OK, for all you DS2 mini painters out there:
1) How do you all paint your 6mm/1/300/1/285/whatever infantry? I'm
going to be starting on my own (finally) and I'm not sure how to go about
painting a person that small. I want them to look good, be recognizeable for
what they are, but I'm not out to win awards.
2) Anybody got any good ideas about how to straighten the barrels of
GHQ/C&C type tanks/APCs? The barrels are pretty close to scale, so they
are really thin. They are all bent to some degree, and my fiddling has just
got them to look, well, less bent. I would like to acheive a nice,
straight barrel, especially on the tanks - that's where it's most
obvious.
Thanks!
> OK, for all you DS2 mini painters out there:
I clean and primer them (white Krylon primr), then stick 2-3 rows
on a "tongue depressor" craft stick with Plasti-Tak for an assembly
line. I paint all the faces (tan) or face plates (blue, or black if the
uniform will be blue) and hands (tan). Drybrush faces with white.
Go back and paint around the faces/faceplates and hands with the base
color. Base-coat the remainder of the figures. If hair is visible,
paint it various reasonable colors, then touch up basecoat around it. Drybrush
uniforms a lighter shade of the base color (tan for brown, gray for black,
etc.). Paint a few details and weapons as appropriate. Maybe put a dot of
color for shoulder patches. There's probably a faster way, though. I still
haven't finished
a full infantry force--though I've had lots of other demands on my
time.
> 2) Anybody got any good ideas about how to straighten the barrels of
> just got them to look, well, less bent. I would like to acheive a
First: Why bother? They'll just bend again at the least touch, until they
finally break off. Maybe you could clip them off and replace them with a bit
of straight pin or piano wire.
Second: If you *really* want to try to keep them straight, get
a pair of "assembly pliers". These are the fine-nosed pliers
used to assemble parts in printed circuit boards. The business
end is about 3/4" to 1" long, 3/8" wide at the base, and 1/16"
or less at the tip, with a straight taper (so they look triangular from
above). They have a very flat, toothless grip, ideal for straightening wire
(which is, in part, what they're designed for).
> Thanks!
Excellent suggestions - thanks, Samuel. I'll try the Tongue Depressor
Method. Just the idea of drybrushing something that is at most 1 mm in
diameter...well, maybe it's easier than I anticipate. How do you base them?
I'm going to be ordering some of the new GZG element bases.
As for the weapon barrels, I'll have to keep them - I'm a stickler that
way. I think I have some of those assembly pliers somewhere...
Noah
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> At 12:14 06/09/98 -0500, you wrote:
> just got them to look, well, less bent. I would like to acheive a
Noah, To paint 6mm I stick the figures to a 30cm ruler using
"Blu-Tack".
Undercoat with black and then dry brush with your base colour (I use a mid
green). Then find the rattiest and oldest brush you can. Get your next colour
(I use a dark green) and prepare the brush as if you were going to dry brush
the figure. When you paint the figures you use a stabbing motion. A single
"stab" for each colour should be enough for 6mm infantry. What this does is
leave definate spots and splotches of colour on the figure. I do this with 4
colours (dark green, light green, dark brown, light brown) and the effect is a
camo pattern without the eyestrain and hand shakes. I've done this for all my
DS and SG figures and vehicles and it looks quite good if you finish off with
a brown ink wash just to bring out the detail. This way it takes and hour to
hour and a half to do an entire company.
As for gun barrels on GHQ/C&C models you are best off leaving
them bent for the most part. I if keep trying the get 'em straight they break
off pretty quick. You might try replacing them using brass rod or piano wire
but you lose the muzzle brakes. If you use piano wire make sure that you get
proper tools with which to cut it. That stuff chews up normal wire cutter like
you won't believe. Hope this has been of some help.
> 2) Anybody got any good ideas about how to straighten the barrels of
> First: Why bother? They'll just bend again at the least touch,
As an option, you could replace them. cut them off, drill back into the turret
(with a very small dremel style drill bit, and insert the pin
portion of a standard push-pin. It's small, generally very straight,
and
the metal is tougher and more bend-resistant than most model materials I
have seen. You do end up with an entirely smooth barrel, however. Depending on
the size of barrel you want, small finish nails can also be used, and they
even have the larger ring around the end of the barrel.
If you replace muzzles with steel wire you can simulate muzzle breaks &
sleeving with epoxy putty and brass tube or paper
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