Medieval figures completed (pics)

you may have to do 2 or three coats to get a nice solid base coat. Several thin coats is better than 1 too thick coat that can fill in detail if the paint is too thick. Build it up and let it dry between coats. You may have to let it cure as some paints will rehydrate and you'll just move pigment around the surface and create thin spots again. If they are cured which can be anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days, dependent on the paint ,you should be ok to apply your next coat.

Renarts,

I have started the painting process. The chain mail is almost done. I start paint his cape/cloak. For the clock, I am using a chromium green by Windors. The first coat lookes okay but it does not cover very well. I am going to try another light coat and see what happens. I will try to borrow a camera this week and try to post pics, if I can figure how.

Hey SNOOPY,

Just got back from a medieval event doing some 1:1 "modeling" so I'm sorry for the late reply. The Andrea paints are produced by Vallejo so they are no doubt similar in quality and application.

You can thin them with water. If you have very hard water (a high mineral content) you can use distilled water or bottled water. The high mineral content can sometimes leave a slight scale or white staining (much like salt stains on a dark shirt on a hot day).

Pretty much anything that you are comfortable with or looks good can work for paninting figures. Though I use vallejo paints primarily for figures, I have and will use, oils, americana or liquitex acrylics, tamiya acrylics, humbrol, and in some instances testors enamels. If it looks good and you're happy with the finish then it works.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

RENARTS,

Do you always use Vallajo paints (I can't spell so for give me on my spelling)? All I have is Andrea Miniatures starter paint set. Any experience with these? Have any idea what I can thin them with? I do not have them in front of me but I think they are acrylic but unknown as to what type of acrylic. I will be starting to paint tonight and when I borrow a digital camera I will post pics, also when I have figured out how to post them.

I can't see the pictures in the post. Anyone have any clues as to why? I can see pictures in other post. As soon as I unpack mine I hope to post some pics if I can figure out how.
John

DDDDAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!! kick a*s renarts!! lookin awesome! I couldn't get the pics earlier also, but now......man do they look good.

-gringe

ok hopefully all fixed and here are some that I think were lost from old posts.

They're still not visible, at least on the computer I'm using. That's what I call irritating, after reading all those comments...

The pics were probobly relocated on the host server. I'll have to go back and find where they've been moved to and reinsert them in the post.

Snoopy,

I paint my figures from the inside out. Meaning that I paint the base coat of the flesh first, then the underclothes(if they show), gambeson or aketon, chainmail, plate armor if necessary (poulaines, pauldrons, plastron, grieves, cuisses, spaulders, helmet etc..) then surcoat.

This gves me a head start and all the basecoats are laid in and allowed to cure for at least 24 hours. Then I go in a detail the face and the cloting in the same order. HIghlights first then shadows. Any weathering to the clothing, equipment comes last.

Chainmail I paint as a very dark blue, very dark. Then I give it a wash of black, to give it some depth. Steel or metallic grey is drybrushed over that. then the "highlights" are done with chrome silver. (This is the lightest of drybrushings). To enhance the folds in the chainmail and give a little more depth to the shadow areas I finish in those with Tamiya smoke or another light wash of black.

Hope it helps.

Did the pictures get removed? I can't view them, all I see are the small boxes with little red "x"'s. From all the reaction, they sound like something I don't want to miss!

Regards;
Glenn

RENARTS - When painting knights, do you do the chain-mail first? I have this CD from Andrea that it does not really say whether the face, garment, or chain-mail should be done first. Any help hints?

Primer is just that.
I let it sit and cure for at least 24 hours after applying. I use vallejo acrylics for most of my figure work now. I used to put a base color down of acrylic and then use enamels or oils for shading. Its easier because you can get some nice physical blends with them. The acrylics though have a quality about them that really appeals to me. This requires a mechanical blend or layered technique of blending. Sort of making a topograhical map out of color. With each layer lighter and smaller then the previous till the highlights are built up. And conversely for the shadows. Any time lost doing it this way is made up for becuase of the shorter drying time of acrylics.

What kind of primer do you use. I primed these with Testor's Model Master Enamel Primer. At the time I did not want to order Andrea's primier straight from andrea so I used Testors. Any preference when working with figures or is primer just that primer?

There's the spirit!

If it hasn't been handled, I would go ahead, wipe it down (a paint brush would be sufficient) with some soapy water, rinse it and let it dry. If it's been handled alot since priming, I'd wash it and maybe give it a thin coat of primer.

RENARTS or anyone else,
I think I will start one this weekend. Just a question real quick though, if I have one with primer and it has been sitting around collecting dust, will it still okay after rinsing it with spoay water wash?

Nice work, especially on the heraldry.

C'mon Snoopy, you can do it.
You've already taken the first steps. The next is to start laying in the basic colors. Put a base of flesh on the skin areas, the shirt, belt, pants and shoes are next. Once you have a good base color on those than it will be time to move on to the next step. Baby steps first. Don't expect Bill Horan style figure painting the first shot out of the box. I think if you start 1 figure at a time and get through one, you'll get hooked and then not be able to get enough.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you do an absolutely horrible job, they make this stuff called thinner.... start over and do it again. I have a figure that I did almost 28 years ago. I look at it and wonder what I was thinking of. But you know....I'm still very proud of that very first figure.

If your at a loss, Kalmbach has an excellent book available. How To Paint Realistic Military Figures. There are others but this is a very good reference. And I'm sure that with the number of magpies on this forum, they'd love to impart all the adivice you'll ever need.

Nice looking figures. I have three I keep meaning to do but my nerves get into the way. Never done figures before so I cleaned up the flash and primed them but have not begun painting them yet. They are now a year old. Alittle bird keeps saying just try it and then the nerves kick in saying it is too difficult just keep watching for more tips on how.

Wow, again Mike! I can't say enough good stuff about your figures. I love them, wish I had the skills for them that you do bro!

Eric

great,beautiful,fantastic words are not enough if you put your ear against the pc screen you can hear them clashing , yelling ,screaming ect. thats one piece of fine work

Wow - absolutely fantastic!

Wow, that is sweet!! Awesome! Magnificent! I'm jealous.

great work.............as usual!!!!!!

Another medieval masterpiece, Mike. Great work, as usual. Can't wait to see the Napoleonics!

Mike you are the true master of the medievil , as always stellar work , the sheild painting is just incredible ! Great job man ! Ps the ground work is pretty kool too !

Wow....
Really, what else needs to be said about this. Amazing!

Man you do great stuff. I been looking at some Verlinden figures maybe I will try one soon. You should make a website, be what Swanny is to us plane builder, as to figure builders.

Masterfully done, thanks for the pics.

Once again I must to the Master.

Great work Mike your fiqures are impressive. Can't waoit to see your Napoleonic Fiqures.

Thanks for sharing