How To Ready RPG Figures For Paint
Tutorial: Preparing, Planning and Priming Role Playing Miniatures
Nov 14, 2008
Once a suitable work space has been laid out and the artist has chosen brushes, paint and an interesting figure to bring to life, work can begin.
Preparation
Often overlooked, the first and extremely important step on the path to a vivid and interesting miniature paint job is the preparation phase.
Metal figures are cast from a two part mold. This process, while simple and efficient, can lead to several problems with a three dimensional sculpture at the 25mm scale. Basic steps can ready the figure for painting and eliminate any problems stemming from the casting.
Examine the figure closely. There will be a straight line that runs all the way around the figure where the two halves of the mold met. In well cast figures, very little "flash" (the thin extrusion of metal that shows where the molds met) is left attached to the figure, but even the best molding usually leaves some. Trim this with a hobby knife. Care should be taken not to damage the features of the figure and to avoid personal injury. A small file can also be employed for this work, depending on where the flash is found.
Should the flash on the base of the figure cause it to wobble, trim the flash with a knife. If the figure still wobbles, a few stokes of the base across a piece of sandpaper taped to the table will solve the problem.
Once the figure is free of all the flash, rinse it with water with a tiny amount of soap to clean any "mold release" left on the metal. A soft toothbrush can be used for this step. Rinse the figure well with clean water and let it dry.
Planning
One advantage of carefully preparing the figure as outlined above is that the painter will have a chance to thoroughly examine the figure. This close examination will benefit the final product, since a close examination is essential in planning the painting stages.
At small scales like 25mm it can be difficult to tell the difference between similar colours, so the painter should try to plan the painting of the figure to lay contrasting colours hard up against each other. Red sleeves will show up much better on a figure wearing black gloves than will dark blue sleeves. All the choices for colour should be made before any paint actually touches the minature.
Priming
The reason for planning the painting scheme in advance is twofold. The first reason is to ensure that all the colours required for the job are available. The second is to help choose which primer to use.
A figure that will generally be painted in light colours should be primed with white paint. A figure that will be mostly dark should be primed with black or dark grey paint.
A thinner mixture of paint is best. If necessary, two or three coats of primer, thinned with water and left to thoroughly dry between coats is the best technique. A thicker coat of paint will obscure tiny details, where several thin coats will not.
Next: Light to Dark
