Author Topic: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis  (Read 6320 times)

sadlerbw

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Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love painted minis and greatly prefer them over bare metal or a coat of primer. However, despite my best efforts I just don't enjoy doing that painting myself. While spending two days this past weekend producing a total of 14 sub-mediocre paint jobs, I had lots of time to think about this, and I've come up with the following problems:

1. Time: I still haven't figured out how to paint minis quickly, and it takes me the better part of a day to do 6-8 mechs, assuming they are already assembled, on bases, and primed. I use brushes exclusively as I've always been hesitant to spend money on an airbrush for something I don't particularly like doing in the first place. I don't know if I'm being too picky for my skill level in terms of cleaning up mistakes or trying to paint greeble/details, but an hour a mech is about as fast as I've been able to go. If I could crank out a mediocre mini in 10-15 minutes I might not mind, but spending at least an hour for mediocre is not how I want to spend my time.

2. Quality: I suck. No two ways about it, I am not a good painter. My hands are moderately steady, but they cramp up trying to manage fine details. I tend either put on paint that is too thick and lose details, or it is too thin and looks splotchy or has bubbles in it. I can do an edge highlight on a sharp, protruding edge, but a ridge in the middle of a panel? Yeah, Imma just leave a lake of paint somewhere if I try that. I'm also not great at managing the opacity of paints. My highlights end up too bright, my washes end up making things too dark and dirty looking. I've got a magnifier I wear to help me see what I am doing on smaller details, but I'm just not good at controlling a brush.

3. Equipment: I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't seem to get a brush to come to a decent point. I have a variety of different brushes for details, and I'd say 80% of them either the bristles curl at the tip, the tip wants to split into two parts, or it just turns into a fuzzed-out mess. I do have one No.1 DaVinci that works better than the rest, but even that one I can't always get to work the way I want. If I use my larger brushes to base coat or wash, they seem to create a bunch of bubbles in the paint once I thin it down enough to not fill in all the details. Plus, I still seem to end up with lots of areas I missed or have pin-holes in. Dry-brushing?...yeah, I've got no clue how to do that decently. I either end up leaving almost no paint on the model, or end up with dust smears of the highlight color on large panels. I've tried different kinds of brush (maybe not the right kind?) but dry brushing always seems much harder for me than anyone slapping together a 10-minute paint job on YouTube. I know that most of the time it's the Indian, not the bow that's the problem, but I still feel like my equipment doesn't work the way everyone says it should! I'm worried an air brush would just be more of the same, but at a higher price.

4. Decals: I just don't like messing with water-slide decals. I have a ton of them, but I hate cutting them out and trying not to turn them into a little ball of plastic. I've got Micro-Sol, and I've got Micro-Set, but it just Micro-Sucks to work with decals. I wish I could use more of the decals that I own (FPG makes some very nice ones), but I'm not the person to put them on.

Anyway, I'm not sure what the point of this post is. Not sure if I am venting, asking for help on my painting, looking for people who paint BT minis semi-professionally, or what. I just spent two days working on painting, and at the end of the process, I loved that I had some more minis painted, but I wasn't sure it was worth the time I spent. It made me realize that I wasn't having fun painting, but that I felt like I needed to do it, like washing dishes or pulling weeds. I still think I want painted minis, but I'm also pretty sure I don't want to paint them. I enjoy assembling and modding minis, and I certainly like playing with them, but I just don't enjoy the painting part one bit.

If you made it this far, thanks for listening! I think I just needed to get this off my chest! Maybe I'll snap some pics of the minis I was working on later this week. I'm not proud of the paint jobs, but I am proud of the mods on some of them. I especially think the Arrow IV Legionnaire mod turned out well.

Luciora

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #1 on: 07 July 2020, 12:56:54 »
I found I prefer just kitbashing minis.  I share alot of what you said here too. 

Psycho

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #2 on: 07 July 2020, 13:20:57 »
Being honest with yourself is good. It's not a requirement that you enjoy every part of the BT hobby. It is completely okay to acknowledge that painting is something you don't really enjoy doing. If painting is a chore for you, don't force it.

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #3 on: 07 July 2020, 13:57:06 »
I found I prefer just kitbashing minis.  I share alot of what you said here too.
Me too, I love modding an ugly mini into a good looking one, but the painting afterwards is such a hassle.
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GreekFire

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #4 on: 07 July 2020, 14:19:37 »
Personally speaking, I'm not a good painter, and I'm not willing to put in the time or energy in becoming one.
But on the flip side, I tend to be a major perfectionist when it comes to most things in life. I can be really hard on myself, and I'm often willing to work crazy amounts of overtime if it means accomplishing what I want to get done.

So painting, for me, is both a great way for me to de-stress and a great way for me to do something without needing it to be perfect. It helps me remember that I can enjoy something without it having to be perfect, and lets me do something without obsessing over minor details or putting in hours upon hours to get better at a certain small thing.

And at the end of the day, my minis might be mediocre, but I enjoy them all the same for what they represent, to me.
Hopefully that perspective helps with your own thoughts about painting.
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carlisimo

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #5 on: 07 July 2020, 15:51:20 »
All I can offer is some tips if you want to keep trying, but don't force yourself.  The point of a hobby isn't to aggravate you.

1. Time: Try doing more with spray cans.  I'm skeptical of those colored primers as primers, but by all means spray a basecoat over your primer.  (Might look for a white or light gray primer like Tamiya's, instead of black, depending on the color you're using over it.)  A basecoat with a splotch of paint on the cockpit and the base is a whole lot better than playing against bare or primed minis.

2. Quality: a wet palette helped me be more consistent with consistency.  Masterson has one on Amazon for $30.  Unfortunately, it often boils down to accepting that you're going to need two coats and that's bad for time.  I'm curious to see your highlights, though.  I always feel like I should've made mine brighter.  I'd just try targeted shading with the same washes instead of overall washing.  And you can live without drybrushing.  The bubbling issue you mentioned in section 3 sounds like going too fast. 

3. Equipment: brushes start to curl with use.  The expensive ones (Windsor & Newton Series 7 Standard, Rosemary and Co. no. 33, Artis Opus, etc.) last longer before that happens.  Mid-ranged brushes should have a good point when new, but don't last as long. 
Look for Kolinsky sable brushes meant for watercolors.  Don't buy "miniature" brushes, that refers to hair length. 

Once a brush curls, it's time to relegate it to terrain, drybrushing, or give it a jagged haircut and use it for stippling.  You can extend their life by applying brush soap at the end of a session.  Just rinse it off next time you start painting - not to mention being gentle with your brushes.  I use toothpicks or old brushes to transfer paint to the wet palette and stir it on there, and I use the side of my brush as much as I can.

4. Decals: at this scale, they're just difficult, and there are lots of great Battletech minis that don't use them.  The usual advice to cut with a knife, rest them face-up on a wet sponge to loosen without getting rid of all the glue, apply with a moist brush over a glosscoat, and good luck. 

I have an airbrush and it's a commitment - you have to add the cost of a compressor and fume extractor, along with the little glass jar for spraying cleaner into, cleaner, thinner, and flow improver bottles, the space for all of them, a way to keep the compressor and extractor's noise from bothering your family... and then it all immediately clogs - steep learning curve, and at this scale you're still going to do the detail work by brush.  I use mine for priming, basecoating, and clear coating.  Worth it for me, but it took a while to feel that way.

sadlerbw

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #6 on: 07 July 2020, 16:46:16 »
Being honest with yourself is good. It's not a requirement that you enjoy every part of the BT hobby. It is completely okay to acknowledge that painting is something you don't really enjoy doing. If painting is a chore for you, don't force it.

If my minis turned out half as good as yours, I don't think I'd mind the time investment! Of course, I'm betting it takes you more than an hour to turn out something at your usual standard of quality!

Anyway, thanks for all the comments everyone. I think this has been frustrating me for a while now.

I have literally dozens of minis that are primed or bare metal, and it bugs me every time I walk by the boxes they are in. Last year at GenCon I bought a nice acrylic storage/display case to put my few painted minis in, and I bought a larger one than I needed so I could add more minis to it when I got around to painting them. Well, it is now almost a year later and last weekend was the first time I got around to adding anything to the display case, and it is still only 3/4 full. When I look at that empty space, I feel a little guilty for being so slow, but I don't want to put all my metal/primer minis on display either. I feel a little like I've trapped most of my collection in the basement because I don't want to be reminded how much work is waiting for me there! Oddly, I don't have nearly as much of a problem getting them primed. I even try to be fancy and prime them black, then add a shot of white from above to create some basic shading. Of course, then I end up covering all that shading up with my shoddy base coat, so its probably a waste.

I seriously considered just getting colored primer and making them all 'the blue team' or 'the purple team', and maybe trying the army painter quick shade, but I worry that would still leave me frustrated knowing I can do better than that. I'm not exactly a perfectionist, but I don't like doing a worse job than I know I'm capable of. Also, I like painted minis because they look better. Making them all one solid color is only vaguely better.

I looked around a little recently at commission painting, and...well decent mini artists are talented folks and command a price that reflects that. I wouldn't say any of the prices were unfair, but it is not cheap to pay an artisan to do the work for me. I would say two or three times the cost I paid for the minis themselves was a general starting price for anything more than basic 'make it legal for a 40k tournament' job. I may still try that route, but my mind is shying away from doing the math to figure out what it would end up costing to have the rest of my minis painted. I know I wouldn't have to do it all at once, but I'm still on the fence.

Actually, if anyone has any experiences they could share about commission work, I'd appreciate it. I think the forum rules preclude actually saying who did the work for you, but if you could tell me about what you had done and how it went, I'd be very interested to hear it. Given how much money I blew on the Clan Invasion Kickstarter, I'm willing to spend a non-trivial amount of money on my hobbies, but I really have no experience with commissioned painting work. Oh god...I just thought about how many more grey minis I've got coming from the Kickstarter...NOOOOOOOOO!!!
« Last Edit: 07 July 2020, 16:48:08 by sadlerbw »

Mecha82

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #7 on: 07 July 2020, 17:02:57 »
I don't enjoy painting either so I fully understand you. Personally I prefer using army painter method. I spray minis with colored primer and then I add paint were it's needed and with Citadel Contrast paints is easier than before. Which is why I chose Legion of Vega as they main color is grey with some red and there is Citadel Contrast primer that's grey as I don't dare to use Army Painter ones because of how careful one needs to be with those.
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Major Headcase

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #8 on: 07 July 2020, 17:32:34 »
I used to paint prodigious amounts  of miniatures! 600+ Space Orks in 6 months! For example.  ;)
I sadly have found that as my hands and eyes (and back and butt!) have gotten older, I dont enjoy it nearly  so much anymore... which is a shame since I am painting minis for money now!!  ;D  but I find that I am spending less time and attention on my own personal miniature projects in recent years. Declaring "finished" on paint jobs I would never have been satisfied with 5 years ago!

It's better to face the truth about your likes and dislikes early, so your dislike of painting doesn't transform into a dislike for Battletech after years of feeling obligated to paint your collection! I told a friend of mine with the same issues a long time ago in 40K some advice:
Invest in colored spray paint!
Ashamed of bare plastic and metal? Dont want to field a Primer Black army of shame?? Use colored spray cans! Want a company of Kirita mechs? Red spray can. Paint the bases at thier feet brown. Done. Stiener Lance needed? Blue spray can. Paint bases brown. Done. Any colored spray is available for any force you want to do! You can tell your minis apart on the table, and keep your units organized, you can finish 12 mechs in hour or less. No bare materials the table! And no one will care if they aren't museum quality!!  :)

It worked for him! I'm fact, over time he added details and experimented with painting accents on his "spray can Ultramarines" and found he enjoyed that type of detail and finish painting.
It's an idea!!

worktroll

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #9 on: 07 July 2020, 18:15:42 »
Sadlerdw, part of it is accepting your limitations. I know I'll never be at CSO level, nor do I worry about that any more. I've found my 'thing' making my battalion forces, and that's what makes me happy. (I mean I always hope for some comments when I post things, but it's the doing which is my primary hobby.)

The flip side of taking my approach is working out how to get the best bang for your buck - how to get the best-possible outcomes with the relatively least effort. This is really important when I'm painting bulk - I want a reliable reproducable outcome that doesn't take the talent I don't have.

If you do feel like trying again, I'm certainly happy to advise, and I'm sure others are. And there are some things I can probably suggest from your original post. eg

- Brushes. Gotta keep them clean, and gotta accept they 'wear out' - go fuzzy, lose their points, etc. I have dozens of brushes, use probably 6 of them reliably, and buy new ones when I need them. I'll buy the cheap art store brushes for the ones I use to lay down prime or base, or for all-over washes or drybrushes, and go to the proper sable hair brushes for pointy bits & details.

- Aim for paintjobs you feel you can do. I'll probably never do an Adder unit with scales, or Combine unit with cherry blossoms. But there are lots of simpler schemes out there, and it's amazing the results you can get with simple wash & drybrush techniques. Want to know more? I'll talk your leg off ;)

(For example: those one-colour jobs Major Headcase mentions? Some metallic paint, and a jar of Nuln Oil black wash, and suddenly they've taken a step forward. Come back with some drybrushing later, another step. ROme didn't paint their legions all at once ;) )

- Experiment. I usually do a 'proof of concept' mini to try out how I'm going to do a unit. If it works, great - if it fails, back into the jar with some oven cleaner. Even when it doesn't come out how you expected, you learn for the next time.

But most of all, paint because you want to, for yourself. And if it's not making you happy, take a break - see how you feel down the track.
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Scotty

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #10 on: 07 July 2020, 19:27:09 »
If you're putting out 6-8 'Mech in a single day of work you're going much faster than I am unless I'm batch painting for an event that needs a battalion.  I've been painting a single squad of 10 dudes for 40K this week and last and I've probably spent 8-10 hours at the table with paintbrush in hand to finish them just a little bit ago.

Also, airbrushes take by far the most tedium out of painting (the basecoat) and I cannot say enough how much I love mine.
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worktroll

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #11 on: 07 July 2020, 19:29:59 »
Oddly enough, I find brush basing a calming thing. But I also find mini painting therapeutic for my incipient RSI - a good weekend's painting drives the aches away.
* No, FASA wasn't big on errata - ColBosch
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* Because Battletech is a conspiracy by Habsburg & Bourbon pretenders - MadCapellan
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* It was a glorious time for people who felt that we didn't have enough Marauder variants - HABeas2, re "Empires Aflame"

Reldn

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #12 on: 08 July 2020, 23:50:05 »
I understand completely. I've tried time and again to paint, and I finally just accepted that it's an aspect of the hobby that I just do not like at all. So, for myself I'm saving up and going to look into commissioning someone to paint them instead.

Personally, I have much more fun with doing some minor kitbashing/magnetizing things to make different variants: I recently took some DI Morgan Tanks and Heavy LRM carriers, magnetized the turrets, so I could make the LRM variant of the Morgan and had an absolute blast doing so.

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Greatclub

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #13 on: 09 July 2020, 01:02:56 »
GW put out their 'contrast' line a while back. It isn't CSO quality, but can get you some basic highlighting with relatively little effort, and is great for panel lines.

As for brush tip curling, do you use mostly synthetics? Because 'hair' brushes aren't much more expensive, and don't curl near as much.

Half my stuff can be described as basecoat-wash-drybrush, followed by some basic detailing on cockpits and gun barrels. I know how to do better, I usually just don't bother.

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #14 on: 09 July 2020, 01:22:01 »
I also used the Army Painter Quickshades when putting together a couple companies for Alpha Strike. They can get you to a good enough quality and you only really have to worry about the base coats. Oh! And a good matte varnish to knock down the gloss after you give them a day or two to fully cure up after the "dip". They are going to look super glossy otherwise.

Elmoth

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #15 on: 09 July 2020, 01:24:28 »
I am in your boat. Painting has never been a joy for me At all. I will be trying to paint the new minis when I get them from the kickstarter using basecoat (dark red) + wash (brown) + highlights (in basecoat color or slightly brighter) and details. let's see what it comes out of there. I have a full lance of wolverines alone, so I guess that will be the test subject.

the only thing that I gullypainted was a Flames of War tank force (10 tanks + armoured support elements) for a tournament. I ind that having a deadline and an easy paint scheme go a long way to help me here. All tanks (panzer IV) were brown except the 3 panthers, that were pink with yellow eyes.

sadlerbw

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #16 on: 09 July 2020, 01:54:57 »
Thanks for all the comments folks! Still not sure what I’m going to do, but venting a little helped. In the meantime, I managed to continue screwing up the work I just did! I put on a matte clearcoat to protect the minis and it turned all the gold to flat yellow, and is way more ‘frosty’ than the brand I’ve used previously. This can was Army Painter if that makes a difference. I may try to touch up the gold over top of the clear, but that is magnifier and detail brush work.

I think finding a faster way to handle base coating might help. My current method isn’t exactly speedy, and I always seem to end up missing small areas. I’ll play with some colored primers again and see if I can live with a rattle-can base. Anyone using the modeling-specific spray can primers like citadel or army painter, or just whatever is down at the home improvement store? I’ve got enough plastic lance pack mechs that I can experiment without having to do a bunch of paint stripping.

I think I might try some different units as well. Currently, I’ve been trying to do some Ghost Bear Alpha Galaxy which...wasn’t smart. The other major group I worked on were FedSuns Lancers...sort of. They should theoretically be easier with the solid color base with gold panel highlights, but it doesn’t seem to work out that way. I might try some Avalon Hussars. Grey as the base color feels like it might be easier.

I think maybe I need to set limits for myself on detail work as well. I’ve already been attempting less and less jeweling because I can’t do it on anything but the big weapon barrels and cockpits. I probably still go too overboard with adding metallics or contrasting panels, or trying a few amature edge highlights, all of which inevitably leads to me having to go back and do touch-ups to the base coat. Or maybe I need to literally set myself a timer, so I don’t have the option of over-obsessing about details.

Scotty, what type of airbrush are you using? Single action or double action? My birthday isn’t too far off, so maybe I’ll consider asking my wife to get me one. I just started picking up models for an Admech army, so I’m going to stick my head in the sand and pretend I didn’t hear how much time your 40k dudes took! I’m pretty sure my grey mini collection would make some of the 40k diehards sick.

Also, do people have brands/sizes of brushes they like? Specifically, for dry brushing and details. Does the brush matter for washes? I think I’m going to go through and cull my brush collection. It sounds like I need to admit some of them are trash now.

Last thing: I did get some pictures of the minis I worked on, and I’ll share some of them in a different thread, but it’s almost 3AM right now and I should probably be sleeping rather than worrying about minis...at least, that is what I’ve been telling my brain for the past few hours!

worktroll

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #17 on: 09 July 2020, 02:15:16 »
I put on a matte clearcoat to protect the minis and it turned all the gold to flat yellow, and is way more ‘frosty’ than the brand I’ve used previously.

What was the humidity like? High humidity causes that frosty look - droplets of water sucker up by the drying sealant. The good news is, if you wait for a dry day, another coat will make it go away. But matt sealant will always dull metals a bit. If you want, get a small pot of gloss sealant and brush that over the metal area; it'll help a bit. But I think the frosting is more your problem here.

(Cold also causes issues when sealing, but I'm guessing you're in US summer right now)
* No, FASA wasn't big on errata - ColBosch
* The Housebook series is from the 80's and is the foundation of Btech, the 80's heart wrapped in heavy metal that beats to this day - Sigma
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* Because Battletech is a conspiracy by Habsburg & Bourbon pretenders - MadCapellan
* The Hellbringer is cool, either way. It's not cool because it's bad, it's cool because it's bad with balls - Nightsky
* It was a glorious time for people who felt that we didn't have enough Marauder variants - HABeas2, re "Empires Aflame"

Elmoth

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #18 on: 09 July 2020, 02:32:23 »
There is another option: pay someone to paint your minis. I have done that for my DBA historical armies since you need them painted for tournaments. As long as you have some disposable money you can invest it to have your minis painted instead of acquiring more unpainted lead. Usually there is people willing to paint minis in your local store for a price, both the owner and some of the regulars. Or they know about someone.

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #19 on: 09 July 2020, 02:40:21 »
I have an Iwata HP-C+ that I got at www.midwestairbrush.com.  Great store.  But it's my second airbrush.  I'd start with a Badger Patriot 105 or an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS.  Double-action, gravity-fed.  Probably the Badger because it's cheaper (around $125, but often on sale) and perfectly fine. 

Compressor: the norm is to look up "AS186 Compressor", see a billion similar models made by different brands, and just pick one of them.  You want a tank and a moisture trap, and extras like a hose and adapter for your brand of airbrush.  I'd look for a quick disconnect, too.

The ones under $150 are awfully loud, but I'm a fan of fume extractors/spray booths like https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X9M35VJ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl

Get brush cleaner, thinner, flow improver, an airbrush cleaning pot, cleaning tools and lube, usually in a kit sold by your airbrush brand (but then don't use the pipe cleaners with metal stems), Q-tips, disposable applicators to use instead of those pipe cleaners (basically mini-Q-tips that go down to 0.5mm - might have to get them from medical supply websites), rubbing alcohol, and a squeeze bottle with a gooseneck.  I use 10% rubbing alcohol, 90% distilled water between every color change and before using airbrush cleaner.

Watch lots of YouTube videos for airbrush advice.  I'm talking about cleaning and thinning advice - again, at the beginning it's all about clogs.  You also want to find ways to avoid tearing it down every time you use it because that introduces wear and tear. 

It does save time, eventually.  I wouldn't have painted my rainbow Wolverine (currently on page 2 of this forum) without an airbrush.  But the best part about airbrushing, imo, is that I've never felt so confident applying primer and clearcoats.  They're thin, consistent, and I'm not scared of frosting.  Now I apply clearcoats in the middle of a project just to protect what I've done so far - they're thin enough.

Oh, for airbrushing, Medea Com-Art white is by far my favorite white paint.  I do a zenithal highlight with it after applying black primer.  Otherwise it's just whatever paints you already like, though you'll like squeeze bottles more than paint pots for airbrushing.

Anyway, regular brushes:
I use #0 for fine details, #1 for a lot of stuff, and #2 or #3 for basecoats.  Same for washes - #1 for targeted shading, #2 if I'm slathering it on.  Windsor & Newton have let me down a few times with $20 brushes that split in two.  I like Rosemary & Co. no. 33 right now.

GW's drybrushes are the only GW brushes that I like at the moment.

Two Guns Blazing

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #20 on: 09 July 2020, 03:17:14 »
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love painted minis and greatly prefer them over bare metal or a coat of primer. However, despite my best efforts I just don't enjoy doing that painting myself.

Have you entertained the idea of dipping minis? You won't get great results, but you can get mini's that look decent on the tabletop when gaming.

I like painting, but time is my enemy, not so much for the last few months thanks to COVID-19, but generally work is busy, three kids, wife works part time as well, and I have other interests that suck up personal time too...so although I can paint decently and enjoy it, I often choose painting methods that will get quick decent results, and with a little initial effort and cost, dipping will get you there.

The amount of actual work time you put into a mini can be less than 10 or 15 minutes...but there is a fair bit of time spent on waiting for the dip to dry...1 full day is ok but 2 full days are better.

Choose a colour scheme with two contrasting colours.

1 - Spray the mini with 1 x coat of a product like Army Painter Spray or Vallejo Hobby Sprays, because these serve as both the undercoat/primer as well as the base colour coat, which speeds thing up a bit as you are skipping traditional preparation steps (if you choose a light/difficult colour, like yellow for example, you may need 2 x coats) - this is less than 1 minute per miniature.

2 - Once that is dry, pick out a few details with a contrasting colour, things like weapon barrels, a couple of selected armour plates here and there - a few minutes painting.

3 - Dip the miniature in the Army Painter Dip and spin it up on a hand-held power drill to flick off the excess dip - less than 1 minute.

4 - Wait 24 - 48 hours for the dip to dry (2 days is best)

5 - Spray 2 x light coats of matt varnish - less than a minute between the 2 x coats.

6 - If you want, do the basing, which I think is worth the effort because it can add significantly to the completed model.

Here's a link to where I did pretty much just what I've described above...again, you won't ever win a painting comp with this method, but it will absolutely get you some decent looking tabletop minis with minimal effort.

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=65707.0

EDIT: The other good thing about dipping, is that it gives your minis a super strong level of protection, because the tinted varnish used dries really hard (and shiny, which is why you use the light coats of matt varnish, to remove the shine).
« Last Edit: 09 July 2020, 03:20:50 by Two Guns Blazing »

dread12

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #21 on: 09 July 2020, 05:05:08 »
For me 0ne mech is about 3-7 hours.

Greatclub

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #22 on: 09 July 2020, 07:53:53 »
For spray basecoats I've gotten decent results from Rustolium Painter's touch primer, cheap from walmart. I've also gotten horrible results from same - it's a lot more sensitive to over-spray.

These days I'm using a lot of army painter primers.

sadlerbw

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #23 on: 09 July 2020, 08:34:41 »
What was the humidity like? High humidity causes that frosty look...

This seems very likely. It has been hit and quite humid around here recently, and I go outside to do any spray can work. I’ll try hitting a couple with another light coat inside with a respirator on, or maybe at night in the garage when the temp drops. I don’t have any brush-on sealer/varnish, but I’ll try that as well. I’m not in love with the idea of having to go over details yet again, but I want to see how it works, and how forgiving it is of poor brush control!

On a different note, I actually have a basing process I’m OK with right now. I happen to have a literal bucket of ground corn cob for cleaning cartridge cases in a Vibratory tumbler. It is laughably cheap. I just flood the base with superglue, and then dump an excessive pile of corn cob media on it. After five or ten seconds, the glue has grabbed what it wants, and I dump the rest off. At that point I can either leave it as is, or flood with a wash and do a drybrush For some more depth. It looks plenty good for my level, and is very fast. The only downside is that the minis will shed a few loose bits of corn cob the first few times you play with them, but that tends to stop after two or three games, and the clear coat helps as well.

Also, I am investigating some commissioned work. I hadn’t really thought about it, but I live probably 20 minutes from IWM. I could probably ask them for contacts with local, or BT-friendly artists as well as just googling people.

pixelgeek

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #24 on: 09 July 2020, 10:14:32 »
So this will be long so bear with me

1. Time

As with any new skill, you get faster as you gain experience. That said, you are never going to paint a mech in 15 minutes. Give that hope up. I've been doing it for a long time and I am not even remotely that quick.

The fastest way to paint some minis is to do it as a process. Break the painting process down into steps and do them one at a time. A simplified version of my process is usually:

1: Prime the mins
2: Wash them with a dark tone to accentuate the shadows
3: Drybrush
4: Paint some panels or flat areas to break the colour up
5: add decals
6: Base them

You can do every one of these steps on its own, with multiple models, and break the process up into small manageable tasks. Don't attempt to do it all at once.

You can do very decent mechs even without decals. 

2. Quality

As with any new skill, you get better as you gain experience. No-one ever starts to learn a new skill and is good at it right away. You suck. You learn. You get better each time.

If your hands are cramping up, as mine do, I would suggest getting a few of the Games Workshop paint handles.

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-CA/Citadel-Painting-Handle-2017

They are worth every penny you spend on them. I had to stop painting because my hands would become unbearably sore and these have allowed me to continue to paint.

I'd suggest watching some videos as well to learn some of the basics of applying paint to models. You can learn a lot from people online who have posted introductory videos.

Again, you are learning so cut yourself some slack and focus on what you are getting better at each time and not on what 'sucks'.

3. Equipment

If you are starting out the quality of your equipment is less important than just learning the basics. If your local store carries them (or you can mail order them) then just get a basic set of beginners brushes from someone like Army Painter or from a Dollar Store. Spend money on good brushes when you get better. There isn't any point at the moment. Use them and toss them when you wreck them.

4. Decals

Decals are a fussy. I don't mind doing them because I have done them a lot but I can see why they would be a problem.

They are just something that you need to mess up a few times and then finally work out how to use them. I'd suggest looking for a video or two. I'd also suggest avoiding them until you have your painting skills a little more under control. You're trying to learn everything at once and that is never a good idea.

The best advice I can suggest is that you relax and just let yourself suck at this while you learn. Give yourself permission to not be good at this yet and understand that it is a process that you have to go through to learn some skills



Colt Ward

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #25 on: 09 July 2020, 12:07:44 »
1. Time: I still haven't figured out how to paint minis quickly, and it takes me the better part of a day to do 6-8 mechs, assuming they are already assembled, on bases, and primed. I use brushes exclusively as I've always been hesitant to spend money on an airbrush for something I don't particularly like doing in the first place.

Bolded for emphasis . . . I bought a set up earlier this year that was I think around $80- mostly for the compressor.  We spotted a high quality airbrush ($300?) at Hobby Lobby that was in their clearance area b/c it was missing a O-ring.  While I was looking at it, the wife used her phone to look up what a replacement O-ring would cost ($5?) . . . and decided we would spend the $75 on the airbrush missing that part.  SO . . . for art quality, I suggest keeping an eye out for that sort of thing!  BUT . . . I am going to use the stock brush the compressor came with to practice painting cardboard and later terrain so that I can experiment with thickness and technique without having to strip a mini.  In fact I plan this weekend to break it out and quickly hit some hills as a first effort.

I do not expect to get to CSO standards, my goal is to be a 'army painter.'  I have divided my minis into units and generic schemes- FREX 17th Avalon Hussars (gray w/red highlights) & Woodland Camo- which will work for most of what I want.  But my state's game convention has a mini competition and to support/promote BT I will enter a mini.  I get some good feedback, but its more about getting BT exposure- last year they created a 'mecha' category to accomodate the influx of BattleTech though it did have a CAV mini & I think 40K IIRC.
« Last Edit: 09 July 2020, 12:40:55 by Colt Ward »
Colt Ward
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Wildonion

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #26 on: 09 July 2020, 12:32:02 »
To add to the suggestion to hit up YouTube, I would like at the Miniac channel. He has a bunch of good videos on air brushing. Black Magic Craft also has some decent painting videos and, since his stuff is generally tabletop quality, it makes it feel like something you can actually do.

sadlerbw

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #27 on: 09 July 2020, 12:40:47 »
...you are never going to paint a mech in 15 minutes. Give that hope up...

First, thanks for the suggestions and info, but your comment Is part of what depresses me. I‘ve dug myself into quite the hole over here. I probably have 150-ish metal minis that re only primed or bare metal. I‘ve got another 60 or so plastics from box sets and lance packs, and I’m pretty sure I have over 100 coming from the Kickstarter. I’ve been collecting and not painting for a while now, and I think my backlog has actually grown large enough to start dealing psychic damage!

Other than the Kickstarter, I have reigned myself way in on purchasing new minis, but the damage is already done. I could take multiple weeks off from work to do nothing but paint 8 hours a day and still probably not be ready for the Kickstarter deluge. I have seriously considered giving away all the lance packs I have left just to get them out of my queue. For a while, the coolness of the basic minis was enough to keep me happy, but I’ve hit a sort of tipping point where the grey shame is more powerful than the coolness of the new minis! I guess I’m having the wargaming equivalent of a mid-life crisis? Oh well, I find I’m happier in the end if I acknowledge reality, even if it isn’t pleasant!

EDIT: oh, and I have watched a plethora of tutorials and how-to-paint vids on YouTube. Some of the Miniac stuff with Sam Lens was amazing, but A bit advanced for me. Some of his other stuff is good, but...not time efficient? I’ve seen several videos from a nice Canadian lady, and I’ve even tried watching several speed-painting type challenges where people try to get as much done in a timespan as they can. I have gained knowledge, but not necessarily applied it as well as I would like. It’s funny, I actually enjoy watching other people paint far more than doing it myself! Oh, and I watched tons of Bob Ross when my kids were younger. One of these days I swear I’m going to put a happy little tree on something I paint!
« Last Edit: 09 July 2020, 12:47:54 by sadlerbw »

Wildonion

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #28 on: 09 July 2020, 13:30:32 »
The best way I have found to avoid the crushing weight of "I have to paint how many minis?!" is to break them into individual units and just do one of those units a week. Anything you paint after that becomes a bonus, since some weeks will leave you with more time than others for painting. And take breaks every so often. If you are not in the mood to paint, then take a week off. (Not like you are working out or writing a novel, where you need a strong habit to see actual progress.) So, start dividing your forces up into lances/stars and just focus on doing those few models; you will get to the end of your supply in time. Oh, and start with the 'Mechs that you like the least! Screwing them up just leaves you shrugging and not feeling like you lost out on something major. Once you have practiced on a couple units of models that you find to be just okay, you will be in better shape for the ones that you really want to nail.

I found that this works the same in 40K, though the scale of models is obviously different. You can break up units of grunts with a character model to serve as a reward and really put a lot of time and extra shading/highlighting into those more important pieces. This is going to be easy with your AdMech, since you will have specialist squads and characters built in. For the 'Mechs, you could pick out a couple of models to paint in more ambitious schemes or to replicate characters from the fiction. Worst case, you pick something to represent a one-off Solaris warrior and just go wild with it. Maybe try painting up an Atlas as an Ultramarine or something similar to shake up what you are doing.

pixelgeek

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Re: I have come to accept that I don't really enjoy painting minis
« Reply #29 on: 09 July 2020, 13:38:07 »
First, thanks for the suggestions and info, but your comment Is part of what depresses me. I‘ve dug myself into quite the hole over here. I probably have 150-ish metal minis that re only primed or bare metal. I‘ve got another 60 or so plastics from box sets and lance packs, and I’m pretty sure I have over 100 coming from the Kickstarter.

Every moment you spend worrying about how much work you have to do is a moment you spend not getting it done. I don't want to sound like a Hallmark movie but just sitting down and painting is how you are going to work through those mechs and get better at it.

Break the models into lances or stars and then paint them up a unit at a time. Focus on completing an attaitable goal and don't focus on the totality of what you have.

Break it all down into steps and then do each step and you'll have some painted minis ready to go before you know it.






 

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