Will painting a few 54mm models improve my skills?

[mjs101]

I've seen some really great work here. I struggle with eyes and belt buckles for example, the finest of motor control.

Has any improved their skills by painting 54mm models and then succcessfully translated that back to improved 28mm models? Or am I better off focusing on 28mm and just practice practice practice?

 

[TrystanGST]

For the most part, if you want to get good at 28mm, keep painting 28mm. There are a few basic skills that carry over, but larger scale models are their own beast, with their own skills.

 

[Zab]

Going up in scale won't help with the smaller scales. The thought that bigger details will be easier is flawed. Bigger models require more detail and smoother blending and can frankly be a really byatch to even experienced painters. 28mm just takes practice and will help you develope the basic skills if you want to more onto a bigger canvas later. I have many big kits sitting around and look at them with equal parts awe and terror

 

[MAXXxxx]

Has any improved their skills by painting 54mm models and then succcessfully translated that back to improved 28mm models?

yes, but not with detail work. It helped me a lot with colors and tones.
For fine control it was not good, maybe even a bit worse. When painting a 54+mm figure you adjust to the larger features/details, then struggle to go back to the smaller 28mm ones. At least that's how it is for me.

 

[boubi]

Personally it helped me a lot... I have painted my wolfen from Rackham which is a bigger scale. On the skin and the cloth I have practiced my thin layering technique...
I believe that it depends on the technique you use and the goal you want to reach.
For me it was helpful... Then I have one advice, try it and see it if it works for you by setting up your own goals.

 

[airhead]

For things like belt buckles, have you tried using the side of the point of the brush instead of the tip? A technique I learned as edge painting. Don't push, but simply touch the edge to the object being painted. May take more than one layer.

 

[Zab]

Yep, airhead has the right idea. Here is a post from Ron at FTW that tackles using the edge of your bristles:

http://fromthewarp.blogspot.ca/2011/08/basics-line-highlighting-optional.html

 

[cfwheeler58]

All good advice, but perhaps most importantly.....

A good reason to paint a subject you like in 54mm or even 75mm is
that you may find you REALLY like the larger scale figures.

The 75mm scale is exploding with rich topics right now

 

[paul222]

Nothing I have seen or used in almost 10 years has had the fantastic results it has had. It would take a fair paint job into a good one. I look at my old paint jobs vs my new ones and there is no comparison.but i suggest to you that small scale is best to improve your painting and hope you accept my suggestion...