I suppose that if I'm going to be presumptuous enough to try and write an article about figure painting, I should first attempt to establish my own credentials for the subject at hand. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to win five Southwest Society of Ancients painting championships, the Courier's award for best painted 15mm army in two different brackets at Origins 84, the USPSF's award for best painted 15mm army at the 1986 Championship, and several other awards at regional tournaments and painting competitions. I have been equally fortunate in my efforts to sell my work when the financial climates have forced me to, usually commanding fairly good prices.
Please don't misinterpret any of this, I'm not an expert by any means. I always hope that my next painted figure will be a little better than my last, and I'm always looking for new ways to achieve this. What I'm going to share with you is the accumulation of little "tricks" that I've picked-up over the years. I'm sure that there are other painters out there, just as qualified as myself, who could share their knowledge with you. My hope is that, in addition to helping a few of you with questions that you may have, I can stimulate a few of the other painters out there to share their techniques.
1. Clean the figure. This may sound a little obvious, but you'd be suprised at the number of otherwise well-painted figures I see that have "flash" lines under the paint.
2. Prime the figure. There are several different schools of thought on this. Several years ago, it was necessary to prime your figures to prevent what was known as "lead rot". This is not as much of a problem now, due to the improved quality of the metal being used. The primary advantage of priming is to provide a base upon which to apply the final finish. I prefer white primer, because it allows the painter greater control over the final product. Many painters like to use a black primer because it eliminates the need for any additional black-lining if done properly. Choose the style that suits you and go for it!
3. Plan your attack. Don't just grab a bottle of paint and start slapping it on. In some cases, your paint scheme will be determined by a historical prototype, in which case you will probably have a guide to go by. If you are not bound by these restrictions, you need to give some consideration to the colors that you will be using. As anyone who has ever taken an art course can tell you, certain colors simply do not go together. If you are not comfortable with choosing colors, either pick up a copy of Miniature Wargaming and check out the color pictures, or pick up a color guide from an art supply store. Believe me, the choice of colors does make a difference. Also, certain light colors, like white, flesh, and buff, don't cover dark colors without using several coats. It is a good idea to try and apply these lighter colors first and then work around them with your dark colors.
4. Visualize your finished product. If you know that you are going to want to blackline a particular part of a figure, try outlining that area before you apply the next color. This not only works as well as the traditional drafting pen method, it actually improves the finished product in many cases. It adds an illusion of depth to the figure that may not really be there.
5. Don't be afraid to experiment. It is possible, with a little thought and practice, to combine different techniques on the same figure. One combination that I'm very fond of involves painting the figure in very bright, opaque colors, blacklining the major parts of the figure, and then applying a very diluted wash to the entire figure. I use about one part burnt umber oil paint to six or seven parts of turpentine, which gives the figure a "sepia" tone; similar to an old photograph. Assuming that you are working with one of the better new figures on the market (preferably one with a lot of folds and creases), the effect can be very impressive.
6. Dr. Frankenstein had a good idea. Even in the most disciplined of "regular" units, it adds a certain amount of "character" to the finished product if one or two figures are just a little different. Sometimes this can be as simple a difference as bending an arm into a slightly different position. If you are really adventurous, you might want to try putting a different head on one or two figures, or adding a cloak to an officer figure. With the range of products available to wargamers these days, it is usually not necessary to convert entire armies like it was several years ago. A few conversions here and there can be the difference between a "good" looking army and a "great" looking one. It is not possible to explore all of the possible figure conversions in the scope of this article, but I would be willing to address the subject in a future article if the interest is there. Let Brian know.
7. Finish your figure. Nothing ruins a well-painted army as easily as putting the finished figures on a base that has received a token coat of green paint. Almost anything can improve upon that, but I will tell you what I use and why I use it. With the possible exceptions of golf courses and deserts, it is very difficult to find a surface that is entirely grassy or entirely devoid of vegetation.
Why, then, do we insist on forcing our troops to fight in such unnatural surroundings? I paint my bases a dark brown, letting the paint "puddle-up" slightly, and then dip the bases in a container of Woodland Scenics railroad ballast. I prefer to mix my ballast, using equal parts of the Brown-Fine and the Buff-Fine for 15mm figures, and adding the Brown-Medium for 25mm figures. After a few minutes in the container, I gently tap or blow off the excess ballast, leaving a nice earth-effect. Lot each stand, or base, dry for at least one hour before proceding. I will usually "sand" several units at a time, so that I'm not sitting around waiting for each stand to dry.
After the "sanded" bases have had sufficient time to dry, carefully dribble a little bit of a fairly-light green paint here and there on each base. Don't overdo it! Then, carefully, dip the bases into a container of Woodland Scenics Blended Turf-Green. After several minutes (usually five is enough) you can remove the stand and gently tap or blow away the excess "grass", leaving an extremely realistic surface.
A word of caution is in order here; be sure to varnish the base when you spray your figures. This surface does require some protection. One more thing. Paint the edge of your bases! It takes only a few seconds to do this, after you have "sanded" the base, and it really sets your figures apart from the crowd.
8. Varnish your figures. Anyone that is not varnishing their figures either hasn't had to repaint an old figure, or simply doesn't know that such products as matt varnish exist. I prefer to use gloss varnishes because they are usually more durable and they reflect light better, making my paint jobs stand out that much more. There are, however, a great number of people who prefer matt, or dull, finishes. Fear not, there are several companies that produce excellent matt varnishes in spray cans. Always allow any figure with metallic colors (gold, silver, brass, etc.) to dry for at least 24 hours before you attempt to varnish. These paints are made by suspending very small particles of metal in a liquid medium. If they are not completely dry, the varnish can dissolve the medium and allow the metal pigment to run or bleed onto the surrounding areas of the figure. You cannot believe, or appreciate, the frustration of spending several hours working on an intricate pattern or decoration, only to have it run right off at the first hint of varnish.
9. Don't keep secrets. If you develop a technique that works well for you, and you are complimented on your figures, share it. Only by sharing our collective experiences can we educate our newer members and elevate the efforts of our older ones. This journal is an excellent medium for sharing this type of information. Perhaps there could be a regular feature that would incorporate a painters guide, a converters corner, and a figure review. I would be glad to offer my services as an editor for this feature, but I would hate to end up writing every piece myself. My ideas are not the last word on the subject and your input would be needed. Again, let Brian know.
10. If you find a better way, forget all of the preceding except number 9. That's what its all about.
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© Copyright 1987 The American Civil War Society
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