Starting Afresh – Urgency

[Angel Barracks]

So some of you know that historically I only do one scale/one ruleset at a time.

For years it was 6mm Napoleonic type stuff, then for years it was 6mm sci-fi, then for years it was 15mm fantasy.

I am now doing along side the 15mm Burning Sands stuff, some 10mm WFB.

The new project also involves Samantha (Dark Elves) and possibly some friends down the road (Lizardmen and maybe Skaven?).
Unlike the last few games it involves a heavy amount of figures to be painted, hundreds rather than dozens.

As actual other people are involved this means more chance for games, woot!
As such though I am keen to get everything painted asap, as playing with unpainted is not as cool.

But having to paint so many, as quickly as possible in units of between 10 and 30 figures is boring.
I have as a result used less fancy methods and not painted as well as I can.

Does anyone else cut corners on what they can do in order to get painted figures on the table, or would you rather wait and do your best?

[Darkest Star Games]

I’m going to have to say…. depends.  I have a few projects that are mainly for solo play that I am taking my time with.  But, I also have some projects that were for either friendly play or conventions, and those I was rather hurried by due to timelines.  For these games I went through rather fast and didn’t paint to the standard I usually did as I needed to get things on the table.  But I did go back later and do my best to bring the passable jobs up to the standards I wanted.  This was good, as each game we played or each time I put on the convention game everything looked better and people noticed.  Luckily there was generally enough time between games that I had time to take a break before going back to the project, thus avoiding burn out.  There was a bit of monotony though, and it was tough to go back to it.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Deleted User]

I cut corners all the time. Unless I was painting characters or 1-2 miniatures at the time I’d only put on the basic colors and leave it as that, because I know I’d be irritated by the incompete paint job and repaint them eventually. It works for me to get minis painted.

[Nathaniel Weber]

Yes, I definitely cut corners. If the uniforms are complicated—say, all the lacing on a samurai’s armor—I don’t bother with highlighting, for example.

For projects which will have lots of troops on the table, I do simple paint jobs. The only highlighting I do on lots of projects now is hands and faces, to speed things up.

I usually go for campaign rather than parade ground look (easier to paint, and you can cover mistakes/laziness with mud or dust).

I have also moved away from texturing bases careful to just using different shades and coarseness’s of flock, to speed basing.

If i can find a can of spray paint in the right base uniform color, I’ll prime in that.

[ian pillay]

I cut corners all the time, I tend to block paint then dip – even at 6mm this works for me. Use the same process on my 10mm Warmaster armies and anything bigger.
If you get Skaven they will be easy to paint in this method, get some brown spray paint, spray them that as a base colour, pick a few out to be grey, black etc pick out clothes, weapons and shields then dip.

Cheers

Ian

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Whirlwind]

Angel Barracks wrote:

Does anyone else cut corners on what they can do in order to get painted figures on the table, or would you rather wait and do your best?

I would put it the other way around – for a few things I try to do my best, but that is not necessary for most stuff.

[Logain]

Angel Barracks I have the exact same experience.

I do exactly the same as Thomason. Base coat the minis, base them and then play with them, upgrade and finish paint jobs later.

 

[madman]

Gawd no. I paint 6mm WWII to modern. I usually have 100 to 300 on the go at a time. My base coat is the most common colour on the mini (usually the primary uniform colour). I do not prime, just the base uniform colour. Even the “simplest” figures have 6 or more colours, usually 8 or 9 and some go as high as a dozen. I work and often a unit will take months to be finished.

[Steve Johnson]

With 10mm I’ve learnt the old adage to “paint the unit, not the figure”. Frankly once on the table top you really don’t notice the small mistakes etc. Flags, backs and bases are important, as that’s what you tend to see. I still try and paint to a decent standard, which is base colour, then a wash of Devlin Mud followed by a few highlights to make the unit pop at a distance. Consistency is the key IMHO.

For command bases you can spend  more time of you want, making little vignettes, but I tend to keep it simple, or at least try to.

[Thaddeus Blanchette]

Use Army Painter’s method. It works on small figures, too, and it can really speed things up!

We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

[Alan Hamilton]

I paint the vast majority of my figures to a reasonable standard by undercoating with white, base colours, a very few details, then a darkish wash to provide a sort of shading and then a lighter dry brush finished off with varnish.  My figures are used for battles and are commanded by grandchildren (7 to 13 years old), adults (up to 84 years old) and so get a lot of use and a lot of handling (and repairs!)

This system allows batch painting without boredom as it is simple and quick.  It also allows children to achieve decent results without too much grandad assistance.  Though I do sometimes tidy them up.

When batch painting I often have 2 or 3 (rarely more) units on the go at a time, each one at a different stage.

In some projects the characters, officers, nobles or whatever get a different more individual treatment and so a few of them usually sit on the shelf above the light tube to be done for a break or a bit of variety,

Just now I have 2 groups of Celtic Cavalry on the main table and at the side a Celtic chief, 2 Roman Tribunes, a wizards and Andromeda chained to a rock for a bit of variety.

[telzy amber]

Use Army Painter’s method. It works on small figures, too, and it can really speed things up!

If you don’t mind, what is Army Painter’s method in this sort of situation?

edit

Nevermind. For some reason I thought Army Painter was a painter. Obviously I’m completely confused today

[jeffers]

What can you see at arms length? Do that.

More nonsense on my blog: http://battle77.blogspot.com/

[deephorse]

I cut corners on figure painting – I pay someone else to do it for me.  I no longer have the patience, or life expectancy, to devote the hours I once did to painting hordes of soldiers.  I still prefer to assemble and paint my own vehicles/tanks etc. though.

Play is what makes life bearable - Michael Rosen

[Phil Dutré]

Try a different paintstyle: Simply a primer + a wash and/or highlight. Or use contrast paint.

That would give you “monochromatic” figures, but a proper basing really helps, and you could still paint shields in a different colour.

Of course, such a drastic change in visual style isn’t for everybody, but I feel that miniature wargaming is too stuck in the “model railroading” look.

[kevin halloran]

My painting imploded, though selectively.  I have hundreds of 28mm ancients painted and based but for the last two years have had 32 unpainted Successor phalangites and 12 Cretan archers staring at me and I simply cannot start on them.  I am almost finished on my 6mm Blenheim armies but my output has slowed right down and the last few dozen figures are taking an age.  I have large WW2 fleets in 1/4800 for Britain, France, Germany and Italy but cannot bring myself to start on my USN and IJN ships.  I have my last few dozen Afrika Korps and 8th Army 6mm infantry figures to paint but keep putting off starting.  And yet, I really enjoy painting 6mm AFVs and 1/600 WW2 aircraft.  Odd but there it is.

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