"how to put small circles on 15mm" Topic

I'm painting up 7 prussian battaltions and want to put small circular dots on the center of some of the shakoes. I need a small (~0.5mm) dot in white. A quick dap with a bit of paint on the top of a small brush is one way but often not truly circular. Any trick or tips on this?

I've read a cats whisker, real cat, is good, because its hollow, so paint is held inside

I had exactly the same requirement for small black dots on some 15mm Roman shields.

It was almost impossible to do a really small circle with a paint brush – however I tried, I ended up with a comma. The best solution I found was to chop off the end of a cocktail stick to the required diameter with a really sharp knife and dip that in a very shallow pool of thinned paint.

Be more ambitious. what you want is a white circle on the black shako cover. Even in 15mm not impossible. Yes, the blunt ended cocktail stick every time, but not cut too far from the tip. I would personally go for a blob of thicker paint in white. why? Because it will form a very slightly raised mound once dry. Now the bit that takes courage. The pointed end of the cocktail stick in black. The tiniest dot dead centre of the white dome.

I'd suggest painting a white dot, letting it dry, then filling in the black with a Micron pen. I used to do hoplite shield decorations using variously-colored, super-fine Micron pens.

I do a lot of my cockades in this same way.

Might try painting the shako white, then black but leaving a small circle.

See what I meant?

These Parvenus have no idea. I beat them both by at least 10 minutes.

EiCB, naw mate. Way off 15/18mm right (indeed any scale). You end up with a white splodge.

I can only say……….

Unless you grew up in London

Gertcha………(East London at that). COYIs (except against AFC Wimbledon, how amazing were they?)

Apologies for those over the Pond. It is a "soccer" thing. We call it football and there are more important things in life.

But offhand……….

Think Bill is trolling.

Deadhead is just lost. I'm mourning today against Palace.

Toothpick

Maybe one of these?: link

Deadhead…that was just a wee bit random!

Use a pin (one with a ball on the end; o----- It's easier to handle, more control than a brush. ) Use the pointy end to pick up a very small blob of paint and apply it to the surface & 'paint'. (If your paint tends to dry out too quick, use some slow-dry or thinner.) You can clean the pin by poking it through some layers of newspaper.
I've painted thousands of figures this way (well, the small details, anyway ;-). It also works great for applying 'pupils' to a figure's eyes.
Once you get the hang of it, it'll be one of your great painting tools.

;-)

Thanks. I was afraid it was a silly question. I'll try all the suggestions.

28 years and counting. A bit soft down there?

38 years

I beleive only the 1812 Army was using the circle and it was TYP the Fusilier Batts.
I stop placing the circle.
When I did them, I did the white dot then smaller one in black in the center- for 15s it was enough.
You would be refering to "on the shako covers", correct?

Think Bill is trolling.

Just thinking outside the box.

Yes the shako covers.

When I need a small dot on my 15 MM figures, I let he paint dry a little on he pallet, and then with a small detail brush get a small glob on the tip of the brush, If I'm careful and just touch the point of the brush with the blob, it will make a pretty good dot.

Terry

No circles, but for rosettes on my Nubians leopard skin kilts I did a brown splotch rather than a dot and then dotted the center with black using a toothpick.

Well, I am missing Liam, but I did learn two versions of Parvenu so my store of knowledge has increased. He'll be back 😀

Well he is back quicker than expected!

OK first thing is this Dawghouse thing means one cannot post an apology for any offence caused.

Internet is a funny thing. An innocent gag can indeed be an insult to some folk.

I went back to the original French meaning, but fully accept that some (OK most) could take it as a pejorative term. I meant the past participle of Parvenir, one who arrives late and…..naw, forget it

Sincere apologies if I offended anyone. I have a weird sense of humour. I am a Deadhead (might mean something to older US readers)

Just thinking outside the box.

Must be a bloody big box to get that far away…

I was serious about the whisker though. Or try a paint pen, I have one.

Just a thought. Are some folk misunderstanding what you need for those Prussian shakos? It is not a white circle strictly, it is a white ring………on a black shako cover. Also again note marshalGreg's comment above, re its limited usage in practice.

I used the "two spot" method to create rings for Mameluke sleeve decorations that I could never have produced freehand.