Let me introduce myself

[Subedai]

#fsn
  I tried after -about thirty years- going back to a white undercoat but couldn't work with it so I reverted to black. The way to make the colours 'pop' is twofold. Unless you have a source that no-one else knows about then reds, yellows and white will always look patchy and horrible on the first coat because the paint settles in the creases and folds leaving the black to darken the raised areas. If you go in first with a darker base colour say dark red, tan or a light brown or light grey respectively then you just need to catch the high points and the brightness will shine out at you. Even two coats of the lighter colours works if you are just blocking in your areas. A black undercoat is very forgiving because you already have the deepest areas of shading done for you.
   You can always use what I call the 'T' method on the face; a line across the forehead and another down the nose which has the top half done for you. A quick, angled flesh line down the cheek and that's the face done; eye sockets and cheek area sorted. It sounds like a bit of a ba**ache but it's simplicity itself. It's all about technique and learning or even re-learning. I always say the my first figures looked like psychedelic amoebas but luckily I have progressed from there. As Leman says, try Javier's book,(notice that he, Matt of Muslow and Kevin Dallimore all use black undercoat) and their colours 'pop'.
  For colours that go together I always think Napoleonic. For example, if the Imperial Guard Hussars wore red and green and it looks good then why doesn't it work when I do it? Again, use a base and a highlight on both, you will be amazed at the difference. You can actually put dark colours next to each other without them looking a total mess. Blue and orange, green and orange, green and yellow, red and green or blue, they all work well together. If you still unsure, download a copy of a paint wheel which will then give you complementary and opposite colours.
  Also a nice bright base will complement light coloured figures and enhance dark ones. A dark base does nothing apart from making everything else look dark. A rule of thumb: 'The smaller the figures, the brighter the base needs to be'.
Suck it and see, you might amaze yourself.

[Matt J]

what he said

apart from this

notice that he, Matt of Muslow and Kevin Dallimore all use black undercoat) and their colours 'pop'.

I always use white undercoat (Kev uses black).

However I use a multilayer technique so the undercoat for me is irrelevant to the finished article for me its simply a primer and I find it easier to pick out detail in white.

If you want to get figures done quick and make the colours pop then use black spray undercoat and, as Subedai says, you need more than one coat with certain colours. Check out Kev's guide on the forum its very simple but very effective (it has to be, he's doing it for a living).

[Subedai]

what he said

apart from this
I always use white undercoat (Kev uses black).

However I use a multilayer technique so the undercoat for me is irrelevant to the finished article for me its simply a primer and I find it easier to pick out detail in white.

Apologies. 

[Orcs]

Welcome Sergey,

The figures are Really nice - Yes i do gaem in 28mm Fantasy.  Well mainly "historically correct" Lord of the Rings.

Do you do any Orcs or Goblins - I have an unnatural attraction for them 

[sergey]

Soon my mini on Kickstarter!

[Luddite]

Welcome sergey, looking forwards to seeing your 10mm armies.

Which Pendraken ranges are you collecting? 

There's a big push on a fantasy revamp at the moment that you might be interested in.  I also understand there are some Aztec tanks on the planning table (due for release 2275AD).

[Leman]

Isn't that when FK's parcel is due to arrive?

[sergey]

Thanks for the support

[Leman]

Truss me, I'm a wargamer.

[Tawa]

Truss me, I'm a wargamer.

Truss you? OKie dokie! *wombles off to get a length of rope.....*

[Westmarcher]

Truss you? OKie dokie! *wombles off to get a length of rope.....*

I'm sure your support will be much appreciated.

.... although, personally, i wouldn't like to wear it ... .

[FierceKitty]

Isn't that when FK's parcel is due to arrive?

We know where you live....

[sergey]

I'm preparing a project and he will live on Kickstarter soon...

[andys]

I'm preparing a project and he will live on Kickstarter soon...

Obvious question - will it be for 10mm figures?

[sergey]

Size 28mm

[sergey]

Hi Everyone,

This is one of those 'Good News / Bad News' updates. So let us get the 'Bad News' over first.

The 'Bad News'

On Monday the 7th September we will be closing down this kickstarter project. The simple fact is that it needs to be totally redesigned and reorganised.

Obviously to all of you who have shown us support by backing this kickstarter project we would like to give our whole hearted thanks. In fact it is because so many have backed it that we feel we should redesign and reorganise the kickstarter.

Right, that is the 'Bad News' bit over with, now let's get to the more important 'Good News' bit.

The 'Good News'

We are now working on redesigning and reorganising a brand new kickstarter to replace this one. Our aim is to produce a kickstarter where from the start potential backers will have the vast majority of information readily available to them in photos (size of miniatures, comparison with like figures from other manufacturers, whole painted units so that backers can see exactly what a unit looks like, photos of how our figures mix and match within units made up of other companies figures so that more variety is achievable for the gamer on the board or table top, and a whole lot more).

What might just interest some of you is that we are looking at how we can get the shipping costs reduced. (Shipping from Ukraine to either the EU or USA / Canada is not cheap, but we are investigating ways of getting the costs as low as we can, we make no promises except that we will get it as low as we can whilst keeping your pledges safe in the shipping process.)

One thing that will change is that we have been offering during this kickstarter a choice of all figures in either lead-free pewter or plastic. This has caused some negative reaction on some of the miniatures and gaming forums and we think this has caused many to hold off from backing this project. We have therefore decided that the new kickstarter will be solely for pewter figures. We will launch the plastic figure ranges at some time in the future, but for now we will solely concentrate on production of the lead-free pewter figures.

Although we were on target financially to reach our goal of course a successful kickstarter will also break through stretch goals whereby backers start getting bonuses for backing the project. With the new kickstarter the funding goal will be lower than it was for this project, this will be for the 'core pledge level' that is offered in the new kickstarter which may be slightly different to that offered in this kickstarter, but we are still working on that.

So overall the main points are:

-   This kickstarter will close on Monday

-   A new kickstarter is aimed to be launched to replace this kickstarter in the very near future

-   The new kickstarter will be for purely lead-free pewter figures (no plastic figures)

-   The new kickstarter will have a much lower 'funding goal' allowing for stretch goals to be unlocked

-   Shipping costs will 'hopefully' be lower.

Yours, Rodrigo, Sergey, Alex.