Wednesday 20 May 2020

Joy in small things

I reuse boxes to store unpainted figures. The figures I was looking for yesterday were in a box a friend had reused when he sent me things ages ago. Peeking out from underneath my address label were part of some interesting looking stamps. I was able to remove the label and reveal these-

I was taken aback by the lovely pictures, the post box and the view, quite transported for a brief time.
Anyway the box contained something different and I am posting here my first efforts in 10mm for ages apart from a few fantasy figures. I couldn’t resist having a go at these-
It seems strange to be painting such small figures but I marvel at the detail that the maker has got in the people I prepared for painting yesterday. Any advice on painting this scale would be gratefully received.


12 comments:

  1. Lovely little animals Tradgardmastare!

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  2. When painting 10 and 6mm figures I use the following method:

    - prep figures for painting and work out what is needed for each unit
    - PVA glue to coffee stirrers in lines faces along the length of the stick
    - primer with a lighter undercoat either white of grey
    - work in batches that will make useable bases when complete; 8s or 12s depending on troop type
    - paint from the inside out using a lighter colour of the tone you want
    - do touch up any mistakes
    - wash with agrax earthshade or similar; mix the wash to 1:3 ratio with suitable medium
    - varnish
    - base with fine sand and wash the base sand in army painter soft tone
    - flock the base with 2mm flock in small patches; a little goes a long way at this scale

    Hope this helps

    Cheers Ross

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    1. Also depending on what you are painting the priming can save you a lot of time if you prime in the main base colour. So from the picture above prime in a light khaki or sand colour.

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    2. Thanks , I will try these methods.

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  3. The stamp illustration - would this make a good illustration of some river cities in Tradgardland?

    I think your Tradgardistan expedition / colonial askaris etc are not 20mm Jacklex Airfix size? There are some new colonial additions / releases by Mark Lodge http://jacklex.blogspot.com/2020/05/new-releases-colonial-german-infantry.html

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    1. The Jacklex figures a lovely but I am trying not to add to the lead mountain currently. I am very tempted. The river on the stamps made me think of the Great River in Lurland.

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  4. There’s a good guide to painting 6mm on the Baccus website. Should stand in well for 10mm too. It recommends a black undercoat and just a dab of paint in the main colours and the black undercoat acts as effective shadowing in folds and harder to reach places.

    I’ve used the method for a decade now for 6 and 10mm and it works en mass. (Just don’t look at mine close up. ‘Impressionistic’ is what I claim).

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    1. Just noticed what I call a ‘painting guide’, Mr Baccus calls a ‘How to’ guide and his painting guides are colour schemes for different armies. So to avoid confusion here is the link to the how to paint tiny soldiers page:

      https://www.baccus6mm.com/howtoguides/HOWTOPaint6mmfigures/

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    2. Thanks for the links and advice I will give them a go.

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  5. I can't offer any helpful tips for painting 6mm or 10mm. The smallest minis I ever painted were 15mm and that was a few decades ago when I could still see such small figures! ha ha

    Nice little critters there!

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    1. Thanks anyway, I do like the animals very much.

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