Fighting the Gray Tide (Miniature Painting)

[MGibster]

I tried some freehand diamons that turned out about as well as expected. I'll chalk it up to a learning experience.

 

[Mad_Jack]

I think the key to doing checkerboard/diamond patterns like that is to keep focused on making the sides of the shapes all the same length when drawing in the pattern with a micron pen. Use the muscle memory of what it feels like to move your hand enough to paint one side of the shape, and you should be able to draw that same line the same length again even if it happens to wrap around a three-dimensional shape.
It also helps to take a pic or two of the figure and do a mock-up of the design in Paint or some other image program. If you need to "cheat" the pattern a bit, it's best to get all the big sort-of-flat spots right and then use the sculpted folds and wrinkles in the clothing to disguise any irregularities.

 

[MGibster]

I think the key to doing checkerboard/diamond patterns like that is to keep focused on making the sides of the shapes all the same length when drawing in the pattern with a micron pen.

I've done a checkerboard pattern freehand with various degrees of success. This pattern was a little complicated because there weren't any straight lines. Everything was curved. Good learning experience though.

 

[Clint_L]

Moved on to my last box from the Cthulhu: Death May KS, but it's the big one with all the bonus miniatures. Started by getting all the extra characters painted. Speed paints with some touch-ups:

 

[MGibster]

Moved on to my last box from the Cthulhu: Death May KS, but it's the big one with all the bonus miniatures. Started by getting all the extra characters painted. Speed paints with some touch-ups

A French maid armed with a rifle? New fetish unlocked! Those look great.

 

[Clint_L]

A French maid armed with a rifle? New fetish unlocked!

I mean, this set also includes a nun with blades, a bobby with a billy club, and a teacher with a cricket bat, so you've got options.

 

[Mannahnin]

Moved on to my last box from the Cthulhu: Death May KS, but it's the big one with all the bonus miniatures. Started by getting all the extra characters painted. Speed paints with some touch-ups:

These look good! Especially for speed painting. I don't know if you're planning anything for the bases, but I'd recommend adding some texture and color there. Either a "traditional" dirt and static grass job representing open ground, or a light colored pavement effect. Either one will give a nice contrast to the overall dark tone of these figures, and make them look significantly more "finished". Sometimes shockingly so.

 

[Clint_L]

These look good! Especially for speed painting. I don't know if you're planning anything for the bases, but I'd recommend adding some texture and color there. Either a "traditional" dirt and static grass job representing open ground, or a light colored pavement effect. Either one will give a nice contrast to the overall dark tone of these figures, and make them look significantly more "finished". Sometimes shockingly so.

I agree that doing up the bases looks great on miniatures but I generally prefer transparent or black bases as I also use terrain and a neutral base works better on a range of surfaces.

 

[Older Beholder]

I mean, this set also includes a nun with blades, a bobby with a billy club, and a teacher with a cricket bat, so you've got options.

These are all awesome, I just wanted to shout out the woman with the cricket bat as my favourite.

 

[Mannahnin]

I agree that doing up the bases looks great on miniatures but I generally prefer transparent or black bases as I also use terrain and a neutral base works better on a range of surfaces.

Yes, this is an eternal question and any right answer is subjective. I wargamed for many years on many types of terrain, at different stores and people's homes and grand tournaments.

For me, finished bases not matching the terrain are still always more aesthetically pleasing than plain black bases. And my experience with transparent bases is that they typically scratch easily and become cloudy, and that they're too smooth and slide excessively on uneven terrain.