Paints 'n' Cards

 I have mentioned the virtues of contrast paints in the past, but noted yesterday that I was able to paint 5 figures in about 15 minutes...

The central command figure is Valiant miniatures - a little bigger, but takes contrast paints so well - the others are Revell that I have not been inspired to paint for 20 years.

Now I had previously sprayed these a 'mustardy tan' (the army painter sand colour) - the undercoat very much being the key to contrast paint, and I used GW contrasts (see, they are good for something) and Army Painter speed paint.

This is all 'one' coat bar the webbing. I get highlights, detail on the flesh (check the fingers), and an overall finished impression.

 I have experimented with white, off white, and mustardy tan as undercoats, and the results are always good depending on what you want. Sword n Sorcery style figures seem to benefit from the pure white undercoat.

Now I have never been a painter of quality (uhh painting specifically that is; I am of course the veritable gentleman)- I want the troops on the table, and patience for 'serious' painting has always eluded me, but this method really works for me.

 

The contrast paint forms a dark tone, base colour and highlight in one hit. Now granted, for these British infantry I did use a little acrylic to highlight the webbing, but the time factor was the main thing...outstanding results, and more than enough for the 'two-foot rule', once the younger eyesight has gone. 

 

In other news, have lifted 'Field of Battle ww2' which used to be a house fave for larger battles - where a base is a company, and a maneuver unit a battalion. 

'Do you mean Clare-MON'T' Brooker???'

 

 

Now, this uses cards, and as those I used before are a little drab, I opted to make some for myself on menu cardstock...incorporating great ww2 Hollywood movies where practical...and WW2 pics where possible.

The Kelly's Heroes Morale card still makes me laugh

 

 

(It should be noted that most of the actors/actresses in these pics are dead now. RIP.)

Woof woof!

Ingrid Pitt, Mary Ure, Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton in the absolute classic 'Where Eagles Dare'. Sadly, only Clint is still alive.

'It's a mother beautiful bridge, and it's gonna be there...'

 Looking forward to these seeing some action.

 ...accompanied by the single best war movie theme ever written...

...although this one is a close second...

 

Contrast Paints

One of the things I always hated in the gaming sphere, was painting all the bloody miniatures. I liked to convince myself that I loved it, and bought all of the paraphernalia required, but to be honest, no matter what we tell ourselves, it's still a chore.

Some fantasy figures, from the 80s, plus a plastic Viking at centre - white undercoat and contrast paints

Without going into the history of 'contrast paints', and how they might singlehandedly have been responsible for saving the global conglomerate that is Games Workshop...I hadn't heard of them until last year, and done very little about it. The promise was a product that turned the three steps of priming (in black or white) then base-coating and highlighting 'into a single step, offering a base paint and a shade in a single coat'.

An old lead modern 80s British at left, with plastic and lead fantasy figs

Now that said, a white undercoat is still required, but , if you are not too picky about your paint job (I am not), it's a bloody marvellous idea. I have literally painted a miniature in 5 minutes - something which with the old 'black undercoat' and Foundry 'three coat' system of base and highlights that I used to use, would have been impossible previously. What it has done is enabled me to turn the piles of unpainted lead and plastic, into painted miniatures - now bearing in mind the D&D game that I was running, plots have actually developed from the availability of random miniatures who, now painted, have become characters in the stories.

Flesh tones tend to do very well with a white undercoat

I have used both GW's version and the Army Painter versions - the results are for the most part acceptable, though some colours don't give the definition you'd like - but all in all, it works.

Greens on monsters lack a little definition, though again, a highlight or drybrush can transform if needed

White undercoat with some (very) old Lamming moderns - contrasted with the finished troop - again the skin tones - a single coat - really bring things to life, whilst the green needs a little work

Again the green in its virgin form - the guy on the right is playable after 5 mins painting.

A great idea, great finish, and perfect for the lazy painter.

DON'T PANIC ! (part ...the second)

As posted previously,  I like to scare the living daylights out of myself by actually posting the state of the nation , errr painting table.

Now, this innocent little picture shows:

(1) the number of projects that have been, started...but not as Magnus would have said, actually finished.
(2) projects which seemed shiny at the time time but never got off the ground
(3) random regiments which need to be finished for a larger game, but of course distraction prevails.

The guilty parties include :
a) Axles and Alloys 'Battlecar' style conversions with matchbox cars and weapons of various scales http://axlesalloys2.blogspot.co.uk/
b) a regiment of late seventeenth century French dragoons
c) a 1/72 scale 1970s Chieftain tank and a large 'toy' scale M1 Abrams
d) 1/32 Airfix US Infantry undergoing conversion with Garands in place of carbines (scalpel and finger cut issues there)
e) a 25mm scale Dixon woodland indian (perched atop Chieftain)
f) 2No homecast Prince August knights

No wonder I never get anything actually done!

Painting Table Recon...DON'T PANIC!

'Sir, I regret to inform that the content of this damned painting table shows no planning, or desire to get anything finished...it's a bloody shambles Sir!'

'Tis true, I must confess.

With talk of doing a Charlie Company campaign with a larger group of players, the partly painted 'Figures Armour Artillery' Vietnam figures (I think...though there are a few Platoon 20 relics in there too)  that I got in the '90s - now no longer available(?) - have pushed their way past troops for the Boyne refight, 15mm 7 Years War French, and even my 25mm AWI British.

If I were a painting factory, I'd probably be as far from 'lean' manufacturing as you can get *sigh*


Keep calm...and carry on...or something like that.

In other news...

The next Rapid Fire game has been unavoidably delayed by a week, so here's a taster of which year it might be set in. German armour - early camo - heading east is it? The scenario is from a certain 'blue book expansion' for RF.

In other news, I found some wonderful little frames and dice, which are very useful for Volley & Bayonet. They can be used to hold dice, allowing hits to be recorded and to show red/yellow disruption markers. They appear to be 2mm lasercut MDF (ohhh we loves mdf we do, precioussss).

Available here:
http://www.minibits.net/

And finally...
Look what is on the varnishing tray. Modern Spearhead anyone?

(Apologies for pic quality - it was darkish).