Lesson 1: Considerations Before Getting Started

CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE GETTING STARTED

Before beginning to build, prepare and paint miniatures, there are some basic considerations that should be addressed.

2. SELECTING A FIGURE:
When purchasing your historical miniature there are two basic considerations:

A. The type of media the figure is produced in

Figures today are produced in either resin, white metal or plastic. Resin is probably the most popular because it allows manufacturers to produce very small and crisp detail. It cleans up fairly easily and can be assembled with super glue or epoxy. Metal figures are very popular in Europe and to some extent in the U.S. These figures are known for their crisp detail and clean castings and are easy to clean up with files and sandpaper. Like resin they can be assembled using super glue or epoxy. Plastic figures are less popular with historical figure modelers and manufacturers due to the lack of detail and the cost of producing them.

Look for good quality castings that retain accurate detail, good facial and body proportion and construct well. Whenever possible, open a packaged figure to check the quality of the casting and "dry fit" parts to ensure a good fit. A good fit will mean less work filling gaps after assembly.

B. The scale of the figure

There are almost as many scales for figures as there are figures themselves—15, 25, 54, 65, 75, 90 and 120mm, 1/48, 1/35, 1/32, large scale figures, 200mm and so on. If you are a beginner we recommend choosing a smaller scale such as 54mm, because these figures are inexpensive and easier to work with. It would seem that a large figure would be easier to paint, but mistakes are more obvious if the figure is large, since you often need a gradual definition between shades. Smaller figures lend themselves well to contrasting shades, and they are a good place to develop your techniques before you move on to larger scales.

3. CHOOSING THE MEDIA TO PAINT IN

There are three types of paints used by figure modelers today; acrylic paints, enamels and artist oils. Over the last several years acrylic paint has become the popular choice of figure painters. In the context of this article, we will be referencing acrylics.
Schiffer publishes an excellent series of books for those of you interested in painting with artist oils (see our book section for a more detailed description). An excellent book for those interested in painting in enamels is Bill Horan’s Military Modelling Masterclass.




		Preparing, Building and Painting Historical Miniatures

1. SELECTING A SUBJECT:
Selecting subject matter is usually simply a question of personal preference. Figure busts are typically suggested for beginners, allowing a painter to focus on face painting without being overwhelmed with the details inherent in painting an entire figure. Our best recommendation is to choose something from a time period that you are most interested in



	Typical Metal Kit	Typical Resin Kit	Typical Plastic Kit
Click Image for More Information



	Acrylic Paints	Enamel Paints	Artist Oils
Click Image for More Information

Figure Kit Scale Comparison

Click Image to Enlarge

Go to Next Session