Re: Any tips on painting a fully armoured figure? The result

[Doug ex-em4]

You painted these and enjoyed doing it. Congratulations, you're a painter.

 These look really good actually for all your fretting over them. I think the bigger problem you have is not your paint skills, it those horrid dwarf sculpts, IMHO. But if you want some improvement suggestions...
The two guys in front have some sort of trim on the mail "skirt" trim it in brass, bronze or gold. Same with the plates on the waist of the first guy.(I forget what those are called)The middle guys beard blends with his armor too much. make him a redbeard or his beard more white. The hands seem to be wearing mittens. If there is no discernable plates on the gauntlets, paint them black or brown and make them leather.
You can paint well. The banner, bench and the robed guy proves that. I think you are getting stuck on what you think traditional armor should look like and its blocking you from letting you creativity flow.
Good luck!
Spanky

Well, if I am a painter, it's taken nearly 45 years to get there...! You should see my 20mm Napoleonics from 1970....

Thanks for the positive comments. I think most people who ask for honest opinions secretly hope that they'll get some good reviews amongst the comments and I'm no exception.

Those trims on the armour skirts - I thought they'd probably be leather so that's how I painted them but it looks a little dull.Also, I thought the mittens were armour - I'll have another look under the lens. I agree totally about the beard on the middle one - I've tried to lighten it up a few times but it still blends with the armour too much.

I liked painting the one in the robes best, along with the table.

Thanks again for your encouragement, especially to the indefatigable papaspanky (where did you get that handle from?).

That's enough dwarves for now - back to VBCWW.

Doug

[Papa Spanky]

Thanks again for your encouragement, especially to the indefatigable papaspanky (where did you get that handle from?).

You're welcome! As for the nickname, I got it early in my career from a co-worker. Here is the backstory:
When I was 12 I was hit by a car, and lost 18 inches of small intestine. Because of this, I tend to frequent the bathroom more than the rest of the normal world. When I began my career as a firefighter, that didnt go unnoticed. Now, firefighters tend to be a bit on the crass side, joke around, and like to use nicknames . One day a fellow co-worker suggested at our morning meeting that my bathroom visits were more "recreational". (the words "spank" and "monkey" were thrown around)  Everyone had a laugh and added to the joke, and out of it Spanky was born. It stuck because I'm also short and bossy like the leader  from the 1930's show "Our Gang" (The Little Rascals)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0568757/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2
 As I got older and found out I was having my first child, another co-worker called me Papa Spanky. Now 20 years and 4 children later, its as much a part of me as my middle name. Some still call me Spanky or even shorten it to Spanks, but I answer to all forms. 
Hey, you asked.

[Cubs]

Not many people know how to use a semi-colon properly.

[Papa Spanky]

I see what you did there.    (it took me a little bit, truth be told)

[grobut]

Back undercoat -> metal -> wash ->highlight with metal -> wash again, maybe brown instead of black wash -> highlight with metal -> wash again -> repeat until happy

Note the washes have to be thinned down

Painted this guy like that a while back: