Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Mammoth miniatures on 08 April 2023, 11:37:51 AM
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I'll be bringing mammoth miniatures to salute again this year, and during my last minute casting rush I realised that I have a much larger range of figures than last time with very few painted examples (the joys of a busy schedule)
My instinct is to try and paint as many as possible for display, but that got me thinking - do people want to see painted figures, or would they rather see the sculpt as it is before painting?
So i ask you, humble LAFers, When you're at a show browsing for figures do you prefer to see a painted example, or an unpainted one?
(for context I cast all my figures in brightly coloured resin so that the details can be seen easily)
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If viewing online I prefer black washed, to bring out the detail. In the flesh, so to speak, I prefer to see the casting as is.
I suspect I'm in the minority though. Further posts will tell. :)
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If viewing online I prefer black washed, to bring out the detail. In the flesh, so to speak, I prefer to see the casting as is.
I suspect I'm in the minority though. Further posts will tell. :)
Me too, so a growing minority...
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Agree , simple black wash to bring out the sculpt and casting quality
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Painted preferably :)
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Blackwash, as others have said it shows the sculpt quality.
Painted examples an optional nice extra
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I prefer having minis bare so you can actually see the casting and details. A black wash can help but paint jobs can do a lot to obscure what you're getting. Of course, I've only shopped online and at stores (so things were always packed when I physically saw them) but I think that the opportunity to see the bare metal is great because it says so much more and provides a canvas for me to imagine my ideas on.
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A quality picture of the unpainted model, no question. If you want a secondary picture or two of how it can look painted...fine. I've seen some shops really screw this up - providing no unpainted pictures, and only poorly painted pictures of their products.
If you insist on using painted pictures - they should be professionally painted. You're only hurting your brand/sales if you post an average painted miniature.
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I'd definitely vote for black or gray washed, especially as the figures are resin which can be quite shiny. I would also re-iterate that if you want them painted they need to be very well done. I can think of several manufacturers over the years whose painting was decidedly average at best and I think it actually became a disincentive to buy. A few well painted samples or vignettes can help.
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When Essex miniatures first came on the scene his wonderfully painted
figures certainly persuaded me to buy them. Even more so as most of
the other manufacturers had the same old very tired & battered displays.
Now I too like to see the black wash or bare casting.
It keeps my painting asperations down. lol lol lol
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A quality picture of the unpainted model, no question. If you want a secondary picture or two of how it can look painted...fine. I've seen some shops really screw this up - providing no unpainted pictures, and only poorly painted pictures of their products.
If you insist on using painted pictures - they should be professionally painted. You're only hurting your brand/sales if you post an average painted miniature.
I am a fairly good painter if I do say so myself BUT I do wonder if my style of painting is perhaps not suited for advertising.
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Black washed for me. I've seen figures so well painted that it's put me off buying them.
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Both.
I like to see the untouched metal - or other material - and painted examples.
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To clarify, I don't know the OP and my comments were not addressing his painting skills - I'm referring to the general "You". I've seen several small companies who insist on posting poorly painted miniatures as their only product pictures and I think it's seriously damaging to their sales, etc.
Weirdly, the opposite is also occasionally true. I've seen some gorgeous painted miniatures and was disappointed when I got the miniatures as the detail or sculpting was really underwhelming...the painter simply did some freakin' magic to make them look better. lol
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I would like to see both, a matte primed example (preferably grey) for informational purposes, and a painted example for inspiration/aspiration.
A good paint job can make a mediocre sculpt look a lot better, but a straight primed example will show the potential buyer the actual quality of the modelling, be it good, bad or indifferent.
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I prefer both, black wash to bring out the detail on the casting and a painted version for inspiration.
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The person asking this question would seem to cast in resin, which is slightly a different case to metals, plus this was for attendance at Salute.
In general I like to see black washed (Hasslefree do a very good job on their metals) as it shows off the castings to good (or in some cases bad - not Hasslefree) effect.
Resins are another matter, but either grey primer and black wash or plain with either high contrast lighting or wash.
High quality painted miniatures are nice, they inspire and show what things are on the miniature - the Empress USMC figure with the doll in the helmet band being an extreme case.
At shows, there is a combination of getting to see the miniatures (painted or unpainted) due to crowds and limited frontage on stands for display. Plus, I am now in the position that I need optical assistance to appreciate the finer details of 28mm figures (I will be the guy with the magnifying glasses).
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I am a fairly good painter if I do say so myself BUT I do wonder if my style of painting is perhaps not suited for advertising.
Well, since you're here (: show us some painted and washed pics!
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Well, since you're here (: show us some painted and washed pics!
Here's the most recent of my own paintjobs on my own sculpts - My flesh eating ghoul giant.
(https://i.imgur.com/iixXSkT.jpg)
The raw unpainted resin - no wash, no primer, just natural green.
My paintjob.
(https://i.imgur.com/rkK4oCj.jpg)
My worry is that I paint in a very textured way that I like the look of, but that perhaps doesn't do a great job of selling a sculpt.
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It depends on where and how the figures are shown.
On a website, with suitably zoomable pictures, I prefer seeing both; some nicely painted pictures and one or two pics of the aforementioned black wash.
The reason is that the type of miniatures that draw me in (fantasy and scifi) is usually covered in fancyful detail which can be unclear when not well painted. This contrasts with historical miniatures, which tend to be less cluttered and every aspect of the uniform and kit is well known, and plain, simply washed miniatures are just as suited.
When at a show, I prefer painted though, period. Well painted miniatures on display are what sells the minis as far as I'm concerned.
In magazines, I don't care either way, as long as the pictures are sharp enough.
When I say painted, I don't mean painted to a ridiculous Golden Daemon standard; it's much better to have a well defined, crisp paintjob that highlights the miniature's features than one overshadowing them with fancy colourfades, over the top highlighting and elaborate freehanding.
Oh, and bad paintjobs which obscure or omit details, go over 'the lines' or otherwise mess with seeing the miniature underneath well, should most certainly be avoided. We're better off with a simply black wash in those cases.
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> My paintjob
Reminds me of that painting of Saturn eating some guy! (:
Yeah, both pics would work. Now I'm recalling that Reaper mini's unpainted and painted minis were popular. You don't have to paint every mini.
And don't forget if you're up for selling your painted mini's or willing to do commissions!
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Reminds me of that painting of Saturn eating some guy! (:
You mean the painting by Goya? That's not just some guy he's eating; that git ate his children!
(https://img.theculturetrip.com/768x/smart/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/francisco_de_goya_saturno_devorando_a_su_hijo_1819-1823.jpg)