Blog Brainxigor's Painting Log (Seraphon and other shenanigans)

[bOdziO Wolf]

To be honest I tend to not look at a clock when I'm painting, just sitting there and the time passes. But I think, one of them is about two hours from start to finish. I painted five of them at a time and still was trying things out with some of them, so I will get faster in the future, knowing exactly where to put my colours, which brush strokes etc.

I've got a curious question. Do you paint each model from start to finish or batch paint a couple of models at the same time?

 

[brainxigor]

I can't get my head round this.

So you edge highlight the scales...?

WITH A BRUSH!

You really made me rethink my hobby life.

I was in mind set of just bashing out lots of miniatures as fast as I could.

My problem was I bought to much plastic all at once. And I listen to, to many people who say, just do it fast etc, only spend time on the characters etc.

I really like your methodology, how you paint a few at a time to really high standard.

When I am painting I have blind panic, to get them "done" because I have a 100 other models I need to do as well.

I was a stupid boy. I might be visiting ebay to off load, a lot of my crapped up plastic.

Yes I am a madman and I highlight scales with a brush

I tried painting up 20 Saurus at once too, I got on all the contrast and base colours and it was driving me insane! Thats when I switched to 5 at a time. Next I will be trying 10 at a time.

I think it's a learning process how many you can do at once, and then repeat every step and recognize when you are done for the day. Your brain can only handle so much at a time and if you are truly invested in something there is a point when it's over.
Especially when you are in the process of trying out and learning new things. Generally it's at 2 to 4 hours of an intense learning process.

The really fast painting begins when you are not doing new things, but just subconsiously repeating the process over and over again. At that point it is just muscle memory and there is not much attention involved. But if you are learning, work your way up, start with less miniatures on which you can do the same thing several times until it is just second nature.

That's what I'm doing right now, working my way through the battlelines. Breaking it up with a smaller character where I invest more time, for example the orange skin, as a reward of some sorts. Leaving the really big ones for later when I don't have the feeling of being crushed by all the unpainted chaf and that I'm wasting time blending that one finger on my Carnosaurus for example, because there is sooo much to do.

To the point of buying heaps of plastic, that's what I did aswell, buying too much too fast. Then it's not fun because no matter how many miniatures you finish, theres always a big pile waiting and it's like wading through mud. But that's a thing I try not to think about, I worked out a first list I wanna play and work my way through the different steps. First playable 500 points, then 1000 and up to 1500.

I think it is very important that you break up bigger projects in smaller steps and those steps into even smaller ones. Always go about it with achievable baby steps, so those become the goal and you leave the painting table with a sense of accomplishment.
"I wanted to paint all of the claws and teeth of those 10 Skinks / 5 Saurus and I did that!" and not "I want to paint an army and I only did the claws and teeth of those 10 Skinks / 5 Saurus, screw this!"
Repeat that every painting session and after a few sessions they are done and sometimes break up the monotony of always painting essentially the same miniature with something unique and fun.

That's how I kinda go about it.
Are there days where I don't feel like painting? Sure! And even that is totally fine and okay! Don't pressure yourself, ease into it, start with a general and two min sized battle line units. Stay in that micro cosmos for as long as you need to and only zoom out into the bigger picture when you want to figure out what to paint next.

And finally, the most important thing of them all, and I cannot stress this enough!

DON'T! COMPARE! YOURSELF! TO OTHER PAINTERS!

Use them as inspiration for your own painting, when it comes to colour schemes, or when you want to learn a new technique, but never EVER as legitimation for your own painting.
It's not worth it, in the end any painted miniature is better then grey plastic.

Edit:

I've got a curious question. Do you paint each model from start to finish or batch paint a couple of models at the same time?

I was writing my huge paragraph when you asked, so I edit it in. As written out in length I paint a given number of miniatures at a time. I need that to move forward as I tend to get lost on one miniature and lose the goal of finishing a unit.

 

[samheim]

Thanks @brainxigor

Talent is a word I don't like to throw around to much. Any one can get motivated to paint the beautiful carnosaur model to a breath taking standard.
But really only someone with a unique perspective can make people excited about Saurus warriors again.

Salute my buddy

 

[brainxigor]

So as promised, but with much delay, here are the good pictures of my Saurus Warriors.





Pictures with good lighting finally does them justice and they well deserve that!

And as promised here are some of the Skinks I consider in a Battle Ready standard.



They were treated with underpainting, some thinned down Contrast Paint, basecoat colours and washes. Missing is their facepaint and the bases. The facepaint will be added next aswell as the base rims, all of the tufts and further basing material will be added when I take them from Battle Ready to the standard the Saurus Warriors are.

And last but not least a WIP, a piece of the Slann's throne!




I will go all out on that miniature and try my hands on some NMM Gold, never done that before, will be a learning experience for sure!

Furthermore I got my hands on some neat painting app that lets me track my painting time, I will try it out and finally be able to tell how long it took me to paint my miniatures. And finally, be sure to check out my Instagram, but you dont have to, you will be treated to all the Seraphon goodness here in my Paintlog, but over there you might catch a glimpse to some other stuff I paint!

Happy Painting everyone!

 

[Warden]

That throne looks great! You have really brought out all the miniscule detail

 

[brainxigor]

A quick update of my progress of the Throne.





As you can see I've dabbled a bit with the NMM Gold. Oh boy it sure is fun to paint something like this, but it really isn't that easy. It kinda looks like something metalish/goldish but im not sure if it is "correct" reflection wise.
If any of you have experience in this I'm thankful for every tip and hint you can give me.
Will continue in my endevaour to get this "right" for sure.

 

[Egres]

A quick update of my progress of the Throne.

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As you can see I've dabbled a bit with the NMM Gold. Oh boy it sure is fun to paint something like this, but it really isn't that easy. It kinda looks like something metalish/goldish but im not sure if it is "correct" reflection wise.
If any of you have experience in this I'm thankful for every tip and hint you can give me.
Will continue in my endevaour to get this "right" for sure.

Looking good man !! Now that I’ve just acquired a Slann is it worth it to paint piece by piece I was think assembling the throne together and paint it and the Slann separate?!? Now seeing that you do it all separate I’m questioning myself which way to do it?!? ....ummmm.....

 

[brainxigor]

Looking good man !! Now that I’ve just acquired a Slann is it worth it to paint piece by piece I was think assembling the throne together and paint it and the Slann separate?!? Now seeing that you do it all separate I’m questioning myself which way to do it?!? ....ummmm.....

Thanks man!

I tried painting the throne as one piece and immediately ripped it apart again. For me it just wasn't fun as one big piece, it has too many sides for that and too many things get in the way for any enjoyable painting experience. If you have the metal version of the Slann you can try if you like it as one piece, if not just paint it in parts, especially painting the underside of the throne becomes way easier that way.