30mm for beginners

[Brian]

 

[Brian]

Now you got some guys that look like people so lets have a go at the rest of the fig, decide on the colours you want and have a go, you will see I have blue top, dark blue in all the cresses and edges  followed by the same blue but added to white to give a lighter colour and add this to give the shirt it’s colour not painting over the dark blue, so now you’ll have the blue shirt with shading to really bring it to life the hi-lighting can be done in two ways, white or yellow not mixed but straight from the pallet added to the tops of the cresses, shoulder  and anywhere you think light would full on the shirt and after a little blending your there. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

 You will use the same idea for the rest of the figure and adding fine detail as you go, colours and shadows again don’t use black, for red it’s blue, yellows is brown. Green is blue and so on, hi-lights are mostly white  but greens and reds use yellow,   also you’ll  notice  I’m not letting the paint dry, we are painting wet on wet and as long as you do not load the figure with paint you’ll have control of your colours but be adventurous and bold .
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Detail can be added like badge and belt, golf clubs can be given a basic colours and hi-lighted with yellow and white .
 Once you think your finished have another look, maybe the face is not right, add senna carefully to bring out the detail again, or it might be you can add some more white, look at the figure your find something that’s just not there, go back sort it out till your happy and your done.
This is just to get you started but the same techniques are used on all 30mm and remember a dot or line with the brush can represent loads of different things. Take time to look at the way clothes fold and catch the light, play and mix with the colours and see where you go and you will soon have an eye for colour, some of the best figures  start at the paint pallet and not the brushing.
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This is not a show winning painting, it is just to show you the basics and get you started. after a few figures you will be getting "your style" of painting so give it a go    
Have fun !!!

[Brian]

What we’re doing is just one side so the figures get mounted on card, cut a small slot with the scalpel and the base of the figure will fit in so the figure is secured, [ Guests cannot view attachments ] next undercoat with two thin coats of the white acrylic and leave for a few hours .
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Before we start the painting I will be using a few basic colours
Burnt Senna
Yellow Ochre
Green
Dark Blue
Dark Brown
Naples Yellow    (a Pale Yellow)
White
Crimson red
These are in a basic starter set, you’ll note no black try to avoid this one as it can kill the colours
Brushes, we’ll be using a 3/0 for these figs but look after them, what I do to clean the brush is  have a kitchen towel   and after dipping in white spirit  draw the brush twisting  between thumb and fingers in one direction with a 30% angle from the towel, no squeezing the brush with tissues and never leave the hairs of the brush touching anything and always replace the sheath after use, add white spirit to the paint with the brush and mix till it’s a smooth milky texture and your ready to go.
 
Right let get to the fun bit, start with the flesh and this is done with Burnt Senna first, around the hair line, jaw, nose ,eyes , mouth and anywhere the flesh and clothes touch a thin line is applied, [ Guests cannot view attachments ] next mix the Senna to White to a very light pink and cover the face and arms leaving the senna to shade and outline the features [ Guests cannot view attachments ] . Next use white on the top of the nose, cheeks ,forehead, tops of arms and hands and blend, don’t over do it and try to keep the light and dark in the right place, if you go to far it will turn to mud, you can always return to is later.

[Brian]

This will be a short guide to the way I paint these great little figures, it may not be the right way but it will get you started and on the way to a nice figure, it will hopefully give you the confidence to have another go.

We will start with tools, brushes will start with two, 3/0 and 5/0 they don't have to be the merger expensive W&N 7 or De Vinci as ProArte do a good and inexpensive set of brushes that are just right for what we do.
Paints, oils to start with but again all you need is basic colours and the W&N Winton is a good price and the box sets are a great way to get you started and a white acrylic for undercoating, a tear-off paper palette is a good idea as well. 
Files, any of the needle types will do and again can be got as sets, but a mouse tail file will come in handy now and then plus a good scalpel .
White Spirit for brush cleaning and paint thinning and kitchen towels [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Ok you got your tools so lets chose the figures, this is basic and no uniforms to follow, do the colours you like, the set is golf  [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Lets get started, todays tin don't need the old vinegar baths we use to have to do so start with trimming the flash from the figures with your files and separating the four figures.
More to come but here's a few web sites

 http://www.jacksonsart.com/Art_Departments-A-Z_All_Departments-Oil_Painting-Oil_Colour-Winsor_&_Newton_Winton_Student_Oil_Colour/c2129_2128_1822_1831_5848/index.html

http://kulturserver-san.de/home/scheibezinn/index.htm