SeeYou190Maybe I can do something on Wednesday, if not, it will be probably three weeks before I have time
.
Here it is Wednesday, and I just am not going to have time. So sorry. I will not be back in my painting workshop until the 13th, so I will work on it then.
BigDaddyWe will be here. In the meantime, how many bristles are on the brush you use to paint the whites of the eyes. 2...3?
I use only a Windsor & Newton Series 7 #000 round pointed brush for all figure painting.
EilifI was at Adepticon. if you saw the Table in "Utopia" ballroom where we were running a 28mm mecha game, that was mostly my terrain and units
I have never been to Adepticon, but there are some 40K armies that come up from Florida that I built and painted a lot of the custom "centerpiece" models.
If you ever have seen an awesome model from Florida, and thought, "I wonder who built that", it might have been me.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 I used Minwax dip on my 15mm WW2 Germans several posts above. I used the Walnut Polyshades because I wanted them to look really grimy. I tried dipping some HO figures, but I did not like the results. What works for a messy wargame does not quite translate to the look I am striving for on my 1954 piece of make believe paradise. I even tried using the Pecan and Pine shades, but never had an acceptable result. I think the reason so many HO scale figures look toy-like is because the pallette for skin tone is always too light, making them look like porcelain dolls. There is a learning curve to get civilians to look right. Another difficulty coming over from wargames is the lack of molded on detail, boring poses, and lack of facial depth. Trying to highlight figures with no cheeks or lips is a pain. 18mm is a good match for HO scale. There are a few wargaming figures that can be used on your railroad. The "fodder" pack from All Quiet On The Martian Front had a couple of gems in it. Please share pictures of you Preiser figures. . Do you ever go to Adepticon? -Kevin
I used Minwax dip on my 15mm WW2 Germans several posts above. I used the Walnut Polyshades because I wanted them to look really grimy.
I tried dipping some HO figures, but I did not like the results. What works for a messy wargame does not quite translate to the look I am striving for on my 1954 piece of make believe paradise.
I even tried using the Pecan and Pine shades, but never had an acceptable result.
I think the reason so many HO scale figures look toy-like is because the pallette for skin tone is always too light, making them look like porcelain dolls.
There is a learning curve to get civilians to look right.
Another difficulty coming over from wargames is the lack of molded on detail, boring poses, and lack of facial depth. Trying to highlight figures with no cheeks or lips is a pain.
18mm is a good match for HO scale. There are a few wargaming figures that can be used on your railroad. The "fodder" pack from All Quiet On The Martian Front had a couple of gems in it.
Please share pictures of you Preiser figures.
Do you ever go to Adepticon?
Hi Kevin,
Good to know about your experiences with the dip. I've yet to paint any HO figures yet, but I'm plotting...
Good to know about the pitfalls of HO figures with lack of details. I've also been wondering about suitable 18m figs and I'll check out the pack you mention. I agree that skin-tones are one of the big give-aways on HO figures.
I was at Adepticon. if you saw the Table in "Utopia" ballroom where we were running a 28mm mecha game, that was mostly my terrain and units.
Last year's was even more better: https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2018/04/24/adepticon-2018-showdown-at-valstetech-airfield/
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
Kevin, put me down as a +1 for interest in your techniques. I won't go down the rabbit hole of reposting the pic of my miniaturized friend with his pants down from my other message thread (thanks again to RR Mel for that fix). He was done attempting the Brifayle method. Right now I'm wrestling with matching skin tones for the rest of my scan victims.
We will be here. In the meantime, how many bristles are on the brush you use to paint the whites of the eyes. 2...3?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddyI would like to know your secrets
I will share.
Maybe I can do something on Wednesday, if not, it will be probably three weeks before I have time.
For hat tipping guy I used some of the new Citadel Texture Paints and Citadel Effects Paints to see how they went.
The results were good, but if I post a how-to, I really want to do it right.
...please stand by...
I would like to know your secrets. I doubt I'll be wooping your caboose in any contests, though.
Here is the process for painting HO scale hat tipping guy.
I did this yesterday in less than 30 minutes, including picture taking time.
If you want me to go over the whole process, just ask.
garyaNice work, but I'm sensing some hostility here, and I'm not sure why.
No hostility, I just want to be sure you really want my answer.
If you want a quick answer, I am not your guy. If you really want to become a good figure painter, I can really help a lot.
Follwing an MR article about painting figures, there's no need to prime. I too use craft paint for figures. They can get done assembly line style.
O.K. please resume with the tangent about figures.
Even with the smaller scale, my experience has been that the legs need to come off to get them in the seats.
Maybe try'em before you paint.
Mike.
My You Tube
Thanks everyone for good advice.
RR_MelSorry Gary, we knida dinged your topic about priming. I just clean the figures up with a small paint brush dipped in Acetone (damp not saturated) after getting rid of the mold lines and then do it to it with Acrylic Crafters Paints.
mbinsewi OOOPS! sorry OP, I wandered away with the rest. Threads seem to do that in here. Mike.
OOOPS! sorry OP, I wandered away with the rest.
Threads seem to do that in here.
It's alright. I enjoyed the digression.
Here's what I have:
I have some very small figures, which must be 1:100 scale. My daughter and I were going to seat them in the Hogwarts Express, so they don't have to be very well done:
Here they are with an Atlas figure, and some Harry Potter Dicers figures:
My vision's not great, but maybe I'll get my daughter to paint them, just like Brent...
Gary
SeeYou190 I am a nationally recognized high profile award winning figure painter. . Do you really want to know the right way to paint figures, or do you just want to slap some paint on no better than pre-painted hobby shelf garbage? . Miniature figure painting is a hobby all in its own... . Let me know if you really want to know how to do it right, and if you do, I will put together a reply. -Kevin
I am a nationally recognized high profile award winning figure painter.
Do you really want to know the right way to paint figures, or do you just want to slap some paint on no better than pre-painted hobby shelf garbage?
Miniature figure painting is a hobby all in its own...
Let me know if you really want to know how to do it right, and if you do, I will put together a reply.
Nice work, but I'm sensing some hostility here, and I'm not sure why.
EilifI'm fairly new to model railroading, but I've noticed that nearly all the figures I see on layouts look far too toyish and bright. Even on layouts with good weathring, the figures often look toylike. I think the dip method would make alot more figures look much more realistic, with very little work.
Do any of you use heavy washes or "the dip" (emersing in minwax polyshades) to shade your figures.
Here's some police I did. They are 28mm which translates aproximately to 1/56, though they are as chunky as 1/48.
Lots more pics of them here:
https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2014/12/23/chicago-police-from-tactical-miniatures/
The paint above isn't nearly as good as the award winning stuff pictured earlier, but it's REALLY easy and quick. Simple block painting the colors a touch of drybrushing a bit on the hair and then brush Minwax Polyshades "Tudor" all over. End with a matte varnish to cut the shine and done! The Polyshades darkens the recesses, and creates a shading effect all over the model as well as acting kind of like a wash to soften the bright toy-like colors.
I did do some detail work on black checks, stripe and stars (dots) with micron pens, but that's not something I'd do on 1:87 figs.
I'm fairly new to model railroading, but I've noticed that nearly all the figures I see on layouts look far too toyish and bright. Even on layouts with good weathring, the figures often look toylike. I think the dip method would make alot more figures look much more realistic, with very little work. I've recently bought a box of Pressier HO figures and I plan to paint them the same way as my 28mm figures.
For those interested, I did a How-To for the "Brush Dipping" method here:
https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2012/01/16/with-liberty-and-brush-dipping-for-a/
It has lots of pictures of dipped figures of different colors.
RR_MelYour paint job is fantastic! Where did the figure come from?
Thank you. He is from the Plasticville HO freight house kit.
mbinsewiYea, that looks good, that highlight around the edge of the coat, and pocket kerchief is a challange.
There was almost no detail on this figure. Most of the detail is done with paint. The pocket kerchief is 100% a painted on suplement.
BATMANWhat power Optivisor do you use? Hold it against your cheek to make it steady.
I honestly do not know how powerful it is. I use a similar trick to keep things steady when I paint. I stick out both of my pinky fingers and press them together. This keeps the hand with the paint brush and the hand with the brush nice and steady.
Kevin, that is some good work!
What power Optivisor do you use? I am ready to get one since I started doing these teeny tiny LEDs.
I had help with my people. They are glued to a stick with the glue gun. You can either put a tiny little bit of glue on to hold them or use a bit more to make a platform so they don't fall over on the layout. They just peel off the stick when finished painting.
Hold it against your cheek to make it steady.
Hard to avoid the distraction of puppies running around under your feet.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Yea, that looks good, that highlight around the edge of the coat, and pocket kerchief is a challange.
OK, I painted a figure in HO scale.
What do you think of this guy?
I only prime metal. Acrylic and lacquer model paints stick to plastic just fine. I assume your figures are all plastic. The plastic is usually a nice medium gray that helps most top coats look their best. The soap and water wash to get fingerprints, mold parting compound, all kinds of crud off is very important. Followed by a hot water rinse, and a good long dry. I might insert the pins in the bottom to stand the figures up before the wash. I might paint the light colors, face, white shirts, first and the dark colors, blue for denum, dark suits, second, on the theory that the dark colors will cover the over painting of the light colors.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Hi Guys,
I've posted the following before. For HO and O scales, the Brifayle technique works. Your figures need to be clean and flat black. It is simple and very effective.
The O-Scale link shows you the step-by-step procedure. The HO link shows you various finished samples. Check them out:
Brifayle O-scale: http://www.brifayle.ca/2c.a.painto.html
Brifayle HO-scale: http://www.brifayle.ca/2c.b.paintho.html#anchor/url]
The really neat "Aha!" factor with this is that you wind up having realistic shadowing within your figure's clothing and skin.
For those of you that own Life Like P2K locomotives, which have the locomotive crews already molded in black, this is should be of interest. I'm using this method for my P2K crews.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
garyaan I just paint them, or should I use a primer first?
I just saw to OP's actual question!
Yes, prime them all. Prime them in flat black.
I will explain later... I need to check out of this hotel by 10:00.
SeeYou190When I paint I have on prescription glasses, an Optivisor, and enough lights to see from outer space.
Thats kinda of the way I outfit myself, too. I have a stronger pair of readers, that works well with the Optivisor, so when I flip the Optiviser up, it's not such a visual shock, and I can still walk!
RR_MelTo look on the bright side my figures above were painted before Cataract surgery on my right eye last month, I go in tomorrow for my left eye.
Good heavens.
When I paint I have on prescription glasses, an Optivisor, and enough lights to see from outer space.
Your like doing it with one hand tied behind your back. Amazing.
I found some pictures of my 15mm ancient armies.
Remember, you are seeing these 2 to 3 times larger than in real life. These guys are only about 1/2 inch tall.
These are all smaller than HO scale. The round shields are about 1/2 the size of a pencil eraser! The middle shield in the third picture is one of the most difficult things I have ever painted.
The jewel on the banner crest in the second picture is exceptional to see in person. There are at least a dozen layers of shading on that detail, and it is only 0.040" across. The last piece of paint that went on was the white reflection highlight. I was so nervous when I did it. If I was off by just 0.010" I would have needed to start over.
I probably didn't need to paint the "toes" on the elephant, but I did anyway. I don't know how small they really are, but it was something I had to do.
I am going to paint an HO scale figure and post the results when I get home this afternoon.
Now I am going far a walk on the beach while it is still empty.