Figure painting (hobby)

Figure painting is the hobby of painting miniature figures and/or model figures, either in its own right or as an adjunct to role-playing games, wargames, military modeling, etc.

Miniature figurines come in a variety of sizes. Most figurines used in gaming range in size from 2mm all the way up to 54mm. Figurines also come in a variety of materials, with plastic, metal and resin being the three most prevalent. Popular scales for plastic figurines are generally 1/72 and 1/35 scale. Popular sizes for metal figures are 6mm, 15mm and 25/28mm. Plastic figurine makers generally stick to scale, while metal manufacturers generally categorize by size.

Resin is generally used for smaller manufacturers of kits and figurines in the model kit hobby due to its relative lower production cost compared to other materials, and in the hobby gaming industry is used in lieu of metal on larger pieces that would be cost prohibitive if made of metal (i.e: vehicles, large monsters and especially terrain items such as buildings).

Because of the small scale of these figures, the often finely sculpted detail can be lost by simply applying solid color. Many of special techniques allow the painter to emphasize the detail in the figure and make it "come alive".

The miniature figurine hobby has really taken two tracks to arrive at its present state. Initially war gamers used plastic figurines to re-create conflicts on the tabletop. In the 1970s, with the rise of the fantasy role playing market, metal figures became more widely available, and eventually overtook plastics in many areas of the hobby, though plastic figures remain popular with many painters and gamers.

Initially enamel based paints were the popular choice out of necessity until the arrival of acrylic based paints. Enamels are still popular in the plastic modeling hobby, while acrylic is the most popular for miniature figurines. However, preferences differ among individual artists. Materials most commonly used by the figurine painter are some type of primer to undercoat the figurine (making the paint adhere better), paint, brush and often a sealant of some sort to protect the figurine after it is painted.

Materials

Most hobbyists use acrylic paint, maybe artists' paint (such as Daler Rowney's Cryla) but more often that sold especially for painting minis and other scale models (such as Acrylicos Vallejo's Model Color and Game Color or Games Workshop's Citadel Colour). Some mini painters use enamel paint (e.g., Humbrol or Testors) or even artists' oil paint. Some hobbyists use synthetic Lacquer paints, such as Gunze-Sangyo's Mr. Color paint line. Lacquer paints are less commonly available in the United States due to safety issues.

Because the properties of oils, enamels, lacquers, and acrylics differ, different techniques suit different paints. Each kind of paint has a different thinner, used to thin the paint for a smoother coverage, and maybe to clean brushes. For acrylic water is used, for enamels enamel thinners or white spirit, for lacquer lacquer thinner and for oil paints white spirit. Thinners for thinning is added to the paint using an eye-dropper (pipette) or similar to avoid contaminating one color with another.

Different agents can be used with different kinds of paint. Retarder makes paints slower drying. Water-based inks can be used for washes. Flow aid is used with acrylics and inks. This reduces the surface tension of the water, to improve washes. Figures are very often varnished, especially if they will be used for game play.

Gloss varnishes are harder wearing than matte varnishes, but matte varnish often gives a more realistic finish. Exceptions are naturally glossy materials, such as polished leather and metals, and wet surfaces. Some enthusiasts use matte varnish over gloss varnish. This can also minimize the tendency of matte varnish to form a whitish residue when applied directly to paint.

Tools

Sculptors often use a high amount of detail in the figures, and painting may require the finest brushes, as fine as 00000 (5/0). Most painters will use a range of different brush sizes; 1, 00, and 0000 is a likely minimum set. Good quality brushes like Kolinsky sable brushes that take a fine point are preferred, although hog or synthetic brushes are better for "rough" work: undercoating and dry brushing. An Airbrush is also a commonly used tool. Airbrushing facilitates leveled painting surfaces and allows for effects like gradiants and soft blended edges. Because of the detail work involved, airbrushes with a small tip diameter are considered more useful.

A palette is used for mixing and thinning paints before application. Non-porous materials, such as a plain ceramic tile, avoid sucking the solvent out of the paint. A wet palette is especially useful with acrylics that dry quickly on a dry palette. A wet palette is a sealable container with a layer of absorbent material (such as tissue paper) that can be soaked with water and a semi-permeable membrane (such as greaseproof paper or baking paper (silicone paper)) over that. The paint sits on the membrane and is kept wet by osmosis. Wet palettes can be bought, but are easily made.

Techniques

Undercoating, commonly known as priming, provides a better surface for the paint to adhere to and – with white metal minis – inhibits corrosion of the alloy. The undercoat may be any color. Some painters always use black, which provides the deepest shadows in hard-to-reach areas that later painting might miss, but which can be difficult to cover with paler colors.

Highlighting and shading are complementary techniques used to emphasize the light and shade across the surface texture of the figure, such as creases and folds in fabric, fur, etc. Highlighting is the application of lighter tones than the base color to raised areas. Shading is the application of darker tones to recessed areas.

Blending ensures the smooth transition of the different tones into one another to improve the verisimilitude of the faux light and shade. This different tones are simply worked into one another on the figure while the paint is still wet. Blending works well with enamels (and oils) but not with acrylics, which dry too quickly, unless a retarder is used. The same effect as blending can be achieved with acrylics by applying successive layers of color in smaller and smaller areas ("feathers"). The layers of paint build up a "hill" of successively lighter (or darker) tones.

Dry brushing is a highlighting technique that works especially well with finely textured surfaces such as fur, feathers, and chainmail. After applying the base color and initial highlighting and shading, a very light tone is applied by lightly dragging an almost-dry brush across the surface. Washes of thinned paint or inks can be used to "fill in" the shadows. A very diluted transparent layer of color can be applied to soften harsh contrasts. Outlining is painting a solid dark thin line that separates areas and defines details by acting as a bold shadow. The darkest tone should be used. Black gives the greatest contrast and might suit minis rather than larger-scale model figures; this would be blacklining. Edging is a less-often used complementary technique with the lightest tone.

Metallic paints are available in all kinds of paint and can be used for metals. Some blending etc. may be required; for example, gunmetal might be highlighted with silver. Black or brown ink washes can provide suitable shading and can be particularly effective for large areas of metal such as plate armour. Most of these paints, however, are relatively dull and lack the "lustre" of true metal. Some painters use alcohol-based metallic paints that have a brilliant finish... but these need to be used with care, especially in conjunction with acrylics, as contact with water can cause tarnishing. Bright steel can be achieved with white metal and pewter figures by burnishing and gloss varnishing the unpainted metal. This works particularly well with swords, axes, etc. Many painters prefer to simulate the appearance of metals using non-metallic paints. For example, steel can by mimicked by using various shades of grey from black to white. The aim is not to define light and shadow but the play of light across a polished surface. This is really the same technique that airbrush artists might use to simulate a glossy surface, but applied to a 3D model.

Competition

Some figure producers promote Figure painting through competition. As an example, Games Workshop runs their Golden Demon competitions at Games Day events, which is restricted to Games Workshop's own figures or scratch-built figures for Games Workshop game settings.

References

• Sheperd Paine, Building and Painting Scale Figures (ISBN 1-85310-496-5)
• Jerry Scutts, Modelling and Painting Figures (Osprey 2000) (ISBN 1-902579-23-2)
• Alex Castro, The Art of Painting Miniatures Faces & Figures (Compendium Modelling Classics) (ISBN 1-902579-62-3)