Figure painting (hobby)

As figure painting has grown in size and popularity as a hobby independent of miniature gaming the techniques and methods involved have been developed to advanced standards.

The models used for figure painting can vary greatly in materials, genres, subject matter, and style.

Early models, produced for miniature wargames such as H. G. Wells Little Wars, were hollow cast and made from lead.

In 1993 the New York legislature banned the use of lead in miniatures following health concerns, so many model manufacturers began casting in lead-free white metal alloys as there was a widespread concern that other states would introduce similar regulations, often at higher prices.

[6] Although the legislation was eventually changed to exempt miniatures,[7] many manufacturers continued to use the lead-free metals.

The price and density of metal made producing larger models both cost and weight prohibitive.

Manufacturers began to produce models entirely in plastics as a cheaper alternative to metal.

Early plastic models often lacked well defined details as the softer plastics used, such as soft PVC, held details less easily and the casting processes were less successful than the established metal casting process.

Despite this, metal models are still widely and commonly available as plastic casting is more cost prohibitive for smaller manufacturers.

[10] The plastic casting process is cheaper for mass production, but expensive on a small scale as the steel molds are expensive to produce and maintain, so whilst many larger manufacturers have moved from metal to plastic, many smaller manufacturers continue to use metal.

[11] They are lighter, so can make larger models, can cast higher levels of details, and will often require less preparation before painting than metals.

This makes resin a common choice for smaller manufacturers of larger scale models with high levels of details intended for display or competition painting, where resin casts can match the details of plastic models whilst still being affordable for smaller production lines.

However, resins are often more brittle than plastics, with small details likely to break so, whilst smaller scale resin models are still produced where the productions are small, plastics are still favored by most manufacturers for smaller and mass-produced models.

Due to the prominent links of production to miniature wargames the most common genres that models are made in are fantasy, sci-fi, and historical/military.

The connection to wargames also means that a majority of models available are single characters (sold individually or in unit sets) in offensive or defensive poses.

Models produced for gaming can either be generic figures or specific variations on common tropes unique to a manufacturer, for example a generic goblin figure or a licensed model sculpted to fit the unique Pathfinder goblin design.

It is also common for display models to be sculpted as depicting a snapshot moment to tell a narrative story in tableau.

Originally a result of limitations fine details in metal, this is commonly done as a stylistic choice to create a more imposing or impressive looking character, referred to as "heroic" scale.

These provide enough size to allow for sufficient detail, without being so large that the cast shadow of the sculpt onto itself interferes with the painting, as would happen with larger scales.

[16] The slow drying time allows for painting wet-on-wet, commonly called wetblending by figure painters, to produce smooth blends of color and value.

Once assembled it may be necessary to remove excess glue or smooth the model's surface with small files or fine grit sandpaper and any gaps from where the pieces do not fit flush together filled with an epoxy putty, such as Milliput.

For paints that require specific chemical thinners, such as enamels, lacquers, and oils, synthetic fiber brushes are often recommended for longer life as the thinners can cause natural fibers to deteriorate over time, although natural bristle brushes are often used for finer details.

When working with slow drying paints such as enamels this can be true as the smaller brush sizes can produce finer lines more easily.

An airbrush can be used to apply primer, either single color or zenithally, basecoats, and varnish quickly across large areas, as well as finer detail work such as creating color or value gradients and applying tints or glazes to large areas.

Some common categories seen at many competitions include Single Figure, Diorama, Unit, and Vehicle, often further subcategorized by genre, such as fantasy, sci-fi, and historical, and an "anything goes" Open category without size, subject matter, or entrant restrictions is also common.

Many competitions also give an award for the piece judged Best in Show, such as the Slayer Sword prize in Golden Demon.

Large scale painting competitions offer a variety of prizes, such as products produced by the sponsor company, a cash prize, or simply a title and trophy or other object, such as the winner of the Slayer Sword at Golden Demon being awarded a physical sword in place of a trophy.

Sometimes the popular vote informs a final cut, which is then judged by a professional judging panel, such as with Games Workshop's Everchosen competition where each Games Workshop store and some independent hobby stores hosted small local competitions, where the winners for each store were uploaded to the Everchosen webpage for public vote with the top 100 being then reviewed by a professional judging panel to determine the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners.