Frustrated with 15mm Painting Time

[AlexanderTheOk]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I feel like it takes me way too long to complete a 15mm miniature. A tropical storm left me with the afternoon off and I barely completed 10 figures. They are renaissance era and were virtually all different poses so I'm sure that contributed... Current process is base color, wash, base color, highlight.

[Fitz]

That doesn't sound like an unreasonable process for figures that are meant to be more than faceless mooks.

The trouble with modern 15mm figures is that they're generally well detailed, and just big enough to be able to see the detail. I had a similar issue when I started painting GHQ 1/285 stuff — there was detail there, so I just felt I had to paint it. I probably didn't have to, but I did.

[Orctrader]

I'm a slow painter anyway, but considering "character" figures 15mm figures take almost as long to paint as 28mm. 

[FifteensAway]

You can go full "Steve Dean" detail and make a 15 mm figure an artistic effort or you can go full "3 foot rule" and paint a basic job and get on with it.  Or somewhere in between.  Renaissance era figures perhaps are a bit on the tedious side (in any figure size) so perhaps that is the challenge.  Just remember, you only have to please yourself with your paint job - if you are happy, others are likely to be happy.

I stick to the 3' rule - if you can't see it 3' away, don't sweat it.  A basic paint job - maybe a bit of shading with a wash - and then a light dry brush will get you there for most figures.  Spending extra time on special figures is okay but the mass of figures should be 'get it done and get on with it' is my rule.