Just Five Minutes at CSS Pays Off...

...for me anyway and maybe it has for you. I'm referring to the Craftsman Structure Show last November, put on by myself along with Scott Mason and Jimmy Deignan. Anyhow, the previous year I had watched dozens if not a hundred or so modelers sit by Dave Revelia and Brian Nolan working on a variety of modeling techniques. In particular Dave Revelia painting figures. If you have seen his or Brians work, you already know that they create some of the most intriguing, super detailed scenes and structures. Their work truly is art - three dimensional paintings. Like many, I look to their modeling as the standard of detail and style I aspire to model myself.

So, at this years show I took a break from our table and watched Dave paint some figures, for about five minutes. I had never done any figure painting, save for a few cast metal demons and druids in my Dungeons and Dragon days when I was twelve.........so as I watched Dave for five minutes, he explained the basics of what he was doing and I was instantly intrigued - I had to try it myself.

Of course it took me several months and excuses to get to the point since then, to sit down and actually give it a try. I finally purchased some paints Dave recommended and ordered an Optivisor and some new brushes. I also made great use of Scott Mason's Painting Figures with Dave Revelia DVD.

My first attempt is pictured above, an HO Presier figure in a scene for an upcoming kit (May 1st). This is a Preiser figure I've used so many times I couldn't stand to see it again in the same color scheme; that's what prompted my repainting it. You know this guy, waving with the blue shirt and suspenders...so I took a whack it it. While the results are far from great; I can see how even just a little reworking of a painted figure can elevate a scene. No longer does the out of the box figure stand out; with just a few layers of color, shadow and highlights, the figure begins to blend in.

Needles to say, I'm hooked. I don't think I can ever just glue down a figure as is again. It would seem like a step backward. It has to have some repainting. Hopefully the more I do it, the more I will improve. The best part is it's extremely satisfying and only takes just a little more effort. It's really just a matter of sitting down to do it and getting the right tools.

If you haven't already, consider coming to the Craftsman Structure Show in November. I only spent five minutes taking in some new information and it's opened up a whole new door to my modeling. Imagine what you can do if you spend all three days focusing on some new techniques and ideas. And if you are interested in painting figures I highly recommend Scott Mason's DVD. Like anything else in modeling, once you see it happen before your eyes, the mystery is gone and you realize that it's some thing you could do yourself, or at least give it a try.

Battling Blue

I rarely use blue paint on structures, but decided to for a change. For one thing I couldn't live with myself if I used white with green trim again, though I'm sure I will in the near future. It just seems to suit most structures as well as the landscape they sit in.

Blue paint itself, was rarely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Not so much a taste or aesthetic issue, it was a matter of cost. The pigment for Ultra Marine Blue was mined from a semi precious stone called Lapis Lazul. It was ground into a fine powder and mixed with resin. The next step was to knead it in linen bags where it sat for weeks in water until the pigment leached out. In the mid 1800's, Lapis Lazul was nearly equal to the price of gold.

So, rarely was it used on buildings; instead white was, being the cheapest and most prevalent color. But I decided to use it here on our next Quick Kit # 31, called Hooper's for now( due out next month). It's only being used on trim parts and windows. I decided if I were to choose blue, I would only do it if it were weathered heavily, lots of chipped paint. Plain, unweathered blue on a model railroad might be too stark a contrast and stand out more than any other colors, even red.

The blue I'm using on Hooper's is Polly Scale St. Lawrence Blue; it's a fairly modest shade of blue, not Royal or Navy. This shade inherently has a faded look to it, so half the battle of toning it down is already done.

So far I'm happy with the results and welcome the change of pallet.