Urbancohort has started this painting thread and is keeping it wholly clear of apostrophes although it is all about his painting skills developing.

[d_Guy]

These are brand new from the publisher - just under £19!
https://www.caliverbooks.com/bookview.php?hk3jqov4f8bph1onqktj5d5qb3&id=14947

Have a look around (and search) Caliver books - many military books!  Enjoy!

[Subedai]

Bit of a Johnny Come Lately to this thread as my security system wouldn't let me download the original pics because the site 'wasn't secure'. Well I've just had a look and then read the whole thread through and found there are some very informative and helpful comments. if you don't mind I'd like to throw in my tuppence worth.

I've been painting figures for over 45 years and to my mind there is nothing wrong with yours. if you want to compare your figures with other peoples then that is fine but you will always find people who 'can paint better' than you, so like someone -Leman I think- said a few pages back, experiment all you like at the beginning then find a style you are happy with and go with it otherwise you will end up in a funny farm where they won't even allow you to have a paintbrush, let alone use one. I have quite a few armies that I painted twenty plus years ago and the only constant is the bases, the styles are all different. 

The main thing about painting styles is finding the point where you are happy with what you have done. STOP at that point! If you start adding more and more detail you will find that painting becomes a chore as it takes far too long. A good idea is to block paint your little chaps then give the whole lot a wash with a dark brown, you will be surprised how much detail it shows up that you could have painted but luckily didn't.

My other suggestion would be to try lighter coloured bases and possibly cut down on the tufts a bit as they tend to detract from the figures. I use painted sand and woodglue with patches of static grass and the odd bit of scrub to tart it up a bit. Lighter bases reflect light back onto the figures whereas dark bases absorb the light and make the whole thing look darker than it is.

MickS

[grahambeyrout]

To add my comment.
I always think that however fine or otherwise an individual figure looks, it does not matter much in a mass of figures at more than a couple of feet.
I once had a reasonably well painted 15mm celtic warband of 60 figures. On one base I filled a gap with a ACW charging confederate in butternut. As far as I know, nobody ever noticed (or if they did were too polite to say)

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

 

[fsn]

Oh no. We all knew about the "Butternut Celt".

Was the talk of the hobby for months.

[Glorfindel]

>>I always think that however fine or otherwise an individual figure looks, it does not matter much in a mass of figures at more than a couple of feet.

How true.   I previously spent many (many !) a moon painting up some Great Northern War 6mm figures.   
They came out really nicely and I was very proud of the little buggers until my regular opponent declared
that the lighting in our gaming room wasn't up to much and the figures all looked like blobs to him.   

Sigh.



Phil

[urbancohort]

Good advice there, Mr Subedai. Unfortunately, as Mrs Urban yells me, I am cursed with being a looney perfectionist and if it isn't perfect to my eyes I get the 'ump. That has been the main difficulty in my other main modelling endeavour, railways. That said, your advice is eminently sendible and I take your points. I am reasonably pleased with these at present, as the mass impact is tolerably good. No doubt as I practice and improve I shall get annoyed with the imperfections, shown up by the photography somewhat cruelly. The 'untidy' painting lines annoy me most. As I am God's Own History Bore, I like to be able to visualise what the real thing looked and moved and smelled like when I do my figures. And yes, I know that is nonsense as well...
The tufts were an attept by me to convey marshy, 17th Century terrain as the first scenario I wanted to model was Sedgemoor. I must however confess that I have started as a result to get interested in other wars of the era and now have a yen to model forces for the Williamite Wars in Ireland and also troops of Louis XIV, whom I studied with little interest at A levels in the early 80s. Ah the follies of youth! If I had access to Pendraken then, it might have inspired me to work and study harder... anyhow, I bought some flock powder in Orcs Nest last week so I might try other approaches to base scenery soon.
I will continue posting as the project develops but thank you to all. Keep reading and replying, please!

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[DFlynSqrl]

The main thing about painting styles is finding the point where you are happy with what you have done. STOP at that point! If you start adding more and more detail you will find that painting becomes a chore as it takes far too long.

I totally agree with this... even though I have trouble STOP'ing sometimes and get bogged down on individual figures.  But as a whole I have learned not to try to make every figure perfect because it does become a chore.

On another note, I've also learned from experience that the more time I spend on a figure the more likely it is to suffer a painful and unbelievably quick exit from my games.  One positive is that being in the casualty pile passers-by get a chance to look at it.  "Wow, this guy looks great why's he sitting on the side?  Reinforcements?"  "No, that officer is dead... first turn a lucky cannon ball ricocheted off a larger boulder and two trees before killing him."

[toxicpixie]

>>I always think that however fine or otherwise an individual figure looks, it does not matter much in a mass of figures at more than a couple of feet.

How true.   I previously spent many (many !) a moon painting up some Great Northern War 6mm figures.   
They came out really nicely and I was very proud of the little buggers until my regular opponent declared
that the lighting in our gaming room wasn't up to much and the figures all looked like blobs to him.   

Sigh.



Phil

Did you insert them so he could examine them via where the sun don't shine

I suffer from imposter syndrome with painting; people pay me for stuff that I am totally paranoid is terrible. I look at others painting and go "Fuuuuuuu.... I can't match that, not even close".

You just have to get to a point where you say "acceptable". Mine is "does it look good at gaming distance, can you tell who/what it is, and does it look about right considering all the possible variations in fabric dyes, eye witness accuracy, unreliable sources and plain old making stuff up". I'm with Gorshkov - "Perfect is the enemy of good enough". Find a technique you're happy with, enjoy the process, get 'em on table.

I must confess my personal stuff is especially composed of short cuts and "arms length, yep it'll do" techniques, as I always feel guilty painting my own things when I have commissions in!

[Matt J]

Unfortunately, as Mrs Urban yells me, I am cursed with being a looney perfectionist and if it isn't perfect to my eyes I get the 'ump. That has been the main difficulty in my other main modelling endeavour, railways. That said, your advice is eminently sendible and I take your points. I am reasonably pleased with these at present, as the mass impact is tolerably good. No doubt as I practice and improve I shall get annoyed with the imperfections, shown up by the photography somewhat cruelly. The 'untidy' painting lines annoy me most. As I am God's Own History Bore, I like to be able to visualise what the real thing looked and moved and smelled like when I do my figures. And yes, I know that is nonsense as well...

Yep totally get that, welcome to the tortured perfectionist club, ignore these other (sane) people and soldier on. Perfection is unobtainable but I say bring it on! 

You are definitely heading on the right direction, good brushwork!

[Glorfindel]

>>Did you insert them so he could examine them via where the sun don't shine...

(Hi there !).   Certainly felt like it at the time but had to take the long view - there
are simply not many other players around here !

It did start me thinking though about the balance between preparation and playing.
90 / 10 ?   This explains the popularity of skirmish gaming at the moment, particularly
the fantasy variety where the button counters are going to have a hard time....

The amount of time you spend painting, also makes you realise how important it is to
get positive feedback from fellow travellers.   

Cheers,


Phil


 

[toxicpixie]

TBH I'd love to play large, long wargames of thousands of figures (at least, ones where stuff still happens other than shuffling figures up three inches a turn - big games with speedy rules!), but I get about 2-3 hours of a week night once a week if I'm lucky, and that has to include set up, take down and then I've got to get stuff back and forth. Occasionally we get time for a weekend of larger games, but we're looking at trying to run three or four in a weekend so it's still not huge!

I spend a fair bit of time on prep compared to that, but it squeezes in around work, family and paid painting so...

So yeah... 90mins for Frostgrave or a couple of DBA (or 100pt AdlG if I can get people going!) is about it...

[urbancohort]

Still a long way to go and many figs to do, but Dumbarton's Regiment are starting to take shape.

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[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice,

[Womble67]

Very nice indeed

Take care

Andy