Pixel's Kingmaker NPCs Project

[Pixel]

As requested, new thread, and a WIP!

 

For anyone interested in seeing my first 10 months of painting, my noob thread is here: http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/51059-helping-noobs-good-karma-painting-kickstarter-bones/?p=756353

 

This thread is going to be about my wacky next project, which is to paint 15 NPCs for my gaming group's Kingmaker campaign. Plus 5 PCs, but maybe those won't be in this thread. We'll see.

 

My experiment this time around is to try to take my painting to the next level by painting the same thing on all 15 minis before moving onto the next thing. For example, all the faces, then all the skin, then all cloth, then all the leather, etc. To the extend practical. So kind of batch painting, but on really different minis and not using the same colors, although I'm going to use some core colors across the minis. I think. I'm hoping this will help me improve my technique on each type of material.

 

Beyond that strategy, some things I'll be doing differently than before:

- priming with gesso. heard from a couple people at ReaperCon that this may be more durable on metal minis than the brush on Reaper primer I've been using. And all these minis are intended for gaming, so durable is really important.

- mixing Reaper brush-on sealer into more of my colors, for durability and cuz peeps on this board say it's nice to mix into glazes, which I use a lot.

- base-coating all or most of each mini before I start highlighting/shadowing. Usually I "finish" each area of the mini as I go, so this is going to feel weird. But I want to get an overall feel for the color scheme of each mini, and some of the techniques I learned at ReaperCon require knowing this. For example, one tip I got to improve my minis was to blend some of the primary color of the mini into the skin tones of the mini, because that is more realistic than pure skin tone.

- Mixing more of my own shadows and highlights, rather than using trios. I've done some of this before, I but it's a specific goal here. This will also let me do more interesting color variations in the shadows and highlights.

 

So here are the 15 minis assembled, prepped, and roughly based. I'll refine the bases later, but I have a weird habit of liking to paint my mini on its base, so the basic idea is there. No you aren't imagining the random gray blobs on two of them. That's poster tack holding bits together while epoxy putty dries.

 

 

And here are most of them with the gesso:

 

 

So holy crap - 15!! Prep took forever, even with a friend's help, and just getting them primed was no mean task. In my experience the gesso works better on the thicker side. When diluted, it tended to form bubbles that stuck around when dry, while the thickness seems to not be a problem when the gesso shrinks and dries. I've read a lot of arguments about whether it actually shrinks or not, but whatever you call it, it looks like shrinking and does a nice job of revealing detail.

 

I should have gotten the gesso done yesterday so I could brownslobber today but alas the good weather and my newly planted container garden distracted me. I think it's a good idea to let the gesso cure 24 hrs, so this is all I have for now.

Thanks for looking!

Heidi

[CashWiley]

While mere mortals may paint a single mini at a time, Queen Pixel paints 15!

[KruleBear]

Yeah, wip number two. Never tried gesso. I have never been a fan of brush on primers except as touch up when removing a bit of missed flash. I am a believer in spray can primers for metal and non-bones plastic minis. I have used different brands. My Armoury grey is about done and i have a can of black Dupli-color sandable primer i started to use that seems to work well (picked it up at a NAPA auto store). I will be getting another can of it in grey which i prefer for most priming.

 

Of course for gaming i always follow up the paint jobs with a gloss poly followed by matte Testors Dullcote. These strategies generally hold up well for gaming.

[Loim]

I am a fan of brush on primer. Less mess, less hassle for me. I have a giganormous bottle of Liquitex. I find it works just as well on Bones as it does on metals. Thanks for starting this. I will watch with much anticipation. 

[Bruunwald]

Yeah, wip number two. Never tried gesso. I have never been a fan of brush on primers except as touch up when removing a bit of missed flash. I am a believer in spray can primers for metal and non-bones plastic minis. I have used different brands. My Armoury grey is about done and i have a can of black Dupli-color sandable primer i started to use that seems to work well (picked it up at a NAPA auto store). I will be getting another can of it in grey which i prefer for most priming.

 

Of course for gaming i always follow up the paint jobs with a gloss poly followed by matte Testors Dullcote. These strategies generally hold up well for gaming.

 

Generally, I prime with spray cans, too, but if you're going to do it by hand, may as well be gesso. Gesso is unlike other brush-on primers in that:

 

A. It is more durable.

 

B. It does not "pool," and as long as you brush thoroughly it will not clump.

 

C. Related to B, it tends to "tighten" or "shrink" when it fully dries, which means it reveals detail very well.

 

Basically, everything good that Pixel related as having heard in the first post jibes with my first-hand experience with the stuff. As a bonus, Gesso adheres to a lot of stuff that other primers might have trouble sticking-to, or materials they might otherwise harm or "eat." Gesso has saved my butt many a time.

[LittleBluberry]

This is going to be an epic WIP.  Which is no less than what I expected after the epic-ness of Pixel's first WIP thread. 

 

Already started following this, I don't want to miss anything!! 

[Heisler]

Painting 15 at a time is still pretty small time. Considering that I routinely paint 40+ at a time when painting up armies. I'm not sure what took so long to prep, I did at least half of those.

[ShadowRaven]

A Pixel Project Posted, and the crowd goes wild.     

 

I shall be stalking  err following this faithfully.

[Pixel]

Painting 15 at a time is still pretty small time. Considering that I routinely paint 40+ at a time when painting up armies. I'm not sure what took so long to prep, I did at least half of those.

Well. It was way longer than my usual one. We can't all be you!

;)

And thank you for your help!

Heidi

[ub3r_n3rd]

Very cool Heidi, can't wait to see more of your fabulous work.

[MonkeySloth]

I use brush on primer (use to be Reaper but now Vallejo because of how cheap it is) and never had and issue with the paint coming off for my RPG minis. I do, however, do several layers of varnish on them.

 

You should enter all of these into Reaper Open next year and you could do a custom street scene to show them off and vie for best presentation.

[Last Knight]

I agree with MS, I've actually had worse luck with gesso brushing off than I have with Reaper brush on primer. This could well be my own fault, though, as it's only recently I've started cleaning my metal minis prior to painting.

 

Good to see you active again Pixel, loking forward to what you paint next.

[Pixel]

Ok, brownslobbering with Reaper brown liner is complete.  This has been discussed in many places, but I'll share why I like to do this, even on minis that are not Bones (where brown liner appears to increase the adherence and durability of other paints).
1) Helps me see the detail in the mini.
2) Acts as a cheat for pseudo-lining, if I'm careful when basecoating and paint up to where I want the line to be.  I find this easier than painting the line in afterwards. YMMV.
3) Gives me the experience of passing my brush over the entire mini while thinking about what areas are going to be hard to reach and should be painted first.

So here's an intro to the 15, now that a pic will actually show some details.  These minis were picked out by my DM and I.  All are Reaper metal minis I got at ReaperCon "shopping the bins" which I highly recommend.  One reason I decided to paint them all at once is that I'm so excited about so many of them, I couldn't decide which one to paint first!

Pic for 1 thru 3:

1) 60137, Captain Kerdak Bonefist (by Tim Prow)... aka "Pirate Guy".  My DM isn't telling me what all the NPCs are actually going to do in the game, so no real name for him.  My initial thoughts on colors are very tanned skin with a red coat and dirty blonde hair.  I'd like to try some coat weathering and freehand stripes on him, pay special attention to his feathers, and try to get a foamy beer effect on the mug.

2) 02835, Jolie Female Scribe (by Werner Klocke)... aka Midrith Bakkin (my character's rival). She's supposed to be fair haired and lovely, and I think I'm going to go with a rose color for her dress.  I'd like to do something interesting with the freehand on her book.

3) 03531, Nalani Dancing Girl (by Jeff Grace)... aka Celeste.  She will have dark skin, warm black hair, and a red skirt (possibly same shade as Pirate Guy), and I'd like to try some make up on her.

 

Pic for 4 thru 6:

4) 02676, Female Halfling Thief (by Sandra Garrity)... aka Tella.  I decided not to put the crossbow on her back and filled in the connection point with green stuff.  Tella will be very tanned (possibly same as Pirate Guy) with a lot of warm brown leather and cool brown hair. 

5) 60102, Trinia Sabor (by Patrick Keith)... aka Lanna, the party's cook.  I removed the blade from her hip.  I think she will be medium tanned with very blonde hair (lighter than Midrith's), with something like peacock green pants and a rust colored top. 

6) 60121, Vencarlo Orisini (by Gene Van Horn)... aka Oleg, owner of the trading post.  I removed the blade from his hand.  I'm thinking an olive skin tone with cool black hair a cream shirt, and rust colored vest (like Lanna).  I'd like to add some sacks or something on his base to make him look even more of a merchant.

 

Pic for 7 thru 9:

7) 03317, Kale Nolan Heroic Warrior (by Bobby Jackson)... aka Kesten, a morose human soldier who is the leader of the guards protecting Oleg's trading post.  I'd like to do a sunburned skin on him, with gray/white hair, and cool purple cloth (like Svetlana).  I'd like to focus on his awesomely expressive face and do the best TMM I can pull off on him.

8) 03563, Tinley, Female Wizard (by Patrick Keith)... aka Svetlana, wife of Oleg and co-owner of the trading post.  I've removed her staff and replaced it with a (very crudely sculpted; sorry, still not my thing) chalice).  I'd like to do her as a warm brunette with olive skin (similar to Oleg) and a cool purple dress, perhaps with some freehand.

9) 60059, Harrower (by Gene Van Horne)... aka...well actually the DM didn't request this one.  I just really want to paint her because I love the sculpt, so hopefully he'll find a way to use her.  She'll have olive skin like Oleg and Svetlana, with cool black hair and cool purples, but I think lighter colored than Sveltana and Kesten.  I'll have to do some kind of OSL power effect, freehand on the cards, and I think freehand on the bandana.  Yikes.

 

10 thru 12) 02741, Fairies (2) & Nymph (by Werner Klocke)... aka...well the DM said he wanted some fey, and I love these sculpts.  Well call them the blue fairy, the red fairy, and the nymph.  Blue Fairy will actually be teal.  Both fairies will have some kind of butterfly wing thing going on.  The numph will be gray/blue and a water effect on the base.

 

Pic for 13 thru 15:

13) 02762, Tuilin Female Elf (by Sandra Garrity)... aka Scary Elf Lady, who doesn't have a name yet but my character saw in a vision.  Due to said vision, she must be wearing white robes with a red sash, very pale skin, and blonde hair.  Also, she wasn't supposed to have anything in her hands, so I did a really hacky job of removing the staff from the sculpt.   I'd like to do a freehand trim on the robes to distract from that ;)

14) 60141, Lady Moray Bard (by Patrick Keith)... aka Mysterious Lady since the DM isn't telling yet.  She'll have a warm skin tone and red hair with cool purples and teals, like the pic the DM sent me.  I'd like to do something with the feathered cloak.

15) 60075, King Castruccio Irovetti (by Patrick Keith)... as himself.  He'll be tanned with royal reds.  I'll have to decide if I want to use the same red on the other red figs (like Pirate Guy) or do a distinctive red for him.  I'd like to do a contrasting teal, so I guess that will be factor.  Not sure yet if I want to go dirty blonde (like pirate guy) or brunette.  I think royalty demands some serious freehand on that cloak and a strong attempt at some TMM.

 

 

Next up will be the Picking of Colors and basecoating.

 

I wanted to do a variety of skintones and to use HD colors as much as possible because skintones are difficult to get coverage without piling on the paint.  Here's the minis with the colors I'm considering as swatches:

 

Thanks for looking,
Heidi

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

Wow, very methodical.  Which I suppose helps when dealing with so many figures at once.

 

I'm really looking forward to these.  Have a great time working on them!

[Chaoswolf]

This is gonna be good!

Quick question, though--what is TMM?