One thing I love about this hobby is the diverse ways in which it can be enjoyed. Playing games, writing rules, building terrain, designing scenarios, reading history, attending conventions, and sharing experiences with friends are just some of the many activities to be savored. For me, one of the most gratifying aspects of the hobby has always been the building of armies. I find everything from the organizational research, figure selection, basing decisions, uniform research, and painting to be most satisfying. Who can deny the visual appeal of a freshly painted miniature army displayed in a Grand Review or who hasn't experienced that anxious thrill as a new army faces it's initial trial by fire. After all the time and care involved in raising an army, it is a joy to finally deploy it on the field of battle and learn which units lead a charmed existence and which, despite their real life historical record, just seem jinxed.
Unfortunately with long workday commutes, a challenging career, and a very active family life, I found myself left with less time to enjoy the hobby. I missed the relaxing and restorative process of painting figures while listening to music. More importantly, I missed the sense of accomplishment one feels as new units are completed and a miniature army grows from concept to reality. What I needed was an occasional sanity break. That is when the idea of a mobile painting kit struck me.
I found that barring business lunches or client meetings, I sometimes had one or two lunch hours a week to myself. I would often spend this time at a fast food restaurant, eating greasy food and reading some trade journals. This proved hardly relaxing or healthy. Instead, I wondered if it would be possible to devote some of this time to painting. The main problem I faced was how to condense all the accumulated tools and materials found on my home painting table into a mobile kit containing just the bare essentials.
For mobile painting to work I needed to find solutions for three key requirements: light, storage, and a stable painting surface. I quickly determined that the best place to paint would be in my car. Sunlight, assisted by a sunroof, would provide as good or perhaps better lighting than my lamps at home. Also, in the car I could pull into a nearby hotel or strip mall parking lot and not waste valuable time driving to a painting location. Storage would be solved by many of the fine plastic boxes available today. The primary remaining obstacle I faced was finding a stable painting surface. The last thing I needed was to spill paint on myself or on the car's upholstery. I found the solution to my painting surface needs to be the "10 Gallon Heavy Duty Tote Box" from "Sterilite."
This Tote Box is similar to others made by companies such as Rubbermaid, with the exception that the lid is very rigid and when removed from the box it provides a strong portable desktop. Measuring 20" long by 15" wide the lid fits snuggly on my lap between the car's arm rests. In addition, it also has a raised rim, which could prove useful in the event of a paint spill. Best of all the entire 10 Gallon Tote Box is just the right size for storing the rest of my supplies. In order to further reduce the chance of a paint bottle spill, I superglued a grommet onto the tote box lid. Let me explain. At any good hardware store you can find grommets designed to be placed in holes usually drilled through desktops to allow computer cables to pass through. The grommet I used is approximately 1.5 inches wide and is formed in such a way that, when glued upside down on the tote box lid, it tightly holds a bottle of Ral Partha paint with no fear of accidental tipping. Now I had the makings of my mobile painting kit.
Inside the trunk of my car I keep the tote box which contains the following items:
One 11 inch plastic "Stack-On, Keep All" organizer box that looks like a small tool box with a handle. Inside I store 20 bottles of Ral Partha acrylic paint, a 2 ounce flip top container of fresh water for brush cleaning, and a small plastic bottle with a lid which I believe is designed to store ink or mixed paints. I use this bottle to actually clean the paint brushes in. I also keep three paint brushes (sizes 0,1,3) in a separate compartment of this box.
One plastic organizer storage box commonly found in craft stores, which contains 24 to 36 primed figures mounted on wide Popsicle sticks for ease of painting.
Some glossy advertisement inserts found in the Sunday newspaper. I place a sheet on the tote box lid while painting to keep it clean.
A roll of paper towels to help clean the paint brushes and to have on hand just in case of accident.
That's all! Nice and compact. As you can imagine, the bulk of my painting is still done at home. Obviously, there are a lot of tasks I don't attempt in the car such as figure cleaning, filing, priming, lacquer coating, or basing. In addition, any item I generally paint using washing techniques such as horses, buildings, or wagons are not suited for the car. However, I am able to accomplish a surprising amount of my figure painting with this mobile kit and it is amazing how the completion of an extra unit or two quickly adds up.
For me, the benefits of mobile painting have been most gratifying. The occasional hour I spend painting provides the satisfaction of seeing my miniature army projects progress steadily toward completion. More importantly, I find this activity to be a refreshing sanity break, which allows me to clear my mind and return to the realities of the workplace with renewed vigor and a positive attitude.
So there you have it. I know it may not be suited for everyone, but my experience with mobile painting has been very positive. If the time ever comes when your painting projects are stalled, your dream army remains incomplete, or you find yourself getting temperamental at work or home; then you might consider the benefits of mobile painting. Relief can be as close as the trunk of your car.
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© Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum
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