looking like they lived in the mud and have the dirt on them to prove it.

I use washes and secret weapon's fantastic powders (though not at the same time naturally) to try and dirty up all my figs.

I've switched over to weathered for all my minis--helps them tell a story.

Bright regardless of period

Depends on genre, modern era figures I tend to do grungy and dirty. Earlier and SF, I use brighter colors and less dry brush.

I've tried dirting up some of my horse and musket figures, and I'm never satisfied.
Than you have the fact, I've spent a week or more painting a unit, and I don't want to cover the paint job.

+1 Flashman13

Tactical/camo colors, i.e earth tones, etc. …

I only game and paint historicals but I would say that much of my painting is "fantasy" in that I tend to paint parade ground bright colours and ignore the effect of prolonged exposure to the elements on vegetable dyes.

So, for example, my medieval figures have far too bright whites and far too many blues; my Redcoats do not fade to brick red or worse and everything is fairly vibrant. I also tend not to dirty up figures even in 28mm although I will use Mig powders and the like on vehicles at least in 15mm and 28mm.

When I do fantasy some armies get the "vibrant treatment". All my historical stuff is grungy with the exception of my Zulu wars forces. Sci fi I do both depending on my mood and the story I am trying to tell with a particular force.

It really depends on the genre/period. Some call for one or the other, the rest could either or according to the personal preferences of the painter.

Dan

Depending on period. Some of my medieval figures can be quite colourful, knights and such, although I tend to prefer more muted, matte colours generally. I'm trying to avoid the toy soldier look!

Bit of both

I definitely lean to the vibrant/bright – they just look so much better on the tabletop.