Figure painting

[RBH29]

Whoa! Have you guys seen this? I'm not sure it belongs in this model train forum but sometimes miniature figures and AI are addressed. I know there's been critical discussion about the use of AI. I'm not a big proponent of it myself but I like this application. The music is appropriate like something's been let our of Pandora's Box and there are some humorous aspects where it looks like some soldiers have horse manure stuck on their boots as they march. https://youtu.be/rioRZziWIyE?si=S8nSdNtXrMy-fLgm

[healey36]

Pretty amazing paint jobs, not to mention the animation.

[gregj410]

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

Hi Paul,
I’ve been working on some figure painting and I hope to post some results soon. In the meantime I have some questions. Should the gloss overspray be a rattle can or an airbrush? At the time I had neither so I brushed a light coat of gloss on, as a result I think it was a little thick and I don’t think the wash flowed into the crevices as well. However I’m not sure the figure had the sculpted detail especially in the face. Is gloss recommended for better flow or could I spray it with any sheen of clear?

[healey36]

Hi Greg...glad to hear you're still plugging away on stuff.

I use a rattle can of Tamiya Semi-Gloss Clear (TS-79) over the base coat. I know some folks use Rustoleum clear lacquer, but I've had mixed results with that stuff. It's a bit heavier and can obliterate some of the casting/print sculpt detail. The Tamiya stuff is much thinner and you don't need much, just a cursory overspray in my experience. A small can of Tamiya can easily set you back close to ten bucks, but I think it's worth it.

I've not tried applying clear gloss with an airbrush, but I would think that would work well if you can control the spray and make it as light as possible. Over the years I've built up this resistance to using my airbrush because I'm psychotic about cleaning it after every use. Sarge tells me I'm unnecessarily wound up about it, and frankly, I'd agree with him. There's a lot you can do with an airbrush...I just need to get beyond my "OCD" re: cleaning it, lol.

One other thing about using an overspray of clear gloss or semi-gloss...it seals the underlying paint from being overly tinted dark by the wash medium. I have found that using a wash, especially an ink-based wash, will sharply darken the color. Sometimes you want the colors to stay relatively bright, just have the paint retreat into the crevices. The only way to really do that is to "seal" the paint with a topcoat. Most flat paints, enamel or acrylic, will absorb the stain and darken up. Same with a matte topcoat; it will absorb the ink and stain the underlying color.

Now, sometimes that's not necessarily a bad thing. This is where the notion of scale colors comes in. For example, in real life the eye perceives a bright red shirt much less brightly from 100 yards away. So if you can "manage" the tone of the darkened color, it might actually result in a more realistic color than trying to maintain the brightest color. IT's really a matter of taste.

Tired molds are a big problem when it comes to sculpting detail. It's tough to get a good wash application if there's not much detail in the casting. Even some of the Arttista casts suffer from lack of facial and clothing detail. The guys over at Rusty Rail are printing some nice figures...here's a link:

https://www.rustyrail.com/oscalepeople.html

Bonus...I think these might work well with your Western-motif. Take a look.

Anyway, hope this helps.

Paul R.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Tired molds are a big problem when it comes to sculpting detail. It's tough to get a good wash application if there's not much detail in the casting. Even some of the Arttista casts suffer from lack of facial and clothing detail. The guys over at Rusty Rail are printing some nice figures...

There are a handful or more sellers on eBay of what have turned out for me to be some very nicely detailed figures at far less costs than the Arttista line. One in particular has worked with me to create and deliver pretty decent renditions of Kaspar Gutman, Joel Cairo, and Sam Spade.

Two other sellers were the sources of these figures:



I've gotten patient enough to sit down and paint figures using nail art brushes, too.

If I seal anything, I have moved entirely to Rustoleum Matte Clear....

[healey36]

Looking terrific, Rufus. Nice color selection!

I've been gradually transitioning to 3D prints when I find them. Prints have the advantage of never losing the sharpness of any detail (unlike cast figures which tend to get a bit tired as the molds age).

I've got a few Marx toy figures from the 1950's I've been wanting to try. They are made out of some sort of rubberized plastic, so paint adherence might be an issue. Gonna need a bit of experimentation, me thinks.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Looking terrific, Rufus. Nice color selection!

Thanks! There's a bit of an homage to Witches of Eastwick there,

[RBH29]

Rufus, beautiful Witches of Eastwich figures and paint job!

Healey, are you painting figures from Marx playsets? I have some Civil War figures that I'm going to paint an I'm curious about how you're going to go about it.

Richard

[healey36]

Richard, I'm not sure of the set source for the figures, but I know they are Marx. I got them from Howard Lamey when he was cleaning out a bunch of stuff, and Howard's a great fan of Marx (so I made the leap that the figures are Marx). When I get a hot minute, I'll take a pic.

The rubberized mold material concerns me. I remember painting 1/72-scale Airfix figures when I was a kid, and there was nothing more heart-breaking than having the paint flake off when you handled them due to the flexing of the plastic. I've read a number of suggestions for resolving the flaking paint issue, but most sound hokey.

I'll have to watch that "Witches of Eastwick" movie...it is unfamiliar to me.

[gregj410]

So I mainly followed Paul’s tutorial, except I discovered if I painted the figures black first it allowed me to see the details a little better. I found the dip left some of the skin tones a little dirty looking, so I did find myself wanting to brush some of it away. I may have gotten a little happy on the dry brushing white but over all I like the results

[healey36]

Those look terrific, Greg, especially that third one down. They look ready for “action”, lol. Nothing beats a figure with a bit of good detail, and your paint job is exquisite!

[gregj410]

Thank you Paul. I paid a guy to paint some figures for me, not these. He’s pretty reputable and has done some YouTube videos. I thought it would be helpful to have some prototypes to help understand the process a little better, combined with your wisdom.
Anywho, I noticed he painted without any magnification unless I couldn’t see it in his videos. I found his work up close to be a little sloppy but still really nice from a distance.
I, on the other hand had a mounted magnifier with a light and magnifying glasses
Do you paint with the naked eye or with magnification? I find myself trying to get the lines perfect when it probably doesn’t matter especially given your 2 foot factor.

[healey36]

Greg, about ten years ago I bought myself an OptiVisor...that thing has helped immensely with detail work. An old desk lamp has also been helpful. I recall painting 1/700-scale IJN airplane markings when I was much younger without glasses or any magnification, but those days are long gone.

When it comes to painting models, I think the hardest concept for people to wrap their head around is that of "scale" colors. Once you get past the notion that the eye just doesn't see colors the same from 10-20 feet away, then it gets a lot easier.

Waiting to see the scene those figures are going into.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

When it comes to painting models, I think the hardest concept for people to wrap their head around is that of "scale" colors. Once you get past the notion that the eye just doesn't see colors the same from 10-20 feet away, then it gets a lot easier.

After 2-4 feet away, I'm not seeing imperfections in my figures; the eye self-corrects unless for gross errors.

I'm using nail art brushes and painting with the figures mounted temporarily on the base of plastic medicine cups. I do a color or 3 per day letting everything "rest" in between. The vision thing is becoming a challenge along with steadying the hands. I have Caspar Gutman and Joel Cairo to paint sitting ready on the back of the one bench. Rainy day so painting & decaling cars later today.....but figures might make to the front of the bench.

[healey36]

Yup, good day for working at the bench. Only the upper 40's here and damp. Good dog weather (tough to get the retriever to come inside).

I'm still a fan of the two-foot rule, although close-up photography can reveal all of the flaws. At the end of the day, it's really just a matter of taste.