10+ hours for 6 minis? What am I doing wrong?

[CarbonCopy]

Very nice Marine Tommie!

@Ice:

Painting can take a VERY long time. Some people are faster, most are not. The more care, detail, effort and effects you put in, the longer it will take. There are some on this forum that spend HUNDREDS of hours on a single troop-sized 35mm scale miniature.

My effort: http://www.coolminiornot.com/253314

That's 65.5 hours for paint alone (had to re sculpt a foot and make the base, so it's more like 72 hours) for ONE miniature.

 

[Tommie Soule]

For just 1 and a half hours this is really good Tommie Soule !!!!
You're patience to help other mini artist is something to be admired and a example to other high end mini painters out there!!!

aw thanks, but i'm only following an example already set buy such hobbyists, i'm sure i won't be the last

 

[Torn blue sky]

An example by presence is a lot different to taking time out to explain and give other people encouragement when needed. It's not very often i've encountered that kind of persistant behaviour in this hobby tbh. It's also encouraging to see you don't just hand it to them on a plate, and let them do some of the work. That's a very important part of bettering yourself and improving.
Hat's off to you sah.

 

[-Ice]

Thanks for the help, Tommie! I'll do my best to un-piece your work! Looking forward to see if I've grasped the basics properly.

And I agree with Torn's sentiments, I'm glad that you're actively sharing your knowledge and expertise even if you don't put everything on a silver platter.

One problem I think I have is that I see the big picture always. I don't notice that there's a shadow here, or a bit of shading there. This means that I miss the details and then end up wondering why my work is different.

Another thing I've learned is that the mini does not always look like it's "progressing" during the painting process. One minute it looks awesome, the next, it looks like crap, but in the end, everything works out fine. I'm having trouble with this as well; I get really disappointed during the "step backwards" parts of the painting process.

@ CarbonCopy:
While I do agree that painting a mini can take a very long time and the more time and effort you put into it, the better it's gonna look, I wasn't expecting to spend this much time for "vanilla" space marines. You'll note that I've not done any highlighting or shading on the minis, just a wash. So I was going for more TTQ feel and was surprised at the time it took. Also, I've had no previous experience in this hobby so that contributed to the "surprise" as well.

Again, I was doing vanilla space marines --- if I were doing conversion work or showcase minis, then I wouldn't be complaining.

 

[CarbonCopy]

Wow, I just read my own post. I wasn't trying to be overly pessimistic, but that's sure how it sounds.

You'll note that I've not done any highlighting or shading on the minis, just a wash. So I was going for more TTQ feel and was surprised at the time it took. Also, I've had no previous experience in this hobby so that contributed to the "surprise" as well.

Sometimes, on hard smooth surfaces (and also depending on the colors involved), it takes more time to do TTQ with washes than it does with simple outlining & edge highlighting. It's the whole repainting over dried tide-pool wash thing that eats up most of your time it seems (based on the opening post).

Instead of applying the wash to the entire surface, try targeting exactly where you want the wash to be. This is often called glazing. Load the brush, touch it to some paper towel to remove excess (so you don't flood the surface of the model) and paint it on, dragging toward where you want the heaviest coverage. Repeat, allowing to dry in between each layer (if applied correctly, it should dry almost instantly). Yes, it may take slightly longer than a traditional wash, but you won't have to use twice as much time reapplying your base/mid tone. Based on your description of how thin your washes are, it may work perfectly for this method.

Or, you might want to do a test mini (for a different squad) using a different approach -- outlining & edge highlighting. It might turn out faster as it involves fewer reapplications of of the same color.

Just a thought.

 

[-Ice]

No worries there, CarbonCopy.

A lot of people have said that about space marine armor so I'm not so worried anymore. And yes, I do spend so much time on cleanup it pisses me off. I'm doing controlled washing now (which is exactly as you described), though anything rarely dries almost instantly, but that might be due to the weather/season and I think I can live with that. One reason I'm not doing edge highlights is that I like the wash-effect better than the edge-highlight-effect.

 

[Tommie Soule]

I'm doing controlled washing now (which is exactly as you described), though anything rarely dries almost instantly, .

hair dryer

 

[IdofEntity]

hair dryer

Or stronger table lamp.

 

[Tommie Soule]

hair dryer

 

[Torn blue sky]

hair lamp.

 

[Tommie Soule]

table dryer

 

[skraaal]

Fan Heater ftw...different hot/cold air settings!

 

[Tommie Soule]

Fan Heater ftw...different hot/cold air settings!

so does my hair dryer and its hand held friendly and desk top friendly and warm on a cold day friendly

 

[HeavyBolter]

Desktop mini fan from Walmart.

 

[Torn blue sky]

All aside, i'd say hair dryer too. The only annoyance I have with them is when Meg uses one and points it at what i'm painting when she's drying her work >: (

 

[Chrome]

so does my hair dryer and its hand held friendly and desk top friendly and warm on a cold day friendly

Warm on a lonely day friendly as well? ;D

 

[locutus]

I want you to look at it and figure it out and enjoy
post your findings here

Regarding to the eyes on you're 1 and a half hour mini Can i have a go at how you did the eyes???

I'm thinking basing the eye and eyesocket (is that the correct word??) black, dark angel green as a base colour for the eyes; highlighting towards nose and a little down with a mix dark angel green/yellow. Pure dot white to the far end of the eye giving the suggestion of light hitting it.

Wait now that i'm looking again perhaps u also shaded the dark angel green first???


Hope i'm close

 

[richeousWeasel]

I spraypaint my primer and basecoats on. Lay the fig on its back, spray 4 directions really lightly (barely coloring it), let set, flip the fig over, and repeat, let set, stand he fig up and repeat, let set, repeat the whole process with the basecoat (I have generic colors I use, like green, blue, black, etc) and let the basecoat show through in some places to cut down on time painting. I spend about 2 hours painting 3-4 minis at a time this way, and I use 3 coats after that on skin (skin tone, flesh wash, drybrush skintone over it) and I paint camo patterns too. I find the less planned camo patterns are more impressive looking than planned ones too. All this, and about 2 hours, and my minis look great to me, and my opponents are always impressed with them too. My eyes are little more than bone white with a dot of color, and a smaller dot of black.

I hope this helps.

 

[MightyChad]

Who cares how long it takes, unless you have a deadline. Just make sure you are happy with the end result. You've spent the money on the minis, they may as well look like you care. Of course that mentality will be why I will not finish my army, but what I have finished looks good to me. I just can't see paying hundreds of dollars for the army then rushing it just to get it on the table, and not being happy with it. Don't worry about time, just make sure you are learning to get better, and with practice quality and speed will both rise.

 

[-Ice]

MightyChad, I agree with your sentiments but my problem was that I was not happy with the amount of time I am spending AND the number of minis/quality of work I have to show for that time. More like the time spent:quality ratio.

Tommie, I got your mini before Christmas but you'll have to forgive me for posting just now. I had to work through the holiday season and I'm only now getting a break. Anyway, your mini looks awesome! Nice and clean, and props on the packaging as well. I'm guessing Mechrite Red as base, a light-brown wash maybe Gryphone Sepia, then a Mechrite Red cleanup, and last coat of Mechrite Red with a bit of Blood Red to brighten it up. I am not sure how you got it nice and shiny (reflective of light). I can see tiny, tiny, barely noticeable line highlights of Blazing Orange on the helmet crest and elbow pads and "eyebrows" and mouthpiece. I am not sure what you used for the line highlight on the knee pads, but it is white/grayish (I'm not too familiar with the paint range yet). Chainsword and pistol is done with chaos black and chainmail/boltgun, washed with badab black... I can see select areas with line highlights again... codex gray? I'm guessing Tin Bitz for the skull and the shoulder armor scrolls and the end of the knobs beside the respirator. Chest aquila is chainmail/boltgun washed with a dark wash (badab black?) and then re-highlighted.

The eyes are awesome. I'm guessing a black base, a light green paint (goblin green or scorpion green) on the front half, a grayish stripe on the lower part (codex gray again?), and a dot of white.

Tell me if I'm warm anywhere. I'm just guessing for the most part. I'm really liking the eyes and the amount of wash that you allow to show through is so fine. I think I can see 3 layers on the right foot - wash, base color, highlight.