The Solis Media
Guide to painting miniature figures

Leather 'n' Lace

A ranger from the Ral Partha range of Julie Guthries Fantasy Personalities

Travelling Cleric
Julie Guthrie range late 1980's or early 90's

I like to make the clothing look suitable for the particular figure. A rogue or ranger will likely have worn, faded clothing that looks well used and fits with the environment the character would be at home in. Muted earth tones, greys and greens are ideal.

The Damned Undead may be clothed in rotting rags that match the walking carcass these fiends have become. Choosing any colour and giving it a wet, mildewed look is essential.

Knights and Courtesans need to have crisp clothing in bright non-faded colours that reflect status and standing.

Pirates... Ah, me lad.... The scourge of the seas, a plague upon all genuine mariners the worlds over... Now heres the thing, see, me lads - these curs like to be decadant and flamboyant, but all that salt and sun, the sea air and the stain of cordite, well, it does play havoc, yeah, havoc with the threads. So, whats a swab to do? I likes to use lots o' white, 'n' red, 'n' blue. But I darkens down the shadows and contours, while I washes out the highlights where the relentless sun bleaches the colours.

Theres a skill to it, oh aye, so there is...

Now Nevil the Devil was always going to be lava red of skin and hair... So, what colour the cloak? Well, firey red goes well with satanic night blue... so there we had it. I started with a dark wash, and built up the cloak with layers of blue and black mixed together, contouring and blending on figure. Its the summer here so the paint started to dry too quickly resulting in bumpy texture - I had to change tactics.

I got up to the highlights using grey and blue mix, then did the final 'worn out' look with several dry-brushes of very pale blue.

(scans a bit poor, sorry)

I wanted to do this miniature as a travelling cleric, wearing righteous white robes (ok, with a bloody big mace and plate mail too....) but showing the grime of the crusade...

Base coated dark again, then built up thin washes of grey with additions of brown to give a 'dirty' cloak. Painted on the mud at the bottom and the creases with a thin brown ink, and blended where I could.

Some washes of brown ink and thin blue paint in the creases made the off-white even off-er.

Finally a dry brush of light grey over the main high areas gace Eric the Cleric a dirty, grubby look. Incidently, his armour is rusted and dirty on the front, but He's too embarrased to show you.

These last figures were painted with Vallejo Game Color - buy it from www.legendgames.co.uk - and the legendgames price is one of the best I've seen in the UK at £1.30 a pot.

www.legendgames.org