Whitecoats, at last! Part of IR35 (Argenteau)"Where the hell has HE been?", I can hear people asking.
Well, to put it mildly my first foray into the world of 6mm was very disappointing. I just wasn't happy with the results I was getting, and was finding that the visual switch to 6mm after years of 25/28 miniatures was -literally- giving me headaches.
After going through a number of false starts and trying a number of different painting techniques, I found myself failing a succession of morale throws resulting in a total rout. I pretty much gave up in frustrated despair, all the time myself shaking my head over how Braxen was able to get such wonderful results on his minis without having to wear glasses the thickness of Pepsi bottles. I actually came close to ditching the whole lot (well, sending them to Braxen at any rate).
For a while after that I did not do much painting at all, as work was taking a heavier toll of my time, but eventually I did get back- to my 28's. I have been making good progress in that area, and the last couple of months saw me at work on French infantry and chasseurs a cheval. I had put 6mm in the back of my mind, and for a long time I didn't look at this blog out of embarrassment at having to publicly admit defeat, and even contemplated getting myself a chamberpot with Pete Berry's picture inside it...
However...
This past Friday I was in the middle of painting a grey (almost white) horse for a mounted French "bigwig", and was feeling pleased with myself about how it was turning out. I then found myself wondering whether the same technique would actually work with my 6mm Austrians.
So on a whim (and as a break from the 28's) I took out a few bases worth of Kaiserliks and started painting. To my surprise, I found myself actually beginning to enjoy it as I saw that I was getting a finished product that I was happy with.
It helped that a month ago a got myself both new reading glasses (I suffer from considerable short-sightedness), and a light bulb for painting that gives off "natural" light. Not as bright as a standard light bulb, but what you see while painting is what you get once the painting session is done and the figures are on the table. It helps to eliminates that "garish" look that sometimes result from having painted in too strong a light.
The figures had already been undercoated in white, so I gave them a basecoat of Ceramcoat's soft grey, followed by a wash of quaker grey and a "wettish" drybrushing of pure white. This gave me what I was looking for- shading which was not too strong visually, but which was subtle enough so that the uniforms were clearly white- without being too stark.
I was able to learn a number of things in the process about painting 6mm- with white uniforms, avoid extremes of colours by using charcoal rather than black for helmets and cartridge boxes, and just suggest the facing colours with a dab here and there.
So above here is the picture of a "test stand" that I completed as a model for the rest of the regiment IR.36 (Argentau's). Although not the greatest close-up shot, I'm quite pleased with the figures. 6mm is not really at its best at this distance anyway- it is best seen en masse and at arm's length viewing at least.
The rest of the regiment is already 40% complete. I'll see if I can get it done over the weekend in between working on my 28's. Psychologically, I find this works well for me as the variety helps keep up momentum.
I'd love to start working on terrain boards for these guys, but first things first; paint infantry. I do not want to bite off more than I can chew.
Robert
Well, to put it mildly my first foray into the world of 6mm was very disappointing. I just wasn't happy with the results I was getting, and was finding that the visual switch to 6mm after years of 25/28 miniatures was -literally- giving me headaches.
After going through a number of false starts and trying a number of different painting techniques, I found myself failing a succession of morale throws resulting in a total rout. I pretty much gave up in frustrated despair, all the time myself shaking my head over how Braxen was able to get such wonderful results on his minis without having to wear glasses the thickness of Pepsi bottles. I actually came close to ditching the whole lot (well, sending them to Braxen at any rate).
For a while after that I did not do much painting at all, as work was taking a heavier toll of my time, but eventually I did get back- to my 28's. I have been making good progress in that area, and the last couple of months saw me at work on French infantry and chasseurs a cheval. I had put 6mm in the back of my mind, and for a long time I didn't look at this blog out of embarrassment at having to publicly admit defeat, and even contemplated getting myself a chamberpot with Pete Berry's picture inside it...
However...
This past Friday I was in the middle of painting a grey (almost white) horse for a mounted French "bigwig", and was feeling pleased with myself about how it was turning out. I then found myself wondering whether the same technique would actually work with my 6mm Austrians.
So on a whim (and as a break from the 28's) I took out a few bases worth of Kaiserliks and started painting. To my surprise, I found myself actually beginning to enjoy it as I saw that I was getting a finished product that I was happy with.
It helped that a month ago a got myself both new reading glasses (I suffer from considerable short-sightedness), and a light bulb for painting that gives off "natural" light. Not as bright as a standard light bulb, but what you see while painting is what you get once the painting session is done and the figures are on the table. It helps to eliminates that "garish" look that sometimes result from having painted in too strong a light.
The figures had already been undercoated in white, so I gave them a basecoat of Ceramcoat's soft grey, followed by a wash of quaker grey and a "wettish" drybrushing of pure white. This gave me what I was looking for- shading which was not too strong visually, but which was subtle enough so that the uniforms were clearly white- without being too stark.
I was able to learn a number of things in the process about painting 6mm- with white uniforms, avoid extremes of colours by using charcoal rather than black for helmets and cartridge boxes, and just suggest the facing colours with a dab here and there.
So above here is the picture of a "test stand" that I completed as a model for the rest of the regiment IR.36 (Argentau's). Although not the greatest close-up shot, I'm quite pleased with the figures. 6mm is not really at its best at this distance anyway- it is best seen en masse and at arm's length viewing at least.
The rest of the regiment is already 40% complete. I'll see if I can get it done over the weekend in between working on my 28's. Psychologically, I find this works well for me as the variety helps keep up momentum.
I'd love to start working on terrain boards for these guys, but first things first; paint infantry. I do not want to bite off more than I can chew.
Robert
4 comments:
I can honestly say that over the last year I have gone through the same emotional demoralization as you seem to have just experienced. Mine came with my first plunge into 10mm WSS.
After initial excitement and a great start between Sept 07 and Feb 08 I had purchased all the figures to do Blenheim at 1:10 and had 1/3 of the project done. Then, none of it looked right. I couldn't stand the thought of "wasting" another brush stroke on those cheesy little guys when I had become pretty satisfied with my 28mm skills and I was really missing the "art" component of painting.
Being so familar with the 2000+ 10mm figs I had finished, that I knew the shoulder on the 4th figure of every 3rd strip was slightly deformed left me unable to look at another.
Then the horrifying belief that the visual effect simply sucked on the table.
Finished with the mess I went back to 28mm only to realize after a month, I wouldn't be able to paint enough to do all the periods I sought in my lifetime at that level of detail I demanded and not wanting to press on with the 10s I was in miniature limbo.
I had several units of 10s and 28s primed and collecting dust on the bench. The fact now seems to be this. Everyone else thinks my 10s look great and enjoy gaming with them. I'm about to rebase them all to minimize my disgust with the visual effect. Everyone that games with them thinks I'm crazy but putting a different shade of lipstick on the pig seems to be rekindling the romance for me.
I'm panting both the 10s and the 28s with vigor and passion again.
So why am I posting on a 6mm blog? The visual effects of YOUR figures along with those on sixtwentyeight and the paintingshed have inspired me to try something even smaller and my first Polish Nappies arrived today. Keep up the great work and trudge on!
Tim
Thanks for the comment, and it is good to know that I am not alone in my experience with the small fry!
I understood that after years of working with 28's the painting approaches with 6mm needed to be different.
I did not anticipate, however, how much I had come to expect the "instant gratification" in terms of eye-candy that comes with painting 28mm miniatures. With 6mm, I find that you need a lot of figures and an attractive layout to get that "wow" factor, and I wasn't getting as quick a fix that I was used to when having finished a stand of 28mm miniatures.
I found myself getting more and more frustrated when I kept putting in painting time without seeming to be getting any real forward momentum going with the project.
I think now that working on buildings and terrain features will be important for me to give some context to the project, and to give me a sense that I am moving towards a tangible goal.
I'll stick it out for a while longer yet! I'm also considering getting some Bavarians as opposition and as a change from all that white.
Tim, your post was quite hilarious, but well done for not giving up.
Robert, welcome back! I think you hold the right end of it: the figures look very nice. Don't forget that the base and the way you group the figures as a unit with flags and officers will be great part of the visual enjoyment.
Unit by unit the Austrians will come back, they always have, haven't they?... Keep the spirit and the fight on, you are doing it right!
The basing thing is exactly why I've decided to give 6mm a shot. The GA approach to basing is what my 10mm project lacks. (Although with 40 24 figure batt and 60 sqds of horse per side on the table it is just starting to look like those early 18th century paintings.)
I've painted about 45 Adler Duchy of Warsaw figures (I figure enough for a stand). This took me about 4 hours from deflash to complete...not quite 1 minute per figure but not bad for my first attempt at 6mm. And I can see that I'll be able to really crank these Lilliputians out.
They painted like a dream and although not up to some of the nappies on these blogs yet, I'm in love and am waiting for my Baccus to arrive for comparison but the storm clouds are on the horizon and I've already got my next Adler order mapped out.
This over exaggeration of color for effect is a new technique for me. I'm trying to be a little bolder without having my stuff look like Andy Warhol did them.
I agree that more than one flag per stand and lots of formation variety and terrain effects on the bases is the key to that epic look at this scale.
I'm still pondering whether to go with 60mm or 75mm bases as I don't know if 50mm will allow the diorama look to show up but I'm pausing before mounting as I tend to oversize things a bit....The birdhouses I built as a kid usually ended up with 3 bedrooms and breakfast nook.
So I'll keep pouring over the photos and raiding these blogs for all the tips I can find.
I've been mostly a Yahoo Groups user and just recently discovered how much I can find on blogs. Thanks for the hard work you guys put into presenting all this information.
Tim
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