Dragon kin (Reaper 3022)

The Foundry three-color system is about the easiest painting method you can undertake. It also leaves a lot of room for different techniques (stippling, blending, drybrushing, impressionistic strokes.) The core to the system is having, for each color in your palette, three separate shades of color -- a base color, a midtone and the highlight color. So, for example, red might have brown as its base color, then the red, then either a pink or an orange for a highlight.

You start by applying the basecoat with your darkest shade. Next, you apply your midtone. Paint this middle shade on either raised areas of the sculpt, or on areas that are exposed to light. By leaving the areas out of the light with only the basecoat on, you've created a simple "shade" effect. Next, paint the highlight conservatively on the apex's of wrinkles, creases and folds, and also on "rim" areas like around the edge of a shirt or pant cuff. Again, keep the highlight on areas that would be exposed to light.

You can vary the degree of "jump" between shades in your 3-color palette so as to vary the contrast of your mniature. You an also add shades to your palette, so instead of a three-color system, you could be using 4-, 5- or even more shades per color.

If you want a good reference guide (with LOTS of step-by-step guides), I'd recommend Kevin Dallimore's painting guide by Foundry. I actually think it's worth the price.

You can find it here: http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/books/paintbook.asp

This system is a beginner's technique. It's simple anad easy and will produce figures ready for the tabletop. If you want to paint figures for display, I would expand the three color system to one of the multiples I mentioned- up to 10 shades if you have the patience. But, at that many shades, you might want to start learning other techniques such as blending.

Just a note: One of the reasons I like the three-color system is that I don't have to do washes. Washes are a great beginner technique, however, and can be used to great effect. But, I've never been able to control a wash as well as paint on the brush. Also, it takes time for the wash to dry before you can apply another layer of paint or varnish, and I like to get my figures painted quickly, so they can get onto the battlefield.

It's coming!

Finally, I started painting a figure and taking step-by-step photos. It shouold be done by (the latest) the end of next week (as I paint in fits and jumps.) Here's the figure I am painting (from the Reaper Web site): http://www.reapermini.com/FigureFinder#detail/03022

I'm not sure if I'll give detailed instructions for each step since all I'm doing is using the three-color system, but I'll still offer a few notes, and I may even give a brief overview of the three-color system (also called the Foundry System.)

Once the figure is done and posted, don't hesitate to ask questions about how I did certain things.

Small post, but no step-by-step yet

I'll be painting all the minis of my D&D group, so I figure I'll post pics of those here. This figure is of a rogue. I'll try to do the next one as a step-by-step; that one will be a dragonborn character.

update

It's been a busy summer outside of the hobby. I'll try to get something up in the next week or two- I figure I'm long overdue for an actual step-by-step. I have a couple Reaper miniatures on deck, so I'll try to remember to take lots of pictures and notes as I paint.

Familia Gladiatoria

One of the offshoots of getting back into D&D is a renewed interest in gladiatorial minis games. I still haven't found the right one for me, though Blue Sky, Red Sands is close, and the Mordheim Pitfighting game is familiar.

These are a little more roughly painted having been done a few years ago. They are mostly Games Workshop Mordheim Pit Fighters, one of which is converted by adding a Foundry gladiator head. The fellow with the red tattoos is a Celtos fig ... I think; I got it free from someone. The shield it holds also is from Foundry.

Little spaceships

So I'm trying out some space combat; I don't have any proper ships, so I proxied some up. BEHOLD- miniature paper airplanes! I was anal enough to actually prime and paint them, too. Jeez.

Update

I don't have anything on the project table for the time being, but don't fret; there are plenty of archives to look through.

If you have a chance, go to the Hawgleg forums and look at this awesome old west stamping mill done in 28mm by Cory (who also has a presence at the Lead Adventure forums.)

I reckon' I'll have to steal his design and build one up in 40mm scale, but credit goes to him for an original idea and an excellent undertaking.

Oh- here's the link: http://www.hawgleg.com/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=681

D&D character

Here's what I finally settled on for my D&D character mini. It's a Reaper. I got onto a bit of a Conan the Cimmerian track, so I chose something Conan-ish, not the movie, but more the literary character.

D&D

Yep, I'm what some of you would call "a nerd." I'm getting back into D&D with friends with Fourth Edition, BUT I will still be updating this blog- I just figured I'd offer an explanation as to why I haven't updated in a few days.

Next up may be a painted figure I'll be using as my D&D character.

And I'm working on floorplans for my (40mm old west) newspaper building. It will be a nice cozy affair with a separate room (looks like a garage, actually) for the press. I'm just trying to figure out the layout for the desk and type case. I've also made 50 or so copies of miniature newspapers to stack, fold and have laying about the office.

I reckon' I'll need to pick up some more material, too. I picked up about $100 worth of basswood, dowel, card, styrene and brass rod 6 months ago, and I've done gone used it all up!

Lots of things on my project table; I just gotta get to doin'em! In the meantime, take a gander at some of my older stuff to keep yourselves entertained until I can get my lazy butt back to blogging.

Completed newspaper furniture collection

Except for some rough edges (I need a new/sharper saw), I'm pretty happy with this effort. Now, I just need to make a nice little building to house it all. I also want to add an oil lamp to the desk; I have a couple ideas I'm going to try out.

Type case progress

Just a couple in-progress shots of my California job case (or just Type case). The little piece of styrene held by the tweezers is 1/16" wide and about 1/4" long. I had to measure and cut each divider piece one at a time. Ugh. But it turned out ok. I hope I never lose this piece; I don't want have to build it again.

Editor's Desk under construction

A piece I'm proud of, this desk measures 1" wide by 2" long by 1 1/2" tall at the back. I'm especially happy with how my inkwell turned out. It was made using a needle file to file down the sides of a wooden dowel into the deires shape, then cutting it off, drilling a hole for the opening and adding a brass rod as a pen.
My next piece will be a type case- I'm not sure how it will go, there are a lot of dividers for the lead type- I may have to make dividers from paper. I'm glad I own tweezers.