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Author Topic: How to paint figures?  (Read 16185 times)

Martin (Admin)

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How to paint figures?
« on: March 28, 2007, 06:28:23 pm »

Some of you guys know my model painting skills ( use a household roller, you'll cover all the small bits eventually...)

But can anyone point to a site or give me a blow by blow account how to paint figures - ESPECALLY THE FACE & EYES!

Martin.
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DickyD

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2007, 06:41:47 pm »

No sooner said than done o great one:

http://www.gaugemaster.co.uk/patpaint.html

Resin figures should be washed and primed prior to painting,

Richard ;)
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2007, 06:52:47 pm »

Good start Dicky.....



.....and also the example figurers would distract from the worst parts of the boat!


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dougal99

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2007, 08:17:32 pm »

Martin

Come to Dortmund and boggle your mind at some of the figures on display there  :o :o :o

Doug
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omra85

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2007, 08:53:00 pm »

Fascinating article - even for one who buys his paint on a roll marked "Solafilm" ;D ;D
Do you suppose he's got a partner ??? ;D  I know what mine would say if I started that lark >:( >:(

Danny
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2007, 10:19:13 am »


Thanks for the site Richard. I found it very interesting and informative.

Funny that this should come up as yesterday I laid my little sailors on a board and sprayed them all over with with the brown oxide paint. Later, I then turned them over and spayed their backs.

How NOT to paint !!!

I figured there must be a more precise way.   ;D    This really is something to do, with time on your hands   :D

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omra85

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2007, 10:31:52 am »

Ken -
"turned them over and spayed their backs".

I know it works with cats and dogs - but with SAILORS ;D ;D ;D

I expect your getting quite good with a tiny scalpel ??? ??? ;D

Danny
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2007, 11:08:49 am »


BRILLIANT .....................  had a smile there.  Whoops, what spell checker.

Yes.  The paint went in all the cracks.  Almost featureless now.   ;D

I tried sending some pictures, but my camera won't download to the computer. Perhaps later.


Cheers...Ken
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wombat

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2007, 12:24:35 pm »

I have just tried the Citadel Miniatures paint. Very good!!!

Thinned slightly they airbrushed beautifully. They are not cheap though - £2.00 a tub, so not really for large areas, however for detail work they are bob-on.

I will post up some piccies of the aft cabin of the puffer - it came out well despite the name of the paint: "Vermin Brown" This used about a tubs worth, or will have done once I have touched up and finished off. I did knock off the funnel by accident - the paint sticks better to the primer than the primer sticks to the GRP.

Now all I have to do is to pursuade SWMBO that £150 is a good investment in a paint box.

Tim the Wombat
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Tug

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2007, 01:22:20 pm »

Would the acrylics from your art suplier/craft shop be of similar consistency and suitability?

They must work out a little cheaper as well,  PS we get a discount at our art shop.  Tug
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bigH

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2007, 04:41:32 pm »

Martin, first clean your figures with a good anti-greaser  then them with a primer such as white acrylic, then paint them as you would dress a person from the skin out.
with the eyes add a tiny drop of light blue to the whites so that you cover the complete eye socket then paint the eye as a round ball with a flat top and bottom, miix a little darker blue with the white and draw a line across the top and bottom of the socket.   When doing the skin always mix your own colour, yellow, white, red, you can choose the shade you require this way, you can use a darker shade by adding red or lighter shade by adding yellow, put a drker shade around the hairline, under the eybrows on the sides of the nostrils and the lips.   You can get a better idea of this by placing a torch or small lamp to shine on your model from the angle you want the light to be and check the shadows.   Hope this is of some help  bigH
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2007, 06:56:44 pm »



I wish you had posted your guidance yesterday Big H.......  :-[

I'm using artists Acrylics and I wish I had known about using primer fist  :P
( Anyone know a good glue of resin castings? )
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wombat

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2007, 07:13:52 pm »

Would the acrylics from your art suplier/craft shop be of similar consistency and suitability?

They must work out a little cheaper as well,  PS we get a discount at our art shop.  Tug

My experince is that they are not as good - they seem to prefer an absorbant surface and I have been unable to get mine to adhere properly even when primed. Also they seem to end up quite soft.

Tim
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dougal99

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2007, 08:34:22 pm »

Re: Artists acrylics

I have used Liquitex acrylics on both wood and fibreglass hulls with no problems. I found that you need to use a damp brush and that artificial fibre brushes seem to give a better result than natural fibre ones. They are about £3.50 a pot but you get 59ml (2 US Fl Oz) which is about 3 times as much as the Revell acrylic pots. They dry quickly and I don't advise their use on a big job on a hot day.

HTH

Doug
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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2007, 04:26:10 am »

I have been struggling to find suitable 1/15 figures, but discovered these 1/16.

If I leave off the helmets and military gear they will be suitable as fishermen in wet weather gear, just.

I have a few Qs though.
1/ Do they need primer or can I put acrylic paint directly on the plastic.

2/ What colour would late 19th century oilskins be.

3/ can I use epoxy putty to mask or mould certain features?
4/ and will epoxy putty adhere to the plastic, or do I need to glue?
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bigH

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2007, 11:02:44 am »

 :D  Hi Tiger,  if you ensure that you get ALL the mould grease off and wash the figures with a good domestic cleaner ( I use Persil washing powder and a small semi-soft nail brush ) do not handle them again with your bare hands or you will leave greasy fingerprints and ensure that they are completly dry.   Then use a MATT white acrylic primer all over the figure this will dry quite quickly and you can check that you have covered all the figure, I always use soft cotton gloves when I paint, this stops my fingers from getting painted and ensures that no greasy fingerprints are left on the object.   I you wish to build up on the figures or place youre objects onto it then try to score the material where the object is to go, this will give a key for whatever adhesive you use, I also drill one or two small holes in the figure and a small peg on the object as this helps to keep them together.   Hope this helps   bigH
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tigertiger

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #16 on: March 30, 2007, 12:18:58 pm »

Big thanks  ;D

Big H ;D
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Roger in France

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #17 on: March 30, 2007, 04:08:05 pm »

When painting any small items I cut the point off one end of a toothpick/cocktail stick so that i have one flat end. With a tiny dab of cyano I then attach the stick to a part of the item where it will not have to be painted (for figures, the sole of a foot). The stick can easily be moved in the fingers as you paint.

When painting has reached a stage where I wish to rest or allow the paint to dry I have a small block of used flower arranging "oasis" (like a green or grey, firm, sponge material) the sharp end of the stick can gently be pressed into this block.

[N.B. It is my wife who does the flower arranging, not me!]

Roger in France.
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Bunkerbarge

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2007, 08:44:35 am »

Have a really good look around this guy's site, his painting is amazing and his techniques are described in stunning detail. 

I tried some of his ideas out on my latest ones and although I didn't get anywhere near his standard his ideas were a great help.

http://www.paintingclinic.com/MainClinic.dwt.htm
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Ghost in the shell

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2007, 03:39:55 pm »

those figures look good, :) what scale are the two girls in the figure skating type outfits, they's look good on the back of a robbe najade
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funtimefrankie

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2007, 04:50:14 pm »

I'm press ganging a 1:35, Russian Tank crew, (at rest, by Tamyia)  for my Canning tug 1:32 :) :)
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funtimefrankie

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2007, 08:47:27 pm »

funtimefrankie .. how is the tug going?  sorry to go off thread
I'll update the thread tomorrow, with a couple of pictures....
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meechingman

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #22 on: April 01, 2007, 09:21:54 am »

My son was, at one time, into Warhammer games, so had loads of figures painted. The acrylic paints from Games Workshop aren't cheap, but they are good. I removed all the excess moulding, washed rinsed and dried, then used a white undercoat for light areas and a grey undercoat for darker areas. Two or three coats of topcoat and the figures looked good. I used something called 'Elf Flesh', I think, for the faces and hands, it looks better than it sounds. They even do metallics, so the tug skipper's gold rings were the right colour. I used 00 and 000 sized brushes most of the time.

It takes time and patience and I have to admit that I haven't yet got the knack of doing the eyes! So far I have a full lifeboat crew and a full tug crew - complete with oily smudges on the CE's overalls!

Andy
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funtimefrankie

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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2007, 05:29:24 pm »

Two of my my Russian Tank crew, part painted

sorry four there's one at the wheel
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Re: How to paint figures?
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2007, 02:52:52 am »

They look a bit sea sick  :D :D
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