A little smaller than HO-scale. Good enough for the two-foot rule.
Figure painting
Re: Figure painting
No new figures for the railroad, but I have been painting some 15mm ACW infantry for a friend of mine:
A little smaller than HO-scale. Good enough for the two-foot rule.
A little smaller than HO-scale. Good enough for the two-foot rule.
Re: Figure painting
Needed some figures for the Christmas display; more Plasticville on white-painted bases:
The one non-Plasticville dude didn't have a base, so glued him on a piece of acetate.
The one non-Plasticville dude didn't have a base, so glued him on a piece of acetate.
Re: Figure painting
Did you paint all of them?
Re: Figure painting
All but the guy on the far left; he was a pre-painted figure from an MTH blister. Just applied a thin wash to him, dry-brush, then stuck him on some clear acetate. The rest were from a box of old Plasticville that Sarge passed along a couple years ago.
Re: Figure painting
healey36 wrote:All but the guy on the far left; he was a pre-painted figure from an MTH blister. Just applied a thin wash to him, dry-brush, then stuck him on some clear acetate. The rest were from a box of old Plasticville that Sarge passed along a couple years ago.
They look great!
Re: Figure painting
A few more railfans for the layout:
All Arttista, they've been laying in the lead-pile for a few years. I think the guy on the left is listed as a wedding photographer, but I figured he'd serve equally well trespassing in the ROW.
All Arttista, they've been laying in the lead-pile for a few years. I think the guy on the left is listed as a wedding photographer, but I figured he'd serve equally well trespassing in the ROW.
Re: Figure painting
I’ve been looking for a few rail fans. Maybe they’ll turn up in York. I’m always impressed with your figure painting skills Paul.
What’s the best way to deal with this?
and no it’s not going to be a Marty Feldman figure on my layout
img host
What’s the best way to deal with this?
and no it’s not going to be a Marty Feldman figure on my layout img host
Re: Figure painting
Painting wargame figures taught me one very important thing, Greg - the "two-foot" rule, i.e. if it looks good from two feet away, it's likely good enough. Now that may not be true if you're going to be taking close-ups of your figures, but most of the time, you will be looking at them from a considerable distance. Just like when you're looking at a person standing across the street from your house, you can't see their eye color or even the whites of their eyes, so don't try to replicate that.
When I paint figures, I use a block-painting method. Paint 'em as if you were dressing them. Start with all of the exposed skin (face, hands, ankles, etc.) using just a decent flesh color (Tamiya Flat Flesh XF-15 is my preferred acrylic). Don't paint any details for eyes, mouth, ears, fingers, etc., just a basic flesh color. Paint the hair next, than start on the clothes. Shirt, pants, belts, socks, jacket, shoes, hats, kinda in the order that a person would put them on (for example, if a guy is wearing a sport coat, paint that after the underlying shirt and pants as there likely will be some overlap). Again, just basic block-painting...you'll deal with creases and wrinkles later. When choosing colors, lighter tints work better for my method, so if the guy is wearing dark blue pants, maybe use a medium blue when you paint them. A lighter tone will work better when you get to the messy bit.
After you get the basic block-painting done, give the figure an overspray of clear gloss. This is important when you go to the next step. You need the wash to flow to cracks and crevices, not soak into/stain flat paint. Once the clear-coat is dry and hard, you're ready for the messy bit.
Back in the day, wargame figure painters used a wash method referred to as "the dip". After block-painting their figures, they would dip them into a tinted lacquer medium (Quickshade, by The Army Painter, or one of the dark shades of PolyShades, by Minwax), coating them liberally with the stuff. Then they would give the figure a flick while holding it with a pair of tweezers, jettisoning the excess. This, of course, is an ungodly mess best done outside while wearing old clothes and standing well clear of anything you don't want to stain with speckles of lacquer. It also, in my experience, can severely darken the figure, a look I don't particularly care for, so I use a different method.
I abandoned the dip method and now just use a brush and a solution recipe of two parts water, two parts Model Wash (Vallejo 76.518 black), and one part Matt Medium (Vallejo 70.540 medium matte). I've used diluted black acrylic paint in place of Vallejo's wash, and you can buy a lifetime supply of matt medium from the artist paint section of your local craft store for not too much more than the cost of a half-ounce bottle of Vallejo's.
I typically work with small numbers of figures, so small batches of wash. In a small saucer, two drops of water, two drops of wash, and a drop of matt medium; mix well and then just slobber it on. The wash should run into all of the cracks and crevices while leaving most of the raised surfaces a slightly darkened version of the block-painted colors. If the wash pools anywhere, use a brush to lightly dab it and remove the excess. It might look hideous, but the transparent wash will likely dry to a light shade, so don't freak out and start brushing it away. Just prop the figure up against a hard surface and let it dry thoroughly.
You get the best results using figures with decent sculpted detail, so lots of well-defined facial features, wrinkled clothing, raised belts, lanyards, etc., will attract the wash and make for for some great "definition". Old vintage figures, or those made from tired molds, not so much. Still, some can yield surprising results. Some of the goofy Plasticville figures can turn out some nice features. Just experiment...
Okay, so once the wash is dry, I usually shoot it with a light overspray of clear flat lacquer (Tamiya TS-80 Flat Clear is my fave). Let that dry, then give the figure a light dry-brush with some white acrylic paint. Dip your brush in a little white paint, than brush it over a napkin or paper towel until you think there can't possibly be any paint left on it. Once you're satisfied that it's paintless, use the brush to lightly dust the figure, trying to hit the raised areas. When you're done with that, give it another shot of the clear flat lacquer, this time more for protection of your paintjob. That's it.
The important bit is that you need to experiment. It's not a fool-proof method. Sometimes (usually) you get a result that's pretty good, but sometimes not so much. It could be the colors darkened up too much for your liking, or the tint might be too light and the details aren't that apparent. Sometimes you might miss removing a pooled area of wash, leaving an unsightly stain on the figure. Easy enough to try again. Just remember the "two-foot" rule. Nine times out of ten, I think you'll find the results satisfactory.
So, back to the original question. If that googly-eyed dude was mine, I'd paint his eyes out with flesh-colored paint, but leave everything else as is. I'd then give him a wash as described above. That face looks like there's enough detail to get some decent tinting around the eyes, the nose, and the mouth, along with some shadowing around the neck. I can't tell if there's any definition of fingers on the hands, but if there is, that will show up as well. The wash will tone down the details (buttons and shirt pockets), while shadowing the creases in his shirt. He should turn out pretty nice, I would think.
Now, a good friend of mine uses Humbrol enamels to paint his figures (miniature tanks). His tinting medium is black Humbrol enamel thinned with turpentine. He prefers this over acrylics because it takes hours to dry and gives him time to go back and work the wash more into cracks and crevices while removing any excess he discovers. His process typically takes 2-3 days to complete, but the results are extraordinary:
Each of these GHQ miniatures is about the size of a penny (1/285-scale). The castings have terrific detail, which demonstrates what is possible with a well made figure. Sculpted detail is really important for a nice finish. Some of the Arttista figures, like some of the prewar toy train figures, lack in detail, but a decent wash and dry-brush will generally bring out whatever's there.
Buy yourself one of those 100-O-scale-figures-for-ten-bucks bags on eBay and get to work.
When I paint figures, I use a block-painting method. Paint 'em as if you were dressing them. Start with all of the exposed skin (face, hands, ankles, etc.) using just a decent flesh color (Tamiya Flat Flesh XF-15 is my preferred acrylic). Don't paint any details for eyes, mouth, ears, fingers, etc., just a basic flesh color. Paint the hair next, than start on the clothes. Shirt, pants, belts, socks, jacket, shoes, hats, kinda in the order that a person would put them on (for example, if a guy is wearing a sport coat, paint that after the underlying shirt and pants as there likely will be some overlap). Again, just basic block-painting...you'll deal with creases and wrinkles later. When choosing colors, lighter tints work better for my method, so if the guy is wearing dark blue pants, maybe use a medium blue when you paint them. A lighter tone will work better when you get to the messy bit.
After you get the basic block-painting done, give the figure an overspray of clear gloss. This is important when you go to the next step. You need the wash to flow to cracks and crevices, not soak into/stain flat paint. Once the clear-coat is dry and hard, you're ready for the messy bit.
Back in the day, wargame figure painters used a wash method referred to as "the dip". After block-painting their figures, they would dip them into a tinted lacquer medium (Quickshade, by The Army Painter, or one of the dark shades of PolyShades, by Minwax), coating them liberally with the stuff. Then they would give the figure a flick while holding it with a pair of tweezers, jettisoning the excess. This, of course, is an ungodly mess best done outside while wearing old clothes and standing well clear of anything you don't want to stain with speckles of lacquer. It also, in my experience, can severely darken the figure, a look I don't particularly care for, so I use a different method.
I abandoned the dip method and now just use a brush and a solution recipe of two parts water, two parts Model Wash (Vallejo 76.518 black), and one part Matt Medium (Vallejo 70.540 medium matte). I've used diluted black acrylic paint in place of Vallejo's wash, and you can buy a lifetime supply of matt medium from the artist paint section of your local craft store for not too much more than the cost of a half-ounce bottle of Vallejo's.
I typically work with small numbers of figures, so small batches of wash. In a small saucer, two drops of water, two drops of wash, and a drop of matt medium; mix well and then just slobber it on. The wash should run into all of the cracks and crevices while leaving most of the raised surfaces a slightly darkened version of the block-painted colors. If the wash pools anywhere, use a brush to lightly dab it and remove the excess. It might look hideous, but the transparent wash will likely dry to a light shade, so don't freak out and start brushing it away. Just prop the figure up against a hard surface and let it dry thoroughly.
You get the best results using figures with decent sculpted detail, so lots of well-defined facial features, wrinkled clothing, raised belts, lanyards, etc., will attract the wash and make for for some great "definition". Old vintage figures, or those made from tired molds, not so much. Still, some can yield surprising results. Some of the goofy Plasticville figures can turn out some nice features. Just experiment...
Okay, so once the wash is dry, I usually shoot it with a light overspray of clear flat lacquer (Tamiya TS-80 Flat Clear is my fave). Let that dry, then give the figure a light dry-brush with some white acrylic paint. Dip your brush in a little white paint, than brush it over a napkin or paper towel until you think there can't possibly be any paint left on it. Once you're satisfied that it's paintless, use the brush to lightly dust the figure, trying to hit the raised areas. When you're done with that, give it another shot of the clear flat lacquer, this time more for protection of your paintjob. That's it.
The important bit is that you need to experiment. It's not a fool-proof method. Sometimes (usually) you get a result that's pretty good, but sometimes not so much. It could be the colors darkened up too much for your liking, or the tint might be too light and the details aren't that apparent. Sometimes you might miss removing a pooled area of wash, leaving an unsightly stain on the figure. Easy enough to try again. Just remember the "two-foot" rule. Nine times out of ten, I think you'll find the results satisfactory.
So, back to the original question. If that googly-eyed dude was mine, I'd paint his eyes out with flesh-colored paint, but leave everything else as is. I'd then give him a wash as described above. That face looks like there's enough detail to get some decent tinting around the eyes, the nose, and the mouth, along with some shadowing around the neck. I can't tell if there's any definition of fingers on the hands, but if there is, that will show up as well. The wash will tone down the details (buttons and shirt pockets), while shadowing the creases in his shirt. He should turn out pretty nice, I would think.
Now, a good friend of mine uses Humbrol enamels to paint his figures (miniature tanks). His tinting medium is black Humbrol enamel thinned with turpentine. He prefers this over acrylics because it takes hours to dry and gives him time to go back and work the wash more into cracks and crevices while removing any excess he discovers. His process typically takes 2-3 days to complete, but the results are extraordinary:
Each of these GHQ miniatures is about the size of a penny (1/285-scale). The castings have terrific detail, which demonstrates what is possible with a well made figure. Sculpted detail is really important for a nice finish. Some of the Arttista figures, like some of the prewar toy train figures, lack in detail, but a decent wash and dry-brush will generally bring out whatever's there.
Buy yourself one of those 100-O-scale-figures-for-ten-bucks bags on eBay and get to work.
Re: Figure painting
Paul, thank you for taking the time to post such a long and thorough reply on figure painting. I have a train stuff file that I’ve saved this in for future reference.
Those tanks do, indeed look incredibly detailed. I’m certain when the moment hits me that I will do some figure painting. That particular figure is from WS campers set and they are back behind some trees and somewhat obstructed by scenery.
That being said I noticed that some of the other WS figures were painted with much better eyes. Maybe the painting technology is improving, who knows.
I find the arttista figures to be pretty good out of the box. I generally stick with them for the most part but could not come up with campers, so WS it is. Regardless, it’s nice to have the information on how to improve them!
Those tanks do, indeed look incredibly detailed. I’m certain when the moment hits me that I will do some figure painting. That particular figure is from WS campers set and they are back behind some trees and somewhat obstructed by scenery.
That being said I noticed that some of the other WS figures were painted with much better eyes. Maybe the painting technology is improving, who knows.
I find the arttista figures to be pretty good out of the box. I generally stick with them for the most part but could not come up with campers, so WS it is. Regardless, it’s nice to have the information on how to improve them!
Re: Figure painting
Fantastic figure painting tutorial, Healey! It'll come in handy.
Re: Figure painting
Thanks, guys; glad to provide a synopsis of how I paint these things. I'll be honest, my methods are ever-evolving. I have a rack of various washes here, some being acrylic, some ink-based, some mineral-based. I like to play around with them, but the black water-based Vallejo is my fave. It seems to yield decent results pretty consistently.
Greg, I recently saw some decals for eyes, if you can believe that. I think they were for 1/35-scale figures, so a bit larger than O-scale. I'll look around and if I can find them again, I'll flip you a link. I would imagine they would be quite fiddly to use, but might give decent results if you're going to be shooting close-ups.
One other thing, if you are a fan of acrylic paints, I've had good luck with the better quality acrylic craft paints at Michael's. The line I've used is "Americana", which seems to have decent pigment content and is relatively inexpensive (probably half of what a jar of Tamiya would cost).
And one last thing I failed to mention - I don't prime the figures. Using a primer runs the risk of obliterating some of the sculpted detail (which can be pretty scarce on some figures). If you choose to use a primer, dust it very lightly so as to preserve whatever detail is there.
Greg, I recently saw some decals for eyes, if you can believe that. I think they were for 1/35-scale figures, so a bit larger than O-scale. I'll look around and if I can find them again, I'll flip you a link. I would imagine they would be quite fiddly to use, but might give decent results if you're going to be shooting close-ups.
One other thing, if you are a fan of acrylic paints, I've had good luck with the better quality acrylic craft paints at Michael's. The line I've used is "Americana", which seems to have decent pigment content and is relatively inexpensive (probably half of what a jar of Tamiya would cost).
And one last thing I failed to mention - I don't prime the figures. Using a primer runs the risk of obliterating some of the sculpted detail (which can be pretty scarce on some figures). If you choose to use a primer, dust it very lightly so as to preserve whatever detail is there.
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Wburg Pete
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:45 am
Re: Figure painting
Paul
I agree about using Michael's acrylics. They used to have a much wider selection on brands and colors. I probably have/had over 100 different colors that I used on figures, structures, vehicles, trains, etc..
I agree about using Michael's acrylics. They used to have a much wider selection on brands and colors. I probably have/had over 100 different colors that I used on figures, structures, vehicles, trains, etc..
Re: Figure painting
Wburg Pete wrote:Paul
I agree about using Michael's acrylics. They used to have a much wider selection on brands and colors. I probably have/had over 100 different colors that I used on figures, structures, vehicles, trains, etc..
Yeah, Pete, I've noticed the diminished selection the last few times I've been in there. I'm hopeful this isn't symptomatic of the great purge of enamels seen a few years ago as Testors imploded and then sold out to Rustoleum. Sarge recently sent me a bunch of his remaining ModelMaster enamels, most being military hues (and I'm thankful to have them).
I have some concerns about Michael's absorption of the JoAnne's Fabric lines. If the store's footprint doesn't expand significantly, then I worry that some of the stuff they currently carry will fall by the wayside so that room can be made for piece-goods and sewing stuff. There's a lot of handy stuff in there if you take the time to find it; I hope that remains the case with their new format.
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Rufus T. Firefly
- Posts: 41571
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Re: Figure painting
Good info here -- never been happy with my figures in scenery. More attention by me is clearly in order.....
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