Painting figures using oils

[Gongoozler]

Hi Terry,
Have you ever considered using ALKYD colours? I use the W&N "Griffin" range in conjunction with "Liquin" oil colour medium and find it perfect as it handles like regular oil colour but dries overnight. I use Humbrol matt enamel of suitable shade as an undercoat.
Cheers,
Trevor

 

[theBaron]

...You should be very carefull with resin figures. Not all can stand the heat...

Even from a 60w lamp? I can imagine that perhaps small figures, wargaming sizes, or maybe thin parts of larger figures. Have you had any resin figures ever get damaged from that small of a heat source? I'm not challenging, just curious to hear more details.

Prost!
Brad

 

[megroot]

Even from a 60w lamp? I can imagine that perhaps small figures, wargaming sizes, or maybe thin parts of larger figures. Have you had any resin figures ever get damaged from that small of a heat source? I'm not challenging, just curious to hear more details.

Prost!
Brad

O yes, I had.
I also use a 60 W lamp. If you can use the heat off the lamp to straighten a bended sable, it can also damage your figure.
Two time's I had a resin figure that whas gone to his knee's. Try to correct it when i put it out the drybox. Failure. Trashbin.
If it happens now (you never know when) I put it out of the drybox and don't touch it. ( Most it is a small curve into the figure.) After a few minutes when the heat is gone, the figure is again as it should be. Looks like the resin has a memory.
so, you can't be carefull enough. and it has happen with 75 en 120 mm figures.

Marc

 

[Jay-BFG]

Even from a 60w lamp? I can imagine that perhaps small figures, wargaming sizes, or maybe thin parts of larger figures. Have you had any resin figures ever get damaged from that small of a heat source? I'm not challenging, just curious to hear more details.

Prost!
Brad

I use a 40w bulb but it still produces a lot of heat. I don't put the figures that close to the bulb, only had problem with a plastic figure that got too close.

 

[brian]

I've used a lamp to dry out oils,but i tend to use the oven part of my cooker,set at 75,and have never had problems with figures melting,including resin.
I only leave it in during the day for a couple of hours

 

[TERRYSOMME1916]

Trevor thanks that's another system of painting to look at, all I can say is that everybody has provided some great information and warnings about melted figures (think I would cry if this happened to me) keep it coming its very interesting.
TERRY

 

[theBaron]

I guess I've never placed anything that close to the lamp. I've never had any problems with a 60w lamp (or bulb, in the vernacular). I have an old gooseneck desk lamp on my bench, and I use that. I can adjust the position of the lamp and reflecter, and I usually set it with the light about 6 to 8 inches above the piece.

Prost!
Brad

 

[OSS]

wow am totally overwhelmed by the all the information and great response to the original question by Terry, I have not done anything for years and recently (a few weeks ago) decided I wanted to start again, I am starting off with painting Heads as I used to like painting faces in oils, I use an acrylic base coat ( do I need to put a primer on before that ?)

 

[Tecumsea]

Before I bought a drying box from bob Orr at bath I used an angle poise lamp over a glass dome. The heat generated within the dome flattened the oils out nicely.

 

[Jerry Hutter]

If you are not in a hurry, you can set the fresh painted piece on top of the hot water heater. The heat is about 98-110 degrees F. I leave it for 2-3 days and the oils dry nice and matte or eggshell which is what I prefer. I switch back and forth from acrylics to oils but oils always give me the most pleasure. All the above tips are great as everyone finds their own method. My World Expo flat for this weekend was painted with 10-12 layers letting each dry for days. The downside to oils is the wait time!

 

[Chrisr]

certainly like to improve my painting Techniques

If I could paint as well as you Terry, I would be very happy. The painting of your Norman is impressive. I also paint in short sessions, but unfortunately too many writing commitments mean I don't get to do it anywhere near as much as I would like.

As for drying oils, I use on old slow cooker set at low with the lid off overnight. I don't put the pieces straight on the bottom, but use wooden blocks and set them on top.

Thank you for opening this thread. Very information advice from so many members which is no surprise - one of the great things about this forum is the readiness of everyone to help.

Chris

 

[Stelios Demiras]

Hello again,
If you still have shining problems you can try a mix of essence de petrole by Lefranc & Bourgeois (is it like the white spirit but much better) mixed with zip oil (in quantities 70% + 30%). The percentage can vary as this depends on the oil company you will use. Of course, the excess oil from the tube must be absorbed in a carton paper. The about "thinner" mix helps the painting and to dry matte but it shortens the drying time. So must do your experiments.

Stelios