Lunchtime Painting Party

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

As a miniatures fanatic, I'm always encouraging other people to try painting. Many people complain they don't have enough time, it's hard to paint at home because they have kids or don't have space, and so on. For a time, we had a weekly painting group meeting in the evening after work, but since Gen Con 2009, the move to the then-new building, and due to the frantic pace of publishing increasingly popular books, that fell by the wayside. Recently we started up a lunchtime painting get-together, meeting every Tuesday from noon to 1 in the upstairs conference room. Why Tuesday? Because my high-level drow game is on Tuesday nights, and this gives me an opportunity to get some last-minute painting done for the upcoming game!

Clockwise from the lower left we have Ross (painting some 40K marines), Liz (painting a serpentfolk for the Serpent Skull Adventure Path), Crystal (working on a Privateer gun-toting troll), Sara Marie (painting her PC for Rob's game), Rob (painting his badger mini an appropriate shade of "Rummy Tum Tugger purple"), Andrew (showing his art skills on a Reaper imp), Hyrum's hand (also working on some 40K marines), and the back of my head (applying some metallic base coats to some deep ones).

It's nice to work in a place where painting weird monsters is normal. It's also nice to have a regular schedule to get some painting done, even if it's just a little bit. Even if you don't work for a game company, maybe you can find a time and place to paint. And you might get someone else interested in gaming!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Miniatures Paizo
Dark Archive

#1!

so acrylic or oil paints?

(i think i spy games workshop acrylic paints by Ross...)


'Lunchtime painting get-together'...

Brilliant Sean!

Over here we just call them Mass Production Sweatshops, but maybe we'll try it your way and get all these international humanitarian organizations off our backs.

Dark Archive

ulgulanoth wrote:
#1!

I had a pressing matter.

And what Cheng said.

Sovereign Court

The jealousy I feel is almost overwhelming.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

You got hair! When the hell did you get hair!

(and I need to paint again, I've some mechs and tanks calling my name, plus a brace of iconics.)

What am I saying, I need to *game* again. I found dust on my dice the other day.


Diet Coke kills.


Fun!

But it looks like Rob is holding a piece of chalk.

Sovereign Court

Saedar wrote:
Diet Coke kills.

It's probably great for cleaning brushes.

Jon Brazer Enterprises

Just another reason why I hope that someday I'll be able to do RPGs full time.


Spread the love of painting, SKR. There's never enough metal at the the table.


That portable "mini-desk" Ross has look pretty nifty

Dark Archive

Hugo Solis wrote:
That portable "mini-desk" Ross has look pretty nifty

Games Workshop used to make it, it was $40 but was recently replaced by a $33 plastic version without a shelf.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

David is correct. On the Paizo store, we currently carry both, though. (If you want the wooden one, you want the $40 "Painting Station", not the $33 "Paint Station".)

Our distributor is currently showing 'limited stock' for the wooden one, since its discontinued, so if you want one like I have, don't delay.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

Saedar wrote:
Diet Coke kills.

I can quit anytime I want.

*sip*

.
.
.

*sip*

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

ulgulanoth wrote:

#1!

so acrylic or oil paints?

(i think i spy games workshop acrylic paints by Ross...)

Yeah I was a sucker and bought the Citadel Mega Paint Set. On the other hand, it will be a long time, possibly ever, before I need to buy more paint.

Dark Archive

Any idea how the size of the two paint tables compares Ross?

Contributor

Ross Byers wrote:
Yeah I was a sucker and bought the Citadel Mega Paint Set. On the other hand, it will be a long time, possibly ever, before I need to buy more paint.

It's also quite good for sharing in such painting parties. :D

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

David Wickham wrote:

Any idea how the size of the two paint tables compares Ross?

I haven't seen the plastic one in person, so I don't know. The impression I get, though, its the plastic one is ever so slightly smaller, and of course lacks the shelf. In exchange its cheaper (and is probably even cheaper to make), doesn't require assembly, and has embossed rings to hold paint pots.

Both have two spaces that perfectly fit the Citadel Water pot. The wooden one has holes in the shelf to hold brushes upright. So does the plastic one, but since these are shallower, I don't know how well they work.

The front edge of the plastic one has curves on it, which implies it's designed to sit in a lap as well as a table. The wooden one kinds requires a flat surface.


Ross Byers wrote:
David Wickham wrote:

Any idea how the size of the two paint tables compares Ross?

I haven't seen the plastic one in person, so I don't know. The impression I get, though, its the plastic one is ever so slightly smaller, and of course lacks the shelf. In exchange its cheaper (and is probably even cheaper to make), doesn't require assembly, and has embossed rings to hold paint pots.

Both have two spaces that perfectly fit the Citadel Water pot. The wooden one has holes in the shelf to hold brushes upright. So does the plastic one, but since these are shallower, I don't know how well they work.

The front edge of the plastic one has curves on it, which implies it's designed to sit in a lap as well as a table. The wooden one kinds requires a flat surface.

ahhh the mega paint set. Worth its weight in gold, I tell ya.

What flavor of Marines are you playing? I used to work for GW once upon a time, and I've always had a thing for Black Templars.

Edit -- What are you working on Hyrum?

Always good to see folks painting.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

nathan blackmer wrote:
What flavor of Marines are you playing? I used to work for GW once upon a time, and I've always had a thing for Black Templars.

Codex-standard Space Marines, with a black paintjob ('cuz it's easier). The "Bearers of Reason", possibly an Iron Hands successor chapter. In this case 'Reason' means 'Explodey death'.


Ross Byers wrote:
nathan blackmer wrote:
What flavor of Marines are you playing? I used to work for GW once upon a time, and I've always had a thing for Black Templars.
Codex-standard Space Marines, with a black paintjob ('cuz it's easier). The "Bearers of Reason", possibly an Iron Hands successor chapter. In this case 'Reason' means 'Explodey death'.

Well these *are* space marines we're talking about, 'Explodey Death' is pretty much what they do... I mean heck, their average weapon is a belt-fed, rapid-fire, rocket propelled grenade launcher. Ahh bolters.

Any of you post pictures anywhere? I'd love to see what you're all working on.


SKR, you've been reading my deepest inner thoughts again. I shall create a helmet out of tin foil to keep you out.


Maybe I'm just a slow painter, but I have to wonder: what can you possibly get accomplished in only an hour?

Contributor

blakbuzzrd wrote:
Maybe I'm just a slow painter, but I have to wonder: what can you possibly get accomplished in only an hour?

Well...I can only speak for myself, but I managed to get a green basecoat, brown basecoat & beginning leather armor details and lighter green highlights on the serpentfolk mini done in an hour.

A skeleton fighter mini I did took two of these lunch sessions.

Contributor

blakbuzzrd wrote:
Maybe I'm just a slow painter, but I have to wonder: what can you possibly get accomplished in only an hour?

In 45 minutes that day, I basecoated four minis and painted a large cloak on another mini.

Learning how to assembly-line your methods will increase your speed. As in, "I have ten guys who need this color brown, I'll open the brown, paint all the brown spots on those minis, then close the brown and get to work on the next color." Depending on how simple the mini is, I can do about 8 identical paint jobs in an hour.

Here are some links to speedpainting articles I wrote on my site:

Speedpainting: Talbot the Thief

Speedpainting: Skeleton

Speedpainting: Inking

Speedpainting: Using Varnish as "the Dip"


Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Learning how to assembly-line your methods will increase your speed. As in, "I have ten guys who need this color brown, I'll open the brown, paint all the brown spots on those minis, then close the brown and get to work on the next color." Depending on how simple the mini is, I can do about 8 identical paint jobs in an hour.

That will never be me, I'm afraid. I started down the pernicious path of painting with glazes, and it has dominated me ever since. I think it's an expression of OCD.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

I have stupid, clumsy hands, (and less practice), so I'm slower than Sean, but I put details in three colors on about 15 space marines and two dreadnaughts in that hour. Next week, I expect to finish the detail on those minis and put on varnish.

Lantern Lodge

blakbuzzrd wrote:
Maybe I'm just a slow painter, but I have to wonder: what can you possibly get accomplished in only an hour?

I'm super slow and I don't get much done. However, I go for two reasons: 1. because it is really fun to hang out and a lot of the people who do this "mini painting lunch" work downstairs and I don't get to see much of them and 2. because I am new to painting minis and there is a wealth of knowledge for whenever I have questions.


Sara Marie wrote:
blakbuzzrd wrote:
Maybe I'm just a slow painter, but I have to wonder: what can you possibly get accomplished in only an hour?
I'm super slow and I don't get much done. However, I go for two reasons: 1. because it is really fun to hang out and a lot of the people who do this "mini painting lunch" work downstairs and I don't get to see much of them and 2. because I am new to painting minis and there is a wealth of knowledge for whenever I have questions.

Yeah, that's one of the best parts of painting mini's... the community. If nothing else it's nice to sit with friends and look at each others work.

What you can get done in an hour really varies by what you're doing. If you're doing troops ("tabletop" quality) then you can make good progress on a bunch of models... but if you're looking at characters ("case" quality) then you're obviously going to spend quite a bit more time on things. If it's skeletons/necrons/marines, with the right dip and a bit of luck of you can finish whole batches very quickly.

Currently I'm working on a unit of Swordmasters of Hoeth for a High Elf army I'm building. I just finished up a unit of Lothern Sea Guard, and I have to say those models were DETAILED for a core unit.

Any of you folks dabbled in "real" metals yet? Nifty little thing, snag a clump of steel wool and use it to polish the sword of one of your pewter figs... looks great, takes no time.

Sorry, I've rambled, you all just got me worked up heh.

The Exchange

Ross Byers wrote:


Yeah I was a sucker and bought the Citadel Mega Paint Set. On the other hand, it will be a long time, possibly ever, before I need to buy more paint.

Do keep an eye on the consistency of the paints, especially ones that you don't often use. When Citadel switched to the screw-top bottles, I noticed that mine dried out quicker. I can normally rescue anything that hasn't hardened completely with a squirt of water and a good stir.

Their foundation paints are fantastic, but dry out even quicker.


brock wrote:
Do keep an eye on the consistency of the paints, especially ones that you don't often use. When Citadel switched to the screw-top bottles, I noticed that mine dried out quicker. I can normally rescue anything that hasn't hardened completely with a squirt of water and a good stir.

Store them upside down. The paint itself will create the airtight seal.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

brock wrote:
Ross Byers wrote:


Yeah I was a sucker and bought the Citadel Mega Paint Set. On the other hand, it will be a long time, possibly ever, before I need to buy more paint.

Do keep an eye on the consistency of the paints, especially ones that you don't often use. When Citadel switched to the screw-top bottles, I noticed that mine dried out quicker. I can normally rescue anything that hasn't hardened completely with a squirt of water and a good stir.

Their foundation paints are fantastic, but dry out even quicker.

I have the 3rd generation of Citadel tops, which are flip-tops in the same vein as the newer foundation paints. They stay sealed pretty well. That said, they do often require a good shaking before use.


For a year or more (a while back) I would keep a tackle box full of paint and brushes and minis at work, and go to town painting at lunch. Didn't get any new gamers, but got lots of minis finished!

Community / Forums / Gamer Life / Gaming / Miniatures / Paizo Blog: Lunchtime Painting Party All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Miniatures