"Miniature painting tips (stuff I learned the hard way)" Topic

"I have been painting since I was twelve which means I have been making a ton of painting mistakes in my life. Today I will share 10 miniature painting tips that I learned the hard way.

It is a classic recommendation that beginners should prime their miniatures with black. This can be okay, but if you just stick to this procedure for the rest of your life you are missing out. It is just recently I have shifted to never prime with black, and it has changed my painting a lot…."
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

It is a classic recommendation that beginners should prime their miniatures with black.

Still seems a new-fangled idea to me.

Sound advice.

I use the sticky tack when priming small things like plastic shields. I think if you are knocking down 30-35mm plastic figures, during priming from the force of the air, then you have the rattle can way too close.

Good advice nonetheless.

If I can add one, try to be as neat as possible. Practicing neatness and controlled brush strokes is a good skill and, as is usual with all these techniques, practice makes perfect.

So happy to hear about you my dear friend Bowman…

Hope you are doing well!.

Why your loss in "Science"?….

Amicalement
Armand

I use Orange to prime. It's the new black…

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

I only paint 15's, so I always prime with black. If I need a colour to look bright, I just paint that area white first. Or sometimes I will shade the area with white, and then I'll get light and dark tones of that colour.

Pretty comprehensive set of instructions.

When I started all the primer you could get, brush or spray, was white. Later I traded figures with someone who had used a gray spray primer. I first heard about undercoating with black (not priming) in the 90s. It was effectively a speed painting technique; for me it took too many layers to get the colors bright enough so I never found it saved me time. I tried underlighting (drybrushing gray/white over black undercoat before painting color) and I think that would have given OK results but I had discovered brown undercoating by then, which I still use.

Prime with black?!?! maybe for armor and WW II and forward. I just do 15mm Napoleonic, SYW, and some renaissance, I wouldn't prime with anything darker than a light grey. Why bother with all the beautiful uniforms if the colors aren't bright and bold? Metal, light body armor, and cannon prime grey, paint black, and dry brush.
Also, buying high end expensive brushes is IMO overblown. I buy packs of very good quality fine detail brushes at Wally World for about $4 USD for a set of 4 brushes. I used to spend twice that on a single brush that didn't appear to me to work any better or last any longer.

Well I'll post some pics one of these day. As for the black under coat, it really think the next time I do some horses in light brown, I will use a white under coat.

I do very detailed work and also use very good brushes, for the most part.

Cheer
Dean

PS: A very Merry HO HO HO to all.

Why bother with all the beautiful uniforms if the colors aren't bright and bold?

I agree completely!

PS A Very Merry Ho Ho Ho, as well!

PPS The advice in the linked article is pretty good.

PPPS I suppose the idea of priming in something other than black is a new one to GW acolytes.

My two bits, posted on the author's site (emphasis added here):

For beginners, use simple block painting, followed by The Dip Technique, brushed on, not dunked on. Beginners need fast gratification. They need encouraging results, the first time out. If their figures look decent, on the tabletop, from 3+ feet away, they will keep painting… GW needs to hawk this approach, to keep customers from giving up on the hobby, or playing with spray-primed only armies.

If they desire, they can move onto more advanced techniques. From the start, though, beginners need to produce acceptable figures they won't be embarrassed by.

Been wargaming for 25+ years. My armies of mini's are viewed on the tabletop, 99% of the time. I don't bother painting to, "a higher standard" — what is the point? YMMV. Cheers!

First, I'd also like to say to Tango01 I think it's great you took the time to post those steps on painting for beginners. I wish I had something like that back in the early 70's.

Any comments I post here are not meant as criticism in any way. Just trying to add to the info base on painting.

Now, why to I spend so much time on fine detail for my 15's?

First, I guess is because I like painting them and do enjoy the results I get.

Second I would say is in homage to those that create those fantastic looking mini sculptures. I other words if you're nice enough to sculpt them in that great of detail, I will do my best to respect that work.

Those that don't go the detail I do, hey that's great, each to their own, and I will NEVER make any negative comments on anyone's painted figs.

Cheers
Dean

Exactly Dean. It's a big hobby. Everyone is entitled to enjoy it as they want. I paint all my figures under a magnifying light. Some paint their figures to look good at 3 feet away. Some send their figures off to the painters. There is no wrong way.

Hey Bowman,yes I've been using a magnifying glass even before my eyes needed it.

On a side note, did you ever belong to MIGS in Hamilton back in the good old days?

Cheers
Dean

Oops, sorry to answer so late. I am a Hamiltonian but I never was a member of MIGS. But I did go to a few of the MIGSCons until they petered out. Sad really, as MIGS and MIGSCon are older than HMGS and HIstoricon.

Now, I go to the fine Games Days and Broadsword events run by the mighty Barnaby Ore of the Hamilton Tabletop Gaming Society.