Painting Minis & Paints

The weather finally turned for the better for a few days, which means one thing for me: painting season begins!

Painting Minis

I've made some progress on a mini for Galoob Jah, our newest addition. Tough to find someone that could work because goblins with rapiers are a non-existent portion of my collection. We ended up with a gnome I found looking through my Bones Vampire set.

I also did some work on a an orc war boss with way too much fiddly detail, knocked off four orcs (now awaiting quickshade), did a couple of monsters (ditto), knocked off a big dude, painted a dog (now awaying matte finish), started on a Pathfinder Goblin for a test run on some colors, and did 90% of the work on a mini just sitting around (a lizard dude I just couldn't mentally color - then, suddenly, I could). Finally I did a Bones skeleton, with a super-quick base coat job. I didn't like how the last set came out (they look actually bad), so I want to try one guy with simple colors plus quickshade and see if that works. The previous technique I tried looked good on paper but I couldn't execute it well.

I also started working on some "easy" paint jobs. Candelabras, a quick-and-easy monster, a treasure chest, etc. - just stuff that doesn't take a lot of attention or color decisions. Even two really big monster minis I've got that are really just basecoat/drybrush/wash/highlight guys - maybe 4-5 layers of paint, and literally no decisions about what colors because it's obvious what they must be.

By a quick count I've put 14 minis into the "ready to shade or seal" pile and made significant progress on 8 more and minimal (but actual) progress on 4 more, plus some assembly. That last part took some time, because I am capable of losing my super glue in 1.2 seconds flat. I needed to go buy more, and then find someone at the arts & crafts store to unlock the super glue from the rack.

Oh, and I found and finished the two mini demons from the Nurgle set. I really should have just finished them and mounted them to their boss's base, but I got the urge to mount them together on their own base, making them a bit more useful in actual play. Now they can shuttle around doing these for their dread master, who they hate and love and fear and wish to replace . . . Hail Nurgle!

Paints

Speaking of that lizard I suddenly started to paint - I base coated him in purple, then Ral Partha Mind Flayer Mauve, then hit him with metallic purple highlights. I bought that paint at least 10 years ago, and it was dusty and old when I bought it - it's the oldest paint color I have. I have another pink (er, mauve) that's almost identical, but I love the consistency and pigment depth of this extremely old paint. And I shake it in frustration at the newer paints I bought and had go dry in no time even in sealed containers in a dark, cool place. I'm looking at you, Reaper Pro Paints.

Color Wheel

Yes, I'm finally learning how to use one. I just don't have any clue what colors go together. I tend to copy color schemes for my minis and adapt them. Or just copy color for color from other people's painted minis. I need to learn how to couple colors together in the same way I learned to couple exercises together in complementary or contrasting ways.

My sister is an artist and passed this site on to me: Color Wheel Artist. Still, I'm wondering if there isn't a good video tutorial aimed at miniature painting. Anyone know one?


In any case, I might get a chance to pick up my good camera this weekend from where it's been quietly languishing at my mom's house. If so, I'll get a few picks of the non-secret minis I've painted and get them posted up.