Tuesday, 5 August 2025

Painting

 If I have a painting style, which I don’t think l do, it is to cover a multitude of sins with Army Painter strong wash then varnish preceded by basic block painting in acrylics.

I fear this approach will not be appropriate to use with Suren Willie figures, any suggestions as how to proceed…


10 comments:

  1. There is merit in maintaining one approach to painting - consistency of outcome coupled with confidence [and improvement perhaps] in approach.
    Are the figures a separate project or are they to work together with the products of other manufacturers? Only the former might justify a new approach. If you want a mind bending novelty of painting with an old school outcome - undercoat in white and yellow and paint with oils blending colour everywhere.
    Stephen

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    1. Hmm , much to ponder here.
      Alan Tradgardland

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  2. It depends on the period you are painting. If it is one with lots of white in the uniform, then a black undercoat followed by a dark overall wash could be too much. I have used black undercoats and they are definitely quicker (about 25%) but they do dull the base colours. I always remember Tony Barton’s comment that artists don’t prime a canvas in black!

    I feel that washes are useful but you should expect to go back and highlight.

    I’m told that my style is quite bright. I use:
    1: a white undercoat,
    2: block paint the colour
    3: washes or diluted paint to line belts or creases- not overall but in specific spots
    4: highlight the raised bits with a lighter colour of the base
    5: varnish

    This isn’t the full Foundry triad method but a very simplified approximation. You could also consider that.

    I’ve found this book to be useful.
    painting-wargaming-figures-book-javier-gomez-valero

    Paint a couple of figures with different methods (including your current) and see what you like.

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    1. Painting ECW. Good ideas here.
      Alan Tradgardland

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  3. I used to do the full 'Kevin Dallimore' but now tend use an abbreviated version:
    Undercoat in black (I've always used a roughly 50:50 black wash, it hides the nooks and crannies and is easier to paint over)
    Paint in a darker base colour (the A in the Foundry paint range)
    Paint with the B colour leaving the A only in creases, etc
    Flesh I now do with the B colour then strong tone.
    I've experimented a lot recently with contrast paints and washes and haven't liked any of the results.

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    1. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the plethora of methodologies out there..
      Alan Tradgardland

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  4. I tend to follow the route you use, block, wash and varnish, works for me.

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    1. As for Donnie, your path works for me too, whatever I have on the painting desk.

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    2. I generally follow the safe basic route - block and wash. But I then look at the figures and if the wash has made the block colour a bit darker, I then go back and add another part coat of the block colour as a highlight.
      Tom

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    3. I will try my old way and then a new way , compare and contrast…
      Alan Tradgardland

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