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Painting white metal castings

Job's Modelling

Entry posted by Job's Modelling

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Although I like painting, I find painting metal figures still a difficult job.

I still have to find my way. In the pictures below the way I tried it this time.

 

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Step 1: priming the metal figures with an undercoat.

 

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Step 2: first cover with black paint

 

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Step 3: second coat with black paint

 

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Step 4: adding some basic colors

 

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Step 5: adding some more basic colors

 

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Step 6: dry brushing with paint.

 

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Finished figures after adding some pigment weathering and a coat of matt varnish.

 

And a picture of the some painted bollards in the diorama:

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I also added some basic weathering on the lower part of the warehouse.

In the mean time I tried to find some background information about painting figures. For Station Road I have again to paint some figures and other things.

I will than use this guide I found, summery below:

 

 

 

- Choice your colour scheme, form base to end

- Apply undercoat, a dark one for dark figures / parts

- Apply the basecoat, the most dominant colours of the model with light coats

- Add fine detail

- Apply a wash.

- Varnish the model with a matte varnish.

 

So also for me it means that I have to make a planning for painting my figures to get the right shopping list. There isn’t a good model shop in the place I live. Mostly I buy my paint in a larger town with a good art craft shop and model shop.

 

I will show that approach sometime in the future, when I have to paint some figures etc. for Station Road.

 

I wish everyone a good Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2014.

 

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Regards,

Job

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Mikkel
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Hi Job,

 

In that first picture we can really begin to see how good the warehouse scene is!

 

Interesting to see your painting approach. I am not happy with my own figure painting so very useful to see these experiments.  Personally I have not had much luck with dark undercoats yet, but I like the look of your porter in this picture:

 

blogentry-11675-0-71170400-1387643410_th

 

What I like here is that there is no shine, that his clothes look mat and slightly worn, and that there are "shadows" (the dark undercoat). Maybe it might even have been enough to stop at this stage? On the other hand, shadows can also be too much on figures, because the "contrast" effect becomes too strong. Very tricky, this figure painting thing!

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Job's Modelling

What I like here is that there is no shine, that his clothes look mat and slightly worn, and that there are "shadows" (the dark undercoat). Maybe it might even have been enough to stop at this stage? On the other hand, shadows can also be too much on figures, because the "contrast" effect becomes too strong. Very tricky, this figure painting thing!

 

I agree with you. Painting figures is very tricky. I personally think I had to go on with the way I did the first 4 steps until I had the result I liked. This would take some days more of painting.

I happy with the bollards.

The other problem is how to get the right picture.The use of light can make such a big difference. See the picture of step 6 and 7.

The main problem is I do more card modelling than painting figures.

 

as ever just excellent truly excellent

 

 

Thanks for the excellent compliment.

 

Job

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PaternosterRow
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Hi Job

 

Well done and excellently carried out - I find figure painting tedious and am prone to go for the ready painted Prieser stuff instead. It's very expensive though. I agree with Mikkel, as soon as I saw that third pic I thought you'd nailed it in just three goes!

 

I don't agree with Mikkel about his figure painting though as I think that he does it so well that his figures make his Farthing layout come completely alive.  See his Station Master for an excellent example of the craft.

 

Happy Christmas and New Year to you too.

 

Mike

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Job's Modelling

 

I don't agree with Mikkel about his figure painting though as I think that he does it so well that his figures make his Farthing layout come completely alive.  See his Station Master for an excellent example of the craft.

 

 

 

 I agree with you that Mikkel's figures are excellent. But I also know the high standard he tries to achieve. 

 I carried on after step 4 because I found the color of the figure not good enough. For my next diorama I need some high quality painted figures.

 I have learned from this session and your comments are very helpful to choose ( I hope) a better approach then.

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Mikkel
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Thanks gents for the kind words, but I still do feel figure painting is the hardest part of painting. Compared with the standards achieved by some wargaming and military modellers I think we can learn a lot from there, and some modellers on here are getting close to that.

 

One technique that I think has promise is mixing different shades of colour on the figure while the paint is still wet. I saw this on the webpage some years ago (can't find it now I'm afraid, but will do some more searching). I have tried this several times and rarely succeeded but when it does work out the resulting colour shades, -transitions and "texture" of it looks very convincing, I think.

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