Different Strokes: Technique and Painting Speed
Recently I've been experimenting with a few of the techniques that the Privateer Press painting staff talk about in their recent books. It's taken a while to adapt to a new way of doing things but after getting used to it I've been able to increase the speed I can paint a figure pretty significantly.
Vice Scrutator Vindictus
Switching it Up, Keeping it Fresh
To help keep motivated after spending a fair bit of time on my exemplars' armor, I switched up things a bit and started working on some side projects. I found a couple Hordes figures I had started to work on and forgotten about, and started work on some figures for a new RPG campaign.
The change of pace has helped me keep productive, but the subject matter isn't really helping the problem I mentioned previously of not pushing my skill. It seems like a lot of my RPG figures tend to get rush jobs - especially the plastic ones. But at least it's still painting; I'm building momentum. 
Glutton for Punishment
I've noted a few things before on my blog: I hate painting Exemplar and I'm suffering from brush burnout. You'd think I'd pick different a different model type for my newest project. But alas, I just started my Exemplar Errant Seneschals and Unit Attachment instead. Sometimes I wonder if something's seriously wrong with me.
I spent a few evenings with Hulu on the laptop near my painting desk working on the models' armor and made some decent progress. I'm still working on some more detailed shading at the moment, but I'm going back and forth between wanting to take the time to do some really detailed shading and getting burnt out working on them.
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- Knights Exemplar Errant Seneschals
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- Knights Exemplar Errant Unit Attachment
This has me thinking - I wonder if army painting is causing my abilities to stagnate. It seems like there's less motivation to push my skill to the next step when in the back of my head I can always fall back to "Well, this just has to look as good as the rest of my models." Might be time to shake things up a bit.
Diminutive Denizens Update: Jun 6, 2010
- Uploaded new miniatures:
- Update to the generated RSS feed to better integrate with feed readers.
Hardcore: Down to the Wire
With just a couple days left before Privateer Press Weekend at DieCon X here in St. Louis, I'm still scrambling to finish a few last minute figures before Saturday's Hardcore event. Surprise surprise, it's down to the wire with me scrambling to finish a everything up in time. It really shouldn't be a surprise, though. :)
I also have to clean up a few models and finish assembling my Exemplar Errant Seneschals in case I want to use them later in the weekend. They definitely won't be painted for Hardcore but I might toss 'em in another list to give them a go in one of the other formats.
Despite being behind, I'm looking forward to the event. Last two years have been fantastic, and this year promises to be no exception.
Basic Basing
In a previous post I mentioned that I use concrete patch as a basing material. It's an alternative to sand that's a rock solid way to model dirt to-scale on a base. It requires a bit more effort than the traditional glue and sand but I think the end result is worth the extra work.
Base WIPs
The most difficult aspect of working with the concrete patch is that in order to attach models, you have to clip the pewter tab from the base of the figure, give it a quick filing, and pin it to the base. I've always preferred that method anyway, so it's no big deal. But if you're used to just gluing and slotting the figure, then switching to concrete patch is going to involve some extra steps.
Usually I'll glue the pin to the miniature and drill a hole on the base, cover the base in concrete patch, and before it sets, press the miniature down where it'll ultimately stand, and remove it. Once the concrete patch dries, the indentions left by the miniatures feet will cup them in place securely.
If you want add accessories to a base - things like small rocks, gears, or the like - the patch itself will hold them in place if you press them in before it dries. For the most part this has been all I'll need to do, but occasionally if a piece is loose I'll pop it up after the patch dries and glue it back down into the same divot, making it very secure. For tiny rocks made from cork I'll just put a drop of glue over it while attached, and that is usually sufficient. I prefer superglue over craft glue for these steps.
As for painting my bases, I picked up a recipe for craft colors a few years ago that I use for all of my bases. I can't remember the source anymore, but the combination works great. One note though, before going into painting - make sure you have an extra old brush. Drybrushing over concrete patch will ruin a brush like nothing else.
The Crunch Time Cometh
It's already that time of year again. In a few short weeks Privateer Press Weekend at DieCon X will be upon us. This year the event will feature another Hardcore event again - the first ever official one for Warmachine MkII. There's not much time left, but I'm behind on getting prepared. This feels oddly familiar.
Hierophant WIP
I have a few lists I'm tossing around to play, but I haven't even really settled on if I'm playing the Protectorate or Legion. The Legion models I'd want to use are already painted, but there's still a few key Protectorate ones - like the Hierophant and Covenant - that I needed to get to.
It's been a while since I last picked up the brush; maybe even a couple months. Painting has always been an enjoyable hobby for me, but lately it's always seemed like there's something else I rather do with my free time. Still there aren't many chances to play in a Hardcore event, so it's time to buckle down and get to work.
Terraformation
Lately I've been neglecting my painting table - cheating on my models with a different craftform. I put down the pewter in exchange for styrofoam and traded in my paint for some spackle. With a little advice from Ulf of Dice-Speak and Game Fusion Studio, I've made an initial foray into the realm of terrain making.
A few initial attempts at hills (and Niska's Skyplex on TV)
I've been painting models for years now but I hadn't really spent any time on the terrain side of the hobby - there's always been terrain to play on locally and I preferred painting models to fabricating scenery.
Sites like TerraGenesis have taught me the basics of terrain making but I didn't have any real hands on experience. But over the course of a few nights with a hot wire foam cutter I put together some basic hills. Nothing major - and still in need of some greenery - but after I was happy with the results I decided to move up to something else I've been wanting to build for a while now.
Some Basic Brush Care Tips
I had a request as a comment on a previous article to talk about some basic brush care tips. I'm no expert on the topic but I've ruined more than enough brushes to know there are a few traps to avoid in order to keep your brushes in working condition as long as you can.
Workhorse Brush
When I upgraded my brushes to Winsor & Newton Series 7's a few years ago, I started paying more attention to brush care. With the brushes' higher cost, I wanted to get as much life out of them as possible. For me that meant keeping an older brush around to do my painting dirty work.
Before I started using the S7's, I was pretty rough with my brushes. I was guilty of all of the brush sins, including things like stabbing at models sometimes with the brush and letting paint get into the ferrule regularly. While this wasn't a big deal when I was spending a buck a brush, I knew I had to change my habits with the new brushes, but doing so would slow me down. Lets face it - when you're base coating, dry brushing, or otherwise just trying to lay paint down quickly, doing things right takes more time.
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Recent Posts
- Wall of Fire, MkII Style
- Here there be Planeswalkers
- Different Strokes: Technique and Painting Speed
- Manaburst Research – Trappings of Magic
- Switching it Up, Keeping it Fresh
- Glutton for Punishment
- RPGs: Metal or Plastic?
- Diminutive Denizens Update: Jun 6, 2010
- Hardcore: Down to the Wire
- Basic Basing
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