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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Doug ex-em4 on March 08, 2018, 11:01:45 PM
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I enjoy painting (sometimes) but I’m poor at thinking of colour schemes and also, bizarrely, identifying obscure knobbly bits on castings which are actually something specific. However, I find I can get a reasonable result by copying other people’s interpretations of the same figure. My version is usually not as good as the original (I look for good quality originals to copy) but is pleasing and rewarding to me.
I’ve not used this method more than three or four times but I like it. However I’m wonder how others would feel about it, hence the subject title.
I should point out that any copy painting I do is purely for my own gaming figures and not for any commercial reason.
Doug
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I think it’s absolutely fine. Miniatures aren’t a completely blank canvas; a lot of them have default schemes or official variants that are designed to be mimicked. I think the fact that the hobby has grown around predominately military uniforms naturally means that people copy each other.
Now some kickass freehand on a banner or a tank or something? That might be copying, and if someone compliments you on the design a humble ‘thanks, I copied it from a guy on the internet’ is all it would take to get my moral compass back in line!
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OK :)
I’ve seen a good few colour schemes that look like ones I’ve done on similar or in some cases the same figures. And I’ve seen various plastic kitbashed figures just like ones I’ve put together. Personally I don’t mind at all, because I’ve done just the same with other people.
There’s a nice blurry line between inspiration and imitation ;)
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Don't worry about it.
There's barely a publication these days that doesn't give you a step by step guide for complete figures
Copying colour schemes and compositions.Is practically a mantra for some of the larger companies in the hobby.
Turn it on its head for as second if copying colour schemes was a hobby No,No.
Then there wouldn't be tutorials everywhere you look.
It's a valid method for improvement. As long as your not claiming to have invented the wheel.
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(throws down his carefully folded baby calf-skin leather gloves)
I'll have words with any foul knave who doth think he shall on my paintjobs impose!
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I have done the same thing. Not sure how to paint a figure so I paint it
the way someone else has. Like you, I do this for my personal figures
that I game with.
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I would dare to say any of us who have painted a fair number of figures over a lifetime has to have copied someone else's work. I have often had people give me a figure to paint for them and an accompanying picture of the self-same figure painted by another with the request to paint it just like this. ;)
People who take art courses are often told to copy some classic painting to improve their own skills. I think using another painters work as the model for you to copy is no big deal.
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If people didn’t copy, WW2 games would look silly!
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The only way I've got any better at painting is by copying other people's ideas which I think look good.
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copying is the way to go to improve your own painting style . Just do it there is nothing wrong with it!
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I can get a reasonable result by copying other people’s interpretations of the same figure... However I’m wonder how others would feel about it, hence the subject title.
That´s perfectly fine, I think. We improve our painting skills by looking over the fence how others do their stuff. It´s not different from adopting a painting scheme from a package cover, magazine page or movie still. I can´t see a point not to do it.
It would be even alright, I think, if you intend to paint it for selling as long as you state that YOU painted it or don´t name a painter at all. A sculpt is intellectual property, but a paintjob on it is your interpretation of what you feel the miniature should look like.
In fact, I´d feel honoured if anybody liked my painting so much that he starts to copy it. lol
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It's all good. I've copied people's paint jobs that I particularly admired, or were shown as source material by the customer, and I've seen my paint jobs copied. No worries either way from my pov.
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Completely fine for all the reasons already stated, whether technique, colour or use of similar uniform livery etc. Aside form uniforms sometimes a miniature when seen in a particular colour scheme just looks right and to do it any other way would be wrong :)
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It's OK. Always depends on the case of course. If it's an actually interesting idea (beyond painting that Space Marine red-and-blue or something like that) and you get asked don't try to pass it off as your idea and things are a-okay. We're all just copying, don't we? It's not like miniature painting is 'creating original art' and the outcome will always look different (unless you really, really aim to do exactly the same thing as another person. In which case I'd like to question the point of the whole effort).
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Yup; perfectly OK. In fact, I'm very much guilty of copying an absolutely great paintscheme (and conversion) I saw here on LAF right now. :D
I've copied loads and have been copied loads as well; it's all part of the hobby, and as has been mentioned a couple of times; it's the way to improve your own skills.
Look at craftsmen (centuries ago united in guilds); students and journeymen will copy their master's work in order to learn the trade, and only when they're proficient enough are they allowed to create original work.
But by that time, they're actually capable of doing so.
Nah; copying is just fine... :)
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As long as you don't try to sell the resulting miniature as originally painted by someone else, you shouldn't worry. In other words, you can copy Sascha Herman painting style as much as you want, but if you try to pass your production as Sascha's to improve your chances to sell the mini, then it would be no Ok.
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I tink copying a good colour scheme for your own use is perfectly OK. That is simply a good way to make your own collection look nice.
Indeed, I write tutorials (and a book) so that people can paint WW2 uniforms in colour schemes that look good.
The only time it would be wrong is if you were selling it as a original from a famous painter.
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Well who’d-a-believed it? A unanimous answer to a question on an Internet forum. Must be a record :D
Thanks for the input - now I need to search the internet for a cracking paint job of North Star’s Congo African Chiefs for me to copy ;)
Doug
[edited to correct autocorrect!]
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When I first made a concerted effort to get better at painting, I started out by deliberately copying the Prof's style. I think I sort of ended up with a style of my own, but that's how it started. But that was a style, rather than a specific paint-job so I don't know if that's really what we're talking about.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think that's how those Renaissance guys learned how to do it.
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When I first made a concerted effort to get better at painting, I started out by deliberately copying the Prof's style. I think I sort of ended up with a style of my own, but that's how it started. But that was a style, rather than a specific paint-job so I don't know if that's really what we're talking about.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think that's how those Renaissance guys learned how to do it.
I’m talking about a specific paint job. For example, I’ve had a couple of clown figures knocking round for ages and I thought they’d fit in quite nicely to a VBCW skirmish game. I googled clowns to get an idea of how to paint them and fortuitously an image of the very same figures, painted, came up. So I copied the paint job as closely as I could. Worked out quite reasonably.
I’ve been painting figures since 1970 and my “style” seems to be different every time which is why copying from someone who can really turn it on is a great help.
Doug
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Pffft I do it all the time :) I copy everybody's work on here, especially Bugsda (poncho patterns I couldn't resist) who's painting I admire a lot. It's a form of flattery IMHO.
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Hello,
my name is Pedro,
and I've copied paint schemes from Angus McBride
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can a painting style be owned? I don't know, I'm just asking as it seems to be the pre-requisite of the question being asked.
Owning a painting style seems (to me at least) like saying I own the letter 'P' or the number '3' etc.
There must be a ton of people who don't exhibit on the internet who paint in ways that might be original, but no-one would ever know and then someone who happens to both paint in that style and have a media platform can claim the style as theirs and believe that is true, when in fact it isn't. can anyone really claim uniqueness? again, I don't know.
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Oh I don't know ,seems a fast food chain can own the letter 'M' ;)
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can a painting style be owned? I don't know, I'm just asking as it seems to be the pre-requisite of the question being asked.
Actually, it’s not a question of “style”. I’m happy to copy from a variety of people, all of whom may have a different style. If I see a painted example which I like of a figure which I have and which I’m in the mood to paint, I will think, great, I can copy that without having to think what colour to paint the socks and, oh blimey, that blob of indefinable metal on the side is actually a small teddy bear - who would have thought? And then there’s shading. Left to my own devices, my shading is pretty random and inaccurate. Seeing an example of the same figure from someone else who has a sure grasp of the principles of shading is a big help.
Those are the prosaic reasons which make copying a good idea for me but I asked the question originally because in a way, it seems a bit rude just nicking someone else’s vision and piggy-backing on their skill. However, the posts here have reassured me that I’m not out of order.
Doug
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Yes, it's fine. :)
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Yes, it's fine. :)
Phew, that’s a relief :D ;D :D
Doug
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'Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery'
As said before, if praised, admit who inspired the work.
An article on how to develop your own style (it was about art, but the idea is sound for wargames figures)
said choose 2 or 3 artists you like the style of, and find as many examples of their work as you can.
Slavishly copy their style for about 6 months.
Put away the reference material & paint for another 6 months.
At the end of that time you will have developed your own style.
Do not forget this is a hobby, do not stress it.
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Do not forget this is a hobby, do not stress it.
Having been in this hobby for 45years+, believe me, I’m well past stressing it 😀
Doug
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I've been trying to copy Dallimore for years, if he'd had a problem with it he wouldn't have wrote the books. lol
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Fine by me. I copied the shield designs on some Wargods of Aegyptus figures because I'm not the slightest bit artistic. I can paint by numbers ie fill in the white bits on primed figures but free art.......................no way.
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There are so few original ideas, everything evolves from something else. There are fads and phases - do you dip, do you dry brush, do you use three tones? None of these are original ideas from the miniatures world. They’ve all been copied, borrowed or modified from somewhere else.
If you like something, then copy it or draw on its ideas. This is not exclusive to us, everything from art to science is like this. Relax and do what works for you. Oh, and if you do think you’ve come up with something totally original.....I hate to burst your bubble, odds are you are not the first.
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(http://1vze7o2h8a2b2tyahl3i0t68.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Cap-04-27-CAT_600.jpg)
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You wouldn't steal a car! Why would you steal someone's paint scheme?! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuxO6CZptck)
lol
EDITED: The original one is so close to the parody I got the two confused. lol
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I’d like to know who is claiming they own the IP to applying paint with a paintbrush?
Or which airbrush manufacturer stole the IP of the prehistoric people who blew pigment from their mouth to make hand impressions on cave walls?
No one stole the cars, they found them left unlocked, with the keys in the ignition and a note saying, drive me.
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It is better to steal well than to invent badly :D
(http://1vze7o2h8a2b2tyahl3i0t68.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Cap-04-27-CAT_600.jpg)
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(http://1vze7o2h8a2b2tyahl3i0t68.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Cap-04-27-CAT_600.jpg)
The richest artist is the greatest self-publicist. Say “hi” banksy and Tracey 💰
Doug
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Given Banksy is a graffiti artist who does his best to keep his identity a secret, I doubt he makes too much.
Since painting is such a personal process, especially with figures that have no real value (relative to your masterpieces where imitations passed off as the real thing are a big deal), I'd suggest even if you copied perfectly every aspect of a tutorial, it would still be your own work. Everyone is different after all.
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Given Banksy is a graffiti artist who does his best to keep his identity a secret, I doubt he makes too much.
Well, he communicates through his agent which says something.
I'd suggest even if you copied perfectly every aspect of a tutorial, it would still be your own work. Everyone is different after all.
Good point.
Doug