I found this book very helpful

Verlinden Productions Modeling The System Vol. 1 - Figure Painting VG+

Glamdring

Does anyone here ever work with Zinnfiguren?  I went on a spending spree a while back and have painted a couple using the Vallejo acrylics I had on hand, but want to try with oils instead because I struggle getting a smooth finish with the acrylics. 

What are the best online resources or how-to guides for figure paint with artist oils?

Thanks in advance! 

I don't know of any guides, particularly not online, since I never used one. But I do recommend having a look at PlanetFigure, a forum for figure painters:

https://www.planetfigure.com/forum/

There, you'll find a good number of threads about using oils, because a lot of figure painters still do use them.

The advantage to oil paints is their slow drying time.  So the technique with oils is to lay down your shadow and highlight colors next to your base color-on the fold of a sleeve, for example, and then you blend the paint along the border between the colors, to create the transition.

I have done what you describe, I bought a bunch of flats-years ago, now-and oils, because I wanted to try painting them the classic way.  But while the techniques with oils are simple, it takes practice to get good at them, and I didn't have the patience to continue.  So my oils are pretty much for weathering.

But have a look at PlanetFigure.

Also, if you happen to use Facebook, we have a group from the Miniature Figure Collectors of America (MFCA), and many experienced painters belong, people from the US as well as our European friends.  The group serves as our forum.  You can ask questions and post picutres of your work, and get a ton of good advice.

Hope that helps!

Brad

Years ago, FSM had an article on painting tin flats figures. If you have access to old issues of the magazine, try looking there. I know that I have it in a back issue somewhere. But those are all packed away for now, pending set up of my new hobby display room.

Thanks for these suggestions!  I snagged a used copy that book from a semi-local hobby/gaming shop.  

I will make a special trip out to FB and check out that group.  I am on (and detest) Facebook, these days it is almost a necessity to have an account.

I bought the 25 year FSM collection years ago, will fire it up and try to find the article.

Glamdring

Thanks for these suggestions!  I snagged a used copy that book from a semi-local hobby/gaming shop.  

I will make a special trip out to FB and check out that group.  I am on (and detest) Facebook, these days it is almost a necessity to have an account.

I bought the 25 year FSM collection years ago, will fire it up and try to find the article.

 

Here‘s a helpful lead, I looked it up on the online index and it shows the article is in the Feb ‘92 issue.

https://finescale.com/~/media/files/pdf/magazine-index/fsmindex.pdf

There is some stuff on utube. If I remember correctlt I searched under 'painting model figures in oils' It was a bit hard to find, but it was worth it.

the Baron

I don't know of any guides, particularly not online, since I never used one. But I do recommend having a look at PlanetFigure, a forum for figure painters: https://www.planetfigure.com/forum/

Brad,

Thanks for that pointer to Planet Figure.  It has been many, many years (30+) since I finished a figure (interesting dual meaning there...) and maybe that will get me back on the ball.  In the days when I was painting figures, the "community" was bounded by people in my city and the Campaigns, Military Modeling and Airfix magazines.  This new internet era completely removes the borders. 

Thanks!
Rick