ICM 1:16 Grenadier Guard - Where does a figures newbie start?!

[Skyhunter66]

Afternoon folks - I got given the new ICM 1:16 Grenadier Guardsman for my birthday which look great but I am a novice when it comes to figures! The kit I think is a good one to start with as it looks reasonably straight forward. I'm looking forward to doing it but don't really know how to plan the build. For example how much of it do you build before painting? Airbrush or brush? How do I get the highlights in the nearskin and tunic,trousers etc

Can anyone give me some pointers or recommend some tutorials or builds I could have a look at?

thanks

Chris

[giemme]

Hi Chris;

plenty of tutorials on Internet and Youtube. I would suggest:

http://www.elgrecominiatures.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d133.html

http://www.lifeminiatures.com/#!waffen-ss-infantryman-01/crxc

I know two of them are busts, but they show pretty well how to paint the face, which is probably the most important thing when painting a figure (the eyes, especially).

If you fancy having a look at my WIPs, here are a couple:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234969755-celtic-nobleman-75mm-alexander-miniatures/

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234986277-templar-knight-in-jerusalem-young-miniatures-bust-110/

As for how much to build before painting: I tend to build as much as possible, without getting in the way of the paint job. So that depends a lot on the figure you're painting and its pose.

HTH

PS: beware, figure painting is highly addictive ...

Ciao

[Skyhunter66]

Hi Chris;

plenty of tutorials on Internet and Youtube. I would suggest:

http://www.elgrecominiatures.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d133.html

http://www.lifeminiatures.com/#!waffen-ss-infantryman-01/crxc

I know two of them are busts, but they show pretty well how to paint the face, which is probably the most important thing when painting a figure (the eyes, especially).

If you fancy having a look at my WIPs, here are a couple:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234969755-celtic-nobleman-75mm-alexander-miniatures/

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234986277-templar-knight-in-jerusalem-young-miniatures-bust-110/

As for how much to build before painting: I tend to build as much as possible, without getting in the way of the paint job. So that depends a lot on the figure you're painting and its pose.

HTH

PS: beware, figure painting is highly addictive ...

Ciao

ok great - many thanks. I'd love to get reasonable at it!

[Eludia]

Stick everything together with bluetac and then have a look for any areas that you think you'll have problems getting a paintbrush to. That should help you decide what bits you can glue and which bits to paint first (before gluing other bits on). The usual problem areas are underneath arms or coatflaps, equipment etc. but it is always a good idea to build as much as you can before priming and painting. Paint looks much better when its on top of glue, not underneath it

As to the actual painting, as G said, there are loads of step-by-step guides and Utube vids to help you out but these too can be addictive and can quickly eat up valuable painting time, the absolute best way to learn is just to get stuck in and make mistakes, get paint everywhere and, above all else, have fun. You'll quickly learn which skills need some improvement then you can target them more specifically.

HTH