Christy rants: The top 10 worst things about figure painting

[@timrichter4966]

And you thought you were exaggerating. As a service to everyone, lets recap: 10. Painitng Horses - I hate it, particularly in large units, so I focus on the riders and give the horses less detail 9. Really Ugly Faces - Or that expression on a figure you just cannot puzzle out, is that a scream, yawn, or Zombie bite move? 8. Plastics with too many parts - I could not possibly agree with you more there... and I will echo granapriego and agree - whrere are the damn instructions? 7. Too much equipment - I immediately though of an old Citadel Fantasy Fig "The Complete Adventurer' - google it, best miniature ever -- the other thing that gets me though is straps that lead to... nothing - and scabbards that are only half the size of the weapon they are supposed to hold. Come on sculptors, if you're going to be accurate on the size of one be accurate on both- or don't bother at all. 6. Airbrushes are for large scale models or doing basecoats of a single color on dozens of figures at once. 5. Yes, Flibble Dibble - whatever you call it. There's always one that shows up late in the painting process, and for me its more about "how the hell did I miss that?" 4. Mould Lines - always in the least convenient place. But I also agree, so much better than say a decade ago, or two decades ago. 3. Scalpels -- My wife once suggested that I put up a "x days without accident" sign regarding my x-acto.... It was funny, for a moment. Worst damage I ever did to myself though, was with a Dremel Tool, with the saw blade attachment.... 2. Multi-part metals... indeed And it often seems like its some small bit, a hand with a musket - well why not just mold that fig in a less complicated pose? 1. Paint Clogs - actually I have fewer problems with this, than I used to have with paints with screw caps... where the bottle was too small to get a grip on, the cap was like rounded so you couldn't grip it either. These were always the ones where the paint would get into the cap threads, dry to consistency of epoxy and never get opened again. The real clog problem I have had, is with Super Glue. And it always happens just like you describe it. Its a combination of #1 and #2. Trying to get the glue on the fig, to glue that arm on... glue is not coming out; you KNOW you should not squeeze harder, but you do. Then the fig is stuck to your finger, and three of your fingers together, while you curse up a storm and start looking for the acetone. Hmm Sorry to have ranted, in response to your rant... but I think we all feel better now

[@wssmagazine]

+Tim Richter Please feel free to contribute! This video is about getting all those aggressive feelings out of your system! :-)

[@Panzer4F2]

Great rants. Surprising detail too, as I had always assumed that you were a #11 X-Acto blade user. I think that airbrushing Horses and then picking out details with a brush is the way to go, and I am going to be trying it out on a 1/35 German field kitchen eventually. I figure on building the horse and equipment completely, spraying it with the fur pattern, and then playing with my tiniest brush to do the straps and harness. Watching you work with those whites and greys on the French Imperial Guardsman was inspiring, and has given me much to consider when I do their legs. Airbrushing can be intimidating, but it's practice, practice, practice. When the paint is mixed properly, and my needle is set properly, and my moisture trap is doing it's job I really enjoy airbrushing vehicles. However, it can also try your patience ... your comment about squirting paint all over the place brought back a few repressed memories. Thanks ; ) Also, if you were looking for something unusual for a future project, Pegasus Models has a Great White Shark with a diver and cage that you could have loads of fun with. It's pretty cool and come with two different heads. Perhaps you could consider airbrushing it to begin ? Thanks again. Great rants.

[@wssmagazine]

+Panzer4F2 Haha. Funny idea. I actually have a diver figure that I've thought about painting, but have never had quite the right occasion.

[@Tk5869]

+Panzer4F2 Wow, I have read this and now I want to buy this nice Great White Shark&Diver set :-D Schaut sehr gut aus. Looks very nice. And Im a Great White fan!!! Thank you.

[@jimsmodelmaking308]

Vallejo paint bottles are easy to put paint back in. Also what works for me is... when a bottle becomes empty i keep the eye dropper section of the bottle. Then if you get a blocked bottle simply pull the dropper part off and push the clean one in its place. :)

[@wssmagazine]

+Jim Fisher Absolutely Jim. Taking care of your paints isn't really that hard, unless you are a lazy ass live me. Then you have to suffer the consequences...

[@speedyr1976]

Great video I once ended up priming 17 figures due to your no.1 rant when my Vallejo black primer exploded over my palette and arm of my sofa and I refused to waste it.

[@granapriego]

Plastic figures yes, I think warlord figures are not the worst. Airbrushes are cool for vehicles I would never use one on a single figure. They are a pain to clean and get the paint ready. Yes metal nibs get on my nerves. No matter how hard you try you always miss one. Mould lines yes pain especially over faces or sleeves. I prefer a surgical style scapel. I have cut myself pretty bad in the past. They are so sharp you hardly notice until blood is gushing all over you shirt and table. Oh yes classic case the dystopian legions starter set over 40 figures all in 4 to 6 pieces no instructions and all mixed up.

[@rfernandz2001]

Don't forget the possible health risks! Think of all the acrylic paint we ingest over the years licking our brushes, for those of us who do that. And the metal, resin, and plastic filings getting into our lungs. And I can't stand figures that are so detailed and layered with kit that I can't tell where different materials start and end. Like say a bag is between two areas, but one area might be a continuation of armor or a fabric to prevent chaffing.

[@wssmagazine]

+Rafael Fernandez Both good ones. I guess I lump the too detailed in with too much equipment, but there are some makers who are really bad at that for sure *coughcough* Perry *coughcough*

[@TractorCountdown]

Brilliant! Very entertaining. Next time I have really bad paint session I'll watch this; guaranteed to make me laugh it all off. Thank you!

[@DocEonChannel]

Oh yeah, no 7 really bugs me with a lot of fantasy minis - umpteen straps and pouches and whatnot.

[@WGRevival]

Vallejo paint bottle splurge. Yes it's our fault it happens but I totally feel your pain.

[@LeSadW666]

5:10 I enjoy making the figures, I like all the customizable stuff! I think it makes the figures more unique if you are creative enough! I agree with the metal figures, I think they should be resin instead! THE THING I HATE ABOUT METALS THE MOST IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THE PAINT DOESN'T ADHERE AS WELL AND SCRATCHES OFF TOO EASILY!

[@wssmagazine]

+LeSadW666 Absolutely agree, that's another frustration with metals. Could have easily been one for the list.

[@charleslowther6010]

well my worst experience with paint bottles was gw lead belcher spilling everywhere because it wasn't properly closed and since I thought I did well there goes the paint I transported it with a gazillion other paints and I didn't noticed until I arrived a My destination it was picking up and separating bottles and relabling each one

[@carstendengler3283]

i personally use a craft knife but its SO ANNOYING when you get a new model which you have been looking forward to constructing and within the first five minuets you accidentally cut your thumb so you have to try to build the rest of the model without putting pressure on the cut i.e. without using your thumb!!!

[@user11787-v]

I totally love this. Or when thevallejo paints you end up pouring some out and the water consistency is super high to where you cant even use it. And yes i shaked it well

[@essayons7]

For me there is one major pet peeve, and it's a problem: digital camo. Marpat, Auscam, whatever it's called this week. It's just killing me! It's a major problem because I have a large collection of modern miniatures that I am TERRIFIED to get started on because I just don't know where to start. It also doesn't help that my painting-fu has, lately, taken a summer vacation!

[@wssmagazine]

+Greg S Check out my video tutorial on digital camo? ;-) I'll admit, it's just not an easy one to tackle under any circumstances, but you can get something that gives a pretty decent effect. It mostly takes patience.

[@jvcpaints]

6, 5 and 4 were like reading my mind.

[@philiptidy8705]

I loved this! - personally I'd have put multi-part metal at number one, due to getting super-glue everywhere - but then I did once stick my scalpel to my foot - so maybe I'm biased.... :)

[@wssmagazine]

+Philip Tidy I had a recent incident that almost had be put that one at the top. I ultimately decided however that things which cause actual physical injury or property damage deserve to be higher... ;-)

[@hereticofyew]

I too have no interest in air brushes. Great Video. Also Corvus Beli has flash or flibble dibbes in the oddest of places... most of the time they dont bother me but CB models

[@666lupine666]

thanks especially for the messed-up-face-sculpt rant. it is very off-putting but most gamers I talk to seem to be blind to it.

[@aaronhulzebos4852]

You really hit the nail on the head with those damn sqeesbottels my luck will have it that its always the paints I have to use the most like Flat Flesh or Chocolet Brown.

[@Dragonwingz70]

Brushes that dont last should get an honourable mention I think. Yes I use the posh sable ones mostly but even they dont really last as long as you might want. Tried paint soap and using minimal paint on brush etc but the damn metal flash on figures snags and destroys the bristles over time. Any tips on preserving the brushes would be appreciated.

[@wssmagazine]

+Roger Bailey That's a good one. Bad brushes drive lots of people crazy. Honestly, I'd say it didn't occur to me because I always use the best most expensive brushes possible and therefore have to deal with very little trouble in that regard.

[@Dragonwingz70]

Id be interested to know how long yours last, do you use brush soap? How do you clean them?

[@wssmagazine]

+Roger Bailey I am terrible about cleaning them actually. Occasionally a bit of soap and water or shampoo if I think about it. My brushes usually last me 4-6 months depending. I could actually probably use them much longer if I wanted, but they mostly start to get dirty and stained looking, though this really doesn't seem to hurt their performance. However, since they aren't THAT much money, I like getting nice clean ones now and again.

[@stinkywilly82]

Great rant, I agree on all points but pinning minis is up there as well... I can never get them to match up perfectly.

[@wssmagazine]

+Will Rosenow I just have a policy not to do it on 28's. If they require that much complex assembly, I'm not bothering with them. 54's are different, I expect it with them. I'm really happy so many people are making fancy figures from resin now though.

[@derbunker148]

as a flames of war player - i hate painting 30 sets of tanks tracks, thats why i gave up on plastic kits many years ago so i know where you're coming from Chirsty with you're comment on num8er of parts ;)

[@wssmagazine]

+Das bunker That's my main gripe with PSC stuff. Nice cheap plastic vehicle kits with lots of detail, but I'd take the expensive resin and metal FoW models any day as they're just less fiddly.

[@derbunker148]

Or Zvezda - I tend to use different manufacturers by platoon then, you don't notice any difference in size, details etc I did a PSC SS Panzer IV platoon with captured T34/76 for Kursk added some with skirts, capola, AA mg42's etc but boy, their tracks dont match up on there kits so added plenty of mud to disguise! Love the vids -

[@panzerleader49]

hahahahahahahahahh awesome hahahaha you hit the ball out of the park hahahaha:):):) thanks for a great post- vent anytime you want!!!! You are still the greatest figure painter and creator of tutorials since the beginning of youtube!!! I have sooooo benefited from your skills!!! You are especially correct in trying to save poorly cast or poorly sculpted figures- a real pet peeve of mine! thanks steve

[@xelar001]

Thank you for the weekly videos they are a lot of fun to watch. I have to ask what books do you recommend for reference of military uniforms?

[@wssmagazine]

+xelar001 There are so many! Books that cover all history and periods aren't usually very useful to a painter because they aren't detailed and specific enough. Is there a specific period you are interested in?

[@xelar001]

+Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy last 200 years sounds like a great start. Thank you!

[@wssmagazine]

Again, that's really not specific enough to get good results. You need to choose a specific war, or better an army of a specific nationality from a certain period.

[@davidcollins2648]

Painting 1/72 mold lines can be worse than problematic as you say splitting a face in 2 and generlly putting excess plastic in places you cant even reach with a blade. Poor sculpting leads to having to carve parts especially of horses, some manufactures being much worse than others but the smaller scale tends to exaggerate those issues from what they are doing 28mm.

[@pbeccas]

Yep, thats my top ten as well. Except plastic figures are at number 1.

[@maximerigole9863]

hey! are you planning on painting a stormcast iberator? with the many armour plates its going to be interesting how you use OSL on it.

[@wssmagazine]

+Maxime Rigole I do have the starter box now Maxime. I am definitely looking forward to painting some guys up soon!

[@maximerigole9863]

are you going to do the regular? me myself i paint the lions of sigmar. the gold and purple one's would be interesting to see you try it out :-)

[@davidcollins2648]

For Vallejo 17ml bottles I keep a toothpick stuck in a cork handy.

[@mikeb6572]

Inconsistent paint color. Paint not matching the color that was in the last bottle you bought. I'm looking at you Vallejo. And yes. I have shaken them thoroughly.

[@jamesbarbour327]

Hey, I may have requested this before, but I am a little stumped about lacquering figures after you are done. Any tips/suggestions, dos and don'ts?

[@wssmagazine]

+James Barbour Hi James, I think you did, but I could prolly make a real short video.There's not tons to say.

[@jamesbarbour327]

Would love to see that. The issue for me is add pigment, or gloss or not gloss, and how thick, and smudges post application. Seems really messy, but if it keeps the integrity of the paint, then that is good, right?

[@jamesbarbour327]

And thanks for you very prompt response. I really enjoy watching your videos! Please do a Grenadier a Cheval of the Guard sometime! They are such beautiful figures, and imposing troops!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I'm with you on a few of those lol

[@jjab99]

It could be worse, it could be raining..... drip drip drip drip drip drip.......D'oh!

[@UrSilverLining]

i call flibble dibble flash

[@frazermacconnachie6417]

I might rank the 10 in a different order but it's the same 10 ;o) It's comforting to hear someone as good a figure paint as you are having the same issues as the rest of us. Mould lines across the face... WHY???

[@RobertChisholm]

My first set of vallejo paints had one with a clogged tip. Squeezed it too hard. The tip comes off. Paint went everywhere and I lost half the bottle. Since then I'm more careful. You can buy a MDF paint rack for dropper paints that stores the bottles upside down. They claim it makes those clogs less likely. www.impudentmortal.com/product/eyedropper-upside-paint-rack/

[@wssmagazine]

+Robert Chisholm Interesting idea. I keep mine in a MDF rack too, where they lay on their side. THAT certainly doesn't appear to make much difference.

[@moreno1310]

Parts? Details? ... try an AFV Club model kit! D:

[@wssmagazine]

+moreno1310 The difference is you are building those because you want a detailed, complicated model. With wargaming stuff, you aren't looking for that challenge! You want something simple, practical and sturdy(!) for gaming. I've done my share of 54mm figs and Dragon vehicle kits too. :-D

[@moreno1310]

+Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy Correct, but I look for simple assembly and few parts too. There are very good brands like Tamiya, Academy or Meng with all those conditions. Unfortunately, only AFV Club produces Centurion tank :( Trust me, horrible, 12 sprues, 18 confusing instruction steps..D9+J56+A2...argggg!

[@arslanxelan9606]

Haunt your soul. LOL You made my day with that part.

[@derbunker148]

YES i spend more time cleaning my air8rush than using it 8ut its getting less and less

[@davidmartin1793]

why does the name Warlord come into my mind?

[@wssmagazine]

+David Martin I actually don't think Warlord is the worst when it comes to many of these.

[@MiniWarzone]

Funny stuff. I like your book shelves too.

[@hamsterhotep]

Oh. *THOSE* paint bottles. Yep. I know exactly what you mean.

[@siyuanxu3537]

totally agree with all of them. :-)

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

funny i needed this thank you.

[@srmadman01]

cats! mine like to grab my brushes and run. So number 1 Cats.

[@banditb86]

Agree with most all of them but next time show some examples but all in all fun video

[@wssmagazine]

+bill burke Under other circumstances I might have done that, but it's a bit tricky, since then I'd have had to single out manufacturers... which is a bit delicate for me, since I work for a wargaming magazine and I don't want to antagonise those guys too much - we're dependent on them for a lot. ;-)

[@banditb86]

makes since to me, been enjoying your show. I just bought some Brunswickers as I have not painted any Napoleonic in about 20 years your tutorial was fun here are some of my stuff bandit86.blogspot.com/

[@437cosimo]

Nice rant. Must have a very bad month. ;)

[@wssmagazine]

+437cosimo It's a rant. Being polite is not required.