new at figure painting

[greenhearts]

I am just starting figure painting if anyone could give me some pointers it would be appreciated.

 

[Evan August]

Welcome! It's a great hobby, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. My advice is this- buy good figures, as a nicely sculpted and casted figure will make it all the more enjoyable to paint. Good paints and brushes are just as important. Lots of guys are using Vallejo acrylics and getting great results. Others use humbrols, oils, and what not. Look around here, read posts, check out the V-benches and articles, and you'll find a load of information. There are a ton of great people here, and I'm sure they would be glad to help you if needed. Try www.missing-lynx.com as well, there are discussion boards and some good articles about painting faces with oils in 1/35 scale, could be used for 54's too. Good luck man!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Welcome to the Planet, David!

There are lots of things to start with. Other than Evans tips my suggestion is to try to get your hand upon Shepherd Paines book "How to build Figures" as it is a good introduction and deals with basic, intermediate and advanced techniques.

Otherwise just get back here and Im sure the members will give their best shot trying to help you out. One tip though. Its easier to reply to more specific questions than general ones.

Cheers

 

[PJ Deluhery]

I would look for a club in your area that has some figure painters. You can progress much faster if you can find someone to give you some personal advice. Try the local IPMS chapter if all else fails. Also, come to the figure shows - Atlanta, MFCA - and see some really great work up close. You can get tips from the artists on display, meet vendors andamek figure painting friends.

Good luck!

 

[Brad S]

David,

I echo what everyone has said so far. It is defenitly good to pick a medium first so you dont spend to much money on paint. Also a good quality figure. All my better painted figures are the ones that were scupted and cast in a very good quality. I know it is kind of tough cause you dont want to spend too much, and waste a good figure on a poor paint job, so you kind of got to find a happy medium. Get a subscription to a couple good magazines (Historical Figures) and ask lots of questions and most important accept any criticism and put it to good use. Also try different, out of the ordinary things to see if they work for you. (I've used chalks, inks, rub on silver wax, mettalic paint pigment powder, craft paint, oils on top of acrylics, acrylics on top of oils, watercolors. All with success and disapointment). PIck out some of your favorite figure painters and try to imitate their quality but with your own techniques or combination of techniques of yours and others. And, last but not least, take your time and ENJOY.

Brad Spelts

 

[Guy]

David, I will echo all the comments made above. The first is to always paint a good quality figure and if you are not sure if a certain selection is of good quality, post the question here on the planet. You will be disappointed in your own work if you start out with poor quality, cheap figures.

 

[Automata]

David,

Welcome to the planet.

I agree with with everything that has been said. But maybe we can help you even more if you can answer a few questions for us:

What kind of figures are you interested in? (Napoleonic, WW2, fantasy, Native American)

Do you prefer a certain scale? Large (120mm)? Smaller (54mm)?

Is there a painter whos work you really admire, or a style you are particularly interested in?

As others have said, you can try some of the different mediums out without spending a lot of money, so it's good to try all of them to see what you like before you make a large investment.

Barry

 

[thegoodsgt]

I'll echo what others have said: Buy only well-sculpted, perfectly cast figures. You cannot learn how to paint if you're trying to shade, highlight, etc. a figure that is bad. If you need specific suggestions, ask us. Tell us your preferred subject matter, scale, and price range.

Also, try to attend a figure show, such as Chicago, MFCA, Atlanta, etc. and introduce yourself to people whose figures you admire. With a few exceptions, everyone in this hobby is very friendly and approachable.