My painting would be better if...

[EricJ]

finish the sentence :)

I think for me, my painting would be better if I had 1 less job and could pull out the brush more often!

what's your limiting factor?

[matty1001]

...humans didn't need to sleep to function properly

...I didn't have a serious relationship

...my fingers didn't resemble pork sausages

...i had Eric Johns hands

...Monopoly wasn't so damn addictive (i just can't stop playing at the minute! Im a financial genius!)

...I didn't have so many effin family problems to sort out (a new HUGE one has just arrived, though im determined to enter the IP this time!)

[Ritual]

I would want to be able to focus completely on projects every now and then. It's not that I would need more time for painting all of the time, but when I really have inspiration for something I find that real life gets in the way and sort of take the edge of my creative energy. I would want to have the ability to sort of "disappear" for a couple of days occasionally. Have my own studio and forget about work for a day or two.

But, I got to eat and pay for my appartment so I simply have to be satisfied with what I get. :) It's not bad, really.

[Hinton]

...I had more experience painting

...I knew how to layer properly

...I could highlight correctly (never seem to bring them up enough)

...I actually had some kind of artistic talent

[EricJ]

Anders, yeah, I've thought about that a lot, all the avenues of creativity I could pursue if only I didn't get distracted by life 100 times a day. If only someone would pay me enough to paint full time...doing what I wanted ;)

Ohhh, I know Nathan's answer...he'd paint better if he accidentally spilled paint on one...since that's better than painting nothing at all...like now! :D

[Coneman]

Being able on focus on painting, without any interuptions, for longer periods would be good.
This would help me also overcome the things Hinton mentions above.

[supervike]

More patience...more brush control....A better grasp of what colors may or may not work.

[Duende]

Maybe if I actually planned a mini rather than just do things haphazardly. :dizzy:

More brush control would be nice too, I really don't know how people do those intricate freehands you see all over CMON, I can't make a straight, even line to save my life. :(

[Jubilee]

... If I turned off the computer.

... If I didn't have to have a full time job so I could go to conventions.

... If I didn't have two adorable kittens who need to play with me.

... If I didn't have such a tiny little span of attention.

... If we played less D&D.

... If they'd stop releasing Magnum PI on DVD.

... If they'd release more good fantasy and sci-fi on audiobook.

[Wren]

... if I were more courageous.

... if I didn't have to stop every five minutes to kick a cat off my desk.

... if I weren't a slave to my TiVo (or it had a bigger HD).

... if I could figure out how to get higher contrast while still painting smoothly enough for my tastes.

... if I could paint base coats faster!

[Stupidcow]

if I had some coaching from someone whose skills is world class.
if I had all the time in the world to just paint at my leisure.
if I had the patience to not wanna finish a model as fast as fast as I can.
if I were a pea sized midget who has a brush the size of a needle.

[Thryth]

...if I had more time.
...if I could see a good painter paint a miniature.

[Duende]

Actually, I also have the same problem that SC mentioned in the 3rd line. Sometimes I just want to get a certain part done that I rush and then it ends up looking crappy. I could show a prime example of this but I have to wait until Femme Fatale entries are able to be made public. ;)

[Jabberwocky]

If I could highlight better.
If I a better grasp of non-conventional color theory (purple to shade human skin tone? Huh? Oh...that does look good when done by someone that knows what they are doing...)
If I had the patience to actually figure out a gunk that I like and get rid of those darn water marks as my paint dries.
If I spent more time painting and less time commenting on others' work, reading about another technique, or being shown another mini I need to have (curse you Wyrd news monkeys! :).

[lauth81]

If I had more artistic talent. (I can´t draw anything more intricate than a smilie. I feel that hurts when doing placing highlights for example.)

If I was more patient. Sometimes I just want to get it done. Doesn´t help I´m painting mostly BB teams these days, 16+ minis with the same colourscheme ...

[EricJ]

Actually, I also have the same problem that SC mentioned in the 3rd line. Sometimes I just want to get a certain part done that I rush and then it ends up looking crappy. I could show a prime example of this but I have to wait until Femme Fatale entries are able to be made public. ;)

I swear, I think everyone has a little bit of this

[cdukino]

If:

- I had less creative hobbies (writing, drawing, sculpting too) to take off time from the paintingtime I have.
- I wouldn't take commisions. They take time too and can be inspiration killing. (can be a bit discouraging to do other things if you have a commision that needs to be done breathing in your neck)
- I wouldn't be distracted at about 70-90% done. When a mini gets to that stage I have to keep myself from rushing and keep my mind on that one instead of thinking about the next.
- I turn the computer off and actually spend THAT time painting.

[GunjiNoKanrei]

- If I stopped trying to emulate the approach to painting from every tutorial I read and just find my own way (or at least stick to a certain way of doing things long enough to get good at it...)
- If I could paint whenever I want to.

[chonk34]

My painting would be better if I learned more techniques, as well as when they could best be used. It would also be better if I learned a lot more brush control and did a better job of cleaning and assembling my minis before I put paint on them.

[Duende]

How about having a paint conversion chart? Like x inches = x cm only for the major paint brands. Sometimes tutorials are frustrating to read when they're describing their painting method using a brand you don't have any of. I'd like to see a X GW = X VMC = X RMS chart or something like that.

- If I could paint whenever I want to.

Me too! I was just thinking the other day I wish I could paint at work during the times I don't have much to do. Instead I end up surfing the forums becoming an internet junkie!

:D

[Ritual]

... if I could figure out how to get higher contrast while still painting smoothly enough for my tastes.

The key is to know where to paint smooth transitions and where to paint sharp transitions! Typically, an area often have a sharp transition to a deeply shaded area but be smooth in the other directions. This will still give the impression of smoothness when it's done, but it will look more life-like.

To be able to decide correctly where transitions should be smooth and where they should be sharp it's very important to have a coherent lighting direction. The shape of the mini and the direction of lighting is what governs this.

[Wren]

Thanks for the tips Ritual. I'm going to have to ponder that for a while, it seems very zen early in the morning on first reading... I suspect I haven't been paying enough attention to light direction, just doing a general 'overhead'. I did try to get a little more specific with it on my Femme Fatale entry.

[EricJ]

There is truth to what anders says! There is a big part of painting which is getting the eye of the viewer to trust the painting. So if you have nicely blended areas, the eye then trusts that your intentially painting sharp transitions when you do in a different place.

Similarly, as Anders mentions, you can pull of convincing looking sharp transitions, if you're blended smoothly up to that transition. Just look at this random photo I found on an image search

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50215657/Peach_Skin_Fabric.jpg

If you notice there are really a mix of both very abrupt tranitions, but made real by the more subtle flowing transitions leading up to them. :)

[vincegamer]

if I practiced.

...oooh, and if I had patience.

[gi6ers]

- If I had better tools, I'm actually a genius ;)

[Coil]

A mix of what previous posters have said. Time to paint, better brush control, practice, not rushing things, practice even more.

What I would really like to do is to sit down with a great painter (or even someone who is just a bit better than me) and learn from him or her. Articles online can be quite good and I've learned a lot from them but I feel that the real life class would be better.

[flynn]

...if I didn't want to quit everytime I pick up a brush anymore.

[Steph-E]

... If others painters like you and some others have left feet instead of hands.;)

[TAB Studio]

I had more time like the rest of you, time to practice

I only had a kind brain and not the internal censor inside of me that often tells me I suck
then might get out of my own way

Not someone to sit next to but I found watching this was great

http://www.figurines-tv.com/kws/index.php?mod=articles&ac=commentaires&id=25

Eric that is a very helpful picture thank you

[thewartoad]

My painting would be better if...I could hang out with all of you FANATSTIC PAINTERS all of the time! Cheers!

[callumrice]

My painting would be better if...

I stopped painting with my pliers
I used paint instead of my own blood
I looked at the model whilst painting it
I stopped thinking "it just needs a little more neon green"


On a serious note, I would definately benefit from watching someone else paint a model. I've NEVER saw anyone else paint. Watching someone elses techniques would be great.

Apart from that, Im a pro!

[EricJ]

My painting would be better if...

I stopped painting with my pliers
I used paint instead of my own blood
I looked at the model whilst painting it
I stopped thinking "it just needs a little more neon green"


On a serious note, I would definately benefit from watching someone else paint a model. I've NEVER saw anyone else paint. Watching someone elses techniques would be great.

Apart from that, Im a pro!

You're now just trying to lure me into a sense of security in IP! :P

[callumrice]

You're now just trying to lure me into a sense of security in IP! :P


ha, howd you guess??

[wiccanpony]

recipe for a better WP painter :

1.. if the family would quit demanding that I spend quality time with “Them”

2.. if the dog could open the door to let herself out to pee

3..if the work fairies would come and clean house, cook, mow lawn etc.

4..if I was feeling in the mood to pick up a brush

5..if I quit playing WOW

6..If I slowed down my browsing of books on Amazon .com

7..if aliens abducted all the top painters and anal probe them for their secrets.

8..if I was 30 years younger, 25 pounds lighter and had the body of Aphrodite!! (while this may not help my painting, it would make me happy)

[GunjiNoKanrei]

recipe for a better WP painter :

7..if aliens abducted all the top painters and anal probe them for their secrets.



*shudder* I really pity the top painters.

[flynn]

I have a feeling that's not where they keep their secrets.

[Ritual]

7..if aliens abducted all the top painters and anal probe them for their secrets.

Wouldn't that just make the aliens better painters? :hmmmm: Or are you implying you're in fact an alien?

[wiccanpony]

:tongue2: so I watch too much South Park.......sue me :D lol

[Avelorn]

...my pants weren't on fire
... if I had new Kappel series brushes.

Wait they just arrived! Wohoooo!

@wren: Another thing you could try is to mix a little blue in shadows and a little yellow in highlights. Yellow gives the impression of more volume while blue gives the impression of less. Yellow-close blue-distant (this tip is sponsored by Jeremie Bonamant inc.)

[Duende]

...my pants weren't on fire


I think they make a cream to help with that.

:firedevil

[Jester]

IF I could just learn to slow down...

[Wren]

It's pretty difficult to argue with Jeremie Bonament, so I'll have to try that, thanks Avelorn!

[Ritual]

@Wren
I can vouch for that... I've tried it and it works. It's really fun how you can tweak the viewer's impression of shape by using colour!

[Duende]

That's interesting. Can you give any visual examples of that?

[Ritual]

Well I used it a little bit on Mortimer's face. I glazed his cheeks with purple so that they would "fall back" a bit, whereas his nose and the area below his eyes was glazed with a warm red so that they would stand out more. The eye is drawn to the warm areas which makes the cold areas seem smaller.

I have a mini on my desk at the moment where I have used it more to really "change the shape" of the face but I won't show that one yet for a while.

[EricJ]

Adding blue to shadows is the best thing in the world, something I stumbbled upon relatively early and does 2 things. First like they've mentioned it causes shadows to fall back more and increase the feeling of depth. Second, when there is a little blue blended into all the shadows throughout the mini, it really works to unify the whole piece nicely, and give it a feeling of it's own ambience.

[Avelorn]

Adding blue to shadows is the best thing in the world...

Yeah! then comes love, joy, laughter from little babies...

Well done Eric! You managed to take this hobbymadness one step further! :fing02:

[EricJ]

yes, well, maybe not the BEST thing in the world :P

But P3 has an wonderful color "Greatcoat Grey" that is a rather dark grey, great for shadows that has quite a bit of blue in it. It immediately became my standard shadow color when I discovered it.

[matty1001]

Greatcoat grey is FANTASTIC. Especially for grey/blue colours. I was painting Gandalf the Grey (just given away my IP entry) and this colour was perfect by just adding black or ivory.

[Drake Farstrider]

For me, my painting would be better if I had the time/energy to pick up the brush and actually paint. Going to school full time, working 30+ hours a week and spending time with my wife takes up all my time.