Have been perusing some of the photos in the forum, and I was looking at some photos of Napoleonic figures and thought "they're nice, but I'd never paint like that." Aside from the fact that my eyes couldn't cope with the level of detail, there's a stylistic difference.
I've recently relaunched my wargaming, and began with moving to 10mm (Pendraken be praised!) and also moved to acrylics. I have no desire to spend hours painting, I want my figures on the table!
I'm not a big fan of heavy dipping and highlighting - looks unnatural. I prefer a light dip and a dry light brush to tone down and unify all the colours. I think part of my unthinking reasoning is to hide my mistakes, but the other side is when you look at photos of front line soldiers and vehicles they're invariably drab and weathered.
However, I've not yet essayed any Napoleonics, and I'm not sure my new found techniques will give me the result I want - to be honest I'm not sure what effect I want. To arrive at my WWII style, I tried a number of methods and picked (and documented!) they ones that pleased me. I shall do the same with Napoleonics (when I get round to them) - try various undercoats, base coasts, dipping regimes and weathering.
Unfortunately, I'm always swayed by the last good figures I saw.
How did you arrive at your style? What compromises do you have to make?
Hi fsn.
If you've reached that stage in life when you're starting to have problems focusing on tiny detail.....Which many of us here have. :'( :'(
You might find that an 'Optivisor' would help......(I can hear the groans from other Forum members....."Oh no ....Phil's on about Optivisors again.")
But they do help hugely.
They magnify a tiny bit....But also allow you to focus 'closer in.'
I couldn't push the putty about on the wee chaps without mine !! ;)
Cheers - Phil.
How did I arrive at me style?
I simply paint as neatly as I can. Some use of washes, but have never mastered dry brushing so don't try.
I tend to paint in bulk, by which I mean anything that does not require slow detail I do first, jackets, trousers, etc. This allows me to have a fair few figures on the go at one time. Once I reach this stage, I then paint more detailed areas, belts, straps, etc. However, I do follow the rule that if "you can't see it from 4" away then don't paint it". For example, I am working on 1859 French Line. They have black straps on a dark blue grey coat, so I do not bother painting the straps. Also at my age I probably couldn't anyway even with my magnifying headset. :(
Do not be put off by the amazing work of some of the members of the forum. Like you I think it is outstanding, but I know I cannot come close. As long as you are happy with the result, then I think that is all that matters. ;)
Chad
Underecoat
Base coat (French will be metal, blue & red)
Wash
Highlight
Repeat for next colour (flesh)
Brown just get inked.
Apply black
apply white
Base
I really wish it was as easy as it sounds!
:-\
For me I now paint to a level that provides neat looking figures on the wargames table. So for me it is:
- Black undercoat.
- Main uniform colour (WWII) with light drybrushed highlights.
- Flesh, webbing, rifles etc again neatly blocked in.
- Wash with GW Devlan Mud, either neat or up to 50% depending upon the main uniform colour.
I just work from the inside out. Limits the amount of touch up time.
For example my acw union infantry:
jacket kepi and trousers
belts and shoes
muskets
flesh
metals
hair beards etc...
once done i put on a wash and drybrush the main colour on the model, being the blue of the jacket and kepi. I don't drybrush the smaller area's as you won't notice from a distance anyway.
(http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff441/petercooman123/DSC02589_zpsa8f944b2.jpg)
Peter, Does more justice to your painting, I hope :)
Cheers, Michael
(http://www.michaelscott.name/10mm/forum/Peter02.jpg)
Nice thank you!!
To be honest, i suck bullnuts at taking pictures !!
All good stuff, as alawys, gentlemen.
I have a five day process.
Day 1: Clean, mount for painting and udndercoat
Day 2: Base colours - no highlighting
Day 3: Detailling, and wash
Day 4: Basing. Mine are all very simple. I don't for example add rocks or foliage, 'cos I think it looks odd that a voltiguer would lug a rock around with him - but's that my style.
Day 5: Final varnish
I usually try and have 5 sets going at once, so that in one evening I do everything It means that every day I paint, I have something finished. Only time it causes a problem is when I'm switching periods, and move in one evening from 37mm AT gun to Confederate cavalry, and that's just because my brain doesn't work as fast as it used to.
I also like my stuff to be generic, so I don't for example use specifically regimental flags unless I can't avoid it. My ACW regiments march under a single banner. They are designed to be early war though, so they Rebs' flag is the early one.
Love the photo's by the way. How on earth did you do the flag? Mine are all printed out and applied as part of the detailling.
I do paint for the mass effect
Quote from: petercooman on 18 April 2013, 10:59:24 PM
Nice thank you!!
To be honest, i suck bullnuts at taking pictures !!
Get yourself a copy of Serif Photoplus (about a third of the price of Photoshop). Load your photo and adjust exposure, contrast, colour-balance and a dozen other things to your heart's content. Simples! :)
I think "style" is a bit high-falutin to describe what I do. Personally I think that the devil's in the detail and he who can paint fine detail rules the world. This involves a measure of patience which many people do not have: also a steady hand. I also believe that style evolves over the years. The figures I painted twenty or thirty years ago do not bear comparison with those painted this year. So whatever style you pick, be prepared to see it modified as time goes by.
Totally agree with you Herts, when i look back at stuff i painted a few years ago i cringe a bit, and if somebody looked at my old suff and new together they would think they were done by different painters. I suppose i,m a bit particular / fussy but i paint for the visual as not a gamer yet so no rush to get them on the table.
I always spay black undercoat then if i,m painting an AWI brit i start with the darkest red i have then the main color then a highlight, sounds a bit anal on smaller scales but makes the colors stand out more.
kev
Quote from: fsn on 19 April 2013, 06:24:34 AM
Love the photo's by the way. How on earth did you do the flag? Mine are all printed out and applied as part of the detailling.
I do paint for the mass effect
Those are the flags that pendraken sells. I just put them on once the models are finished, fold em a bit to make them 'wave' and then i do a devlan mud wash on the edges to cover the white borders.