The Pain in Painting

Something I enjoyed painting from way back in 2016. The model is from Panzerschiffe - 1:2400th scale cast in resin - and the splash markers are from Litko. The ‘sea’ is of course Hexon. I have a soft spot for S.M.S. Seydlitz and the paint technique employed was ahem, borrowed from Tim Gow. Basically a black undercoat with the grey dry brushed on and highlighted. The decks and ship’s boats were then blocked in. The base is card with the name label prepared in Word and the ensign courtesy of Brigade Models. 

I have mentioned on numerous occasions that I am a reluctant painter. More specifically, I am a reluctant figure painter. I am quite happy applying the brushwork to anything that is non-organic so ships, tanks, spaceships, aircraft, power armoured infantry and mechs are all fair game but I really struggle with figures. In fact, the last complete army I painted was a DBA Numidian force made from Essex 15mm figures and sporting all the options. I was quite pleased with how it turned out and the army saw a modest amount of action when the club was going through a DBA phase some years and several locations ago.

Recently I have been thinking long and hard about painting and of figures in general. I doubt very much if I shall ever paint armies again, at least in the traditional ‘24 figure infantry units, 12 figure cavalry and guns with 4 crew’ sense, mainly because I would definitely lack the staying power to see it through. I am at a loss to explain why this is and the only thing I can think of is the idea of painting umpteen similarly posed and uniformed figures requires a level of discipline and commitment that frankly, I am not sure if I could be bothered with. DBA/HOTT or the various Portable Wargame versions would probably be about my limit. Having said that, I rather like the idea of skirmish level set ups because the variety would be there and the numbers involved would be modest. 

My figure painting technique has not evolved greatly since the 1970s - white undercoat, enamel topcoat and a varnish with a small drop of black in it is about as artistically sophisticated as I can get. I have used acrylics but never speed or contrast paints. Shading and highlighting I have never really bothered with overmuch - the black in the varnish helps with that although care should be taken as to the amount of black involved. Whilst thinking about this post I tried to recall the last figures I painted and it actually was the 15mm DBA Numidians and near as I can recall that would have been at least twenty years ago! The funny thing is it has not stopped me from buying figures with the best of intentions about painting them - except I never seem to do so. I could not bring myself to use unpainted figures though - Memoir ‘44 and Battle Cry excepted but even then I have occasional bouts of wanting to paint them!

One of the best things I ever achieved in my wargaming journey was producing the copious amount of block armies from the ‘not Jenga, Jenga blocks’. Using these gave me the opportunity to fight battles from many periods without the need to paint umpteen figure based armies. They are an excellent substitute and as I have shown time and time again, work very nicely with 3D terrain for a real Kriegspiel type feel. The block armies themselves could use a modest revamp - I was never completely satisfied with the mechanised version - and I also have in mind a naval version, prompted in part, by the recent flirtation with the Jutland blocks.

Whilst my planned figure painting is currently limited to the 15mm Mike’s Models Colonial collection I would not be averse to tackling something in a larger scale and skirmish based but as yet I have nothing definite in mind. That is David Crook speak for ‘that is a rabbit hole I am trying desperately to avoid as I have far more pressing things to tackle!’ 

To those that collect armies of figures and enjoy the artistic aspect of producing wonderfully painted forces from whatever period of history takes their fancy I have every admiration for. It is just not for me though but having said that, it does not make me any less of a wargamer!