10mm Painting Guide

Started by andymac, 25 January 2011, 07:22:26 PM

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andymac

I while ago I was asked by a forum member to put together a painting guide.  It has taken me a while and I can easily say I am a better painter than I am a writer. 

I’ve created it as a pdf document, which you can download from the following link:

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/AndyMacPaintingGuide.pdf

Before starting to read the painting guide, remember that is exactly what it is A GUIDE. Every one paints differently, there is no right way or wrong way to paint. A friend of mine who sadly passed away a few years ago told me “ Just because so and so paints a certain way, you do not have to. Take from them what you feel you need. You will find your own style, then it just takes practice” (Ian Stables, 2006).

Enjoy

Andy Mac
Andy Mac
Andy Macs Photobucket - http://s347.photobucket.com/home/Andymacs


Nicofig

Hi Andy,

before to begin : thank you very much for this great guide. It's clear and very usefull for us. You wrote a good tutorial : we can think " Hey, maybe it's possible to paint like the great Andy Mac".  ;)

I have some question :
- what brush do you use ? Raphael, Winston and newton ... ? What size ? 000, 00, 0, 1 ...
- Do you paint by series of 6 figures each time or do you paint more figures in a painting session ?
- How much time do you spend on a serie of 6 (or more) figures since undercoat to varnish?

And a last question : could you tell me if you have a basic palette to paint the 10 mm figures ? How many paints would be nice to paint ?

Thank you very much again Andy.

exilesjjb

Thanks Andy, will have a good read of this
Peace
James Brewerton (Exiles Painting)

andymac

Hi Nicolas,

To answer your questions:

- for fine work I use Pro Arte 4/0, the next size up is a Games Workshop Fine detail brush and lastly a GW detail Brush.
- I normally paint a Regiment at a time, for example I have two units on the go at the moment, both are AWI Hessian units and are spread over 6 sticks per unit.
- I've never timed myself doing a unit, It's something I will do and let you know.

As regards to your last question, I have nearly a complete set of Foundry's paints, plus some extra colours and metallics from Miniatures Paints from Redoubt. I have a carousel which holds 80 pots, I load it up as required depending on the units I will be painting.  I do my uniform research and then put together a colour guide, from this I choose my paints.

I will go through my colours and put together a list of the most common used for the AWI period and send it on to you, all being well I will post the in the next day or two.

All the best for now, hope these answers help

Andy 
Andy Mac
Andy Macs Photobucket - http://s347.photobucket.com/home/Andymacs

nikharwood

Thanks for taking the time to do this guide Andy - it's really appreciated by us all  8)

It's interesting that you do faces first - to bring them to life...I tend to do all the flesh last - to give that "oh, there you are - it's you" feeling!  :)

Maenoferren

thanks Andy an interesting  and informative read, strangely, same as nik,  I do the faces last, that is when I know the figure is finished, I might give it a go when my new figs arrive  :-\
Sometimes I wonder - why is that frisbee geting bigger - and then it hits me!

exilesjjb

you two are just plain wierd :o every one know you paint from inside out ???.

I guess its what ever works for you and as your figures look very nice I will shut up now ;D
Peace
James Brewerton (Exiles Painting)

Shecky

I paint the hair last.

For the AWI figures I prime them first in black. I then paint the coats, trousers and shirts in a color 1 shade darker than I want them to turn out. I then highlight the same. Next I paint the facings and turnbacks followed by highlights. I then paint the crossbelts a grey and highlight in white (or brown and highlight with tan). Then the cartridge box and hat followed by the boot and leggings. These then get a highlight. Next is the musket in brown with gunmetal barrel and bayonet. Then the base in a brown. I then paint the faces and hands in a dark tan followed by a highlight. Next comes the hat trim in grey with white highlights. Last is the hair in dark brown with brown highlights.

When I first started painting I used the "inside-out" technique but found I spent a lot of time going back over what I had already painted.

Last Hussar

WSS
Jacket first (biggest area)
Cuffs, waistcoat etc
Brown on musket AND face and hands
Flesh
Black bits - tricorne, box, shoes
Belts
Leggings
Lace on hat in white

Wash dark grey
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

Pruneau

Great guide, quite a different approach from my own, and very instructive to read through it and look at the pictures.  I have to try it out to see if it will work for me.  Thanks!
Boardgames: MMP ACW, ASL ᴥ BKC & SSOM - WW2 (In development) ᴥ Flying Lead - Sci-Fi: Shocktroops, Pulp, Spugs ᴥ WH - Greenskins, Dwarfs

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mollinary

Andy,   

    Thanks, that is really useful, well thought out and laid out.   Over the years I have evolved a system which is broadly similar - regrettably the results aren't!    Keep turning out the figures, I find your painting of Clib's sculpting truly inspiring.

Best Mollinary
2021 Painting Competition - Winner!
2022 Painting Competition - 2 x Runner-Up!

Minenfeld

Many thanks Andy, we know you are a busy man, so thanks again for taking the time .


Cheers. :)

Tony Irwin

This is really helpful thanks! This is my first time with 10mm scale so I'm not too sure how to approach them.

Do you have any problems with the black undercoat darkening your colours? Your reds and yellows look great in the pics, but at 25mm I had to do an additional white base coat on selected parts of a model before I applied bright colours or they were darkened by the black undercoat showing through.

I really like how you've used the black undercoat to clearly separate the clothing/limbs into different sections - looks really striking in your photos and I think this should make my minis look distinctive and sharp when looking down at them on the table.