From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Miniature figure painting)

Jump to navigationJump to search

hideThis article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or
discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove
these template messages)

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external

links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline
citations. (March 2018)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December
2011)

This article's lead section may be too long for the length of the
article. (March 2018)

The assembly and painting of models is a major aspect of the hobby of miniature wargaming.

Figure painting is the hobby of painting miniature figures and/or model figures, either in
its own right or as an adjunct to role-playing games, wargames, military modeling, etc.
Miniature figurines come in a variety of sizes. Most figurines used in gaming range in size
from 2 mm all the way up to 54 mm. Figurines also come in a variety of materials,
with plastic, metal and resin being the three most prevalent. Popular scales for plastic
figurines are generally 1/72 and 1/35 scale. Popular sizes for metal figures are 6 mm,
15 mm and 25/28 mm. Plastic figurine makers generally stick to scale, while metal
manufacturers generally categorize by size.
Resin is generally used for smaller manufacturers of kits and figurines in the model kit
hobby due to its relative lower production cost compared to other materials, and in the
hobby gaming industry is used in lieu of metal on larger pieces that would be cost
prohibitive if made of metal (i.e.: vehicles, large monsters and especially terrain items
such as buildings).
Because of the small scale of these figures, the often finely sculpted detail can be lost by
simply applying solid color. Many special techniques allow the painter to emphasize the
detail in the figure and make it "come alive".
The miniature figurine hobby has really taken two tracks to arrive at its present state.
Initially war gamers used plastic figurines to re-create conflicts on the tabletop. In the
1970s, with the rise of the fantasy role playing market, metal figures became more widely
available, and eventually overtook plastics in many areas of the hobby, though plastic
figures remain popular with many painters and gamers.
 Initially enamel based paints were the popular choice out of necessity until the arrival
of acrylic based paints. Enamels are still popular in the plastic modeling hobby, while
acrylic is the most popular for miniature figurines. However, preferences differ among
individual artists. Materials most commonly used by the figurine painter are some type of
primer to undercoat the figurine (making the paint adhere better), paint, brush and often
a sealant of some sort to protect the figurine after it is painted.

Contents

 1Materials
 2Dimensions
 3Tools
 4Competition
 5References

Materials[edit]
Some hobbyists use acrylic paint or artists' paint (such as Daler Rowney's "Cryla"), but
more often they use paint sold especially for painting minis and other scale models (such
as Acrylicos Vallejo's "Model Color" and "Game Color" or Games Workshop's "Citadel
Colour"). Some mini painters use enamel paint (e.g., Humbrol or Testors) or even
artists' oil paint. Some hobbyists use synthetic lacquer paints, such as Gunze-Sangyo's
"Mr. Color" paint line. Lacquer paints are less commonly available in the United States
due to safety issues.[citation needed]

Dimensions[edit]
Model Dimensions (approx): Figure/Bust Measurements

 1/4 Scale: 370mm/180-200mm

 1/5 Scale: 330mm/N/A

 1/6 Scale: 240mm/N/A

 1/7 Scale: 240mm/N/A

 1/8 Scale: 230mm/N/A

 1/9 Scale: 200mm/90mm

 1/10 Scale: 180mm/80mm

 1/12 Scale: 150mm/75mm

 1/16 Scale: 120mm/N/A

 1/18 Scale: 90mm/N/A

 1/20 Scale: 85mm/50mm

 1/22 Scale: 80mm/N/A

 1/24 Scale: 75mm/N/A

 1/28 Scale: 70mm/N/A

 1/32 Scale: 54mm/N/A

 1/35 Scale: 50mm/N/A

 1/48 Scale: 35mm/N/A

 1/54 Scale: 32mm/N/A

 1/56 Scale: 28mm/N/A

 1/73 Scale: 25mm/N/A

Tools[edit]
Sculptors often use a high amount of detail in the figures, and painting may require the
finest brushes, as fine as 00000 (5/0). Most painters will use a range of different brush
sizes; 1, 00, and 0000 is a likely minimum set. Good quality brushes like kolinsky
sable brushes that take a fine point are preferred, although hog or synthetic brushes are
better for "rough" work: undercoating and dry brushing. An airbrush is also a commonly
used tool. Airbrushing facilitates leveled painting surfaces and allows for effects like
gradients and soft blended edges. Because of the detail work involved, airbrushes with a
small tip diameter are considered more useful.
A palette is used for mixing and thinning paints before application. Non-porous materials,
such as a plain ceramic tile, avoid sucking the solvent out of the paint. A wet palette is
especially useful with acrylics that dry quickly on a dry palette. A wet palette is a sealable
container with a layer of absorbent material (such as tissue paper) that can be soaked
with water and a semi-permeable membrane (such as greaseproof paper or baking
paper (silicone paper)) over that. The paint sits on the membrane and is kept wet
by osmosis. Wet palettes can be bought, but are easily made.

Competition[edit]
Some figure producers promote figure painting through competition. As an
example, Games Workshop runs their Golden Demon competitions at Games Day
events, which is restricted to Games Workshop's own figures or scratch-built figures for
Games Workshop game settings.

References[edit]
 Sheperd Paine, Building and Painting Scale Figures (ISBN 1-85310-496-5)
 Jerry Scutts, Modelling and Painting Figures (Osprey 2000) (ISBN 1-902579-23-2)
 Alex Castro, The Art of Painting Miniatures Faces & Figures (Compendium Modelling
Classics) (ISBN 1-902579-62-3)