Figure painting
Re: Figure painting
Don’t sell yourself short. That looks pretty good to me. I don’t think you could put too much static grass around it considering every old abandon car I’ve ever scene has tons of over growth around it. Nice job!
Re: Figure painting
Sarge gave me a couple of boxes of old "Plasticville People" a while back; found them while I was digging for some postwar bits for him (which I still haven't found...yet). Between other projects, threw some paint on a few just to see how they'd turn out using matt medium mixed with the diluted wash:
This is quickly becoming my favored method for cranking these out, and it seems to work equally well with the ships. I haven't quite gotten the recipe sorted, but I think we're getting close.
Normally an overspray with some Tamiya clear matt, but I haven't done that yet. Prewar toy figures typically had a gloss finish, and if I want to use these with the station project, I might want to give them a shot of clear gloss or satin. Not sure yet.
This is quickly becoming my favored method for cranking these out, and it seems to work equally well with the ships. I haven't quite gotten the recipe sorted, but I think we're getting close.
Normally an overspray with some Tamiya clear matt, but I haven't done that yet. Prewar toy figures typically had a gloss finish, and if I want to use these with the station project, I might want to give them a shot of clear gloss or satin. Not sure yet.
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Re: Figure painting
Those look good!
Conservatism: The intense fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.
Re: Figure painting
healey36 wrote:I took some time to try painting a 1/48-scale figure using the methods I use on the 1/2400-scale ships. The results were mixed:
Lots of detail on the guy's clothes, but a zombie-like face. Lack of detail usually dooms a wash/dip attempt, and that shows here. With the exception of the Tamiya matte overspray, all acrylic here. I used two parts Vallejo black wash/one part water/one part matte medium. Might try straight wash next time.
You can get away with a lot at the smaller scale, not so much here.
Greetings Healey,
Your talent ala painting is light years ahead of mine, and I think it's limitations are mostly due to the quality/accuracy of the items you are painting. To borrow the old line: You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
That brings to mind (what's left of it...LOL) something (I think I read recently) where actual living people were scanned to create a miniature likeness. I think the process was being done somewhere in Britain. Just wondering if anyone else had encountered the same piece?
From what's out there today I think Preiser and Arttista are some of the better options. A lot of the other stuff out there looks like the figures evolved from Cabbage Patch Kids!
Rich
Re: Figure painting
I've not seen articles about scanning human forms/features to create figures, but given the rapid advances in facial recognition and 3D printing, nothing would surprise me. I haven't tried 3D printing myself, yet, but I might soon. The central office of the public libraries of both Carroll and Baltimore County offer 3D printing services.
Having bought a number of 3D printed bits from various vendors, I've observed a lot of variability as far as quality goes. An inexpensive printer leaves "layer" lines and a lot of flash, better printers not so much. Before I order anything substantial from a printer, I typically get a small inexpensive item from them just to see what the print quality looks like.
As far as figures currently available goes, I'm a firm believer in (1) not spending too much time on them, and (2) if they look okay from two feet away, they are good enough for me. Facial features and creases in clothing are critical. If a figure has a decent amount of each, it will nearly always turn out nice. If not, it might look like an alien.
Having bought a number of 3D printed bits from various vendors, I've observed a lot of variability as far as quality goes. An inexpensive printer leaves "layer" lines and a lot of flash, better printers not so much. Before I order anything substantial from a printer, I typically get a small inexpensive item from them just to see what the print quality looks like.
As far as figures currently available goes, I'm a firm believer in (1) not spending too much time on them, and (2) if they look okay from two feet away, they are good enough for me. Facial features and creases in clothing are critical. If a figure has a decent amount of each, it will nearly always turn out nice. If not, it might look like an alien.
Re: Figure painting
healey36 wrote:Having bought a number of 3D printed bits from various vendors, I've observed a lot of variability as far as quality goes. An inexpensive printer leaves "layer" lines and a lot of flash, better printers not so much. Before I order anything substantial from a printer, I typically get a small inexpensive item from them just to see what the print quality looks like.
As far as Arttista, I notice that all figures of the same ilk are not equal realism wise. They are made in molds, so I suppose how good they look depends upon the care with which they are made. I try and pick the better of them (when there is more than one of the same type) when I buy them. I have seen SOME Preisers that looked flat out real and others that were really so-so. I'll do some searching to see if I can find where I saw the scanning bit!
From what I see of your stuff, given a good enough figure, it will look real. You are very proficient.
Re: Figure painting
Thanks, Rich. I will freely admit that sometimes the camera can be a bit flattering (and sometimes unflattering). We'll see how they look in room light on the layout.
I find Arttista figures to be somewhat of a mixed bag. The poses are generally great, but sometimes it seems the molds are growing a bit tired, so the details are not so sharp anymore. I recently bought a few more of the hobo figures, and the facial features were much less well-defined compared to the ones I got a few years ago. The same thing happens with the model ship castings, although with them there is frequently a problem of mold lines, and that is really annoying (especially when you're paying nearly twenty bucks for one casting). I've actually returned them on occasion, it's been so bad. It will be interesting to see how long the metal casting process/product stays alive as 3D printing gets better.
There's an outfit in Britain that makes really nice O-scale figures, but I can't think of the name of them. I'll poke around and post a link if I find it. Their stuff is really nice, but really expensive.
Paul
I find Arttista figures to be somewhat of a mixed bag. The poses are generally great, but sometimes it seems the molds are growing a bit tired, so the details are not so sharp anymore. I recently bought a few more of the hobo figures, and the facial features were much less well-defined compared to the ones I got a few years ago. The same thing happens with the model ship castings, although with them there is frequently a problem of mold lines, and that is really annoying (especially when you're paying nearly twenty bucks for one casting). I've actually returned them on occasion, it's been so bad. It will be interesting to see how long the metal casting process/product stays alive as 3D printing gets better.
There's an outfit in Britain that makes really nice O-scale figures, but I can't think of the name of them. I'll poke around and post a link if I find it. Their stuff is really nice, but really expensive.
Paul
Re: Figure painting
healey36 wrote:There's an outfit in Britain that makes really nice O-scale figures, but I can't think of the name of them. I'll poke around and post a link if I find it. Their stuff is really nice, but really expensive. Paul
Paul, oddly similar to what I read (or thought I read) except the part about scanning the "models" for the figures, as I am fairly sure what I saw was also produced in Britain! Wouldn't be the first time I have misread something! That said, what they are doing with computers and graphics these days makes my thought seem not all that far fetched! I will have to do some searching.
Rich
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Re: Figure painting
Haven't posted on here in a long time but saw this topic and thought I'd chime in.
When I saw it, I Googled "3D print yourself" and came up with a bunch of hits. There's links to people that will do it for a price and there's How-to videos.
I feel the actual printing would be easy, but drawing an object is where I fail miserably, and I used to be a draftsman back last century (1970s). CAD drawing and drawing using pencil and paper are nothing alike.
BobD
When I saw it, I Googled "3D print yourself" and came up with a bunch of hits. There's links to people that will do it for a price and there's How-to videos.
I feel the actual printing would be easy, but drawing an object is where I fail miserably, and I used to be a draftsman back last century (1970s). CAD drawing and drawing using pencil and paper are nothing alike.
BobD
BobD aka Drifty
The Crow Flies At Midnight
The Crow Flies At Midnight
Re: Figure painting
Seaboard Air Line Fan wrote:Haven't posted on here in a long time but saw this topic and thought I'd chime in.
CAD drawing and drawing using pencil and paper are nothing alike.
BobD
Bob, Welcome back! Absolutely correct. Artistic talent is a must......and I am woefully limited in that respect! My hats off to anyone who can make those little people look REAL!
Rich
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Re: Figure painting
Thanks Rich!!!
For a long time I've been wondering why I couldn't grasp the CAD concept, but your statement about artistic talent nailed it...I have none
That's why I haven't spent the $$$ on a 3D printer, if I can't design the piece myself what's the point? Sure I can buy or download a file but when it's a part that hasn't been designed yet what do you do?
I do have an O-scale model of Seaboard motorcar 2028 that was 3D printed by Zach Pabis, but I don't use a photo hosting site and can't seem to attach a file on the forum.
For a long time I've been wondering why I couldn't grasp the CAD concept, but your statement about artistic talent nailed it...I have none
That's why I haven't spent the $$$ on a 3D printer, if I can't design the piece myself what's the point? Sure I can buy or download a file but when it's a part that hasn't been designed yet what do you do?
I do have an O-scale model of Seaboard motorcar 2028 that was 3D printed by Zach Pabis, but I don't use a photo hosting site and can't seem to attach a file on the forum.
BobD aka Drifty
The Crow Flies At Midnight
The Crow Flies At Midnight
Re: Figure painting
healey36 wrote:
There's an outfit in Britain that makes really nice O-scale figures, but I can't think of the name of them. I'll poke around and post a link if I find it. Their stuff is really nice, but really expensive.
Paul
Are you talking of OMen, Branchline Figures, PLM, Aiden Campbell? There are quite a few.
Back to Preiser, some of their figures are in 1/48 and others at Continental O (1/45) if sizing matters to you, so be careful there. The UK stuff comes in at UK 0, which is 1/43.5 (7mm scale).
No-one ever forgets where they buried the hatchet.
Re: Figure painting
Omen was the outfit I was thinking of. I had posted a link to their site on the "O Gauge Resources" page awhile back but forgot about it. Looking at the site today, I see the owners have retired and are selling off all of their remaining stock (mentions they have sold the line):
https://www.omen-miniatures.com/
Their stuff is really well done, IMHO.
In my world, anything remotely close to 1/48 generally works, but sizing seems to vary widely even among some modern-era manufacturers that profess true scale.
https://www.omen-miniatures.com/
Their stuff is really well done, IMHO.
In my world, anything remotely close to 1/48 generally works, but sizing seems to vary widely even among some modern-era manufacturers that profess true scale.
Re: Figure painting
A few more Plasticville people for the station, a bit of touch-up required:
The guy in the middle was intended to be a patrolman, but I painted him to represent Brigadier Watts-Philpott, a British Army officer of some note (?). The "uniform" doesn't quite work, but only a few would ever know. He has this weird arm thing going on, which I'm not sure why he's made this way. I drilled a hole in his hand and gave him the stereotypical riding crop Right, then...
The guy in the middle was intended to be a patrolman, but I painted him to represent Brigadier Watts-Philpott, a British Army officer of some note (?). The "uniform" doesn't quite work, but only a few would ever know. He has this weird arm thing going on, which I'm not sure why he's made this way. I drilled a hole in his hand and gave him the stereotypical riding crop Right, then...
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Re: Figure painting
healey36 wrote:...I painted him to represent Brigadier Watts-Philpott.....
Here now and I thought he'd be Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart,
Conservatism: The intense fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.
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