Over the years I've done them all from the dip to the Dallimore.
But for the last 10 years or so, I'd say I've exclusively painted using the block colour and wash technique. Having painted thousands of 15mm, then thousands more 6mm in this style, I'm experimenting a bit; particularly after watching the little Wars TV episode where Greg paints some Pendraken AWI, I'm going with a block colour, leaving some either black or dark undercoat showing, and maybe the odd highlight.
It's amazingly quick, and looks great from tabletop distance. It keeps the colours brighter too.
How do you do yours?
Badly and at great speed! :D
Grey undercoat
Block colours, selected colours dry brushed to add highlights/texture
Selected details painted
Black wash
Final very very light dry brush with Deck Tan to add dust/final highlight
Undercoat acccording to desired final effect - flesh, bases, dark brown and black bits (spears, bows, firearms, shield backs, boots, hair) and horsehide - main uniform or clothing - fun bits like flags, shields, tartans and stripes - draw on belts, scabbards, reins and harness, baldrics, scabbards - metallics - make good - glue onto mass bases - paint same basic colour - flock - seal flock - adorn bases - spray sealant - realise I need just two more units and the army really will be big enough this time.
First I clean the figure of all flash and rough edges. This, I think, is fundamentally important to a good finish.
Then I wash the figures in warm water and washing-up liquid to remove all grease and any other contaminants and allow to dry. This provides a good key for the primer
I then prime the figures with matt white. I really don't like black because it dulls the final colour, particularly ones with less pigment like reds and yellows. I'll use thinned acrylic for this, not a spray.
The next step is to apply the dominant colours. First an undercoat by blocking in the relevant parts.
Then a top coat of the dominant colours, followed by equipment, straps and other details, and then flesh. I use grey-black for shoes, shakos etc because you never get true black in nature and it looks less stark.
When dry I apply a sepia wash. I don't like black washes because where it concentrates in creases and around straps it looks unrealistic and, in my view, unattractive. I find sepia much more sympathetic and natural..
I then dry-brush the figure with khaki-grey. A very dry brush just to barely pick out the highlights. This give a slightly dusty look which I like, and reveals where final highlighting is necessary.
Final highlighting is with the original, or slightly lighter shade, mainly just clothing as the dry brushing is usually enough for equipment and weapons.
Finally, a coat of gloss varnish followed by a coat of matt varnish.
Depends on what I'm painting.
I'm quite Little Wars on Napoleonics, but apply a wash to WWII, and Little Wars up to 1500 except wheer there's armour where I apply a wash.
Black undercoat for me, followed by block colours, working inside out as it were. Then a diluted wash over that, then a few highlights here and there to lift the overall look. Works for me using the 3' rule :) .
I have been trying out non wash techniques in some of my figures. While I want the figures to look good, I also want them to paint fast and washes tend to end up making the figures look a bit dirty and in need of highlighting. For smaller figures a bit of contrast is probably more useful at tabletop distance than subtle shading. Done right the wash technique can look fantastic, but increases the time needed to paint them quite a bit. Suppose it depends on where your focus lies, I suspect it you like collecting good looking armies it's worth taking the time over it, whereas if getting armies onto the table is more important then speed is the key
Quote from: Leon on 28 March 2022, 10:27:17 PMWell that's half true...! ;)
I don't know, Will is quite fast........ ;D
Quote from: sunjester on 29 March 2022, 09:26:19 AMI don't know, Will is quite fast........ ;D
I thought that he was very very SLOW :d
QuoteI have been trying out non wash techniques in some of my figures. While I want the figures to look good, I also want them to paint fast and washes tend to end up making the figures look a bit dirty and in need of highlighting. For smaller figures a bit of contrast is probably more useful at tabletop distance than subtle shading. Done right the wash technique can look fantastic, but increases the time needed to paint them quite a bit. Suppose it depends on where your focus lies, I suspect it you like collecting good looking armies it's worth taking the time over it, whereas if getting armies onto the table is more important then speed is the key. Who's even going to look twice at a mob of dusty Mesopotamians anyway?
I share your views. Washes and highlights look good on larger figures, but my eyes were never sharp enough to see the difference at 3', and overdoing it, effectively shouting, "look, I wash them", reduces the attractiveness overall. Art hides art (unless you're playing the harpsichord or writing a villanelle).
To each their own
I find that a light wash hides a multitude of sins ;)
I select my colours knowing they will be dulled a little by the wash
In most cases my final deck tan highlight is all the highlighting they need after the wash
I try and time it so the wash can dry overnight
Since we are talking style, as opposed to technique, sign me up as an impressionist.
I wish each stand at a short arm's length to resemble a group of warriors doing their thing.
It's the look on the tabletop that matters to me.
Throw in some compromise for distinguishing different warrior bands "The headhunters are the warriors with face and body paint".
This really boils down to three key factors.
* Geometry shows that a 10mm figure should look like a person standing 150 - 200 yards away.
* Stick with 2 (occasionally three) dominant colours for units of irregulars - any more will just merge into the brown.
* Slightly brighter colours, and focus on extremity details: Heads or headgear, weapon points, horse tails and faces, flags...
Yes this was more a question over style, rather than techinque. I think any wargamer of some experience knows a few techniques, but it is all a quesation of style. What do you prefer? And Steve, I couldn't agree more. I'm rather upset if someone picks my figures up and scrutinises them on the end of their nose. They're meant to be viewed from around 3 feet away :D
Sean,
I am in the camp of your current technique. I think the black undercoat gives all the shading I need. I think it is particularly important to leave a bit of black at the edges of belts to make them pop. Otherwise I rarely highlight, but if I do, it is basically a dab of a lighter colour on the arms. I tend to dry brush a tiny amount of white over hair and bearskins, but just the lightest of touches. I do gun barrels in gunmetal (surprise, surprise!) but bayonets and swords in silver. Hat lace (I do a lot of tricorns) I apply with the side of the brush to the edge of the hat. Then, when it is dry, I tidy it up with black. Not very complicated, but I think it is effective. Finally, when I think about it, is neatness. If you slop the paint over the detail, it is never a good look. If unsure, leave it black!
Yep. You've described it in far more eloquent tones than me, but my philosophy exactly.
Quote from: Sean Clark on 01 April 2022, 12:04:59 AMYep. You've described it in far more eloquent tones than me, but my philosophy exactly.
But tell me, Socrates, must it not be considered a mistake to call a roll "good" if at the same time the opposition calls it "bad"? Surely, by Zeus, a thing cannot have two conflicting attributes?
QuoteBut tell me, Socrates, must it not be considered a mistake to call a roll "good" if at the same time the opposition calls it "bad"? Surely, by Zeus, a thing cannot have two conflicting attributes?
Schrödinger's dice?
I confess I have often started projects with the ambition of "painting them nicely" and start doing the belt buckles and socks and washes and the works. Then by a few more units in I'm back to just blocking in the main area and going with the "good enough from a distance" approach because there's too many projects to do, too many units to paint, too little time to do them and I don't have the patience of a certain well washed Antipodean we all know and love.
Quote from: Raider4 on 01 April 2022, 07:14:33 AMSchrödinger's dice?
I'll give you a letter on introduction to Prof. Democritus.
Was it? OK. That wasn't clear to me.
The style applied to figures depends on priorities. I get as much pleasure from painting my figures as I do from the game. I give them as much detail as I can see from 6 inches, because I can, and would get no satisfaction at all if I didn't do that. Were I to go for the 3 foot rule approach, I'd go for 6mm figures I think, or even 2mm. If the object was simply the game, I think pieces of coloured card would serve just as well.
Quote from: John Cook on 01 April 2022, 10:21:55 AMWas it? OK. That wasn't clear to me.
The style applied to figures depends on priorities. I get as much pleasure from painting my figures as I do from the game. I give them as much detail as I can see from 6 inches, because I can, and would get no satisfaction at all if I didn't do that. Were I to go for the 3 foot rule approach, I'd go for 6mm figures I think, or even 2mm. If the object was simply the game, I think pieces of coloured card would serve just as well.
I'm not sure pieces of card/blocks or lego would cut it for me. But then again if I'm painting 28mm I'm still goinf for tabletop quality.
But this is why we are in such a great hobby. You do your thing, I'll do mine, and we can both enjoy our own version without any rancour. I love to look at figures that have taken an hour, two hours, hell, three weeks to paint. There's nothing nicer to me than a beautifully painted French Old Guard Grenadier.
I do think that the paint job is more important than the figure in this instance. A wonderfully painted Mini Fig often looks better than a poorly painted Perry. But that's just my opinion. There are other opinions out there that I might not agree with, but I still respect.
One of my principles is to include sufficient detail and/or texture. When I look at models/figures I don't tend to see the detail, I see the overall effect
One thing that I particularly notice is lack of detail/texture, what I sometimes refer to as the toy soldier look
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Toy_Soldiers_British_Coldstream_Guards.jpg/1024px-Toy_Soldiers_British_Coldstream_Guards.jpg)
When well done these can look great and I have seen some great toy soldier games
What I'm looking for is something that looks/feels more natural/realistic and I find adding detail/washes/texture (dry brushing) even if the eye doesn't see it gives that feel
As many have said one of the greatest strengths of this hobby is the many diverse ways you can enjoy it
Quote from: FierceKitty on 01 April 2022, 08:19:19 AMI'll give you a letter on introduction to Prof. Democritus.
OF