New to Painting 15mm - a question...

[guitarheroandy]

Ok, so I can paint 28mm stuff pretty well. I'm mostly using dip and highlight techniques these days as my eyes can't cope with 3 layers on a black undercoat any more and that works well for me on 28s.
However, I'm about to jump into 15/18mm for the first time ever for an American Indian Wars project (am planning to use upcoming John Ford-Hollywood-style US Cavalry and Apaches about to be released by Legends in Time) and I was wondering about how to adapt the painting techniques from 28mm. I don't fancy using dip as I suspect it's too 'gloopy' for the smaller size of models. I also don't get on with Army painter ink washes, although I have been using some new GW inks lately and have got on a wee bit better with those...

So, I thought I might undercoat in a sandy brown (I've used that with some dipped stuff in the past) then do a couple of layers, possibly using GW ink wash (Agrax Earthshade) to pull it together. Assuming I do that, would I be best off using Foundry's shade and highlight tones (ignoring the mid-tone) as I heard somewhere that the smaller figures need a bit more definition in the highlights? Or am I completely off track there?

Any advice would be gratefully received. The figs I plan to use are larger 15mm - closer to 18mm, I think, and the pre-release pics that I was sent suggest detailed, clean and accurate sculpts that will benefit from a decent paint job to do them justice...

Many thanks in anticipation...

[jamesmanto]

Your thoughts seem pretty good to me.
I use dip, washes, inks etc on 15s depending on the effect I want and the style of sculpting.
Brighter highlights than you're used to are a must.
Maybe start with the midtone and drop the shade if you're going to dip or wash as well.

James

[FifteensAway]

If you're painting a limited number of figures and want great looking figures, then that's a careful approach.  If, however, you want a lot of figures I recommend using layer painting for 15s and generally skip the shading.  I've found just using a dry brush technique gives a "good enough" paint job.  Might not work for you.  But you might not have the unending hoards awaiting painting I do.

[dijit]

I normally paint on a white undercoat, block in the colours and apply a black, brown or sepia wash (I use both army painter washes and vallejo) and then apply the block colours again as a highlight and them perhaps a second highlight on a few prominent places. Quick and easy.

[guitarheroandy]

Thanks very much! Very helpful. I'm going for fewer models painted well (small unit cinematic Wild West actions) and am only using 15mm because the figures are so good and also for reasons of storage and possible quicker speed of painting. I'll post pics on the Old West board once I've got going!!!

[Calimero]

I think that using lighter, brighter shades of colors than usual help to make smaller figures pop up more on the table top.

[dijit]

I think that using lighter, brighter shades of colors than usual help to make smaller figures pop up more on the table top.

Fully agree here too!

[sundayhero]

My small scale (10 or 15) fast painting technic is the following :

black undercoat

"wet" brushing of dominant background shade  color (for instance, dark brown for ratmen, leather brown for skeletons or humans, dark green for lizardmen, dark grey for german, etc...)

"wet" brushing of the main dominant color (for instance, medium brown for fur, german grey for german uniform, bone white for skeleton, etc...)

agrax wash on the whole figure

drybrush of the dominant color again, but this time, just a drybrush

"classic" block painting highlights on the dominant color (1 or 2 highlights needed)

painting details (weapons, gear, etc...) , then one highlight only (sometimes, with a wash between the two stages, but not necessary)

painting faces with a light skin tone (for instance, "elf" color for white people, leather brown for black people), only on the main face details : nose, chin, arches), then a wash (sepia or agrax depanding the skin tone), and then using the skin color we used, again on most significant parts of the face.


I use this technic on most 10, 15mm figures, but also masspainting in 20mm or even 28mm figures. On small scale, always use strong contrasts too

[Peithetairos]

Hi,

I described my approach to 15mm painting with step-by-step pictures in an older post on  my blog. I painted some French SYW infantry up. I pretty much use the same techniques I would use for 28mm miniatures on a light brown basecoat. I don't overdo it with the layering, howver, 3-4 highlight steps are enough and wetblending etc. is not really viable, if not for the general or character models.

The result looks like this:

[guitarheroandy]

Thanks for the examples and for further technique advice guys! Seems some of you do more highlighting on 15s than I used to on 28s!!    Seeing pics really helps too - thanks to Peithetairos for the blog link - very helpful indeed!