japenny_902 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I hear everyone saying that putting the mini on a holding stand, like a paint pot or cork or something, but I just can't seem to hold it in a good way to get it steady enough to do detail painting. Does anyone else find this, and just manhandle the miniature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vutpakdi Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Some poster tack works for me. The orange elmer's tack seems to have a very good grip. I've been using another brand that is white which works well for smaller Warlord figures, but doesn't work so well for DHL figures with their smooth base. Ah, here is the picture that I snapped for my upcoming "Beginner's Shopping List" article along with the holders that I use. If I'm doing really detailed painting, I do brace my forearm against the side of the desk. Be careful about bracing your forearms for too long though because you can cause nerve/muscle pains as a result. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorderl Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I use a drop of Zap-a-Gap on a testors paint bottle cap for the standard minis, I hold the bottle and its very easy to turn, flip etc.. I also use empty class jars for larger minis, check your kithen cabinets and you'll find several glass jars that are nearly empty ERL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japenny_902 Posted February 3, 2007 Author Share Posted February 3, 2007 No, I know how to put it on a holder, I have done it many times, I just meant that when it's on a holder i can't seem to get my hands right to paint detail really well while it's on a holder of some sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nissiana Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I find that I tend to hold the holder very near the base of the mini, and brace my hand against either the holder or the other hand, just as I would if I weren't using the holder. For me, the only difference is that since the holder is a larger surface area to hang onto than just pinching the base in my fingers, I can have a more relaxed grip and my non-painting hand is less likely to cramp up. (And I'm not rubbing off the paint, which is the main point of the holder for me...) Like Ron, I'll brace my forearm on something for heavy detail work. Usually my thigh or the desk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artists Wren Posted February 3, 2007 Artists Share Posted February 3, 2007 This is one of those things that's easier to show and much harder to type out... Assuming you're right handed, you'd be holding the mini on its holder in your left hand. Using a sturdy table, place both elbows on the table to support your arms. Then brace the edge of your right hand's palm/wrist against your left hand, so you're further steadying your painting hand and then try. Ideally you want to learn to brace your arms against your body so it doesn't matter if you're at a sturdy table, but I think it's easier to start out bracing against a table. I think you can just reverse the left/right directions if you're left-handed, but hopefully a southpaw will jump in with some tips if there's more to it than that. There are a couple of other points helpful to painting detail. It's better to have a natural hair brush (generally Kolinsky sable) with a good point that's slightly larger rather than a really small synthetic brush. The paint will stay wetter longer on a natural hair and larger brush, giving you more time to line everything up, and sable brushes get a far finer point than any synthetic brush I've ever seen. There are several threads recommending brands of brushes and where to buy them on the forums, a search on sable brush should turn up some advice. How you breathe also helps. Instead of holding your breath, breathe in, start breathing out, then start the paint stroke while you're breathing out. I'm told this is how sharpshooters get their steadiest shot, and it works for painting, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rylek Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Heyas I saw this thread and decided to put in a little tip that is kind of odd. Anyway I am a sportsman (hunter and fisherman) and I have what is called a Fly Tying kit for fishing. It is a combination of a small vice / arm / and holder. I had to mod the vice a little since fishing hooks tend to be a lot smaller then the bases of a mini but with a little help from a screwdriver I was able to open the vice portion up wide enough to fit the base of Warlord minis. It works great. Rylek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haldir Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I use old Reaper pro paint pots filled with sand or gravel (since I switched those all to dropper style bottles) & have a square of foam double sided tape to hold the minis, but other then that, I do what Wren does, thou my hands do gradually migrate to my chest for some reason... RM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durak Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Medical clamps work well too if you know anyone in the profession that can get you some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versutus Vulpes Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Can't say I am an expert or anything... But I use the bottle from the Folkart/Anita's acrylic paints. The paint isn't that good, but the bottles are easy enough to hold onto while painting - Just crazy glue the mini to the top and you are ready to roll (you can see the tops of them in some of my works in progress shots...) As for when painting - I end up holding my hands together - palm side to side (Imagine lifting a double handful of water). Then - as I am a righty - I hold the mini on the paint bottle in my left, and turn my right hand up 90 degrees to hold the brush while painting. Because I have really bad posture, I sit hunched over with my elbows on my legs - this keeps me steady enough - but I can only paint that way for an hour or two before I need a break. Hope it helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow's Tail Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Heyas I saw this thread and decided to put in a little tip that is kind of odd. Anyway I am a sportsman (hunter and fisherman) and I have what is called a Fly Tying kit for fishing. It is a combination of a small vice / arm / and holder. I had to mod the vice a little since fishing hooks tend to be a lot smaller then the bases of a mini but with a little help from a screwdriver I was able to open the vice portion up wide enough to fit the base of Warlord minis. It works great. Rylek Hey Rylek I too am a fly fisherman and fly tyer. I thought crossed my mind about useing the vice. I'm a little nostalgic though and am quite fond of my coffee can and cradled cut foam that I can rest the fig in. But an excellent idea none the less. Sparrow's Tail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrush65 Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 My preference is a medical style clamp to hold figures They are available at most places that sell fishing gear. Hemostats More important to me though is the height of the table I work on. my hands need to be higher than a writing/dinner table height. Typically painters bring the work up to the close focus point of their vision which is why many wind up with their hands cradled on their chest or their backs bent over toward the table. My back cannot take that bent over position and I brace much better with a higher platform to lean on. Last time we painted at the LGS they gave us a gaming table to use and the height was a significant improvement over the card tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I just use a 3/4" Wooden Dowel with a bottle cap glued to one end. Hot glue the mini to the bottle cap and you;re good to go. The dowel is a nice diameter to hold comfortably. Another bonus is that the dowel and bottle cap fit perfectly into the neck of a 20 oz soda bottle, so if you need to let the mini sit, just keep a few empties floating around with some water or sand in them and drop the dowel in. The bottle cap is wide enough that it catches on the mouth of the bottle. For Models with a pin, I also have a few Dowels with holes the size of my pin drilled into them. For CAV, and models with a Large obase, I use a Gatorade bottle cap and one of the 20 oz bottles of gatorade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dargrin Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 On slotted minis I use a bottle cap with a slit in it. I used a hand saw to cut through. Holds really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorderl Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I like the idea there for slotted minis, I'll be using it myself Thxs ERL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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