A Blast From The Past - Some of Cyr's Really Old Enamel Minis

[Cyradis]

I started painting minis probably around age 13 (2002?). I used enamel paints with mineral spirits thinners, didn't believe in priming, and my brushes were awful. I also indiscriminantly mixed glossy paint and matte paint. I inhaled nasty fumes. It took 30 mins to shake a bottle of paint and a wrench to open it. I was a noob. 

 

These guys are on my windowsill behind me while I paint now. The lady with the dragon staff is the 6th I painted. The dwarf is the 40th. The others are in order between 6 and 40... except for the matron. She's one of the first I painted when I switched to acrylics in ~2010, but before I found the forums. 

 

Why do I share this? Because we all start out somewhere. I think it is useful to look back at the old stuff. I had a ton of fun with these, even if they make me cringe now. 

 

Not doing a nice photoshoot this time. Might be too painful to look at - also takes a lot of setup! 

[Sophie was taken]

They’re still vibrant and impressive! Really digging the dwarf’s beard especially.

[LittleBluberry]

You're making me nostalgic for those glowing enamel colors.    Having done a fair bit of enamel painting myself, you did some amazing things!  I remember having to fight with the paint when it started to get thick, and it often was.  I'm going to console myself with the knowledge that I was working with 25mm sculpts.   

[Cyradis]

1 hour ago, Sophie was taken said:

They’re still vibrant and impressive! Really digging the dwarf’s beard especially.

 

His was my first time being proud of drybrushing! 

 

22 minutes ago, LittleBluberry said:

You're making me nostalgic for those glowing enamel colors.    Having done a fair bit of enamel painting myself, you did some amazing things!  I remember having to fight with the paint when it started to get thick, and it often was.  I'm going to console myself with the knowledge that I was working with 25mm sculpts.   

 

The paint was sooo gloppy and I didn't know to thin it except to make a wash!

[Darcstaar]

Looks like some great old Garrity sculpts!

 

Even then, you could still see the innate talent despite the constraints of the tools.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[alchemist]

Great to see some enamel work.  I started painting with enamels in 1986 and didn't stop until about 2005.  I guess my enamel paintjobs probably still outnumber my acrylics.

[Glitterwolf]

Very cool to see.

 

There is a thread somewhere where we showed our first minis and our last to show the improvement we made.

Can't find it right now..

[Chaoswolf]

That's still some very nice work considering the tools you were using.

 

I've got about half of those same figures; of course, mine are still waiting for paint...

[WhiteWulfe]

1 hour ago, Glitterwolf said:

Very cool to see.

 

There is a thread somewhere where we showed our first minis and our last to show the improvement we made.

Can't find it right now..

That sounds like one of the middle of the month April questions... Or late March.

[malefactus]

Oh but I do LOVE trips down Memory Lane. When I started painting toy soldiers, Testor's Enamel was The Paint. There is something lovely & charming about enamels as your LOVELY & CHARMING creations demonstrate. VERY NICELY DONE!

[Cyradis]

8 hours ago, Darcstaar said:

Looks like some great old Garrity sculpts!

 

Even then, you could still see the innate talent despite the constraints of the tools.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Yep, old Garrity sculpts were (and still are among) favorites! I think 90%+ of what I painted were sculpts by her back then. My dad taught me the basics - I guess he did a good job! 

 

2 hours ago, Chaoswolf said:

That's still some very nice work considering the tools you were using.

 

I've got about half of those same figures; of course, mine are still waiting for paint...

 

A bunch of mine are still waiting for paint too. I have two half-painted Garrity sculpts in acrylics that I started about the time I found the forums in 2010. I'm not going to strip them but I think I should just complete them in their current state, mixing talent levels. They'll be... interesting. 

 

2 hours ago, malefactus said:

Oh but I do LOVE trips down Memory Lane. When I started painting toy soldiers, Testor's Enamel was The Paint. There is something lovely & charming about enamels as your LOVELY & CHARMING creations demonstrate. VERY NICELY DONE!

 

Most of the paint was Testors, but I also used some Model Masters. There are still a few colors that I haven't been able to find in acrylic that the enamels had! 

[Pillpeddler]

You're enamelwork looks awesome.  I used to use that stuff on model cars and planes.  It always dried too fast and yet seemed to show every fingerprint that got near it.

Thanks for the flashback Cyr

[Cyradis]

Dried both too fast and too slow. It would soon become unworkable, but each coat took 30mins at least to dry until you could put a new layer down or else you'd muck up the surface! It got weirdly gummy. I'd have 5-6 figures out at a time to rotate through them while the others dried. So glad the acrylics have reasonable drying times! 

[Glitterwolf]

@Cyradis, thanks to @alchemist and @ub3r_n3rd here it is:

 

http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/70130-hobby-report-first-and-best-so-far-groupopen/

 

[Cyradis]

10 minutes ago, Glitterwolf said:

@Cyradis, thanks to @alchemist and @ub3r_n3rd here it is:

 

http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/70130-hobby-report-first-and-best-so-far-groupopen/

 

 

Thanks, fellas! Future Old Minis can go in there. I know I have #2 clunking around somewhere. I thought metallic silver was the most rad skirt on a druid for that one.... bwahahaha.