Are new Miniatures Overly Complicated to Paint?

[@joek600]

I do believe that there is a sweet spot for detail when it comes to rank and file units. I was sculpting a commission for a company, they were historical not fantasy (War of the Roses). When I was done and sent the pictures for approval, the client kept insisting that we should add all the straps and buckles at the skirt of the Milanese armours. I was trying to explain to him that too much detail, eventually becomes noise, and the minis will become hard to paint. There was hardly the room for my sculpting tool, eventually we agreed to add only half of them which was kinda the middle ground although I still think it was too much. This issue is coming along alot with digital sculpts. When you work traditionally there is a limit to the humanely possible detail one can add, even with magnifier glasses. Generally where your tool can fit so can the brush of the painter. But when you are working digitally fully zoomed in, its really easy to get carried away and add stuff that not only are difficult to be mass produced but also almost impossible to paint.

[@theoceanfrog]

I agree 100%. The Fantasy Flight LOTR Journeys miniatures have so many details, I’ve already warned several new painters away from starting with those! Also, your English is excellent - says this North Eastern American :)😊

[@fatrhino]

Have you looked at the 40k plague marines I’ve been painting 30+ years and thought I was going to have a stroke by the time I had painted a squad and a couple of characters .they just sit on the shelf since I can’t face painting any more of them.too bad,they seem like a cool army.

[@CoryCollects]

Oh god, yes I do have some plague marines in my backlog and I'm right there with you! At least if you "mess up" the paint job a little bit it's not a big deal, but still!

[@ProxyHammer1]

Dude honestly I’m right there with you! Painting up a unit of the new Eldar Rangers and it’s taxing!

[@CoryCollects]

Yeah, when painting Eldar ranger I decided to go back and painting the old models. The "old" fine casts models are terrible and I know for a fact that I'm not gonna enjoy painting the newest ones, so I think I'll go on Ebay and buy the old Rogue trader/2nd Edition models

[@ProxyHammer1]

@@CoryCollects If you can find the metal 4th edition ones those imo are the best sculpts. They never bend or break easily either (but be careful with the snipers!).

[@LaBambaMan]

I agree with you 100%. Adding more and more stuff to a model to claim it's more "detailed" just ends up putting me off a model. I'll take "simple" models that have all the necessary detail over over designed models covered in extra greebles and nonsense that just make them look busy and cluttered any day of the week. I think Sean Sutter, the guy who makes Relic Blade, has found that sweet spot with his sculpting, and more companies need to understand that, sometimes, less is more.

[@CoryCollects]

@@LaBambaMan For some reason, I didn't know about the existence of Relic Blade and it looks really interesting. I definitely need to check it out in the near future. Thank you for mentioning it! I would also consider the new miniatures for Warhammer: The Old World to hit that sweet spot you talked about. I've noticed that those models aren't as complicated as the miniatures for AoS or 40k, maybe because they're going to stand next to early 2000s miniatures, so it's better not to make the difference in quality too evident, I guess.

[@krinkrin5982]

The detail on the model is nothing special compared to lines like Malifaux, but the big difference is that in that game you have 3-5 minis usually, not 300.

[@PsicoZ000]

The readon for adding so much more details fir gw imho comes from the fear of other brand. A lot of sculptor make incredibly detailed models but for games with only a handful of soldier on the field. Gw executive don't understand that and they goes "this guys are sculpting all of this on their models! Do the same!" and the new sculptors sighs and just put a new level of zoom on the screen.