6 - Dwarven Crossbowmen Q&A

About a week and a half after receiving notice from Old Guard Painters that the figures had been shipped, we received a package in the mail:

Removing the wrapping paper, we found a box:

And inside the box were the figures, sandwiched between thick layers of foam padding, each carefully wrapped in soft paper:

Well, almost all the figures were securely wrapped, but a few little figures escaped their wrappings! (They were unharmed, fortunately.)

Old Guard Painters has been kind enough to answer questions that we've collected from readers (plus a few of our own!). The photos in this article were taken in the TMP photo studio.

With fantasy figures, do you prefer detailed instructions, or would you rather have artistic freedom to do what you think works best?

Artistic freedom is good, but instruction is a safety that the customer will like the job done.

The sketches of the Dwarves were a good idea. Do you provide sketches for approval before painting all of your figures?

We make the sketches for our own use anyway, so if the client wants to see the sketches, that is certainly possible.

Do you always use black primer? I've heard it makes the colors dull.

While it is true that black primer has that effect with colors, it also provides shading which makes the figure look more natural at a distance of three feet.

What type and size of brushes do you prefer?

0.3 is favorite, but 0.2-5 are also very good.

You said you apply a wash to the original flesh coat. What kind of wash?

We use Games Workshop Flesh Wash.

What technique did you use to paint the beards? Did you use drybrushing to bring out the details?

Yes - layer by layer, then a thin Flesh Wash.

What colors did you use for the red beard on the leader? I like it, it looks very fiery.

It was a mixture of Humbrol and GW colors.

You mention a flesh wash twice - did you use two separate washes? If so, why?

No - only once!

It looks like sometimes you leave black outlines between the colors (as on the crossbows), and sometimes you don't (the leader's helmet). How do you decide when to do it, and when not to?

It is more on a case-by-case basis - what looks best - but usually we are fond of the black outlines :-)

How did you paint the banner? The detail is amazing.

All of our artist use a loop (enlargement glass). Otherwise, that would be impossible with the details.

Are you hiring new artists? Who would I contact about painting for you?

Sorry, but we only hire Ukrainian artists - otherwise, we would soon be out of business.

When contracting with Old Guard Painters, is it possible to request a particular painter? If I like Bohdan Pirgatch's work, for instance, can I ask for him specifically?

Yes, sure it is posible!

I've never done business outside the U.S. before. What happens if a package gets lost between the Ukraine and the United States?

It is our duty to replace it. However, we've never had a case of a lost package.

What did you think of these figures?

They are very good. It was a joy to paint them.

What was the largest group of figures you've ever painted?

We are currently working on an order of 4,000 miniatures for a U.S. customer.

How much would you charge to paint another unit of Crossbowmen?

Since they were painted to collectors quality:

$1.95 USD x 43 figures = $83 USD
+ 10% postage = $90 USD

Please go to our site to see our prices.

Thanks to Old Guard Painters for their help with the army project! We'll hear from them again - they've already volunteered for another project!